Anne (AMQS) Reads in 2025 - Back to School

Welcome to my second thread! It's back to school time, or what teachers consider the beginning of the year, and a good time for a new thread. Thank you all for making LT my happy, safe place.

My name is Anne. 55. I live in Lakewood, Colorado with my husband Stelios, one adult daughter (the other lives nearby), and two three kitties. I am a teacher librarian in a little mountain elementary school, so I read a lot of children's literature, along with adult literary fiction. I adore audiobooks and always have one going for my commutes up to school. This is my 16th year in the group (thank you, Jim/drneutron!)

The image here is of the top of the Corney Brook Trail on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia in June. I have Nova Scotia on the brain - it is such a special place.

Now Reading:


Audio:


District librarian book study:

2025 reads - back to school

August, 2025
49. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
50. The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers
51. How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
52. The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon
53. The Many Meanings of Meilan by Andrea Wang
54. Just Plain Folks by Lorraine Johnson-Coleman

September, 2025
55. Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
56. Just Keep Walking by Erin Soderberg Downing
57. Orbital by Samantha Harvey
58. The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

October, 2025
59. Gallant by V.E. Schwab
DNF: Weyward by Emilia Hart
60. The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen
61. The Snow Girl by Sophie Anderson
62. Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
63. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
64. The Lord Sorcier by Olivia Atwater
65. Peppermints in the Parlor by Barbara Brooks Wallace
66. Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner
67. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

November, 2026
68. Bad Badger by Maryrose Wood
69. Icarus by K. Ancrum
70. The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko
71. Home: A Short History of an Idea by Witold Rybczynski
72. Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford
73. Force of Nature: Three Women Tackle the John Muir Trail by Joan M. Griffin

December, 2025
74. The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall
75. The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
76. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
77. The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers
78. The Trouble With Heroes by Kate Messner
79. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
80. Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

2025 reads

January, 2025
1. The Woman in the Sable Coat by Elizabeth Brooks
2. We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida
3. Unstuck by Barbara Dee
4. Künstlers in Paradise by Cathleen Schine
5. The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

February, 2025
6. The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melissa Taub
7. Killer Underwear Invasion! by Elise Gravel
8. The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan
9. Breakout by Kate Messner

March, 2025
10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
11. Not Another Banned Book by Dana Alison Levy
12. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
13. The Rector’s Wife by Joanna Trollope
14. Praying for Sheetrock by Melissa Fay Greene
15. Holy Fools by Joanne Harris
16. An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin
17. Table for Two: Fictions by Amor Towles

April, 2025
DNF: The Ghost Cat
18. Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
19. The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz
20. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
21. Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

May, 2025
22. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
23. The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease and Other Dementias
24. Funny Story by Emily Henry
25. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
26. Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
27. The Women by Kristin Hannah
28. And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps
29. Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
30. A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga

June, 2025
31. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candace Millard
32. Too Close to the Falls by Catherine Gildener
33. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
34. North by Brad Kessler
35. The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner
36. James by Percival Everett

July, 2025
37. Cog by Greg van Eekhout
38. Medusa: The Myth of Monsters by Katherine Marsh
39. Go As a River by Shelley Read
40. One Small Sparrow by Jeff Leeland
41. The Wedding People by Alison Espach
42. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
43. We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
44. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
45. Pretty Bitches: On Being Called Crazy, Angry, Bossy, Frumpy, Feisty, and All the Other Words That are Used to Undermine Women, edited by Lizzie Skurnick
46. One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome
47. Curveball by Pablo Cartaya and Miguel Díaz Rivas
48. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

Welcome! I love visitors:)

Life update: I am back at school next week. Teachers begin the week after that and students in another week, so here we go! This will be my 13th year in my school. Marina starts her new job today, which is a lot like her old job (still at the University of Denver), just full time, with benefits, transit passes, and access to facilities on campus. She has just moved up a level in her Samba classes, so she is on track to dance with her school at Carnival in Brazil. She is also taking a shift manning the desk at her dance studio one evening a week, which earns her free classes. Callia also starts school next week - this will be her second year teaching, and she is moving to 4th grade this year. She starts early because of new teacher induction, which she deferred last year so she could concentrate on finishing her masters (and first year teaching, lol).

My brother and his son Falcon are coming from Germany for a visit beginning tomorrow, so the start of my school year will be very busy. This is something of a last hurrah as Falcon will start first grade next month, so their days of traveling whenever they want to are over. I think my brother is also trying to spend as much time as he can with my dad, who is declining in health, and my stepmother, who is going through a very rough time. My mom is also coming soon - she also lives in Germany but spends about five months of the year here. Currently she is walking part of the Wales Coast Path in southern Wales before she travels to Oxford for a literature class, then home.

Happy new thread, Anne! I hope you're enjoying Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - I have stayed at the hotel the book is about but I have not read it yet myself.

48. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, audiobook narrated by George Weightman and Katie Leung.

This book was recommended to me more than a year ago by a librarian colleague, and it took the entire year and then some for my audiobook hold to come in! The book is a dizzying, genre-bending time travel sci fi story with a liberal dose of spy thriller, eco-thriller, Arctic exploration, romance, and biting social commentary on imperial colonialism, among othern things.

In the near future, the unnamed narrator, a British-Cambodian woman, is promoted within a new government minisrty to be a bridge for an expat. The expat/bridge program is intended to help new arrivals settle and acclimate, only the new arrivals are new to the 21st century. The government has recently discovered the ability of time travel, and are experimenting with its effects and implications by removing people confirmed by historical record to have died at the moment of their extraction from their own time. Our bridge's expat is Commander Graham Gore, a real historical figure removed, from the doomed 1845 Franklin Arctic Expedition. Because Gore dies (and is extracted from) 1847, 1847, shortened to "47" becomes his name to the other expats, who all become friends (particularly Margaret, or 1665 (plague) and Arthur, or 1916 (Battle of the Somme). But a "simple" acclimation and study assignment becomes complicated quickly. The expats have been rescued, but they would call it kidnapping. Their surveillance (and that of their bridges) by the ministry becomes murky as it is not quite clear what the ministry's objectives are, and when things get dangerous, who is on whose side.

The book is twisty, convoluted, and thorny. Partway through I ended up getting a print copy from the library as I had to go back and revisit some passages, and I spent a lot of time researching the Arctic expedition. SO much to think about, and an astonishing offering from a debut author.

>7 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora! I am enjoying the book, and I was wondering if the hotel was a real place. It’s fascinating, and I’m sure I’ll do some research.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Anne. Great comments on The Ministry of Time; I also enjoyed it. I hope your school year is great.

I LOVE the photo at the top. Nova Scotia has moved up my bucket list.

Happy new thread, Anne. Love to your lovely family.

Happy new thread, Anne! I thought of you and your summer reads as I finished Wordslut by Amanda Montell today - I was describing it to my colleague the other day and found myself not wanting to loudly say the title on the front desk while there were children present haha. (But she did request the book and plans on reading it!)

Happy new thread, Anne! Hard to think it's time to go back to school already -- seems like summer just started!!

>10 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita!

>11 BLBera: Thank you, Beth - glad to see you enjoyed The Ministry of Time also. So much to think about. I'm already scheming about how/when to go back to Nova Scotia. Special place.

>12 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul, and to you and yours as well.

>13 bell7: LOL Mary, that may be one I read next summer - sounds like a good one.

>14 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. It never feels long enough.

Here's a picture from a week ago - Marina and me in what could well be my TBR pile, but is actually an installation at Denver's Meow Wolf.

That is so cool.

Best of luck with all the back to school prep, Anne. Sounds like an exciting time with new jobs for the girls and visits from your brother and mom. Hopefully you can squeeze in a little down time for reading in the midst of all that.

>16 AMQS: Love it!!

Happy new thread!

>17 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Have you been to a Meow Wolf? It's an experience, that's for sure.

>18 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky. It is a busy time, and hard to squeeze in reading. It's great to have my brother and nephew here.

>19 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! Meow Wolf is a trip.

>20 drneutron: Thank you, Jim!

49. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

This is a bitter and a sweet book - alternating between the early 1940s and 1986 Seattle. Young Henry is Chinese-American and has been forbidden to speak Cantonese so that he becomes as American as possible. This effectively ends all speaking to his parents, who do not speak English. Though they want him to be American, including sending him on scholarship to an all-white school where he is cruelly bullied, Henry is caught between two worlds, as his family upholds strict Chinese traditions, which include his father's fervent loathing for Japan and anything/anyone Japanese. Henry's world changes when Keiko also begins attending his school and the two of them have kitchen duty together. Keiko lives in nearby Japantown, but is second generation American and doesn't speak Japanese. As tensions ramp up with WWII anti-Japanese sentiment, Henry is made to wear an "I am Chinese" button and Keiko's family faces the unthinkable: internment and forced labor along with tens of thousands of others of Japanese heritage.

In the 1986 portion of the story, Henry is mourning his wife, whom he nursed through her death from cancer. His eye is caught by a parasol he is sure once belonged to Keiko, which emerges from the long boarded up Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Japantown, or Nihonmachi. The basement of the hotel, now being renovated, contains stacks and stacks of boxes of belongings from the former Nihonmachi reisdents, many of whom never returned after the war, their property having been sold out from under them. Henry begins to search through the boxes, hoping to recover Keiko's family belongings, and perhaps fulfill a promise made a lifetime ago.

The hotel is a real place, and of course, internment was also horribly real, and seems to be happening again. The History Colorado Center has a very moving comprehensive exhibit of the Colorado internment camp, which is now the Amache National Historic Site. My stepmother and my aunt each (separately) read the book this summer, which was my sign that it was time to dig the book out from where it languished on my shelves.

>16 AMQS: That is what I picture my BlackHole looking like, lol. What a great picture!

>22 AMQS: Dodging that BB as I have already read it.

Happy new thread, Anne!

I hope the family visit is a delight from beginning to end, Anne.

>23 alcottacre: Stasia, I thought of your black hole - I'm sure all of us have a TBR that could make this kind of formation, lol.

>24 richardderus: Thank you, Richard! My brother and Falcon are still staying with us - I think they'll go up to see my dad and go camping in the National Forest behind my dad's house in the next day or so. It is great to have them here, though I will say the energy of a six year old has no equal in our house any more.

50. The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers, audiobook narrated by Ethan Hawke

I took foggi's advice and listened to the audiobook of this Newbery Medal winner and I agree it is the way to go. Johannes is a free dog who serves as the eyes of the urban park by the sea where he makes his rounds, reporting everything he sees to the bison, who maintain the equilibrium of the park. Johannes has assistant eyes - his best friend Bertram (a gull), a squirrel Sonia, and a raccoon named Angus. But changes are afoot that threaten the park's equilibrium, and Johannes must work together with his friends to set things to right, or to adapt as best as they can to the changes. I understand the print book has lovely illustrations, which I look forward to exploring when I am back at school. Ethan Hawke was born to be a dog's voice - the narration truly was outstanding.

>16 AMQS: Looks like my living room hahaha.

>26 AMQS: I have a copy of this, but I might look for the audiobook instead. I just finished an audiobook that my daughter recommended and I think you might like: The Small and the Mighty.

>27 PaulCranswick: I think many of our rooms here on LT could look like this:)

>28 BLBera: Thanks for the recommendation, Beth! I put it on my wishlist. FYI I looked at the illustrations today at school for The Eyes and the Impossible and they are really beautiful but aren't really a part of the story - just lovely bonus material.

Hello all, it's been a whirlwind around here. The beginning of the school year is always very busy and this year having family in town made it extra busy. My brother and my nephew Falcon have made it safely back to Germany and my mom is safely home from Germany. I have not read a single page, so thank goodness for audiobooks! Hope everyone is well.

51. How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley, audiobook narrated by Clare Corbett

I know I have Joanne to thank for this delightful romp that sees wildly disparate groups come together to attempt to save a community center. Lydia, a former stay at home mum who has recently become an empty nester, is hired to direct the senior social club at the local community center. She pictures time spent drinking tea, playing cards, and doing crafts, but the seniors have other ideas. The seniors are a terrific bunch - strangers to each other before joining the club. They include Daphne, a take-charge more-than-she-seems firecracker who has rarely ventured outside of her flat for years; Art, a former actor who hides a shameful secret; William, former paparazzo; Anna, former trucker with five late husbands; and Ruby, a dedicated knitter turned Banksy-style yarn bomber. Their meetings begin inauspiciously, but when their community center building faces possible condemnation, they join forces with the kids of the daycare and a dog named Maggie Thatcher for a longshot to save it. Roped into the gang is Ziggy, an 18 year old single father who would be forced to drop out of high school if the daycare closed. Lydia has lost her sense of self, and her charges direct her as much as it is her job to manage them. They all combine to do good (and do bad) to right wrongs and perpetuate some of their own. The seniors, though taking umbrage at the tired senior stereotypes, lean into them and the invisibility they experience to behave outrageously. This book was so, so fun.

I've read one book by Pooley and really enjoyed it. I'll have a look for this one.

Happy new school year!

Good luck with the start of the school year.

>31 AMQS: Making a note of that as a possible vacation read/listen

>31 AMQS: Already on The List but glad to see you enjoyed it.

I hope the first week is treating you well so far!

>31 AMQS: Wasn’t that a fun one, Anne! I also really liked Pooley’s The People on Platform 5 which I’m pretty sure I discovered on Katie’s thread.

Happy new school year! Aren’t you glad it’s a bit cooler where you are? :)

I am listening to The Eyes and the Impossible and you are right, Ethan Hawke is a great dog! I have a copy of the book and the art is nice. I hope to convince Scout to pick this up. I think it's one she would enjoy.

>31 AMQS: Love that title. Definitely one for my wish list - always on the lookout for a fun read. I did find some other titles by her on my Danish audio-app, but I think have to look elsewhere to get it.

>32 katiekrug: Hi Katie - a fun read, for sure.

>33 BLBera:, >37 BLBera: Thank you, Beth! So far it's been smooth, but busy. I just forget how busy I am and how tired. Things will settle down into routine soon, I hope. New this year is that I am teaching two sections of kindergarten in a regular specials rotation for library/technology. This exponentially increases my instructional time with them and it's really too long. I haven't had kinder for more than storytime and checkout in years so I am scrambling to create a curriculum for them.

I'm glad you're enjoying The Eyes and the Impossible.

And thank you for the recommendation of The Small and the Mighty - I loved it. It's a read that showcases the Best of Us and it was exactly what I needed.

>34 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, that would be a perfect vacation read!

>35 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky. Tired, but looking like I'll survive it:) I'm in my second week now and getting back into school mode.

>36 Copperskye: Joanne, it was SO fun - thank you again. This week it is blessedly cool and I am grateful for the cool weather and for the rain. It was nice to escape the heat of the city but it was pretty hot at school, too. Some of our classrooms reached over 90 degrees (no air conditioning). Still glad to be up there!

>38 ctpress: Hi Carsten! It's nice to see you here. It is definitely a fun read - hope you enjoy!

52. The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed History from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon, audiobook narrated by the author.

If like me, you despair every day at what keeps happening (WHYYYY???? HOWWWWWW???) this book could be for you. We need books showcasing The Best of Us, and this is certainly who is depicted here. The book feels like a conversation. She definitely conveys her passion, outrage, and more, while sharing the stories of Americans who were influential in the best sense of the word. I was delighted to see Clara Brown profiled - happily she is still studied as part of Colorado history, in which she is the beloved Aunt Clara Brown, formerly enslaved, separated from her daughter, who in her later years was a successful businesswoman and astonishing philanthropist in Central City, CO whose improbable reunion with her daughter will bring tears to your eyes. Also profiled are Katherine Lee Bates, the author of the America the Beautiful poem but who should be more widely known, suffragettes, civil rights activists, educators, WWII heroes, senators, and more. Ms McMahon, known as "America's Government Teacher," provides much needed perspective to anyone who can hardly imagine a more ugly time in America's government history (there was, and worse), and best of all, brings forward the stories of people who truly deserve celebration.

Recommendeed by Beth, and I am grateful.

Hiya Anne!

>41 louisisaloafofbreb: Hello, Louis - thanks for visiting!

>42 AMQS: your very welcome

I loved the audio of The Eyes and the Impossible. I was listening while I was driving this afternoon and laughing so hard. (It was the ducks).

I am glad you loved The Small and the Mighty. I was wondering if Clara Brown was well known in Colorado. Her story was just great.

I started class yesterday. I am taking piano again but also a music theory class. I am glad though that I don't have to organize curriculum. My daughter always found kinder to be challenging. Second and third grades were her favorites.

Take care and I hope the school year is good to you.

>43 louisisaloafofbreb: 🙂

>44 BLBera: I laughed, too, Beth.

To be honest, I don't know that Clara Brown is that well known outside of history buffs and elementary educators. Colorado is a state a lot of people move to, so they come from other places and might not know the ins and outs of CO history. I have a book about her in the library:)

Good for you for taking piano and music theory! I love that you have time to pursue interests now that you're retired. I have a funny story about the last time I tried to take piano lessons. We lived further up in the mountains and received a community circular that advertised all kinds of things - firewood for sale, pet sitters available, tree trimming wanted, etc. I saw an ad for a piano teacher. She had an unusual name. I dogeared the page and kept reading. A few pages later I came across a notice for a support group for alien abductees hosted by the same person. Same phone number, etc. Made me laugh. Then many years later when I came to work at my school I told that story and my colleagues said "Oh yeah, that group has met at the Indian Hills Community Center for years." This is the same community center that used to be famous for its sign before a falling out and Vince the Sign Guy leaving. It's never dull in the mountains!

I love your piano teacher story! I will share it with mine. Being able to take music lessons is the great part of retirement.

>45 AMQS: Oh my gosh. I laughed so hard at some of those pun signs. Thanks for sharing.

>40 AMQS: I have now seen The Small and the Mighty on several thread so adding it to the top of the TBR list.

I love following your school adventures on Instagram. Best wishes for a great year!

>46 BLBera: I can only imagine, Beth - it makes me happy to think about you pursuing interests in retirement. Enjoy!

>47 labfs39: Hi Lisa! They were gold when Vince the Sign Guy did them, and I was lucky enough to drive by it every day. Thanks for visiting!

>48 witchyrichy: Thank you, Karen! I feel like it's kind of a slow start at least on IG because the first weeks are so boring with orientation & procedures. I have my last rotation this week so next week we'll start the "real" stuff.

***IMPORTANT FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENT***



Introducing Cleo!

It's Callia's fault. She and Sven got new floors in their townhome - it looks amazing. They had said when they got the floors done they wanted to get another cat. Their kitten is named Pippin Took and is absolutely adorable. But looking at his "bio" online led us to explore other kitties out there, and two shelter and two foster visits later now we have Cleo. As of last night. So now Callia has two cats and we have three. I told Callia she can NOT get another cat and she said that her actions have no bearing on my behavior and that I am responsible for my own decisions or some teachery nonsense like that. Whatever. Stelios, Marina and I are in love. Maya and Winnie haven't formally met Cleo yet but from what they've experienced so far, they are not fans.

Congrats! She's so cute!

>50 AMQS: Such an adorable, curious face!!

>50 AMQS: Adorable! Didn't someone say you can never have too many books or too many cats?

Circe the cat and Josie the dog are still getting to know each other after seven months. I'm sure Maya and Winnie will come around.

>50 AMQS: Oh my goodness - such adorable-ness! Those great big eyes!

Omg, look at that cutie pie! As someone with three dogs, I endorse this behavior :D

>50 AMQS: OHMYGOSH! Cleo is adorable!

>50 AMQS: What a cutie!

>50 AMQS: I have to join the veritable avalanche - very cute!

>50 AMQS: Cleo looks so cute and curious!

OMG she's so cute! And "teachery nonsense" cracked me up. She's right you know!

How old is Cleo and what do the other cats think of her?

Thank you all for your messages. I will reply individually as soon as I can, but I have another update and this one's awful: there was a school shooting today at Evergreen High School. This is the school that most of my student will attend when in high school and it is where I went to school. It's very early but our community is traumatized. These are OUR students, and many colleagues' kids go there. I think everyone in education in the US expects that this will happen to us one day. I'm just heartsick. Hug your loved ones ❤️

>61 AMQS: I thought of you when I heard the news today, Anne. It clearly brings back memories of Columbine and Arapahoe. Sending healing thoughts to you and your students today.

Oh no Anne, I'm so sorry.

I just saw this on the news, Anne, and thought of you immediately. My heart goes out to the victim and family. This is so wrong and upsetting. 😞

Oh I'm so sorry, Anne. It's awful anywhere, but such a terrible thing when it's YOUR community. Thinking of you & your students.

>61 AMQS: Oh, Anne. I'm so sorry. These things are bad enough any time but so much worse when they hit close to home. Sending notional hugs to all.

>61 AMQS: Anne: I am so sorry. We have to do better.

>61 AMQS: I am so sorry, Anne. It's so scary even when it's far away and I can't imagine when it's close to home.

I'm so very sorry, Anne

Anne, just coming by because I knew you and your students and their families would be in great distress and I am sending hugs and love. I'd send counseling and gun control if I could!

Hello friends. Thanks to Nora, Reba, Karen, Joanne, Natalie, Amber, Beth, Paul, Anita, and Laura for cooing over our new kitty. She is about 2 months old now and a lot of fun. The introduction to the other cats has been slow, but she's mostly out of her room now and exploring. A wonderful distraction in a difficult week.

Thanks also for Joanne, Laura, Donna, Mary, Reba, Beth, Natalie, Nora, and Roni (and Karen over on IG) for your messages of support. It has been really tough, and our mountain community is reeling. Even at my little school we had teachers whose high school kids were shot at in the band room and other places at Evergreen High School. Most of my students will attend Evergreen, and many have siblings there. The community is close-knit and this has affected all of us. I can’t share everything we’re grappling with because of privacy laws, but I can tell you we’re pretty traumatized. Mountain schools were closed Thursday and on Friday we had a delayed start so staff could process together before students arrived. We had lots of support, security, and communication teams in the building, as well as three therapy dogs. It is far too close to home and of course far too common in general. This week was as normal a week as we can expect, I guess. Tomorrow is a staff development day, so no students. I will be attending my already-scheduled CPR, First Aid, Stop the Bleed, and Narcan training. My reading has really slowed, but I do have some books to review, and I hope to be back posting this weekend. Hugs to you all.

>71 AMQS: So good that you have Cleo to welcome you home for love and support!

>71 AMQS: ((Anne and the Evergreen community))

>61 AMQS: So terrifying. I'm glad you are safe and that there is lots of community support. The fact that the leading cause of death in American children is firearms is appalling. A teacher friend of mine keeps a bag of lollipops in her desk for the day when (not if) she has to keep the kids quiet while hiding under their desks. Hug your new therapy kitty and hang in there.

>71 AMQS: Hang in there, Anne. I am thinking of you.
>72 AMQS: Great photo.

In happier news, Scout LOVED The Night War. My daughter loved The Eyes and the Impossible; she continued reading it after Scout said she wasn't interested. My daughter thinks Scout will like it and will try again.

Oh Anne, such a roller coaster catching up on your thread.

I have no words for the shooting in your school community. Sending you massive hugs as you continue to support your students.

Cleo is adorable! I hope integration with your other cats goes well.

>73 m.belljackson: Thank you. Cleo has been a lot of fun and a lot of work! Just the thing to keep my mind in the present.

>74 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, thank you.

>75 labfs39: Thank you, Lisa. It's a terrible reality for our children. I also keep lollipops in my "go" bag, because I teach K-5 so I do have littles in the library who could need something to occupy their mouths. I also have smarties for diabetics, and pipe cleaners, which is another quiet distraction. The kitties are great distractions for us.

>76 BLBera: Oh I am so glad! It was fun meeting Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - she was very nice.

>77 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky. Integration not so smooth - more below. I loved following your Scotland adventures - that looked like a wonderful trip!

Hello friends, I so appreciate your support. Things are getting back to normal in the Evergreen community, but I know a lot of high school students are carrying some pretty heavy trauma. I am grateful that our commnunity is so close and supportive - we all need it. We have been the recipients of generosity from other school districts - we had communication specialists from another large school district as well as the Colorado Department of Education on hand the first day we were back in session just to help with any media presence (there was none but we were glad for the support). This past week another neighboring school district sent a coffee cart. And nothing keeps us in the moment like working with little people:)

The cat introduction was completely derailed by ringworm. Apparently it is super common in kittens and we have been extraordinarily lucky that with all of the cats we've had none of them had this. We had a slow introduction to the household and the other cats - essentially Cleo was mixing with them for about 2 days before she came down with the most horrible case with scabby lesions literally everywhere. So she went back into isolation and we began a not very fun routine of medication, baths, and daily cleaning, disinfecting, and laundering. It's exhausting. During this Cleo also had an upper respiratory infection that we had to clear up and now gastro-intestinal distress likely caused by her oral ringworm medicine. And the obsessive cleaning wasn't enough, for Winnie also has ringworm though he only has one lesion on an ear, and it started about 3 weeks after Cleo got it. Ugh. So we have expanded the cleaning/bleaching/laundering. It has not been fun times at our house but we hope to have this behind us soon. This weekend is my fall break, and instead of traveling as we had hoped we are cleaning:)

My reading has slowed - a combination of school and cleaning - but I have finished some books and hope to comment on them soon. Wishing everyone a very happy weekend, and a wonderful Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends.

53. The Many Meanings of Meilan by Andrea Wang

I met author Andrea Wang (whose beautiful Watercress won the Caldecott Medal and Newbery Honor in 2023) last year at our Mountain Area Young Writers Conference. She was lovely, and her story is retold in many ways in The Many Meanings of Meilan. The loss of the family matriarch leads to family fighting and Meilan's family decides to leave the family bakery in Boston and make their way to small town Ohio. Meilan is worried that the family rift was her fault - her retelling to a young cousin of a Chinese folkloric tale was overheard by her aunt who was convinced this tale proved that Meilan's father was hoarding the bakery's profits. In Ohio Meilan is desperately lonely and out of place. As the only Asian in her school, she experiences curiosity and outright racism, beginning with the principal insisting that Meilan is too ethnic and she will be called Melanie. Meilan takes refuge in Chinese stories and the many meanings her name can have - different Chinese characters with the same pronunciation make her feel she can embody many attributes. With the help of a friend who stands by her she combines all of the attributes to find and use her voice and survive a midwestern natural disaster. This is a sweet book.

54. Just Plain Folks: Original Tales of Living, Loving, Longing, and Learning, As Told by a Perfectly Ordinary, Quite Commonly Sensible, and Absolutely Awe-Inspiring Colored Woman by Lorraine Johnson-Coleman

A collection of folklore-style short stories collected and retold from rural North Carolina. Each story has the author's commentary following it, so give some historical background to the story just finished. This is an important collection.

55. Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson, audiobook narrated by Marin Ireland.

When Katie says this is an outstanding book with outstanding narration you listen. And she's not wrong. Kevin Wilson writes kind of oddball stories that are very funny and very poignant. In this story, Mad (short for Madeline) Hill runs a busy organic farm with her mom in rural Tennessee. Their farm life is interrupted by Rube (Ruben) Hill from Boston, who claims to be her half brother. And there's more: more half siblings, as it seems dad had a habit of starting families then leaving without a trace and starting over somewhere else. Rube begs Mad to accompany him on an improbable road trip to find their other half siblings and ultimately to find and confront dad. After dismissing the idea as ludicrous, Mad comes around, even if only to get to know this half brother. The trip takes them to half sister Pepper (Pep) in Oklahoma and half brother Tom in Utah in a rented PT Cruiser in what has to be the funniest and most emotional road trip I've ever taken in a book. Trust Katie on this one - it's excellent.

So glad you loved the Wilson as much as I did!

56. Just Keep Walking by Erin Soderberg Downing

My 5th graders are participating in our district's Battle of the Books again, and since the competition has launched, I can divulge the titles:) This is one. This is a fast-paced emotional adventure/survival story featuring Jo, whose turn has finally come to hike the Superior Hiking Trail along the north shore of Lake Superior with her dad, who took her brother on the same trip. Only her dad left the family and started over with a new wife and stepchildren. So Jo's mom is taking her. Jo and her mom have spent months preparing - gearing up, planning their daily routes, packing their food and water and arranging for a friend to meet them with fresh supplies. But her mom isn't really a hiker, and hiking is difficult - the blisters, the rain, the hard ground for sleeping, the wild animals, the smell... As the going gets hard, Jo tries to overcome not only low spirits, stabbing blisters, aching legs, but also heartache, anger and betrayal that her dad left the family, and worry for her mom, who is having a very rough go. WHen somethign unexpected occurs on the trail, Jo and her mom are forced into making a difficult decision, and Jo needs to rely on herself and discover what she is made of.

Battle of the Books selections:
Medusa: The Myth of Monsters (LOVED this one)
And Then, Boom! (My other favorite)
A Wrinkle in Time
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
One Big Open Sky
Just Keep Walking
Curveball
Cog
A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall
Max in the House of Spies

>83 katiekrug: Katie, I loved it. I did almost drive off the road I was laughing so hard. It was terrific and I thank you!

57. Orbital by Samantha Harvey

This has certainly found its fans here, and with good reason. This book is a beautifully written meditation on our earth as a multinational team of six astronauts onboard orbit it numerous times over a 24 hour period. Just lovely.

58. The Briar Club by Kate Quinn, audiobook narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

I thought this was a terrific read. This book tells the story of a group of women who live at Briarwood House, a Washington D.C. boarding house in the 1950s. Their stories alternate with interstitials told by the house, who has come to life after a dreary existance because of the ladies and the community they form here, and whose sections describe two murder scenes and the house's dread that the boarding house will close. The women are terrific and beautifully drawn. Anyone wanting to return to the "idyllic" 1950s should read this - the severely limited options for women, their helplessness in the face of workplace discrimination and domestic violence, the terrorism inflicted on Black Americans and mixed race couples, the all-consuming suspicion of the Red Scare perpetuated by Senator McCarthy, the lingering trauma of the Great Depression, and the agony of Korean War families all but ignored by a nation still scarred by WWII. This book was hard to put down.

59. Gallant by V.E. Schwab, audiobook narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt

I have Mary and Micky to thank for this gothic, atmospheric read, chosen specifically to get me in the mood for fall and the spooky season. This was a good read. Olivia has lived most of her life in the grim Merilance School for Independent Girls, where the girls are raised without love or comfort to be housewives or domestic servants. Olivia is mute, but a teacher once taught her to sign, then left the school, so she can talk to no one, not even the ghouls only she can see. Her only possession is a leatherbound journal of her mother's, the writings of which become increasingly unhinged, and which ends with the message to Olivia that she will be safe as long as she stays away from Gallant. An unexpected letter from an uncle entreats her to come home to the family estate - Gallant. But arriving at Gallant, she is not expected. And the estate holds dark secrets. This was a chilling read, and a great spooky season kickoff.

DNF:

Weyward. Not for me.

61. The Snow Girl by Sophie Anderson

I'm not sure I am a fan of Sophie Anderson, but my students are. This is a sweet retelling of the Snow Maiden Russian folktale. Lonely Tasha yearns for a friend. When she and her grandfather build a snow girl, Sophie makes a wish, and enjoys nightly adventures in the company of otherworldly Alyana. But her attachment to Alyana prevents her from making other friends, and her reluctance to let her go brings a longer and harsher winter to her region, hurting the residents and animals. As with The House with Chicken Legs, the protagonists get deeper and deeper into terrible decisions with terrible consequences.

>79 AMQS: OMG -- just what you needed, right? So sorry -- for you and for the kitties. Hope it all clears up soon.

>82 AMQS:. I too followed Katie's advice regarding Run for the Hills and thoroughly enjoyed it.

>79 AMQS: Oh dear! No fun for any of you. I hope things get back to normal soon!

I'm so sorry to hear about the ringworm! Hopefully the cats are all over it soon and you can relax for some of your break.

>87 AMQS: Her framing device gave the story a real punch, one I didn't see until I thought it over. It's good to find books like that!

I hope no one else comes down with ringworm *ugh* and that y'all can All get your lives in smoother-running grooves.

>92 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. It's not fun, that's for sure, but we'll get through it. Have you read other books by Kevin Wilson? I really enjoyed Nothing to See Here on audio - also narrated by Marin Ireland.

>93 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne. The things we do for our pets, right?

>94 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. I only had a long weekend as my break, but I was glad to at least have the time to deep clean. I was going to try to hike also and enjoy the fall colors but thwn I was available for hiking the weather was poor. S instead I went up to my mom's house and had a tea and Bananagrams marathon:)

>95 richardderus: It certainly is, Richard. So far no one else has ringworm, and we're doing everything we can to keep it that way!

62. Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

This is by far the #1 most popular book series in the library. An evil cat engineers an explosion to try to take out a cop/canine duo with the result that the dog's head is attached to the cop's body and they becoem a unique crime fighting duo. I probably could have happily gone through my entire life without reading Dog Man (its author also wrote the Captain Underpants series) except that I have a ticket to meet Dav Pilkey in December. Funny enough, I had a parent complain about the Dog Man series recently. His biggest issue is that the cat is just not nice, and in fact bullies people!! But from what I can tell with just this first book, Petey the cat is written like the classic, cartoonish super-villain like Lex Luthor or The Joker so... it appears that this parent missed the point.

>96 AMQS: I had to search my catalog to answer that question -- guess it didn't leave too much of an impression -- but "yes" I listened to the audio version of Nothing to See Here back in 2019

>97 AMQS: When I volunteered in my daughter's classroom, Dog Man was the book that students most wanted to read with me. They never seem to get tired of him. That is funny about the parent complaint.

There's a new Dory Fantasmagory book out. Scout loved the series. She's too old for the series, (she says) but when I bought the book for her mom, Scout scooped it up and read it.

>98 RebaRelishesReading: Oh man, Reba, that happens to me more and more:)

>99 BLBera: Love that, Beth! My daughters are grown of course, but I think they would drop everything and read a new Penderwicks or Toys Go Out book!

You will not be surprised to hear that Dog Man was not the kookiest thing this parent has complained about.

forgot to count:



60. The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen, which I read aloud to a 4th grade class. This was the book that was behind this post the author made:


At the end of the book he said he thought about that story for months before he reached out to the library where he had read it. And he was surprised to see how his brain had changed it. The book is his brain's version, which is exactly how folktales work: they change a litle bit as they are told and retold over time. I talk a lot about folk and fairy tales and why they are considered nonfiction rather than fiction, and this was a perfect example.

63. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater, audiobook narrated by Madeleine Leslay

This was a fun Regency-style romance with faerie magic and misdeeds thrown in, and a social justice theme. Young Dora is ambushed by a faerie lord who has come to claim a debt owed by Dora's late mother. Only quick action with some iron scissors by Dora's cousin Vanessa prevents her from being stolen into Faerie. Instead the faerie only gets away with half of Dora's soul which leaves her a bit odd. One of her eyes turns grey and she no longer experiences feelings and emotions as fully as other people do. Dora's marriage prospects are considered over because of this, and her Auntie Frances hopes her strangeness won't hurt Vanessa's. The three women venture to London to try to put the beautiful Vanessa in the way of a nobleman but Vanessa contrives to meet the prickly and cold Lord Sorcier, in the hopes that he can do something to recover Dora's missing half soul. Romance follows, along with charity work in the horrible London workhouses, and a dangerous trip to Faerie. This book was fun and light, if a tad heavy handed.

64. The Lord Sorcier by Olivia Atwater, audiobook narrated by Madeleine Leslay

A short novella that provides some backstory for Half a Soul's Lord Sorcier.

65. Peppermints in the Parlor by Barbara Brooks Wallace

This was a fun, gothic middle grade read that gave Wolves of Willoughby Chase vibes, which now I want to reread:) Emily has been orphaned, and travels across the country to live with her Aunt and Uncle Twice in their large San Francisco mansion called Sugar Hill Hall. Only her Aunt Twice is a cowering, frightened shell of a woman who somehow has become enslaved by the evil Mrs. Meeching, and the beautiful mansion has become a grim and crumbling home for the unwanted elderly, who seem just as oppressed as Aunt Twice. With the help of Kipper, the fishmonger's boy, can Emily unravel the mystery of Sugar Hill Hall and find out what happened to Uncle Twice?

>101 AMQS: I LOVE the Klassen post. He is absolutely right.

I am reading The Teacher of Nomad Land right now. I saw it on the National Book Award list and thought Scout might like it. I am reading it to make sure it's not too sad (Scout's orders). My daughter loved The Eyes and the Impossible thought she read it. I told her she should get the audiobook.

>102 AMQS: Sounds like I like Half a Soul a little more than you did, Anne, but I'm glad you had a good time with it. Are you going to read the follow-up novels? I enjoyed both of those as well.

>105 BLBera: I love the quote, too, Beth. I remember seeing it when he originally wrote it. To then read the book that came out of that experience was cool! How are you liking The Teacher of Nomad Land (or have you finished it)? It looks like a good one.

>106 MickyFine: Micky, that was your recommendation, so thank you! I probably will read the others.

66. Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner

This was a difficult middle grade book for me, but I read it at the request of a former mountain elementary library colleague who now is the community advisor for our elementary reviewed books committee. The book opens essentially during a school shooting, then backtracks to cover just before, during, and the aftermath. Told in verse, this is the story of 6th grader Bea, who uses a wheelchair. Bea's trauma is great - she feels helpess and angry by all of it, and particularly because she is especially vulnerable - she cannot crawl, run, or hide. While at home during the time her school is closed for being an active crime scene, Bea falls apart. She is grieving, cannot sleep, can't stand being in her room, and experiences traumatic reactions at loud noises. She begins to find her way with equine therapy, which is portrayed lovingly. The inspiration for the book is positively heartbreaking and very personal for the author.

I haven't reached out to my colleague yet with my thoughts and I don't know how I feel. I think the committee is considering recommending it for elementary libraries (not that their word is required - the committee can recommend a book or a librarian may add a book to the collection if it has two positive professional reviews), but I am a degree closer to a very recent shooting and I think they wanted my thoughts. Unfortunately this is a reality for students. "Saving" students from a book with a scary premise (school shooting) will not prevent a school shooting from happening, and may be a good way for students to process their worries, because kids are defuinitely dealing with worries. But will I add it to my library? It may be too soon for me.

>107 AMQS: I thought The Teacher of Nomad Land was good. It introduced a part of WWII history that we don't often hear about, and the kids were really great characters. I gave it to Scout; I think she will like it.

>108 AMQS: That is a tough decision.

>108 AMQS: I agree with Beth, that's a tough call.

>109 BLBera:, >110 BLBera: Beth, thank you. I put The Teacher Of Nomad Land on my Titlewave list for my next book order. You're right - that's a side of WWII most of us hadn't known. I had an interesting experience when Stelios and I lived in Cyprus in the early 90s. We were approaching the 50th anniversary of D-Day and it was in all of the papers and all over the news. I worked for a Kuwaiti offshore civil engineering company and our engineers were mostly Palestinians living in Jordan. One of them approached me and asked me what on earth this D-Day thing was. I explained it was the Allied invasion of France that was essentially the turning point for the allied victory. He shook his head - none of that made sense. World War Two, I asked? He said he had heard of it. It was a good moment for me about perspective (maybe similar to Americans being shocked when they learn that other countries do not celebrate July 4).

>110 BLBera:, >111 lauralkeet: I am going to hold off on purchasing this one, though I may in the future. My colleague and I decided the Elementary Book Committee would rate the book as a 4, which means the book is excellent, but not an absolute must-purchase. We've had students in wheelchairs before - usually a skiing accident or something, and emergency drills are much more complicated. So a real emergency? It's scary to think how much more vulnerable those kiddos are.

67. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman, audiobook narrated by Fiona Shaw.

The latest Thursday Murder Club installation is just as fun as the others. Truly the mysteries are fogettable, what I love are the characters.

Happy Halloween!

>114 AMQS: Cute!!

>114 AMQS: Very nice! I bet the kids love it!

Oh, very nice!

>114 AMQS: You are the best librarian ever!

>114 AMQS: LOVE IT!!

>114 AMQS: That's fantastic! Hope you had a fun Halloween.

>114 AMQS: Excellent costume, Anne!

>114 AMQS: That is adorable!

>114 AMQS: Terrific!

>114 AMQS: Fun costume!

Hi Anne,

Its Christmas Book Swap season. This year, I'm trying a different tact to make sure the word gets out. I'm just going to spam the threads of those who have participated in the past, and since you've done so, I'm going to use this opportunity to remind you about it, in case you haven't seen my thread recently, or the General Announcements thread. If you're in, come on by and join, if not that's fair and then thanks for letting me use your thread to make sure all that might be interested see it.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/375139#n8992303

Dear friends, happy December to everyone! Oh boy, the best-laid plans, right? I am STILL seeking that balance in my life which leaves me with the time to do the things that are close to my heart like be more present here on LT with all of you and I am STILL falling short. I don't want to give up, though, so I can only keep trying:)

Life updates: we're all doing well. Family & pets are healthy (we have finally put ringworm behind us). Our new kitten is a spicy meatball and is keeping us on our toes. Callia & Sven celebrated Thanksgiving in Oregon with Callia's best friend who has a new baby. They're doing well and are meeting with ring designers so an engagement will likely be happening for them in 2026. Marina is getting graduate and doctoral applications in and dancing a lot, getting ready for her Samba experience at Carnaval in Brazil. On the to-do list this month: vaccines, including Yellow Fever and others. Eek. My dad's dementia is progressing - slowly, but definitely progressing, and I think both he and my stepmother are having a hard time. We couldn't get them to come to our house for Thanksgiving so we brought leftovers to them and spent some time with them over the Thanksgiving weekend. Which means that our Thanksgiving was small - just Stelios, Marina, my mom, and me, which suited us just fine. The school year continues to be the most difficult I have ever experienced and the week before Thanksgiving the unthinkable happened and a 10 year old student passed away unexpectedly. This has devastated our small community. He was on life support for several days before sharing the gift of life via organ donation which is a small but significant consolation for his heartbroken family and community. Kids are very in the moment, so we're getting the sense that the students are okay, though sad, but his homeroom classmates are struggling, as are all of the teachers and staff here. I am finding it hard to focus or concentrate, and am taking it one day at a time.

Thanks for listening - I wil try to catch up here, including visiting threads, responding to previous messages here, and posting about my reading. Hope everyone is well. ❤️

>126 AMQS: Please do keep trying, Anne. We love seeing you here when you can and understand when you can't.

OMG how awful about the young boy dying! How terribly difficult for all of you!!

Take care. Be well. and visit here when you can. (((Anne)))

Anne, it's always nice to hear from you and I'm glad the family is doing well. But I'm so sorry to hear about the difficult year you're having at school and feel for everyone having to deal with a tragedy. Take care.

>126 AMQS: What Reba and Laura said, Anne! Take care of yourself and your family. When you get a chance, please read The Story of a Heart by Dr. Rachel Clarke. It is the true story of a family who goes through the traumatic decision to donate their daughter's organs. The book handles the story well and the author explains everything step by step. You might find it helpful when dealing with the students and the boy's classmates.

Oh Anne, I am sorry to hear about the death of the young student. That is so tough.

re: Halloween, thanks for your support, Nora, Joanne, Jim, Beth, Reba, Mary, Micky, Lisa, Amber & Anita! I always try to go as a book character, and I was glad to be able to reuse the Charlotte costume I made in 2018. I am glad, too, that students and parents still know the book. I had to retire Amelia Bedelia years ago after too many parents commented that I was a sexy French maid. Um... what? I had the book and everything, and the costume literally covered me from the neck to my toes but it gave ick and finally I decided not enough adults know Amelia anymore.

>125 mahsdad: Jeff, thanks for the invite again! Excited to participate again this year.

>126 AMQS: I'm so sorry for your community's loss, Anne. That's so hard. When I was in middle school a kid in my community was killed in a random act of violence and it really shook everyone. It just doesn't feel like a thing that could actually happen.

>131 AMQS: Oh no! I do read Amelia Bedelia books to my niece but the collection I got her is used so I'm not actually sure how old it is. I think there are some recently-published books where Amelia is a child? I assume she's not a child maid... Not sure how that works and I don't think it's any of my business.

>127 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, thank you. I will keep trying. It has been a difficult school year and we are ready for it to be normal. My student's memorial service was on Friday last week and I know his family can feel the love and support the community is pouring into them.

>128 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura. It has been a very challenging school year.

>129 alcottacre: Thank you, Stasia, and thank you for the recommendation. I'm not sure I can read that just yet - I am still pretty shaken. The family is very public with their grief - I think that's how mom processes - and what she has shared is hard to read and see sometimes. And we have learned quite a bit about organ donation. His parents went outside during the surgery - it was a comfort to them to hear and see the helicopter that took his heart to a young patient in the Rocky Mountain area and ambulances with sirens taking other organs to waiting planes. I appreciate the recommendation.

>130 BLBera: Thank you, Beth. It has been tough and our whole community is grieving.

>132 norabelle414: Nora, thank you. You are right - it doesn't seem like a thing that can happen.

As for Amelia Bedelia - she is definitely an adult but not at all sexy. I think parents just saw "maid" and made the association to those sexy maid costumes they sell. If anything Amelia Bedelia is matronly! The books are fine, and the kids who are still reading them really love them for their wordplay and silliness. But I felt like too many parents didn't think of Amelia Bedelia or don't even know her so they assumed my costume was sexy maid, and that's not what you want parents thinking! Those books certainly still circulate in my library and I but your niece loves them.

>133 AMQS: I love the idea of the parents watching the flight -- seems very appropriate and healing to me.

>135 RebaRelishesReading: It was very meaningful for them.

Behind on reviews, along with everything else. Here's what I've been reading:



68. Bad Badger: A Love Story by Maryrose Wood

This is a sweet and beautifully illustrated story about friendship and identity. Septimus is a badger who has a persistant worry that he is a bad badger, or at least unbadger-like. He has spots, not stripes, and he adores his seaside cottage and Italian opera, unlike ither badgers who live in the forest. When Septimus befriends a gull named Gully, he is forced to consider who he is and what kind of friend he is even more, especially when Gully disappears and Septimus must get help from other creatures to find him. A lovely (perhaps vocabulary-heavy) story for 3rd grade and up. My girls would have adored this as a read aloud, but it would be a better before bed read aloud than a classroom read aloud as the illustrations are detailed and lovely.

69. Icarus by K. Ancrum, audiobook narrated by Kirt Graves

Thank you to Amber for this recommendation. This is a genre-bending book that is part queer YA romance, part high school friendship tale, part Greek myth retelling, part art heist caper. Icarus is a loner - his life as the son of a single father who is an art restorer and art thief requires it. While Angus (father) is a restorer of reknown, he can also spot - and create - amazing fakes. The fakes are created to replace the art he steals from one man: his mysterious nemesis Mr. Black. As Angus gets older, the task of the nighttime break ins and thefts falls to young Icarus. But one night while breaking in, Icarus is surprised by Mr. Black's sun Helios. Rather than turning Icarus in, Helios begs Icarus for company and the two desperately lonely boys begin a tentative and dangerous friendship. This is a sweet and strange nail-biter.

70. The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko, audiobook narrated by Javier Prusky.

Oh boy. Need a good cry? This book will do it - an achingly sad middle grade novel about 11 year old Hank Hooperman, whose mom has disappeared again, leaving him out of school, money, and food as he cares for his two year old sister Boo. With no food and no money, the utilities cut off and the landlord banging on the door, Hank finds his mom's bus pass and uses it to take an hours-long journey across town with his little sister to the only place he can think to go: the person listed as an emergency contact on a field trip permission form his mother never signed. This person, Lou Ann, turns out to be his late grandmother's best friend, who runs a day care and has always thought Hank's mom was no good. She begrudgingly agrees to temporarily in take Hank and Boo. Lou Ann also thinks teenaged boys are no good, so Hank, only 11, is determined to be the absolute best he can be in order to avoid being placed in foster care and separated from Boo. But it's not easy. In addition to starting at a new school, navigating through new pre-teen friendships, and trying to stay on Lou Ann's good side, Hank desperately misses his mom and worries about her. The adults in Hank's life have no sympathy or use for her, but it's not so simple when it's your mom. Your heart just breaks - over and over - for Hank. Such a great book.

71. Home: A Short History of an Idea by Witold Rybczynski

This book examines the concepts of home, comfort, design, privacy, technology, and even family as the author takes the reader from the middle ages to the present day (kind of... the book was published in 1986 but the 1980s sure feels like the present day to me - anyone else?) I found it very interesting, if not a page-turner.

72. Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford, audiobook narrated by Melanie Crawley.

Thanks to foggi for this recommendation. Jennifer Quinn has lived a quiet life with her devoted husband Bernard, but as they reach their 80s, she finds herself wanting to do something just for her. She applies to Britain Bakes (feel-good televised baking competition a la The Great British Bake Off) and to her great surprise, she is accepted. As she progresses through the production, her sentimental bakes bring back memories from her long life - and unbury a secret she has kept hidden for decades. This is a sweet and comforting experience, much like Bake Off.

73. Force of Nature: Three Women Tackle the John Muir Trail by Joan M. Griffin

A colleague loaned me this book, which recounts the summer Joan Griffin hikes the iconic John Muir Trail with two friends - plus an additional hiker they pick up on the way. Her descriptions are positively stunning - it seems an impossibly beautiful landscape, and I was intrigued by the description of how to prepare for such a journey, including the months of packing; the food, clean clothes, and installments of books to be shipped to yourself at certain points on the trail; and the trail hardships like blisters, severe weather, sun cups, insects, and more. I would love to see what Ms. Griffin describes in her book but I am no backpacker, and am not even remotely tempted after reading the book. I'll stick to being a day hiker:)

74. The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall

I LOVED this book by the author of The Penderwicks books, which are truly some of the most perfect books ever written. Gwen has positively rotten parents, and is relieved and embarrassed when she is shipped off to a great uncle she has never met while her dad is between housing situations and her mom is traveling with husband number who knows which. Uncle Matthew is kind and loving, and he and Gwen (and his dog Pumpkin) adore each other. But at the library, which shares their name (MacKinnon) Gwen discovers the Lahdukan - winged, mythical creatures of ancient pre-Scottish lore, who are living there, and is stunned to learn that she may be their Qalba, the human girl who assumes the hereditary and prophesied role as their hero and protector. Gwen is sure she is the least heroic person in the world, but is willing to step in and try to save the Lahdukan when their home and safety is threatened. Gwen must convince Uncle Matthew to help, though as only Qalba and kids under 5 can see or hear the Lahdukan, he assumes with the rest of the town's adults that this is a long-standing imaginative game the kids are playing. She must also race against time, for soon her visit will come to an end and she will go back to her neglectful father. Strange premise. Wonderful book.

Looks like you've been doing some very enjoyable reading, Anne.

75. The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman, audiobook narrated by Brittany Pressley and André Santana.

Another recommendation from foggi. As life has been heavy I am seeking light reading for now. I almost set this one aside as too millenial pop-culture-y but I'm glad I persisted. Four friends celebrate Christmas together. Hannah and Finn met in college - Hannah's parents had passed away and Finn's had disowned him after he came out. Their celebration expanded to include Priya, Hanna's Hindu roommate, and Theo, a would-be hookup of Finn's. The book goes back and forth between their many Christmases together as they approach what could be their last. Other reviewers find Hannah to be bratty, and I get that criticism, but growing up is hard, and a cherished tradition is a hard thing to change or end. This is something I've been thinking about as my girls are now young adults and beginning traditions of their own.

>144 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, yes I have, and I am lucky to have done so. After all, when life gives you lemons, read a book, right?

Sorry things have been so devastatingly fraught, Anne. Communities somehow have to find a way to heal and keep going.

Congratulations on reaching 75 despite everything that has been happening.

>133 AMQS: I understand, Anne. I hope that you get to the book in future. It is excellently written and I think it might help you in dealing with the students and the families.

>141 AMQS: "This is a sweet and comforting experience" Sounds like a perfect read for this time of the year!

>143 AMQS: If you LOVED it, that means I will have to track down a copy. . .Thanks for the review and recommendation!

>145 AMQS: Congratulations on hitting 75 books for the year, Anne!

>146 AMQS: Absolutely!!

Congrats on hitting 75 Anne. The Birdsall sounds good, and I loved all the Penderwick books. Would this be one for Scout? I still haven't gotten her a book for Christmas.

>126 AMQS: Oh, that’s a lot, Anne. I’m sorry for all the sadness you’ve been dealing with. Congrats, though, to Callia. Something to look forward to.

Congrats too, on reaching 75 books this year!

So many interesting books reviewed here. I added Bad Badger to my list for the girls, since we are enjoying The Incorrigibles so much and are nearing the end of the series. Also noting to check out Jeanne Birdsall's backlist as I too love The Penderwick series.

Congrats on hitting the goal!

Congrats on reaching the magic number, Anne.

I'm sorry to hear it's continued to be such a challenging school year. Hopefully the holiday break gives you some well-deserved time for rest and relaxation.

I'm pleased to hear the girls are doing so well and hope you continue to find reads that suit your needs at the moment.

>88 AMQS: The Briar Club has been on the Kindle forever: moving it to the top of the virtual pile.

>114 AMQS: I miss dressing up at school for Halloween! Fun!

>145 AMQS: I have been digging into light holiday reads so will be adding this to the list.

Dear Anne, if you celebrate don't forget:

Congrats on reading 75 books!!

May the holiday season bring you some peace.

Have a lovely festive season to you Anne and your lovely family.

>147 PaulCranswick:, >158 PaulCranswick: Paul, thank you. Where are you now? I so appreciate your good wishes and send my love to you and your wonderful family.

>148 alcottacre: Thank you, Stasia. I appreciate your support, your recognition, and OMG THE WONDERFUL BOOKS!!! I am so excited and so, so thankful for the outstanding stack of books under my tree. Thank you SO much. ❤️

>149 RebaRelishesReading: 😊

>150 BLBera: Oh dear, Beth - I am sorry I did not respond in time for Christmas. I think if Scout loved the Penderwick books then she would love this one. If not, then she actually might be a bit too old. I know you found her something wonderful to read!

>151 Copperskye: Thank you, Joanne. I hope you are enjoying a wonderful holiday with your family. We had a strange end to the year, as we had three extra days off. As I am in a mountain school, we lost power and were affected by that terrible wind. All of Jeffco was closed on Wednesday, but Thursday and Friday it was mostly mountain and foothills schools that closed. I was glad to have the extra time, but sad for my students after the year they've had to miss Young Ameritowne and their parties. Thankfully everything we missed was able to be rescheduled in January. Hope you came through the wind OK.

>152 labfs39: Hi Lisa! I hope your girls love Bad Badger and any Jeanne Birdsall:)

>153 drneutron: Thank you, Jim! I wasn't convinced I would at some point this year:) Glad to have your support.

>154 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Glad to see you:)

>155 witchyrichy: Hi Karen - hope you enjoy those reads as much as I did. Yeah, there's a lot in elementary with Halloween and spirit weeks. We were having an "underground" spirit week our last week before break - which I didn't know until now is a week that staff dress up with daily themes but the kids don't know... until they wonder why we're all wearing Aloha shirts, etc. We only got to Monday and Tuesday when we unexpectedly closed for the rest of the week due to high winds and fire danger shutting off power to the school. Weird year.

>156 richardderus: Richard, this is the best news ever! Best wishes to you.

>157 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita! I think we all need peace. I hope your holiday is wonderful.

Love and best wishes to everyone!

Happy Boxing Day, Anne! I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family!

Happy Boxing Day, Stasia! We had a very low key holiday, which suited us perfectly. Today Stelios and I went for a hike and then out to lunch so we're tired and well fed:) I hope your holiday was lovely, Stasia.

Cleo sends her holiday wishes, and since she now supervises the coffee making at our house, wants to know if anyone would like a cup?

>161 AMQS: I had a wonderful holiday, thanks. It was very low key around here too.

>162 AMQS: That is so like my cats. Both of my "boys," Mallory and Ilan, supervise the cooking at my house. Chalfont wants nothing to do with it, lol.

>163 alcottacre: aren't they such funny little creatures?

76. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter, audiobook narrated by Saskia Maarleveld and Zachary Webber.

This was a fun romancy whodunnit involving two rival authors who are invited to a mysterious Christmas gathering at the estate of the most famous crime writer of all. Very fun for Christmas, though at times the romance aspect felt gloopy.

77. The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers, audiobook narrated by Fran Burgoyne and Cameron Stone.

I liked the premise of this one: Erin accidentally deposits her well annotated copy of her favorite book (To Kill a Mockingbird) in a London community library (think Little Free Library). Devastated, she goes back every once in awhile to check to see if it was returned, and when one day it is, someone has written notes in response to her margin notes and at the end of the book suggests they meet in the pages of Great Expectations. Thus begins an anonymous friendship of sorts that has the potential to become something more. But against the backdrop of their mystery correspondents, Erin and James are both dealing with significant life issues - Erin is in deep grief, mourning the death of her best friend and has a fractured and painful relationship with her mother. James is stuck in a job he dislikes, somewhat estranged from his beloved older brother who is a stay at home dad in NYC, and periodically returning home to help his father cope with his mother's erratic and volatile behavior due to mental illness. It is a literary romance about growing up and moving on and I found it diverting.

78. The Trouble With Heroes by Kate Messner, audiobook narrated by Mack Gordon

This middle grade epistolary novel is SO good. Finn Connelly is in trouble. Close to failing 7th grade and caught on camera vandalizing a gravestone, Finn is so angry at the beginning of the book that the pages/narration are practically singed. He must finish a stupid poetry project, submitting multiple forms of poetry on the nature of heroes by the start of 8th grade and fulfill an unusual condition to avoid charges or restitution from the vandalism. The daughter of the woman whose headstone he kicked over directs him to climb all 46 of the Adriondack High Peaks in a single summer in the company of the deceased woman's dog Seymour. And because he's young and his mom has to work, he relies on a network on what he calls "trail nannies" who have volunteered to hike with him.

The teacher requiring the poetry make up work has suggested Finn focus on his father as a hero, but this is complicated. Finn's father was a FDNY responder on 9/11 and of whom a famous photograph was taked carrying an injured woman from the World Trade Center wreckage. But while lauded by a grateful nation, Finn's dad was tortured by his 9/11 experience, spiraling into severe depression, isolation, and alcohol abuse around every anniversary, and dying during the height of the COVID pandemic in New York, while Finn and his mom have escaped to grandmas and Lake Placid for safety. A move that was supposed to be temporary is now permanent, with Finn not even getting to properly say goodbye to friends, to school, or to dad.

On the trails, Finn experiences successes and failures, and begins to reflect - on heroes, on his dad, and on grief and healing. This book is amazing.

>167 AMQS: This does sound good, and I love Bernese Mt Dogs. Not sure my niece is quite ready for it, but adding to my list.

>167 AMQS: That does sound good, Anne. It goes on my Scout list. I did get her the Birdsall one for Christmas...We'll see what she thinks. I hope you had a great holiday, and HAPPY 2026.

>162 AMQS: I love it!

>159 AMQS: Sorry about the weather closures! Weird year, indeed. Hope you are having a lovely winter break. Happy new year!

>168 labfs39: It's a good one to add to your list, Lisa. I'd say it's a good book for 4th grade and up.

>169 BLBera: Oh I hope she loves it! We did have a nice holiday - fairly low-key which we prefer. We're set for a very quiet NYE as well and hopefully a hike tomorrow. Happy 2026!

>170 witchyrichy: Thanks, Karen, it is a very nice winter break. We had no major fires, so the shutdown was worth it, I think, and I could enjoy those three extra days more knowing that the things my students were missing would be rescheduled for our first week back. It is extraordinarily hard to reschedule Young Ameritowne, but we were able to do it for the students' first day back on 05 January. The three extra days off of school will likely also mean more days added to the school year so we meet the state minimum. Ah, well. A tradeoff. Happy New Year!

Two more books were squeezed in to make my 2025 reads a nice round number.



79. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, audiobook narrated by Cynthia Holloway.

This winner of the 2010 Newbery Medal is a fantastic coming-of-age puzzler. A colleague asked me to read it since our district's Battle of the Books committee chose A Wrinkle in Time for our competition this year. A Wrinkle in Time is something of a talisman for Miranda, the main character. She carries it with her everywhere, frequently opens to random pages just to see what meaning is there for her, and debates the nature of time travel with other characters in the book. Really outstanding.

80. Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

I loved this one, and I love when books lead to other books. Song for a Whale was a meaningful and beloved book to Ellie, the main character of the beautiful and heart-wrenching Starfish by Lisa Fipps. In Song for a Whale, Iris is deaf, grieving her grandfather (also deaf) and struggling in school with no one to talk to except for her ASL interpreter. Iris has a passion for radios and sound, and spends her free time learning all she can, and using junkyard parts to repair radios for a local antiques shop. In science, she learns about Blue-55, a hybrid blue/fin whale who has such a unique song that he cannot communicate with other whales. His migration patterns are not normal, and scientists wish to tag him to understand him better. But Iris recognizes someone like her, lonely and unable to talk to anyone. Using what she knows about sound and frequencies and sound tech, she works with her school's music teacher to have instrumental music students record something of her own creation in the frequency Blue-55 can hear. She sends the file to a whale scientist in Appleton, Alaska in the hopes that she will play it when Blue-55 is next in the area. She and Ande, the scientist, strike up a lovely correspondence, but Iris feels so keenly that she needs to meet Blue-55 in person that she contrives a crazy scheme to travel to Alaska, helped by her grandmother, who is excited about something for the first time since losing her husband and moving into a retirement community. This is a really lovely middle grade novel.

And that's a wrap for 2025!

Some stats:
Total books read: 80
DNF: 2
Print: 45
Audio: 35
Fiction: 68
Nonfiction: 12
Children’s: 26
My Library (meaning my workplace): 23
Owned: 21

Favorites:
Adult:
An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Table for Two: Fictions by Amor Towles
Go As a River by Shelley Read
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon
Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

Middle grade:
The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall
The Trouble With Heroes by Kate Messner
Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps
Medusa: The Myth of Monsters by Katherine Marsh

Happy New Year, dear friends! See you in 2026.