Hello and welcome to a new month! Wow, May was a great month for me. I am really in a good mindset. I did have a touch of a reading slump but I managed to get out of it and round out the month with a new favorite read. On to summer here in the states!
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I’m a children’s librarian, so I read books for kids and for grown-ups. This month, I read 12 picture/early reader books and 9 “big” books, including audiobooks, adult novels, and chapter books for children. My average rating this month was 4.3 stars.
Standing on Her Shoulders by Monica Clark-Robinson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was expecting an anthology but was pleased that this wasn’t! The backmatter is great. Not sure about the illustration and text choices at times…
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This novel in verse feels so authentic because Ellie, the narrator, is a poet. I loved that the bullies (for the most part, especially the mother) did not get a redemption arc. The bullying and fatphobia in this one is ROUGH though. One quote I loved: “Why aren’t kids allowed / to tell grown-ups when they’re wrong?”
One Is a Piñata: A Book of Numbers by Roseanne Thong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I always love Roseanne Thong’s books.
What Can You Do with a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love the illustrations in this one.
The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee by Julie Leung
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow, what a cool and inspiring historical figure. I knew nothing about Hazel Ying Lee before reading this book and I loved becoming informed. The art is great too.
No One Returns from the Enchanted Forest by Robin Robinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My favorite graphic novel of 2021 so far!
Look out for my full review on February 5.
Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book by Keila V. Dawson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book has the perfect amount of text to convey information in an interesting way while still keeping the length kid-friendly. Good backmatter.
What’s Inside a Flower?: And Other Questions about Science & Nature by Rachel Ignotofsky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Really lovely illustrations, great info, a little cluttered for me.
Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Business by Bree Galbraith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Cute & funny, though there is a ton of vocabulary! This is a fairly solid young reader with fun characters and illustrations.
Look out for my full review on February 10.
Ducks Run Amok! by J.E. Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a funny early learner! Love the inclusion of rhyming AND speech bubbles.
Marshmallow & Jordan by Alina Chau
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a fun read with beautiful art and a paraplegic female athlete MC! Marshmallow is so cute and I liked that this one takes place in Indonesia and includes Hindu folklore. While the plot was imperfect for me the kid appeal is strong and the character development and art really shine.
Look out for my full review on February 7.
I Love My Mommy by Sebastien Braun
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A cute, sweet book about mothers and children featuring animals in the illustrations.
Pride and Pleasure by Sylvia Day
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Gosh, this is just not Day’s best work and I struggled through it. The steamy scenes are as great as always but the plot meanders all over the place. I’ll still read other books by her but this one did nothing for me.
The Many Meanings of Meilan by Andrea Wang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a wonderful book, my favorite realistic middle grade fiction of 2021 so far! I loved that this book felt like both a window and a mirror for me.
Look out for my full review.
Journey to the Moon by Cathy Hapka
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed that this one included lots of facts about space, Apollo 11, astronauts, and the moon. I just wasn’t a fan of the plot.
Clues to the Universe by Christina Li
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Clues to the Universe takes place during the 80’s but feels so timeless. I loved the friendship between Benji and Ro. I also felt the representation of bullying and Benji and Ro’s reactions to it were so relatable.
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Read my full review here.
Drawn Together by Minh Lê
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is such a cool book. I love the different art styles of the boy and his grandfather combined into the same image.
The Green Frogs: A Korean Folktale by Yumi Heo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This introduced me to a folk take I didn’t know yet.
Hush!: A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a really beautifully illustrated book. I love the story.
The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom by Lita Judge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The nonfiction information really stands out as compared to the poetry in this one. I learned a lot!
Waiting for a Scot Like You by Eva Leigh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Such a good one – still not sure if Book 2 or this one is my favorite in the series. So many fun 80’s references and a stunning and sexy romance. I love that this series features couples falling in love and journeying into their futures together in less traditional ways. Only thing that could make this series better is a novella about the side couple featured throughout the three books.
Additionally, I DNF’ed a lot of books. I usually talk about that in my review but they were all books for a work project. Some I even enjoyed, but I felt like I needed to spend time reading other things. I don’t feel the need to go through all of them.
A Peek Into My Planner
I’ve been trying to fill out my planner each day to keep myself organized and to use the plethora of planner supplies and stickers I possess. (I use The Happy Planner.) In July 2020, I started a brand new planner, which I hope to use through 2021. Here are my weekly spreads for May.
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I’ve been keeping track of my moods to keep an eye on my depression and anxiety. In May, I felt:
- Good – 9 days
- Great – 4 days
- Relaxed – 4 days
- Tired – 4 days
- Okay – 3 days
- Productive – 3 days
- Bored – 1 day
- Emotional – 1 day
- Happy – 1 day
- Stressed – 1 day
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More Stuff I Did
I started posting more about my witchier interests on a new TikTok channel which has been a lot of fun.
@daily.manifestationxMy first manifestion jar worked like a dream ##manifest ##manifestation ##manifestationjar ##manifestmoney ##witchtok ##babywitch♬ Sally’s Song – Lazygirl
I also rewatched Roman Holiday an finished BoJack Horseman Season 5.
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Because I’ve been blogging about more than just book reviews, I wanted to share some of our “other” posts from this month:
Other Bookish Posts
- 5 Bookish Pet Peeves
- Sunday Funday: Current Reads #3
- 10 Hysterical Literary Jokes
- The Red Lounge Romance Collection by Beena Khan Spotlight
- Sunday Funday: Current Reads #4
- How to Make a TBR Jar
- #BookishAstrology – Books We Chose for #Taurus Season
- Pros & Cons: Ebooks vs. Print Books
Lifestyle
Blog Hops, Memes, and Challenges
Looking Ahead: June
I am beyond ready for summer! Who’s with me?
