Gosh, January was cold! I mean, I grew up in Denver and spent enough time traveling through Kansas to know that the temperatures here in the Ozarks aren't really THAT cold. Still, the humidity makes the ice bite to the bone. I went through so much firewood...and built muscles pushing the wheelbarrow up the hill from our barn to the house. Yes, I do some things the old fashioned way, which helps me stay fit. I hope.
Anyway, it's the month of love and I have a small pile of reads to match the season. Most of these are for the young adults out there, but I managed to get my hands on some titles in other age groups, too. By no means do I only have books circling the theme of love, though. There's adventure, fantasy, nonfiction, contemporary, mystery, and more. Hmm...it does seem I'm missing a scifi read this month, though. Well, March is just around the corner to make up for that.
So, grab a box of chocolates, put some red roses on your table, and cut out tons of paper hearts (my kids loved hanging them everywhere) as we take a glimpse at several reads which will appear this month.
LOVEYKINS
Not only is 'love' in the title, but this book seems to center around the theme completely...not romantic love, though. An elderly woman picks up a baby bird and loves it like her own child until a friendship evolves. It supposedly also includes themes such as letting go. I'm excited to see the illustrations, and the author is known for his quirky tales. Find out more with me on the 3rd.
Picture Book
GAZING AT THE STAR NEXT DOOR
Then, there is, of course, romantic love with rings of Valentine's Day. This read should get super sweet and should get those butterflies fluttering. It circles around two childhood friends, one of which suddenly becomes a star. I'm expecting cuteness, awkward moments, and romance pure. Join me to find out more on the 6th!
Young Adult Graphic Novel / Romance
BILLY AND THE GIANT ADVENTURE
I made a New Year's promise to hit more 'fun' books. This one appears it will deliver. Honestly, I have no idea what to expect, but when I take a look at this gang of kids, ready to tackle anything on their bicycles, it promises to be quite a ride. Find out if it's a read worth getting excited about on the 9th.
Middle Grade Adventure
FROM SAILOR TO SAMURAI
Coming from a newer publisher, who centers around bilingual reads, this one immediately caught my attention. As a mother of a bilingual family, whose members are always adding more languages to their list, these types of books immediately catch my attention. I'm looking forward to diving into it and seeing how it handles this on the 10th.
Children's Bilingual Fiction
ILLUSTRATED GIRL
This one sells as 'a romp in the spirit of The Princess Bride' and is said to be for fans of Terry Prachett and Gail Carson Levine...which I have no idea how that mixes but am super curious to find out. In this tale, a girl enters a book as her favorite character but gets the timing off and is too late...which means the evil dude wins. Now, she has to set everything straight. Somehow. I'll let you in on my thoughts on this one on the 12th.
Young Adult Fantasy
CAMERON AND THE SHADOW WRAITHS
This is the 2nd book in a series and, of course, I didn't read the 1st one because that just wouldn't be me. Anyway, this one is about a bunch of friends and their adventures with monsters and alligators, while hiking...stomping...slushing (?) through the New Orleans' swamp. It promises tons of tension, chills, adventure and heart. We'll find out more on the 17th.
Middle Grade Fantasy
HARVEST HOUSE
Before we head into March, I wanted to make sure to squeeze in a thrilling mystery, and this one caught my eye. It swirls around an Indian myth, murder, hauntings, and racism, too. I'm expecting more than a few creeps and scares. So, join me for this one on the 27th.
Young Adult Paranormal Thriller
And as always, I have a joker read. Since my reading pile seems to be a never-ending tower and there's no way I could get to each and every book each month, I choose out something I am dying to read and will manage to squeeze in at one point, no matter what. Honestly, the publishing world is volatile, which means that my schedule shifts and twists all the time. So, it's not hard to find a chance to slide my joker read in. I just never know when it will happen.
While browsing around for possible Valentine Day's reads, I happened across this title on my Libby App. Yep, it's a library read! I love tales surrounding food (maybe because I love food?) and baking cakes appeals to my sweet tooth. Add that this is a graphic novel and promises some humor mixed into the fun, and I was more than happy to borrow a copy and dive in.
Whether or not it's worth a read? We'll find out. When? I have no clue.
Young Adult Romance / Graphic Novel
3 comments:
It looks like you've got some interesting reads to share in February. I hope you started reading some because that's a lot of YA books to read in one month.
It's been bitter cold here too, and I've been taking advantage of it to stay in and read more.
I think you should think about featuring your middle grade books on Mondays and joining the Marvelous Middle Grade Monday bloggers. I participate when I'm featuring a middle grade book. We read each other blogs and leave comments. Here's the link to Greg Pattridge's MMGM page so you can see if you want to join: https://gpattridge.com/
Quite the variety!
Cold here although not cold enough to snow, just rain.
Alex - hope you're seeing warmer temps soon!
Natalie - Thanks for the heads-up! I've contemplated joining in several times, but time/stress has kept me at bay so far...not that it'd add much. Hmmm...I'll have to think about it again.
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