#MustReadIn2017 #NPM17 - Sharing Books & A Poem

           Several years ago, Carrie Gelson of There's A Book for That and Maria Selke of Maria's Melange started us down the path of giving love to all the books that came before, the ones we have on shelves, but still haven't read! There is a small group of us who began sharing lists titled #MustReadIn2014.  My list is now #MustReadIn2017, a few from the previous lists. You can see #MustReadIn2016 above, too.
        Thanks for hosting, Carrie!  Find the latest group update HERE!

"A Poem begins with a lump in the throat." 
                                                                   ~Robert Frost

        Perhaps we can say that about all the books we read?
              

April is  #NPM17 - National Poetry Month.
       

    Poetic things of interest:  
Irene Latham's  Progressive Poem's schedule is on the page above.  
        If you'd like to see what everyone is doing for Poetry Month, look HERE at Jama Rattigan's post at Jama's Alphabet Soup.

              My goal for Poetry Month: TINY THINGS. My point of view may surprise you, but I'm excited to write, share, and read how everyone writes to meet their special goals for celebrating poetry month. 
             Here is my poem today with a connection to "MUSTS".

My Tiny List

I retired a while ago,

no need for ‘musts’,

my life is slow.

The list is small,

it doesn’t grow.

Time to read

the overflow.

Linda Baie © All Rights Reserved

         MY "MUST READ" re-cap so far this year. I become so excited when I hear about a new book, especially by a favorite author. It's hard to pull a book that's been sitting on a shelf too long unloved and start reading. This particular group has helped, and I've read some beautiful books since the new year began. Out of 26 books, I've read 7! I'm slowly reading Mary Oliver's Upstream, and just got The Meaning of Maggie from the library. I own most, so I don't have to wait to begin any. Here's a little bit about the ones completed. If you see one in the first list that you adored, let me know. 

         UNREAD

Middle-YA

All The Answers - Kate Messner

The Way to Stay in Destiny - Augusta Scattergood

The Meaning of Maggie - Megan Jean Sovern

fiction YA

I Will Always Write Back - Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin Ganda with Liz Welch

One Safe Place - Tania Unsworth

Anna and the Swallow Man - Gaviel Savit

I am The Messenger - Markus Zuzak

The Birchbark House - Louise Erdrich

Libertad - Alma Flor Ada

Crow - Barbara Wright

I’ll Give You The Sun - Jandy Nelson

The Best Man - Richard Peck

90 Miles to Havana - Enrique Flores-Galbis

fiction middle grade

Dash - Kirby Larson

Love, Amalia  & My Name Is Maria Isabel- Alma Flor Ada

Countdown - Deborah Wiles

Graceling - Kristen Cashore

graphic novels

March Two and Three  - John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman,  P. Craig Russell

adult 

Upstream - Mary Oliver   (now reading)

READ!

Blue Birds - Caroline Starr Rose  - About the lost colony of Roanoke, a native girl and a colonist girl become secret friends. I didn't connect with this verse novel as I do with others. It could be that I struggled to believe it could be possible. There is an underlying sadness throughout, knowing both communities will not survive.

Glory Be - Augusta Scattergood  - I enjoyed this, even though again there was so much conflict in the story, and sadness again in this era of the beginnings of the work to achieve civil rights for all. This is based on the true story of a town that closed the town swimming pool instead of integrating it.

March, Book One - Lewis, Aylin, Powell - graphic, and the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement, beautiful and harrowing. It deserves all the awards it has earned.

When Friendship Followed Me Home - Paul Griffin - There is so much involved in this book with a sweet main character who has so, so many challenges. He's been in foster care, finally adopted by his loving social worker who dies soon after. There's that loving dog, a new friend, homelessness and abuse, too. It's a lot to take in, but a good story of friendship, with the dog and with a girl. I enjoyed it.

The Girl Who Drank The Moon - Kelly Barnhill - deserves the Newbery Medal. I loved the complex story that came together so beautifully.

Parched - Melanie Crowder - Hard to read because of the story itself, but it's a page-turner about children in other countries who must take on adult challenges to survive. The need for water in some places is dire, and this story shows that well.

The Seventh Most Important Thing - Shelley Pearsall - Read most recently, and loved every bit. I liked the magic/religion in it, think it was done with respect for all who believe in some unseen power that helps guide us.

Next: The Meaning of Maggie - Megan Jean Sovern