Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
Dumplin's real name is Willowdean. Her mother is a former beauty queen who can't seem to accept her daughter's size. Willowdean has a best friend who is practically perfect, and Will feels like she is being left behind.
One day, Will decides to sign up for the local beauty pageant. Her mother is against it, but Will wants to show that anyone can be a beauty queen. So, she enlists some drag queens to help her.
Along the way, she attracts the attention of two boys, loses and regains her best friend, and learns to value herself for who she is. Loved this.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Sunday, December 13, 2015
TAYSHAS 2
Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King
It's that time of year where I start reading the books on the TAYSHAS list so I can earn ducks, a shirt, and pizza.
Glory is graduating high school, but has no plans for her future. She worries that she doesn't have a future, that she is just like her mother, who killed herself when Glory was four. She has a self centered best friend, and on the day before graduation, she and Glory drink a dried up dead bat. After drinking the bat, they can see things when they look at other people. Glory mostly sees the future, which includes another civil war and world war IV. Ellie sees a bunch of naked people.
Over the course of the week that Glory is affected by the bat, she becomes closer to her father, finds herself, and discovers she is not like her mother. I enjoyed this book so much.
It's that time of year where I start reading the books on the TAYSHAS list so I can earn ducks, a shirt, and pizza.
Glory is graduating high school, but has no plans for her future. She worries that she doesn't have a future, that she is just like her mother, who killed herself when Glory was four. She has a self centered best friend, and on the day before graduation, she and Glory drink a dried up dead bat. After drinking the bat, they can see things when they look at other people. Glory mostly sees the future, which includes another civil war and world war IV. Ellie sees a bunch of naked people.
Over the course of the week that Glory is affected by the bat, she becomes closer to her father, finds herself, and discovers she is not like her mother. I enjoyed this book so much.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Fairy Tale Poetry
Poisoned Apples by Christine Heppermann
I ordered twelve copies of this for my classroom. One day, a student was reading it, and laughed aloud in class. She showed the poem she was reading to her tablemates, and it became a topic of conversation for several minutes. The poem that caused this sensation? "If Tampons Were For Guys." After seeing this, I knew I had to read these poems.
While that one particular was somewhat funny, most are not. They focus on the dark side of being a girl. Worrying about weight, what people think of us, being pretty, blemishes, etc. I liked these poems because they were more real than most of what we are forced to read in school, and I think that is why my students, the girls anyway, like these poems too.
I ordered twelve copies of this for my classroom. One day, a student was reading it, and laughed aloud in class. She showed the poem she was reading to her tablemates, and it became a topic of conversation for several minutes. The poem that caused this sensation? "If Tampons Were For Guys." After seeing this, I knew I had to read these poems.
While that one particular was somewhat funny, most are not. They focus on the dark side of being a girl. Worrying about weight, what people think of us, being pretty, blemishes, etc. I liked these poems because they were more real than most of what we are forced to read in school, and I think that is why my students, the girls anyway, like these poems too.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
A Delightful Ghost Story
The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
We never actually know the name of the narrator, but she is a woman who gives hand jobs for a living, but has recently been moved up to aura reader/spiritualist. She enjoys reading ghost stories.
One day, a woman named Susan comes into the shop. She thinks something is wrong with her house, and tgat her stepson is crazy and dangerous. She asks the narrator to cleanse her house, but then weird things happen.
I enjoyed this novella. Ms. Flynn is the type of writer that you just can't get enough of her work. This will only take an hour or so of your time, but it is worth every second.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Not a Cult Classic
Awake by Natasha Preston
Much like another book of hers I read, this could greatly benefit from an editor. Too many misspellings for my taste.
Scarlett can't remember anything before the age of four. This bothered her, but not too terribly until she met her boyfriend, Noah. Then one day after being involved in a car accident, she starts remembering things. What she learns is that her parents aren't her biological parents. No, they used to be in a cult, but when they saw that Scarlett's parents were going to sacrifice her for their salvation, they kidnapped her.
And then there's Noah. He's not supposed to fall in love with Scarlett. He is supposed to get her to trust him so he can take her back to the cult that she narrowly escaped as a small child. He falls in love with her anyway, yet still takes her back to the cult.
Will Scarlett be sacrificed? You'll only know if you take the time to read the book.
Much like another book of hers I read, this could greatly benefit from an editor. Too many misspellings for my taste.
Scarlett can't remember anything before the age of four. This bothered her, but not too terribly until she met her boyfriend, Noah. Then one day after being involved in a car accident, she starts remembering things. What she learns is that her parents aren't her biological parents. No, they used to be in a cult, but when they saw that Scarlett's parents were going to sacrifice her for their salvation, they kidnapped her.
And then there's Noah. He's not supposed to fall in love with Scarlett. He is supposed to get her to trust him so he can take her back to the cult that she narrowly escaped as a small child. He falls in love with her anyway, yet still takes her back to the cult.
Will Scarlett be sacrificed? You'll only know if you take the time to read the book.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
A Great Mystery
These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly
I was first introduced to this author three years ago, when I received Revolution from a student for Christmas. I loved that book, though her other book was only ok. This one was awesome.
Josephine Montfort is a high society girl in New York before the turn of the twentieth century. When the book starts, she is at boarding school, but being summoned home because her father has died. First, she is told that his death was the result of a gun cleaning accident. Then she is told it was suicide, and while trying to find out why he would kill himself, she finds out he was, in fact, murdered.
While searching for the truth, Jo meets Eddie, a reporter for a newspaper her father owned. He helps Jo to solve this mystery, as well as introduces her to "unsavory" characters. All of this can potentially destroy her chances of marrying well in New York society.
I don't want to ruin this for you, but I will say this: Jo solves the mystery. What that entails, you can read for yourself.
I was first introduced to this author three years ago, when I received Revolution from a student for Christmas. I loved that book, though her other book was only ok. This one was awesome.
Josephine Montfort is a high society girl in New York before the turn of the twentieth century. When the book starts, she is at boarding school, but being summoned home because her father has died. First, she is told that his death was the result of a gun cleaning accident. Then she is told it was suicide, and while trying to find out why he would kill himself, she finds out he was, in fact, murdered.
While searching for the truth, Jo meets Eddie, a reporter for a newspaper her father owned. He helps Jo to solve this mystery, as well as introduces her to "unsavory" characters. All of this can potentially destroy her chances of marrying well in New York society.
I don't want to ruin this for you, but I will say this: Jo solves the mystery. What that entails, you can read for yourself.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Dead and Buried
The Hiding Place by David Bell
Twenty-five years ago, Janet's brother, Justin, was murdered. She was seven, and he was four. They were playing in the park, and a black man, Dante, took Justin to the woods and killed him. Or did he?
Fast forward to the present day. Dante served his time, and has been released from jail. With it being the twenty-fifth anniversary, and the only murder in this small town of Dove Point, people are interested in what happened.
An old friend of Janet's comes back to town and asks her what she remembers from that day because he has been working on what he remembers that day. A random stranger comes to Janet's house late at night implying that Justin didn't die, and that he is Justin. The police revisit some questions that were never really answered back when the investigation was going on.
There were a lot of twists reading this one, and thankfully, there is some resolution at the end. The whole time, I couldn't help but empathize with Janet, who grew up thinking she was partly to blame for her brother's death. All the secrets that surface in this book, are what made it a good read.
Twenty-five years ago, Janet's brother, Justin, was murdered. She was seven, and he was four. They were playing in the park, and a black man, Dante, took Justin to the woods and killed him. Or did he?
Fast forward to the present day. Dante served his time, and has been released from jail. With it being the twenty-fifth anniversary, and the only murder in this small town of Dove Point, people are interested in what happened.
An old friend of Janet's comes back to town and asks her what she remembers from that day because he has been working on what he remembers that day. A random stranger comes to Janet's house late at night implying that Justin didn't die, and that he is Justin. The police revisit some questions that were never really answered back when the investigation was going on.
There were a lot of twists reading this one, and thankfully, there is some resolution at the end. The whole time, I couldn't help but empathize with Janet, who grew up thinking she was partly to blame for her brother's death. All the secrets that surface in this book, are what made it a good read.
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