Bookish Weekly Wrap-Up: 6/3 – 6/23/19

Hello bookworms!

Long time no see!  Sorry for going MIA for the past two weeks, but vacation & all the aftermath crept up on me.   You know how it goes.  I am working on playing catch up on reviews, posts, & blog hopping.  It’s good to be back 🙂

*Bookish Weekly Wrap-Up is a weekly post where I feature what posts were published on the blog for the past week, any bookish/blog happenings, what I recently finished reading, what I am currently reading, what I will be reading next, noteworthy posts around the bookish blogisphere, and any interesting bookish articles I came across.

Like I mentioned, we went on vacation!  We went with my husband’s family to Nags Head, North Carolina.  After the chaos of end of the school year (projects, tests, parties, recitals, etc.), a week on the beach was much needed.

Wednesday 6/5

May 2019 Reading & Blogging Wrap-Up

Thursday 6/6

June 2019 TBR

Recently Finished Reading:

» A Gown of Thorns by Natalie Meg Evans

***DNF @30%***

» My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

This book was listed in The Read-Aloud Handbook as a good book to read-aloud with younger children, so I gave it a go via audiobook with my 5-year-old.   This was a cute story that was simple enough for younger children to understand.  If your children enjoy picture books like The Gruffalo with lots of clever trickery by the main character, and want to attempt simple chapter books, this is a good place to start!

» With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

I adored Elizabeth Acevedo’s debut novel, The Poet X, so I was very excited to read her next book.  I listened to her first book via audiobook, and fell in love with the author’s narration.  I chose to listen to Fire on High via audiobook as well.  I loved this one just as much as her first!  Elizabeth Acevedo has a beautiful way with words & I adore her characters & plotlines.  I typically stray away from YA contemporary, but I’ll read anything Acevedo writes!

» Deconstructing Penguins: Parents, Kids, and and the Bond of Reading by Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone

This was a very interesting little book about a husband & wife team that run book clubs for parents & their children.  The Goldstone team breaks down books into their elements: characters (protagonist vs antagonist), setting, themes, etc. to really dig into what the author was trying to convey with the books.  The authors talk about a few of the books they frequently utilize in their bookclubs in detail, so if you do not want to be spoiled for these books, you might not want to pick this up.

» Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I know this book has very mixed reviews due to its format, but I LOVED this book.  Since Daisy Jones and the Six is told in interview format from many different characters, many people were turned off.  Since I knew this was the format going into the book, this read like a classic rock band documentary playing out in my mind.  This book was meant for TV or film adaptation.

» Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Dark Matter blew my mind.  I think Blake Crouch did a wonderful job taking such a complex theory and constructing a story accessible to all different kinds of readers.  Dark Matter would appeal to a wide variety of readers: science fiction, thriller, romance etc.   I read this book with one of my book clubs and it made for an excellent discussion.

» Amelia Bedelia (Audio Collection) by Peggy Parish

I listened to this audiobook collection with my 5-year-old daughter.  We really enjoyed listening to this collection of stories about Amelia Bedelia.  Actually, Amelia reminded me a bit of Anne from Anne of Green Gables.  Since these stories were first published in the 60’s and 70’s, it was a bit dated, which made it a bit more challenging for my daughter to totally understand all of Amelia’s misunderstandings, but it was a great opportunity to talk to her about words & phrases with multiple meanings.

---

Currently Reading:

» The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

Status: 90%

» Born Reading by Jason Boog

Status: 30%

» A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

Status: 40%

» Beezus and Ramona (Ramona #1) by Beverly Cleary

Status: 20%

---

What Am I Reading Next?:

» The Twelve by Cindy Lin

The Zodiac Legacy meets Spirit Animals in this epic, heartwarming own-voices adventure!

Usagi can hear a squirrel’s heartbeat from a mile away, and soar over treetops in one giant leap. She was born in the year of the wood rabbit, and it’s given her extraordinary zodiac gifts.

But she can never use them, not while the mysterious, vicious Dragonlord hunts down all those in her land with zodiac powers. Instead, she must keep her abilities—and those of her rambunctious sister Uma—a secret.

But after Uma is captured by the Dragonguard, Usagi can no longer ignore her powers. She must journey to Mount Jade with the fabled Heirs of the Twelve, a mystical group of warriors who once protected the land.

As new mysteries unfold. Usagi must decide who she stands with, and who she trusts, as she takes on deadly foes on her path to the elusive, dangerous Dragonlord himself.

» CW @The Quiet Pond shares queen Asian book recs ⇒ Year of the Asian Reading Challenge – Book Recommendations for June’s Prompt: Pride! and tips for diversifying your reading ⇒ Want to Read More Diverse Books? Here are Six Tips to Diversify Your Reading!

» Aimal @Bookshelves & Paperbacks shares a guest post about supporting Muslims ⇒ HOW TO BE A GOOD ALLY TO MUSLIMS: GUEST POST.  Aimal is also hosting a readathon in July, which you can read about here ⇒ ANNOUNCING THE #IRONTOMEATHON: AN ADULT FANTASY READATHON

» Kirstie @Upside-Down Books talks about being a slow reader ⇒ Why it’s Okay to be a Slow Reader | #BookSnail

» @The Orangutan Librarian talks about her new found love for audiobooks ⇒ I CONFESS: I AM AN AUDIOBOOK CONVERT! and talks about negative reviews ⇒ MISCONCEPTIONS OF NEGATIVE REVIEWS

---

» The Most Popular Historical Fiction Novels of the Last Five Years

» The Hit Books of the First Half of 2019

» 12 Bookstagrammers of Color to Follow

» Summer 2019’s Must-Read Fiction

» 6 Graphic Novels to Add to Your Classroom or School Library

» Why Books Are Worth Your Money

» 6 Books That Will Leave You in Awe of Female Friendship

» Reading Rewards That Work

» Summer Reading Challenge for Kids 
— 2019 Edition

» Chilling Mysteries & Thrillers for Summer 2019

» Treat Yo’ Shelves: A Book Club Gift Guide

» Quiz: Pick 6 Scoops of Ice Cream and We’ll Tell You What to Read Next

*I got Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner

» June Book Club Picks

» Books to Read for World Refugee Awareness Month

» Readers Wanted: How to Find New Book Club Members

» Why Should Dads Read with Their Kids? I’m Glad You Asked …

» What to Do When Your Book Club Can’t Decide What to Read

» How to Start Reading Chapter Books with Your Preschooler or Kindergartner

* Wonderful types for crossing over into the world of chapter books with your younger kids!

Have you read any of the books included in this post?  If so, what did you think?

What are you currently reading?

What will you read next?

Have a wonderful week & happy reading