2016 Reading: Second Half

In 2012, I made the goal to read 52 books, and I read 55. In 2013, my goal was 55 books, and I read 66. In 2014, I set out to read 60 books but ended up with 64. In 2015, that goal was 65, and I finished the year with 68.

So naturally, in 2016 I thought I could inch up that number just a little bit more because that's what I'd done for the last four years, so I made the goal to read 70 books.

And it just about killed me.

I may have slightly panicked when, early in November, I did the math and realized that I was still fourteen books away from my goal. Fourteen! It shouldn't have been a big deal. I shouldn't have even cared. But there was something about seeing the tracker on the side of Goodreads that made me go crazy. I couldn't handle its mocking tone, "You are seven books behind schedule." And I hated the thought of seeing a great big INCOMPLETE at the end of the year.

And so I did what any Upholder worth her salt would do and came up with a plan of attack: I mapped out all fourteen books--the audiobooks, the three I still needed for my reading goals, the novels I planned to read to my kids, the seasonal reads--and then I attacked them with a vengeance and dutifully checked them off one by one.

Some of them made the list because they were short, easy reads (desperate times and all that--this was no time to start The Count of Monte Cristo). I know some readers who don't count readalouds or children's novels or re-reads or even audiobooks among their final total, but I do and I don't feel any guilt about it, and here's why: All of those are books I want to read, and I know if I impose all these limiting rules on myself, I won't read them because if they can't count towards my numbers total, then I know I won't find the time to read them, and it actually feels really important for me to read them. So when I make my numbers goal at the beginning of the year, it's with the understanding that I'll be counting basically everything except picture books.

Whew, so with that lengthy explanation aside, here's what I ended up reading during the second half (if you missed the first half, you can find it here). Yes, I made it to 70 but just barely. All book titles are linked to my full reviews.

1. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George, 6/10 (readaloud)
I think my expectations were too high for this one. In spite of its intriguing premise, it was quite a slow start. Luckily, it redeemed itself (some) in the end.

2. Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat, 8/10 (readaloud)
It had the same feel as Rascal (which we read during the first half of the year) but was shorter, faster-paced, and funnier overall. 

3. Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay, 6/10
My enthusiasm for this story gradually waned until I was quite thrilled when it was over.

4. Cinder by Marissa Meyer, 7/10
I almost quit two chapters in because it was just a little too strange for me, but I pushed through and ended up being really impressed with its creativity. That said, did I rush out to get the second book? Um, no.

5. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, 8/10
I'm a sucker for verse novels, so when you combine poetry with a subject I know very little about (the Vietnam War), it's a winner.

6. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple, 7/10
This one gets points just because it was such a compelling read. I didn't love everything about it, but I couldn't put it down. 

7. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary, 8/10 (readaloud)
These are the Ramona stories I'm probably most familiar with from my own childhood, so I loved revisiting them.

8. The Twits by Roald Dahl, 8/10 (readaloud)
So, so, so strange. But we loved it.

9. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, 9/10
Ah, Eleanor. May I grow up to be you one day.

10. The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel, 8/10 (audio)
Absolutely fascinating and added greater depth to some of the things we saw in Europe. I only wish it hadn't taken me three months to get through.

11. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, 10/10 (readaloud)
I will be sad when I run out of kids to read this one to.

12. Dory, Dory Black Sheep by Abby Hanlon, 7/10 (readaloud)
I'm a big fan of Dory, but I didn't love this one quite as much as the first two. 

13. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, 7/10
I can see why people compare this one to Jane Eyre, but really, there's no comparison.

14. Mathematicians Are People, Too by Luetta and Wilbert Reimer, 6/10 (readaloud)
I have to admit, I'd never even heard of some of these mathematicians, but I probably should have.

15. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, 8/10
Quite original, I must say.

16. The Night Gardner by Jonathan Auxier, 8/10
That's about all the scary I can handle. Perfect for October though.

17. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, 9/10 (readaloud)
I'm starting to look forward to our annual progression in this series as much as my kids. So fun.

18. Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull, 9/10 (audiobook)
I'm still thinking about this book. A perfect read for January, book club, or really any time of the year.

19. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, 7/10
One of those books that, ironically, grows more thought-provoking with age.

20. The Great Ghost Rescue by Eva Ibbotson, 3/10 (readaloud)
This book could not be over fast enough for me. I'm trying not to judge Eva Ibbotson too quickly.

21. Ribsy by Beverly Cleary, 10/10 (readaloud)
A perfect ending to a perfect series.

22. Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist, 6/10
I always love a good food book, but I expected to love this one a bit more than I actually did.

23. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, 8/10
Raw and emotional, this was a gorgeously crafted novel.

24. All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor, 10/10 (readaloud)
I have no words for this book except I loved it.

25. Tumtum and Nutmeg: A Christmas Adventure, 6/10 (readaloud)
Short and cute but not much else worth mentioning.

26. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson, 9/10
Turns out, I'm still a fan.

27. Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott, 8/10 (audiobook)
Oh my goodness, all those boys! Of course I liked this book!

28. The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans, 5/10
It was about what I was expecting, which wasn't much.

29. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson, 10/10 (readaloud)
This book. It makes me laugh, and then cry.

30. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 10/10
I think this book will always hold up to another reading.

31. Smile by Raina Telgemeier, 8/10
Raina Telgemeier completely won me over. I can't wait to read more of her graphic novels.

32. The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren, 9/10 (readaloud)
One word: delightful.

33. Pax by Sara Pennypacker, 7/10 (audiobook)
Melancholy and sad, but hopeful just the same.

34. The Lincoln Hypothesis by Timothy Ballard, 6/10
A lot of facts, a lot of truth, some speculation.

35. Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming, 10/10
If only all nonfiction was told in such a compelling way.

36. A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman, 10/10
Said good-bye to 2016 with one of the best books I read all year.

I'd love to hear about some of YOUR favorite reads from 2016. Even though my to-read list is dauntingly long, I'm always looking to add to it. It's a problem. 

2016 Reading Goals: The Final Report

This is one of my favorite posts of the year to write. There's something so satisfying in saying, "Here's what I set out to do . . . and I did it!" Then again, if I didn't complete all my goals, I probably would just hang my head in shame and disappointment instead of writing about it because where's the fun in admitting defeat?  But since I'm writing a post, I guess you know it all turned out okay. Here's what I read to complete each goal (book titles are linked to the full reviews):

1. Read a book I put on my to-read list in 2011
I always think this goal is going to help me knock out a bunch of books that have been languishing on my to-read list for a long time, and then I usually just squeak by with the bare minimum of one or, if I'm really in an overachieving mood, two. This year was no different. My to-read list from 2011 is only one book shorter, and the book that won the honor of being removed from it was Tuesdays at the Castle (July 2016) by Jessica Day George (which I added to my to-read list in October 2011).

2. Read a female author I've been meaning to read
I read two books for this goal. The first was Cinder (July 2016) by Marissa Meyer, and the second was The Great Ghost Rescue (October 2016) by Eva Ibbotson. The ironic thing is I've been wanting to read something by Eva Ibbotson for forever, and out of all the books she's written, I probably picked the book I was least likely to like. The other ironic thing is I really wanted to read a book by Susanna Kearsley for this goal, and it just never happened even though I had the best of intentions (I had The Winter Sea checked out at least once, maybe twice, from the library without ever even starting it).

3. Read a male author I've been meaning to read
I read Crossing to Safety (April 2016) by Wallace Stegner during the first half of the year, and it's still one of my favorite reads of 2016: Quiet, poignant, and meaningful with characters so real I would recognize them if I saw them walking down the street. (And, as a fun side note, my blogging friend, Carrie, also read Crossing to Safety this year but didn't have the same reaction to it. So when she saw that I loved it, she mailed me her copy of the book. Wasn't that so sweet of her?)

4. Read (don't listen) to something by Jane Austen or Charles Dickens
I was so scared of this goal because classics are usually so much easier for me to listen to than read, but it ended up not being bad at all (in part because listening just wasn't as easy for me to do in 2016 as it has been in past years, so I think reading it actually turned out to be the faster route). I read Sense and Sensibility (September 2016) by Jane Austen and enjoyed it immensely.

5. Read six books with Aaron
This was such a fun goal and one that I'm planning on repeating in 2017. Aaron is so easygoing and was basically up for anything I handed to him, so it was great fun to branch out into a variety of genres. We read:

February 2016: Truce by Jim Murphy
March 2016: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
May 2016: One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale
June 2016: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier  
October 2016: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit  
December 2016: Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming December 2016: Smile by Raina Telgemeier (If you read my review, you'll know this one was unplanned, but we both read it, so I'm including it.)

Out of all of those, Aaron's favorite was Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, and mine was either that same one or Amelia Lost.

6. Read a book in preparation for Europe
Mike and I visited the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, and Norway in July, and it was definitely one of the highlights of the year. It was important to me to do some reading about some of the places we'd be traveling to because I learned a long time ago that those places take on much greater significance when I've read about the events that happened there and then see them for myself. So I read The Monuments Men (summer 2016) by Robert M. Edsel, which tells the true story of the men and women who helped save important pieces of art during WWII. Then I actually saw Michelangelo's Madonna and Child when we were in Belgium, and it was basically the coolest thing ever.

7. Read another book by Louisa May Alcott
After much debate, I read Eight Cousins (November 2016) by Louisa May Alcott, which was all well and good until I realized I really must follow it quickly with Rose in Bloom before I forget everything. So that's going on the agenda for 2017, which is not a bad thing because the more I read of Louisa May Alcott, the more I adore her.

8. Read five Newbery related books
I was purposely vague with this goal, but my hope was that I would read a good mix of past medal and honor winners, as well as a couple that had the potential to win in 2017. I think I achieved my objective:

March 2016: Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink (Newbery medal 1936)
May 2016: Rascal by Sterling North (Newbery honor 1964)
June 2016: Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus (Newbery honor 2011)
July 2016: Inside Out and Back Again by Thannha Lai (Newbery honor 2012)
August 2016: Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary (Newbery honor 1982)
September 2016: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (Newbery honor 1953)
October 2016: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (potential winner 2017)
December 2016: Pax by Sara Pennypacker (potential winner 2017)

9. Read a verse novel or poetry collection
I chose to read Inside Out and Back Again (July 2016), a verse memoir by Thannha Lai. You might notice that it's also on the list of Newbery books above, but I really read it for this goal and then just included it up there because it fit that category as well. I'm also in the middle of another verse novel right now, A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman, and I'm hoping to have it done before January 1st.

10. Reread Edenbrooke and The Happiness Project
This goal was good for my soul. It was good for me to revisit two books that fill me up as a reader. I know I wouldn't have made time for them without this goal, and that makes me sad to think about because they were two of my favorite books this year. I don't consider myself much of a rereader (there are just so many good books to get to), but this goal helped me see that rereading really does have a valuable place in my life, and so it's important for me to consciously select books to read again. I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin in February 2016 and Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson in December 2016.

How did you do with your goals (reading or otherwise) this year? Do you have grand plans for 2017, or do you think you'll scale back? Which book made the greatest impact on you during 2016?

2016 Reading: First Half

I made a goal to read 70 books this year. At the end of June, I had only finished 34 (and that was with a lot of shorter books worked into the mix), so I'm not feeling overly confident about the second half of the year. I think the fact that I'm posting this a month late also shows that I'm just behind on everything right now, which is not something I enjoy. Looking on the bright side though, I read many good books during the first six months of the year, including three that I'm pretty sure will make it onto my favorites list at the end of the year. Here's a recap (book titles are linked to full reviews):

1. Lulu and the Hamster in the Night by Hilary McKay, 5/10
I kicked off 2016 by being a Round 2 judge for the Cybils Early Chapter books category. This was the first title I read, and even though I'm not going to rush out and read the rest of the series, I have no problem recommending it to an eight-year-old.

2. Dory and the Real True Friend by Abby Hanlon, 8/10
This one, on the other hand, I liked well enough to then check out the first one in the series. And if Abby Hanlon writes any more books about Dory, I will read them. (Update: Dory Dory Black Sheep comes out on September 20th!)

3. My Pet Human by Yasmine Surovec, 2/10
Creative premise, disappointing execution.

4. Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner, 2/10
I'm always on the lookout for excellent historical fiction for the 7-10 year-old set. This one, unfortunately, is not going on the list.

5. The Lake House by Kate Morton, 8/10
I still like The Secret Keeper more, but I'd be lying if I didn't say this one pulled me in and didn't let me go until the end.

6. Big Bad Detective Agency by Bruce Hale, 4/10
It was fine, but I was very much aware that I was reading kids' lit.

7. The Case of the Snack Snatcher by Liam O'Donnell, 3/10
This one felt too much like it was trying to feature a special needs character, and so the mystery itself fell flat for me.

8. Clover's Luck by Kallie George, 7/10
I was pleasantly surprised by this one and would recommend it to elementary-aged kids.

9. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, 10/10
A re-read for me. I enjoyed every bit of it. I am more comfortable with who I am and my own hopes and dreams because of this book.

10. My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business by Dick Van Dyke, 6/10 (audio)
I love Dick Van Dyke, but I lost interest during the second half of this book.

11. Ragweed by Avi, 9/10 (readaloud)
Aaron read this first and then begged for me to read it aloud. If that's not a glowing endorsement, I don't know what is. (Also, if you like fun accents, this is the perfect readaloud for you.)

12. The Children Act by Ian McEwan, 5/10 (audio)
This makes for a great book club discussion, but let that be your warning: you'll want someone to discuss it with.

13. Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting by Jim Murphy, 7/10
I have not read very many books about the Great War, so even though this one was targeted towards a younger audience, I learned a lot from it.

14. Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt, 2/10 (audio)
Ugh. I know several friends who love this book, but I think the audio version might have ruined it for me.

15. Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon, 8/10
I read this myself and then had to share it with my kids because Dory was just too delightful to keep to myself.

16. Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol, 7/10 (readaloud)
My brother loved these books as a kid, so I read one aloud so my kids would get hooked, too. We loved solving the mysteries together.

17. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink, 8/10 (readaloud)
So good. Caddie has some serious spunk but also a tender heart.

18. Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein, 5/10
I would have liked this book a lot more if the library had actually been a cool library and not some technological showcase.

19. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, 9/10
I didn't think I could love a graphic novel about roller derby, but I did. Really top notch.

20. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day by Winifred Watson, 7/10
The loose morals in this book (published in 1938) were shocking, but Miss Pettigrew herself was a model of decorum.

21. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, 10/10 (audio)
I loved everything about this book: the multi-layered characters, the rich language, the quiet story. Five stars all the way.

22. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, 2/10 (audio)
Book club certainly helped me appreciate this book more, but I still didn't like it.

23. Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary, 10/10 (readaloud)
Ramona is the comfort food of books for me.

24. One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale, 8/10
I've been recommending this graphic novel series to anyone who has kids who love historical fiction.

25. Rascal by Sterling North, 6/10 (readaloud)
We loved parts of this book, but some of it was slow and tedious.

26. The Invisible Girls by Sarah Thebarge, 7/10
This memoir about how befriending a refugee family helped heal Sarah Thebarge after the trauma of breast cancer was inspiring and touching.

27. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, 7/10
There were a lot of hard things in this WWII novel, and at times I found it erring towards the dramatic, but I liked it.

28. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis, 8/10 (readaloud)
This one has so many great adventures, and my kids were absolutely enthralled.

29. Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus, 7/10
The main character is quite a bit older than what is common for most middle grade novels, but it works in this one.

30. By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman, 9/10 (readaloud)
What an absolutely delightful adventure story.

31. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, 8/10 (audio)
There were things about the book I didn't love, but Ove made up for almost all of them.

32. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier, 10/10
I read this book, and then Aaron read it, and then the whole family listened to it on audio. And just like that, it has become one of our very favorites.

33. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, 8/10 (audio)
Another re-read. It was fun to read the story while knowing what the twist was going to be. I was just as impressed as the first time I read it.

34. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, 10/10
Oh wow. So heartbreaking, but what a powerful memoir.

Our recent trip helped me close some of the gap, but without any more ten-hour plane rides in my immediate future, I think it's going to be difficult to maintain my lead.

What have you been reading lately?

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

Two years ago, I was really into the Newbery and stayed really current with all the trending books. (I have not been doing nearly as well this year--the only contenders I can think of off the top of my head are Wolf Hollow and Pax, neither of which I've read (yet).) Anyway, one of the books that kept popping up on everyone's lists two years ago was The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier. It didn't end up winning anything, but I kept it on my to-read list anyway because it sounded like a great choice for a future October read.

I still haven't made time for it, but a few months ago, Carolyn mentioned Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, which was actually Jonathan Auxier's first book. It sounded decidedly less creepy than The Night Gardener (I can be a bit of wimp sometimes), and it also seemed like the perfect summer read to hand to Aaron. I didn't want to miss out on the fun though, so I read it, too, and I think it's going to be one of those books I'm recommending to every 8-12 year-old (and their parents too!) that I know. It was just such a good, fun read.

As an infant, Peter Nimble (christened such "after a misremembered nursery rhyme") had his eyes pecked out by a raven as he floated in a basket in the ocean. Not exactly the sweet and soothing beginning most babies hope for, but Peter's quick fingers, adept at untying knots and popping locks and slipping into pockets, soon attract the attention of one Mr. Seamus, who forces the blind boy into a life of crime. Between Mr. Seamus' training and Peter's natural talents, he soon becomes really good at stealing things, which earns him the title "the greatest thief who ever lived" (although he doesn't know it).

One day, he comes upon a haberdasher, who is trying to sell hats to a group of unimpressed customers. Peter helps him win them over and then does a little "looking" around for himself (not with his eyes, but with his hands). The haberdasher's carriage is well-locked, which just makes Peter all the more intrigued (he can't resist an intricate lock), and when he breaks in, he passes up the bag of money for a small wooden box. There's nothing special about the box itself, but he senses that there's something valuable inside.

When he gets back to Mr. Seamus', he examines the contents of the box, which he thinks are six eggs, but which actually turn out to be three pairs of eyes: a gold pair, a black pair, and a green pair. When he slips the gold pair into his sockets, he instantly vanishes from the port town where he has lived all his life and ends up struggling for air in the Troublesome Lake.

And that is how his adventure begins.

I love good characters and an exciting plot, but the more I read, the more I realize it's the writing that contributes the most to my overall enjoyment (or, on the flip side, dislike). In someone else's hands, Peter Nimble's story might have still been creative and fast-paced, but in Jonathan Auxier's, it shone. The narrator's voice had me hooked from the first page. Not only were there frequent nods and winks to the reader (one of my favorite literary devices), but he just captured the true essence of Peter, without which the book would have fallen flat.

For example, about midway through the book, the narrator breaks through the fourth wall to say,

"By now you have witnessed how truly gifted Peter Nimble is, despite his handicap. You have heard him referred to as a master thief by multiple authorities, and you have seen him work his way out of numerous dangerous situations. You may be thinking that his blindness is no handicap at all, and that it somehow gives him an advantage over the average seeing person. Some of you may even be thinking to yourselves, 'Boy! I wish I were blind like the great Peter Nimble!' If you are thinking that, stop right now. Because whatever benefits you may believe that blindness carries with it, you must understand that there are just as many disadvantages."

This was one of my favorite scenes because it had been set up so well. By this point, you really are thinking Peter Nimble is extremely talented and not at all hindered by his inability to see. All of his other senses are so fine-tuned that he doesn't seem to need his eyes at all. But in the next paragraph (which I won't spoil for you here), you see exactly why eyes are sometimes so necessary, and it's almost chilling the way the narrator lets you in on a impending betrayal that Peter is completely unaware of.

Fantasy is not my favorite genre, as any frequent reader of this blog is well aware, and that is why I know it's because of the writing that I loved this story as much as I did. There are times when I had to suspend my belief just a little bit more than I wanted to (usually Peter notices the slightest change in the air or the most imperceptible sound, but then, there are moments when his concentration slips for just a moment and he overlooks something he shouldn't have missed), but it was well worth it.

Peter begins the book as a lowly blind beggar who survives by stealing things for his "benefactor." By the end of the book, he has grown into a confident and intelligent leader, one who makes split-second decisions and inspires confidence. There are many adventures and dangers and mistakes that make this transformation happen, and it's pretty fun to be along for the ride. (Peter also happens to have one of the best sidekicks of all time, which didn't hurt.)

Aaron loved this book too, and I might have let him stay up past 11:00pm to finish it. Having already finished it myself, I knew what the ending was like and couldn't imagine leaving him hanging until morning. This is what summer is all about anyway. Now he's telling Maxwell he has to read it (even though I'm pretty sure he's already spilled the majority of plot twists and nail-biting scenes). I think it's a bit long for Max to read on his own, so the audio is probably in store for us.

Since finishing it, I've been mulling over what rating to give it. It wasn't life-changing, but three of the questions I ask myself when determining a five-star book are: Would I buy my own copy? (yes, I already did), Would I recommend it? (yes, to everyone I've talked to in the last week--sorry!), and Would I want Mike or my kids to read it? (yes, all of them). So I think that's my answer (and all of yours, too: read it).  (I also think The Night Gardener just shot to the top of my October reading list.)

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Do you have a recommendation for another book Aaron and I would both enjoy?

Truce by Jim Murphy

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about how I was changing my approach to selecting books for Aaron to read. I'm happy to report that it's going very well on all fronts. The best (or should I say most rewarding) thing I've done so far is just making an effort to read some of the same books as him. When I made my goals for the year, I included one geared towards this specifically: "Read six of the same books as Aaron." I actually hope to read more than six with him, but that seemed like a good starting point.

Awhile back, one of my favorite Instagram accounts mentioned a nonfiction title by Jim Murphy called Truce. I'm always on the lookout for nonfiction authors who write about interesting subjects in an engaging way. A quick look at my library revealed that Jim Murphy has written dozens of books on everything from tuberculosis to crazy inventions to a huge blizzard. I felt like I'd struck gold (or at least, I hoped I had). Such a find could potentially keep Aaron going for years.

I checked out Truce from the library and then decided it would be the perfect book to kick start my goal with Aaron.

In 1914, World War I broke out after a sort of misunderstanding (if you can call something as serious as an assassination "a misunderstanding." There was already quite a bit of tension between Germany, France, Austria, England, Russia, and other countries, and so maybe World War I would have happened at some point anyway, but to this day, it is often viewed as the war that never should have been.

Most people thought it would end as quickly as it had started. Men signed up for duty with promises to their loved ones to be home by Christmas (a "quick and glorious adventure"). But when December 1914 rolled around, the war was far from over. In fact, soldiers were just barely figuring out how to fight in this modern age of tanks, machine guns, and poison gas. They began digging trenches into the ground to protect themselves, and the weather forced the fighting to a standstill.

It was during this month that a rather remarkable thing began to happen. Across the miles and miles of trenches and against the express orders of their commanding officers, men began calling truces. The most widespread one happened on Christmas Day when thousands of soldiers on both sides crawled out of their hiding places and entered No Man's Land. Not a shot was fired. They greeted each other, shook hands, and shared what little they had to offer. In the enemy, they saw men just like themselves, "good fellows" who were just trying to follow orders and get home. In some places, the truce lasted just a day, but in others, it continued until spring.

One of the things I really appreciated about this book was that it focused most of its attention on one specific part of the war. It didn't try to cover all four years or give a chronological recap of everything that happened, which I'm sure would have resulted in both Aaron and myself feeling completely overwhelmed. Instead, it set things up by going over the events that prompted the declaration of war and then spent the rest of its time on this remarkable truce.

I thought it was interesting that Jim Murphy mentioned in an author's note at the end that he originally planned on writing a book that focused on the role of African-American soldiers in the war. However, after he was well into his research , several books on this same subject happened to be published, and so it seemed redundant to write about it again. Rather than move onto something else entirely, he continued to read about World War I and became intrigued by the accounts of this practically universal truce that happened on Christmas Day. And that's how the book came about. It's short (right around 100 pages), but it's not a book I'll be forgetting.

Jim Murphy doesn't have the same gripping narrative style as Steve Sheinkin (author of Bomb), but I liked it nonetheless. It was compact and clear-cut and drew on many personal histories and photographs to make it come to life.

It ended up being a great one to read with Aaron because we both learned something new (I've read far more books on World War II than World War I), and it was nice to be able to discuss it in between chapters, summarizing what had happened and clearing up anything we were confused about. Jim Murphy is definitely going to be one of my go-to nonfiction authors from now on.

Have you read anything by Jim Murphy? Who is your favorite nonfiction author for kids?

The Children Act by Ian McEwan

I finished The Children Act late one evening. It left me with a million thoughts and questions, but because of the hour, there wasn't anyone I could talk them over with. (Mike was out of town at the time, and I have a hard time going to sleep when he's gone anyway, so finishing a book with such conflicting emotions made it so much worse.)

So instead, I sent my friend this text: "I'm going to reserve judgement until after I've let it sit with me for a few days, but I just finished The Children Act tonight, and it left me feeling completely baffled." (It was this same friend who actually selected this book for our February book club, so you can tell that our friendship does not hinge on liking the same books but rather on being able to discuss them openly and honestly.)

It's been several weeks now since I finished it, and I no longer feel baffled. I've sorted through the various characters and their actions, I've analyzed my own convictions, and I've discussed it with a group of women I highly respect (seriously, it was one of the best book club discussions I've ever been a part of). I don't know that I'll be able to articulate any of that, but I'm going to try.

Fiona is a highly respected family court judge. She is sixty years old and has devoted her life to her career. It has taken precedence over everything, including her marriage to Jack, which, when the story opens, is really suffering because of it. In fact, Jack has just told Fiona that he's going to have an affair unless she gives him a reason not to.

Fiona realizes that she has become physically and emotionally distant over the last seven weeks and one day, ever since she passed judgment on a heart-wrenching case involving conjoined twins. But she can't seem to talk about it or tell Jack what's bothering her.

So Jack leaves, and Fiona submerges herself in an urgent case involving a 17-year-old boy, Adam, with leukemia who is refusing a life-saving blood transfusion because he is a Jehovah's Witness. Fiona must determine if, even though Adam is a minor, he is mature enough to make this decision for himself or if it is the court's responsibility to protect his well-being until he has reached legal age.

The implications of this decision are, of course, extreme--life on one hand, death on the other--and it was fascinating to watch Fiona methodically sort through it all from a legal perspective. The writing was riveting, and, even as Fiona was delivering her verdict, I didn't know which way it was going to fall.

But then . . . things got complicated. There were certain repercussions from her decision that Fiona didn't/couldn't think of, and I found that my own thoughts ran the gamut as I watched the ending play out.

At this point, I'll just warn you that there will be spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk.

When we discussed this at book club, the question came up: Did Fiona make the right decision? And I think the general consensus was yes, of course she did. But I disagreed.

Before she makes her final decision, Fiona visits Adam in the hospital. And what she finds is a bright, intelligent, talented boy with a passion for living and a strong belief in his religion. Therein lies the conflict. He is writing poetry and learning to play the violin, but he also believes strongly that a blood transfusion would be going counter to what God wants him to do.

And so he has decided to stay true to his belief even if it means he will die (which he most certainly will). He is happy, confident, and self-assured.

But was that belief misplaced?

I would say yes. (And so did Fiona.)

However, was it not Adam's right to misplace his own belief even if it meant potentially sacrificing his life? This is where my thoughts become conflicted. Adam is, after all, three months shy of being eighteen. Legally, he is not capable of this decision, but Fiona references something known as "Gillick competence" wherein a minor is able to make medical decisions for himself or herself.

Even though Adam is not yet eighteen, he is extremely intelligent and well aware of the consequences of his actions. Can he understand them fully? Of course not. But could a twenty-one-year-old or thirty-five-year-old or sixty-year-old understand them any better? In that same vein, would he make the same decision if he was twenty-one or thirty-five or sixty? It's impossible to know. Some of the decisions I made at seventeen, I would still make at thirty-one. But some I would not. Adam's belief may have grown stronger or it may have slowly faded.

As it is, after Fiona passes judgment and Adam receives the blood transfusion, it is as if his foundation has been ripped out from under him. At first, he is ecstatic. He is grateful for his life and for the opportunities that are opening up before him. But his testimony has been shattered, and he can't seem to put it back together.

Maybe that means it wasn't all that strong to begin with. Maybe it would have happened down the road anyway. Maybe it exposed the holes in his belief and made him realize that his belief was misplaced. But what I saw was a boy who had a purpose, something to live (and die) for, and when it was no longer there, it was as if he was drifting on an open sea. Because he no longer had anything to cling to, he lost his will to live (and to die) and that was tragic for me to see.

Of course, there are so many ways to look at this, and we turned it over and around many times at book club: Would Fiona's decision have been different if she hadn't visited Adam in the hospital? If she was religious herself? If Adam's decision had nothing to do with religion? If Fiona had been a mother? But for me personally, I think Adam should have been allowed to make that decision for himself, and I think if he had, he would have either lived or died feeling secure and happy.

I think it was also difficult for me to wrestle with the religious questions in this book. Religious freedom is something I hold most dear and precious, and it was really difficult to see that yanked away from someone (even if that someone was, technically, a child). Looking at my own religion's past, I think there are many things then (and actually currently) that could be considered extreme. I can't think of anything that would have this sort of life-and-death consequence, but still, seeing a person's freedom being taken away made me acutely uncomfortable because I would be so devastated to have my own belief questioned and taken away from me.

Can you see why I couldn't fall asleep after I finished this book? I haven't even mentioned the strangest kiss I've ever read about or Jack and Fiona's relationship after he comes back or whether or not Adam's decision was for himself or for his parents and congregation. I don't know that I've ever read such a short work of fiction (it was only 240 pages long) that gave me this much to think and talk and argue about. If nothing else, it was the perfect book club choice.

Content note: I'm sure it's fairly obvious from this review that this book touches on some mature themes (but nothing is graphic or detailed in any way, except that strange kiss I alluded to). Also, a little bit of language (including one F-word).

A Few Thoughts on the 2016 Newbery, Caldecott, and Geisel Awards

There's nothing quite like the announcement of the ALA Youth Media Awards bright and early on a Monday morning to get your week off to a good start. (At least for me, anyway.)

I didn't stay as current with newly published books during 2015 as I would have liked (I'm going to take 75% of the blame and give the remaining 25% to my library because, seriously,  they are so slow when it comes to processing new books). Because of this, I don't have as many opinions on the winners as I have in past years. But I'll share the few I have.

First, the Theodore Seuss Geisel award (given for the most distinguished beginning reader book).

Last year, I said I wished we could get a bit more variety in the easy reader department instead of Mo Willems, Mo Willems, Mo Willems (although I will say he deserves all the recognition he's received), and I got exactly that this year. Not a Mo Willems book in sight (but not because he didn't write some good ones. Just check out Diva and Flea if you don't believe me).

The medal went to Don't Throw It to Mo (I guess since Mo Willems didn't win anything, something with Mo in the title had to win), and A Pig, a Fox, and a Box, Supertruck, and Waiting won honors.

I think I've mentioned that I'm a Round 2 Cybils judge this year in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter books category, and both Don't Throw It to Mo and A Pig, a Fox, and a Box happen to be on the Cybils shortlist. Because of that, even if I had an opinion on them, I couldn't share it here. However, you maybe remember that our library doesn't seem to be a fan of promptness, so it's not hard to keep my mouth shut because I haven't read them yet. Grrrrrr.

I wasn't surprised to see Kevin Henkes on the list. Everything he writes/illustrates seems to be gold. I actually haven't read Waiting yet though because of that one thing I already mentioned twice so far in this post. Nor have I read Supertruck because of . . .  my own negligence (I can take the blame when it's my fault). So obviously, my opinion is worth about zippo in regards to the Geisel.

Then there's the Randolph Caldecott award (given for the most distinguished picture book) .

Trombone Shorty, Waiting, Voice of Freedom, and Last Stop on Market Street won honors. And Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear received the medal.

I have to say, I have been waiting months to read Finding Winnie, and that's not an exaggeration. It was published during the last quarter of the year, but the book world was buzzing about it long before then. There happened to be two picture books about Winnie-the-Pooh published this year. The other one was Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the Pooh. That one was published at the beginning of 2015, so we've read it. I've been dying to know how Finding Winnie compares, and by the looks of its shiny new medal, it must be even better. (Let this be a lesson to me, sometimes it's worth it just to buy the book.)

As for the other winners, I've only read Last Stop on Market Street. I really did awesome this year with keeping up, you can see.

And finally, the John Newbery award (given for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature):

Before the Newbery was announced, I thought to myself, Well, there's no way I read the Newbery winner this year since I only read one eligible book. (I couldn't even stay current with the easy readers and picture books, remember?)

But then a picture book, Last Stop on Market Street, won the medal, and so I had, in fact, read the winner after all. That was a real shock, and also, kind of a delightful surprise.

It is not unheard of for a picture book to win the Newbery medal, but it's only happened once before (in 1982). However, you may have noticed, Last Stop on Market Street also won a Caldecott Honor, and I don't know that the same book has ever been awarded a Newbery Medal and a Caldecott Honor (I'm sure someone has figured that out by now, but not me.) So it was kind of a record-breaking year.

Three books were awarded Newbery Honors this year: The War That Saved My Life (I've had this reserved at the library a couple of times this year and still haven't read it, although the audio won the Odyssey award, so maybe I need to listen to it instead), Roller Girl (sigh. another graphic novel--remember how I felt about the one that won last year?), and Echo (a book that I know very little about but sounds great).

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the awards this year and look forward to reading many of the winners, I must admit that the longer I follow these awards, the more disenchanted I become with them. For one thing, I'm finally acknowledging the fact that the winners are selected by a committee of human beings who are governed by their own personal biases, tastes, and beliefs, and I believe that shows in the books that are selected. If you took the same set of books but had two different committees judge them, you'd come out with different winners. Maybe not all completely different, but some of them for sure. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It's kind of fun to see what themes and trends emerge every year. And I know each committee takes their responsibility very seriously, and I respect them for that, but they're still human. So I'm starting to give less and less credibility to that shiny gold sticker on the front that says "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." Most distinguished in the opinion of fifteen people, you mean.

Also, as with so many other things, the ALA awards have become as much about making a political statement as honoring the best literature. It's frustrating and annoying and oh so aggravating to me, but it's the way it is. Because of that, I can guarantee you that some of the more recent winners in the last five years are not going to stand the test of time. In fifty years, our children and grandchildren are going to look back at some of them (I'm not pointing fingers) and wonder why on earth we thought that was "distinguished" literature.

I'm curious to hear what you thought about the winners or just your opinion on the Newbery and Caldecott awards in general.

2016 Reading Goals

One of my favorite things about a new year is a new set of reading goals. Some of these will look familiar as they're basically goals I've made in previous years and others are brand new and probably will be here for 2016 only. Here's what I will be working on.

1. Read a book I put on my to-read list in 2011
I'm kicking off the list with a familiar goal. In 2014, I looked at my 2009 to-read list. Last year, I gave attention to 2010. So of course now it's 2011's turn. There are some good ones that have been hanging out there for the last five years: Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George (which I might read to my kids), Mitten Strings for God by Katrina Kenison (which I think would be a perfect one to read around Mother's Day), or How Green was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn (which feels like a book I should have already read ages ago), to name a few.

2. Read a female author I've been meaning to read
There are so many authors I've had on my radar for years but haven't gotten around to trying yet. This is the year to make it a priority. I'm not putting any restrictions on genre or publishing year. They can be classic or current, high-brow or chick-lit. Some choices include Eva Ibbotson, Susanna Kearsley, and Edith Wharton.

3. Read a male author I've been meaning to read
I like to be fair. Okay, not really. But I have a handful of male authors I've been meaning to read for a long time, too, so I might as well have a reason to read at least one of them too. Same rules apply as to the goal above. I have my eye on Wallace Stegner, P.G. Wodehouse, or Ivan Doig.

4. Read (don't listen) to something by Jane Austen or Charles Dickens
This is the big one. Over the last few years, I've learned that I definitely prefer listening to classics instead of reading them. It's easier for me to get immersed in the story and not get bogged down by the dense writing. But now that I know that, it's time to push myself out of my comfort zone. I specifically chose Jane Austen or Charles Dickens because they're authors I'm already familiar with and I've been wanting read something else by them anyway. I'm a very slow reader, especially with classics, so this goal alone might take me six months to complete. I'm not joking.

5. Read six books with Aaron
When I say "with," I mean "separately but together." Last year we read Sideways Stories From Wayside School and Wayside School is Falling Down together, and it was so much fun. I like reading the same books as him because it gives me a reason to become more familiar with the literature for his age group and, more importantly, I love being able to discuss what's going on in the story with him. Mike is taking up this goal as well (although not as formally), and between the two of us, we should be able to enjoy a lot of great books with Aaron.

6. Read a book about the Olympics or an Olympic athlete
This is the wild card on the list. I have absolutely no idea what I want to read for this goal, and having really open-ended goals has not worked out for me in the past. But the Olympics are happening this year, and I love the Olympics, so I want something to help get me in the mood. Suggestions and recommendations are welcome.

7. Read another book by Louisa May Alcott
I enjoyed reading Little Men so much last year that I knew I needed to give Louisa May Alcott her own goal this year. I thought of making it a "finish a series" type of goal like I've had in the past, but I wanted to be able to branch out to Eight Cousins or something else of hers if I wanted to.

8. Read five Newbery related books
Last year I focused on past Newbery winners. That was really rewarding, and it made me read some books I'd been meaning to for a long time. But . . . it meant that I didn't give nearly as much focus as usual to trending books. Consequently, the Newbery is being announced on Monday, and I don't have a single book to root for. I'm pretty sad about that actually. This year, I'm trying to figure out how to strike a balance between past and present, and so I'm going vague. "Newbery-related" can be interpreted as a past winner (of the medal or an honor) or a book that has the potential to win the Newbery in 2017. I wish that I was a faster reader and could bump up that number to ten or even twenty, but I know that even five will feel like a challenge with everything else I want to read.

9. Read a verse novel or poetry collection
I'll be honest, it's kind of nice to have one goal that I can easily knock off in a day or two if I'm feeling behind. Plus, the more poetry I read, the more I love it.                                                                                                                 
10. Reread Edenbrooke and The Happiness Project
I could have just said, "Reread two books," but I'm being super specific here because these were both books I was meaning to reread last year and never got around to it. This year it will happen. Edenbrooke is purely for pleasure and The Happiness Project is to review all of the things I learned the first time and hopefully implement a few more of them.

In terms of quantity, this is my most ambitious list of goals so far. I'll need to read 21 books in order to complete these goals (last year, it was only 14). However, many of them can be completed with fairly quick reads, so I'm hoping it's doable (but still challenging). If you want to see some really ambitious goals, check out my friend Carrie's list.

What reading goals do you have for 2016?