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Hello to all of my happy readers!!!
I am here! Phew, this last month was a wild ride. So many hours worked and so many happy faces to see and fun hugs to give and receive. Our store Anniversary was such a fun event. It was not as well attended as I would have liked, but I was so very happy watching the shopping that happened and the conversations and connections that took place. I felt like there was magic in the air.
This month is THE MONTH... for obvious reasons 😁. Please come out and support us and shop local. We have an author in-shop at the end of the month and a couple of story times...We are trying to do so many fun things, and also to be responsible members of our community. I love this time of year. I really like taking my personal dollars and spreading them around town.
Little bit of info: I think I mentioned that I fell at the store about 8 weeks ago. My knee is still giving me troubles, but I am back to dancing and rollerskating. I am just taking it slow. I am in skating lessons with my daughter, and we are genuinely having so much fun. Speaking of my daughter, her birthday is this month. Hers is December 27th, and she is sooooooo excited for all of it, the holidays and her birthday. It is very exciting to watch her feel all of this.
Two out of my three boys are coming home for Christmas, so I think I may personally take the week after Christmas off. The store will still be open and run by the team. I want to soak up my time with my kiddos. I miss them so much...They have all reached out to say what they would like for me to cook while they are home. As far as the crocheted blanket goes, I am four long rows away from being done. I am looking forward to giving it to my kiddo.
This month I listened to Dinosaurs, by Lydia Millet, and I am halfway through listening to Monsters Born and Made, by Tanvi Berwah. Dinosaurs was such a good book, very reminiscent of The Lincoln Highway. The story follows one man in particular, and a family in addition to him. The man is very reflective and good. He makes lots of observations, and I really enjoyed this title. Monsters Born and Made, I am smack dab in the middle of listening to, so I will have a full report next month. So far I am enjoying the story--I do NOT like the narrator of this title. This is a Young Adult title and for the most part it is fun and exciting. It is giving me Hunger Games vibes. More to come on that. At work I am reading A Girlhood: Letters To My Transgender Daughter, by Carolyn Hays. I am also about halfway through this book. I will keep reading and report back next month on this one. I will say that so far I LOVE IT!!! Carolyn Hays is a delightful wordsmith, and already I have parts and sections where I either laughed out loud or shouted "YES! YES! THIS!" So more on that later.
I read The Getaway, by Lamar Giles, and this is a Young Adult title. I really enjoyed this book as well. I really appreciated this title for being a Young Adult title but not being afraid to be sophisticated. The characters were fun, smart, and they made sense. This book has a creepiness to it. Set in a post-climate-changed world, this special resort (feels like Disney) is a safe place to live for the select few that are there, and a wonderful place to visit for those who are elite and have the money to spend. Secrets come out and the world takes a very cyber-tech turn. There is a great deal of racial injustice represented and I just really appreciate Lamar's writing. I also read the debut novel Wildoak, by C.C. Harrington. This title is a Middle-Grade read--and that means that it is best suited for ages 8 to 12 years. I really thought this book was LOVELY! It reads like a classic, truly. This book follows a young girl, probably middle school age, and she has a stutter. Her father thinks that she needs to be sent away for help with it. She ends up going to stay with her grandfather and his character is awesome. There is a snow leopard involved. My only criticism is that when the author writes from the perspective of the snow leopard, it would have been better if she didn't give names and ideas to a snow leopard that wouldn't know them. I hope that makes sense. I also read Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan. This little book is so FULL of big things. What a gem--it is set in Ireland and follows a family. I think there is a lot to discuss over this book.
This month I will finish listening to Monsters Born and Made, and then I will listen to Now is Not The Time To Panic, by by Kevin Wilson. I am going to read The Tryout: A Graphic Novel by Christina Soontornvat. This is a Middle Grade Read, and I just think it will be interesting, and it is also featured in the holiday catalog. I am going to read Wild Is The Witch, by Rachel Griffin. This is a Young Adult title and it is about witches...I mean, come on! I am going to read The Hollows, by Daniel Church, and I am so excited about this creepy title. I can NOT wait.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Please stay safe, happy, and healthy...Happy Reading!!
Brandy~
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