River Readers

Elizabeth is back at Winterhouse and this time to stay. She will be living with her grandfather Norbridge and one day all of Winterhouse will be hers. For now she is just happy to be back with Norbridge, Freddy and Leona and all the others at Winterhouse. After the events of last year she is suspicious that Gracella is really gone. Her suspicions are also raised by the horrible Powter family and Elana Vesper and her grandmother. They seem to be searching for something in the hotel. 

Maria Merian can be considered one of the world's first entomologists. Her studies of butterflies and moths and their life cycles were revolutionary and groundbreaking. Even more so because she was a women in the 17th century. At that time many people believed caterpillars and butterflies were different species. They believed butterflies spontaneously appeared. Maria carefully observed the insects in her garden. She collected specimens and watched what happened to them. She connected insects to specific plants. And she drew pictures and took copious notes of the process.

Guero is a kid living on the border between the U.S. and Mexico. He is an American citizen but his mom is from Mexico. So they travel the border frequently. Guero tells the story of his family life and his friends at school through a series of poems. These poems show the connections he has to the area around him and to his family. They also illustrate the racism he faces on a daily basis. One of the more heartbreaking poems was called Playoff Game where the girls' basketball team is in the playoffs and the opposing crowd shouts racist slurs throughout the game.

Life is hard for Mason Buttle. His family has been hit by tragedy Bing Bang Boom. First was Grandpa, then mom and then best friend Benny. All that grief has a way of piling up on a family and Mason's has sunk under the weight. It is just Grandma, Uncle Drum and Mason at home now and Shayleen. Uncle Drum brought Shayleen home from the diner one day. She moved into Mason’s room, forcing him to the attic, and is addicted to the Home Shopping Network. The Buttles have had to sell of parts of their generations old farm to make way for new developments.

This is a companion to the The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well and it was well worth the listen. Wiking takes on the topic of happiness. The Danes are considered the happiest people on earth and he sets out to discover how and why. There is a lot of information on how to live a happier life in regards to different aspects of your life like financial, social, helping others, etc.

The life of a chimney sweep in Victorian London is a harsh one. Young children are "apprenticed" to master sweeps and climb through narrow, twisting chimneys on a daily basis. They are abused and neglected and forced to work until they die or get to old to fit in the chimneys. Nan Sparrow is one such sweep. She has been indentured to cruel master Wilkie Crudd ever since she was abandoned by The Sweep, her protector and mentor. The only thing The Sweep left her was a piece of char that always stayed warm.

The War of the Worlds broadcast on October 30, 1938 was the ultimate in fake news. Orson Welles and John Houseman created a radio program that fooled the country into believing martians had landed in New Jersey. Gail Jarrow does a fantastic job setting up this pivotal moment in history. She explains the importance of radio to an audience who probably never listen to the radio. She sets up the people involved by describing not only Welles and Houseman and their radio programs but also the original novel by H.G. Wells.

Artemisia Gentileschi is a painter from the Italian Renaissance. Her story is one of tragedy and strength. She is left motherless at a young age and goes to work in her father's studio. Soon she is the better painter of the two even though he takes credit for her work. She becomes the pupil of Agostino Tassi and welcomes his attentions as first. Then he uses his position and power to rape her believing he will get away with it. Artemisia is not your typical 16th century woman however. She and her father bring Tassi to trial and win.

Langston and his father have moved to Chicago after the death of his mother. Langston misses Alabama and his grandmother. Chicago is lonely and he is bullied by his classmates who call him "country". His father works long hours at the factory and Langston is on his own a lot. He discovers the George Cleveland Hall branch library and its remarkable librarians who introduce Langston to the poetry of his namesake Langston Hughes. These poems bring the South back into Langston's life. 

Marie Kondo is not for everyone. She is definitely quirky and I will admit that I do not follow all of her teachings. I don't talk to my possessions or commune with my house. However, I do think there is a lot of value in what she says about touching everything you own and deciding if you really want/need it in your house. I do feel like there is a difference between loving something (feeling joy) and needing something. I don't love some of the things in my house, but I need them and there are no substitutes that really work.

Don Brown does a good job showing the horrors of the Syrian war. The art in this graphic novel is sparse but effective in that it accurately displays the trauma the Syrian people face on a daily basis in both their own country and the countries they have fled too. Brown includes snippets from actual refugees about their experiences. Definitely a worthwhile story to tell about a current political situation that doesn't seem to be ending any time soon.

Real Friends ranks right up there with Roller Girl and Drama as fantastic graphic novels about girls growing up and navigating school and friends. In this wonderful book, Shannon Hale spares nothing in telling about her childhood. She is desperate to have friends and super excited when she makes one in Adrienne. But Adrienne is a lot more popular and soon becomes part of "The Group" led by Jen.

Tessa has just moved to Chicago from Florida and isn't happy about it. She had to leave sunny beaches and her best friend. And she has moved into a haunted house. She keeps hearing crying noises and something is drawing on her sketchpad. With the help of her new friends Andrew and Nina, she has to figure out who is haunting her and why. 

So one of of my biggest pet peeves is poorly edited books and this one had som eglaring mistakes that would have been such an easy fix and should have been spotted by an editor. 

The New Minimalism borrows a lot from other books/theories. I personally saw a lot of Marie Kondo in the way they divide by category, touch everything and thank items for their service. However, the language is a little more appealing to an American audience than Kondo who I found a tad bit kooky. I did appreciate the emphasis on donating items and living a sustainable lifestyle. All in all I found this a good practical guide to decluttering and minimizing your home.

The Divided Earth is the conclusion of The Nameless City trilogy. War has come to the city and Rat and Kai are determined to stop it. Ezri the new General of All Blades and his sidekick Mura are determined to use whatever weapon they can especially the powerful napatha.