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Monday, December 30, 2019

It's Monday - Don't-Miss Books for the New Year



              Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with others who post their favorites. I hope your holidays were what you wished, that you had a great time with family and friends and books! It was busy for me and I didn't get much reading time before the guests arrived, but did finish The Toll before any arrivals!

           You can find my #MustReadin2020 post here


        Yes! I finished it! It took a long time to read this final story full of characters that need examining which Shusterman did with thoughtfulness, to rush into a scene when one's heart beat faster, to slow down when something made sense, but was a new idea created for our own world. Early on I marked, "At last all was well. Until the moment that it wasn't." Then as people in power revealed who they really were, I noted this: "People will get used to the way things are, see that it is for the best, and they'll settle." Finally, I marked the following as important: "A successful lie is not fueled by the liar; it is fueled by the willingness of the listener to believe." Readers take what is personally meaningful from an author's words so I can't know that every reader noticed these, but Shusterman made them meaningful to me, and left me with hope for our world as he left hope for this one he created, too. It's a special ending to this trilogy. 

         Thanks very much to Candlewick Press for the following copies!



         For anyone who has a loving pet called a "dog", this book will show you what you already know, that dogs have thoughts like humans, deep down more than others imagine. Cosmo, the golden retriever tells the story of his family of a mom and a dad, a sister named Emmaline and Max, the boy to whom he became a big brother twelve years ago. Mostly now that he is thirteen, he's concerned about some aches and pains and the evil sheepdog in the neighborhood. Then Max enters them in a canine freestyle dance competition, hoping to mend the tension that has appeared between the parents, the one that has the dad sleeping on the couch. There are moments when one forgets that Cosmo is a dog, except when he slips in his regret that he has no opposable thumbs! His point of view shown by Carlie Sorosiak lets us peek into a dog's mind with both humor and poignancy, like his "Humans play fetch with hard balls on TV, about baseball, and "It's a very good thing that only one of us has body fur. Otherwise, it might be difficult to tell us apart." It is a marvelous dog story that happens to include all the good and bad of humans, too, and from Cosmo's POV!

          Tami Charles tells this story of the 'freedom soup' tradition on New Year's Day in Haiti, shared with her by her husband's Ti Gran. After fighting for twelve years, Haitian freedom happened on January 1st, 1804! Together, young Belle and her Ti Gran dance through the time making freedom soup, a tradition followed by Haitians every January first. Jacqueline Alcántara's illustrations fill the pages with the beat of freedom as they prepare the soup. Colorful and filled with joy on every face, it's wonderful to see the family and friends arriving and sharing this special soup together, and the apartment house also full of those celebrating by eating their own 'Freedom Soup'. Charles adds a recipe and a brief history of how the soup came to be in the backmatter.

Up next: Allies by Alan Gratz

Happy New Year!

14 comments:

  1. Congratulations on reading The Toll and on completing the series. Those are some big books (I only read the first one, not sure why I didn't continue, since I really enjoyed it). I, Cosmo is on my must read list, and I really looking forward to it.

    I wish you and your family a Very Happy New Year, one filled with lots of good books and good times.

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    1. The Shusterman books are fabulous, but they are long, I agree. It took me such a long time to finish The Toll. Enjoy I, Cosmo, Alex. It is a wonderful book. And Happiest of New Year wishes to you as well! Thanks!

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  2. Very intrigued with Freedom Soup. The Toll is on my TBR.

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    1. Both terrific, Earl, actually with some interesting commonalities!

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  3. I am super tempted to try the recipe at the end of Freedom Soup. It's a great book too. I have not jumped into the Shusterman books because they seem like a huge time commitment. Maybe during a summer. Happy New Year.

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    1. Well, if you've followed my reading of The Toll at all, you know it took me a long time, & I had read the others! But the world Shusterman has created is quite amazing, has some parallels with the challenges we see in our own world. I think I'll try the recipe, too, Crystal, perhaps without all the spices. Happy New Year to you as well!

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  4. Soup and dystopia -- great way to end the reading year.

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  5. I never really got into the Scythe series. I finished the first one, but it didn't work for me. After reading your review here, I am tempted to give it another try - tempted but I probably wont. Happy New Year!

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    1. I understand, Cheriee. The series isn't for everyone! Happy New Year to you & yours!

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  6. Looking forward to your thoughts on Allies by Alan Gratz, I absolutely loved Refugees! I hope your best book you read this year is your worst next year :)

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    1. Thanks for the great wish Jeanie. So far, I've enjoyed Allies. Happy New Year!

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  7. I can't wait to finish books #2 and #3 in the Scythe series -- the anticipation is crushing me and I can't believe I've not made it happen over the holidays. Just too much going on. I absolutely ADORED I, Cosmo!!!!! His personality was oh so precious and I giggled a great deal while reading. I'd like to purchase a copy for my kiddos to enjoy. Have a lovely weekend, Linda!

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    1. Well, the nice thing is that you have those books to look forward to! They are good for sure. And isn't I, Cosmo wonderful, too? I'm glad that you liked it, Shaye! Thank you, and hope you've had a good start to 2020!

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