Books Read in September

Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


One of the more low-key "outsider trying to fit" stories I've read in awhile. I mean, there was some drama with the entire "Mean Girls" dynamic of the Cabinet girls, but otherwise this was kind of calm? Or maybe it is just that whole thing about how teen girls bully and it is all psychological, though I really felt like most of Lucy's torture was her own because she couldn't quite fit in.

I will be leading the discussion for this book during the 'Books for the Beast' conference in October so I will be curious to see what others have to say about it, especially the teachers and students, who are more "in" this world than I am as a public librarian.



How to Fake a Moon Landing: Lies, Hoaxes, Scams, and Other Science Tales by Darryl Cunningham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I really liked the *idea* of this book but the execution, not so much. I wish it had just been straight text, maybe with a few graphics to illustrate some of the issues, but the graphic novel format did not help the author make his case any better. I could have read more on some of these subjects and perhaps even more rumination on why "deniers" have become so trendy and pervasive in society over the last few years (though I'm sure The Internet is part of the problem).

Still, I did learn from this so extra star for that.



The Quest for Z: The True Story of Explorer Percy Fawcett and a Lost City in the Amazon by Greg Pizzoli

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I went into this book knowing NOTHING about "The Lost City of Z" or Percy Fawcett (I have not even seen the movie). This was a great introduction for an adults and I think middle grade kids would eat this book up. It is kind of a sad story though, as Pizzoli says in his notes at the end, that Fawcett's tale really has no finale. I think this would be a great book for a kids book group because I think discussing Fawcett's choices would make for some deep thoughts that everyone would want to discuss.



Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion by Chris Barton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I saw this book on the new cart and could not resist - the colors on the cover POPPED and, wait, is that a BATTLESHIP?

An amazing bit of history that will pull in both students interested in war and those interested in art. It's all about thinking outside the box (or boat?). I wish color photos of these ships existed, they must have been a site to behold!

This would be a fun class project, to learn about the Dazzle ships and perhaps paint a small model of your own.



Momma, Did You Hear the News? by Sanya Gragg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


So sad that this book has to exist, but I am glad that it was published and that my public library has it available. Important little book, very well done.



The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I put this book on hold and then forgot why by the time it appeared on my desk so I went into it not remembering that it was a reinterpretation of a classic story. I think it was better this way, to read and slowly piece things together, the same way Wendy does as she searches for her lost brother. It works well as an extension of the Peter Pan story. Beautiful but sad, yet the ending touches upon an issue that I'm sure a lot of people have with the original story - would you abandon your parents for Neverland?



Alone by Christophe Chabouté

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There are more words on the jacket flap then are in this book, but it is just as rich in character and story as any prose novel. I think this one will stay with me as time goes on, as I think about Alone and his lighthouse world. The dictionary. And the two sailors, sometimes talking, sometimes yelling.

Beautiful black and white illustrations, I read all 400 pages in half an hour, though with more time, I'm sure each panel has more details than I saw on my lunch break.




Currently Reading:
Prophecy by Ellen Oh - my last Books for the Beast book yay! It's okay but not something I would have kept reading if I wasn't required.

Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World by Sarah Prager - fascinating collection of LGBTQ+ historical individuals. Pretty much like short stories so easy to pick up and put down during lunch break.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero - Only a few pages into this but it feels like Scooby-Doo meets IT. We shall see if it can keep it up. Has a long holds list so I might not finish it before it is due back.

All in all, not a bad month of books. At least I'm on track to finish my assigned reading for the conference on October 28th!

How did everyone else do this month? Hope you had a few good reads of your own!

what I watched in September

Movies:

Kong: Skull Isand: 3 stars
The moment when Hiddleston's character charges through the toxic gas, nimbly lifting a gas mask from a fallen comrade, then slices through prehistoric birds with a samurai blade...that was the moment I knew I was watching something special.

IT: 4 stars
Just the right level of creepy for me, as I am not a horror aficionado and pretty much a wuss. But I wanted to see this in the theater because I read the book and saw the original miniseries back when I was a teen (and my bet is that is part of the reason this movie is doing so well - lots of nostalgia factor for 80s kids)

All of the teen actors were fantastic and Skarsgard was mesmerizing. It could have just been a film of him staring creepily at the audience in that clown make up and I would have been horrified.

Like 'Stranger Things', this was a love letter to 80's movies, not just horror but all of the adventure and friendship stories of that time that were full of child actors but were technically not just "for kids" (I couldn't help but smile when the kids rode out on their bikes together and the score felt like it was paying homage to John Williams, the flutes reminding me of E.T.)

Really curious about how they are going to make "Chapter Two" work in this new format without the constant flashbacks of the original story. They made some changes to the book for this, so hopefully they can tweak things for the sequel to keep things just as disturbing.

Television:
The Good Place:
Rewatched this show with Sylvia just in time for Season 2 to start. Just adore this show. Also, if you've seen Season 1, you should definitely read this article about The good places: The uncommonly decent TV worlds of Michael Schurr for a look inside the mind of the creator.

Blackish
Finally discovered the joy that is this show. I don't know why I put it off so long, it just kept getting bumped down my list. But now I am hooked, we've been watching at least two episodes a night for the last month.

Handmaid's Tale
SO HEAVY but so good. Scary, upsetting, unsettling...this show makes my heart race during every episode. I'm not sure how many seasons I could handle, I hope they have a plan laid out.

Gravity Falls
Only a few episodes left in this series, I will be so sad when it is over. :(

Speechless
Season 2 just started and we watched the premiere episode last night! First I was laughing so hard at how much Ray's voice dropped. But it also felt like maybe they had some notes from producers about making the family less of a mess? Here is hoping the find the right balance and don't lose the magic of the show. I would be happy to see the DeMayo family a little bit more together but their frantic lives did make for some great stories.

Vietnam
Mentioned this before, only watched the first episode so far but this is a story that all of us need to watch because so few of us know all the details.