I am just squeaking into the final few days for this post, and I am so glad I had Christmas break to boost a few more books into this somewhat meagre offering for Fall of 2024!
What did you read that you loved?
No Bootstraps When You're Barefoot by Wes Hall - This was a memoir I read for my bookclub, and although I found the first part very interesting, I read at least 75+ pages of his job (working his way up the 'wall street of Toronto') and I still don't know what he does.
This author grew up in Jamaica and honestly his ingenuity, quick learning ability, and resourcefulness helped him achieve amazing things, but it did feel a bit hollow toward the end. I don't think that was the intention, I just didn't overly love it.
The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo - Again, I will read anything DiCamillo writes and be the first to have it ordered to my library! This lovely, nostalgic, and somewhat dour (at times) little middle-grade novel was enjoyable to sit with for an afternoon. It's about a little girl, her lost family, and her family-by-proxy; the hotel staff.
The Tree Collectors by Amy Stewart - I rarely do this anymore, but this was a book I just happened to see on a shelf at the library that piqued my interest. It's an anthology of mini biographies of individuals across the globe that were interviewed specifically for their niche arboreal interests. Specific, indeed! With fun watercolor illustrations and shuffled into sections that fit their category (educators, artists, activists, etc.), a fun way to connect with other global tree-huggers from my couch and continued through some of their instagram pages.
Canadian Geographic: Sept/Oct- I especially loved this issue with the cover story being about the wildies (wild horses) of Alberta and what type of environmental management is needed for them, and because of them.
Canadian Geographic: Nov/Dec - This issue was fascinating as the magazine detailed a crew finding Shackleton's (of Antarctic fame) last sunken ship, and the beautiful story about whale-sounds!
Between Two Sounds by Joonas Sildre - This graphic memoir of Arvo Pärt and his musical compositions was interesting and a fun way to 'get to know' an artist that I've heard of, but have very little experience with. Go ahead and go on youtube to catch up the nerd way or the musical way of his very specific invented music: Tintinnabuli.
Super Ocean Weekend by Gaëlle Alemeras - This was a graphic non-fiction book all about oceanography (for kids age 7+) that I read in one sitting, learned more about tides than I ever have before, and just generally enjoyed a bit more information in visual format about one of my favorite things to read about: the ocean! I believe I found it via Hakai Magazine (coastal newsletter I support), which now finds its home at Biographic, with the intention of passing it along to my daughter who loves all things marine biology related.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - I read this quick classic over four days with the kids this Christmas season. I haven't read to them since the Spring (still in homeschool days) and I really missed it. It's a classic for a reason: funny, terrifying at times, and heartwarming. God bless us, everyone!
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