June 12 2021

We Dream of Space, by Erin Entrada Kelly

We dream of space

We Dream of Space, by Erin Entrada Kelly

Title: We Dream of Space
Author: Erin Entrada Kelly
Genre/ issues: Middle grade. Historical fiction. Family/ relationships.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

What a gem of a book. We Dream of Space hit me in all the 12-year-old-Tamara feels, from the focus on the Challenger shuttle disaster to the obsessions with Star Wars, from the sense that you don’t quite belong to the feeling of being not quite “enough” at anything. And then the suckerpunch for 46-year-old-Tamara? The fact that this book, so intensely familiar to me with its 1986 setting, is labelled “historical fiction”. Ouch.
The main action of this book covers the month of January 1986, and Bird and her brother’s social science teacher is counting down. She’d applied for the Teacher in Space program, a spot that eventually went to Christa McAauliffe, who I wanted to be, and whose motto about her life is one I’ve used to guide my career. Bird is obsessed with space, and equally obsessed with machines – she pulls apart anything vaguely mechanical she can get her hands on and draws her own “birds eye view” schematics of how they work, in an effort to make sense of her world. Her twin brother Fitch spends every moment possible playing Major Havoc at the arcade, and wrestles with an explosive temper he doesn’t understand. And their older brother Cash is in the same grade as them after failing the previous year, loves basketball but isn’t good enough, and feels like a failure at everything. They share a house with their parents who constantly fight, but they all exist in their own orbits, with their own dreams of of hope, belonging, friendship, family and space.
This is a truly special read, and even though I knew it was going to break my heart to revisit January 28, 1986, I felt so cherished and supported along with these wonderful characters through Kelly’s beautifully sensitive and compassionate writing that I was happy to go on that journey again. This is going to be one of my best books of the year, I can feel it. Not just the best middle grade book, but one of the best overall.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 77/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

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June 9 2021

Grown, by Tiffany D Jackson

Grown

Grown, by Tiffany D Jackson

Title: Grown
Author: Tiffany D Jackson
Genre/ issues: YA. #MeToo. Content warnings: mentions of sexual abuse, rape, assault, child abuse, kidnapping, opiod abuse.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

Grown, by Tiffany D Jackson is a book I really wanted to read, but sadly this is my first DNF for the year. I read the trigger warnings and should have listened – halfway through, I hit a point that was just too triggering for me. Rather than pushing through, I’m done, and will be passing this one onto another reader.
I will say – it’s very well written. Compelling narrative, interesting characters, and so good that I got to page 154 before my mental health self preservation kicked in. I don’t know what the second half is like, and I’m sure you can Google for feedback if you’re concerned. I am definitely adding this author to my list so I can check out her other work, and people I know who have read this have found it powerful and important, with a lot to say about the MeToo movement and the treatment of black girls by people in positions of power, particularly in the entertainment industry. If the trigger warnings are not concerning for you, then I’d highly recommend this book.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge DNF

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

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June 8 2021

Center of Gravity, by Shaunta Grimes

Center of Gravity

Center of Gravity, by Shaunta Grimes

Title: Center of gravity
Author: Shaunta Grimes
Genre/ issues: Middle grade. Family and relationships.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I thought Center of Gravity by Shaunta Grimes was YA when I picked it up, and from the blurb I was expecting something quite heavy. Instead, I found myself immersed in a lovely, sad, but ultimately exceedingly hopeful middle grade novel about Tessa, who has always been anxious, and since her mother’s death has been cutting the photos of missing kids of milk cartoons and memorising their details, in an attempt to feel less alone. Then her father announces he is about to get remarried – and his much younger fiancée is pregnant. Tessa finds herself living in a new city, with a stepmother who has her own mental health issues, and a new group of friends who are facing their own family dramas. She soon realises that if she wants to gain control of her life, she might need to let go of a few things.
This book deals with some heavy topics – death of a parent, parental neglect and parental abuse amongst the most challenging of them. And whilst these aren’t easy topics to read about, they are handled with a lightness of touch that acknowledges their impact and seriousness without dwelling on the gory details. It’s a lovely piece of writing with an utterly beautiful cover!

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 76/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

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June 8 2021

The Book of Chance, by Sue Whiting

Book of Chance

The Book of Chance, by Sue Whiting

Title: The Book of Chance
Author: Sue Whiting
Genre/ issues: Middle grade. Family and relationships. Mystery.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

It’s always a relief when you read a book by someone you know and like, and discover the book is really good so you don’t have to do that polite diplomatic review so you don’t offend or upset them! The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting is one of those. Mystery isn’t usually my genre, which is probably why it’s taken me a while to get to this one, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and curled up on campus today with a coffee and a blanket scarf I devoured it in one sitting!
Chance Callahan has no time for fakery in her life, and holds everyone around her to pretty high standards. So what happens when Chance discovers a truth that threatens to derail her trust in someone she loves dearly, and to turn her world completely upside down?
I loved the structure which sees us start at the end of Chance’s story, the authentic characters, and the glimpses of Wollongong and its surrounds that are so familiar to me. This middle grade novel is totally worthy of its position on the CBCA younger readers shortlist this year, and is a masterclass in engaging and compelling storytelling. And phew – no diplomatic platitudes required in this review!
The only possible content warning, if you have sensitive young readers or those with recent vehicular trauma, is the (spoiler alert!!!) description of a car accident with multiple fatalities. Sensitively told, no explicit details, not traumatic unless it’s likely to be personally triggering for a reader. A cracker of an Australian novel for upper primary or lower secondary readers.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 75/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

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June 6 2021

Waking Romeo, by Kathryn Barker

Waking Romeo

Waking Romeo, by Kathryn Barker

Title: Waking Romeo
Author: Kathryn Barker
Genre/ issues: YA. Sci-fi. Dystopia. Time travel. Romeo + Juliet reimagining.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

Time travel. Dystopian end of the world. Rewritten familiar narratives. Questioning and twisting gender roles. I tell you, this book is going to be on my top 10 list for 2021, I can feel it.
The year is 2083. Jules is estranged from her family, and the love of her life Romeo is in a coma. And around her are only a handful of families, who have chosen to stay where they are rather than jump forward in time, the only direction they’re able to time travel, in search of a better life.
But then Ellis arrives – a mysterious time traveller, with a mission to wake Romeo, and Jules starts to question everything she knows about life and love.
I was expecting the Romeo and Julietesque nature of the narrative, but what I wasn’t prepared for was just how cleverly this would be woven through this fantastic novel by Kathryn Barker. R&J is my least favourite Shakespearean play, and I loved that all the things that annoy me about it get teased out and explored in Waking Romeo. I also love that one of my favourite pieces of classic literature also plays an important part in this impressive novel – I’d guessed at it when a certain character first started referencing his backstory, and was thrilled to discover I was right … but no spoilers. You should really read this yourself. It’s a powerful piece of work that can’t easily be defined by genre or the bounds of an Instagram description. I read this in one sitting, and it’ll be a book I return to in the future, I’m sure (pun intended!)

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 74/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, YA Books | LEAVE A COMMENT
June 6 2021

Off the Map, by Scot Gardner

Off the map

Off the Map, by Scot Gardner

Title: Off the map
Author: Scot Gardner
Genre/ issues: YA. Short stories. Life in a small town. Australian fiction.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

There’s a prestigious history of Australian authors capturing the soul of our landscape in their writing. Lawson’s “sketch” short stories which capture a moment in the life of an outback family, where the bush looms large as perhaps the most significant character. Winton’s seascapes, evoking the depth and intensity of small town coastal WA. It may be a big call, but I’d add Off The Map by Scot Gardner to that list.
An anthology of short stories that present the triumphs and heartbreaks of the sons and daughters of an Australian town, both typical and unique. The diversity of stories, characters and ideas is carried throughout the collection, not by plot which is sparse, but by a beautifully measured sense of place. I know this isn’t about my hometown, but it equally could be. One of the stories could be mine. Another a friend I grew up with. And yet another, the family down the street whose comings and goings I used to wonder about.
The majority of these stories are suitable for a younger YA audience, but there is one that features content that may be more suitable to slightly older readers. I read this book yesterday in 2 sittings, and at the end of each story I took a moment to marvel, to ponder, and to wish I was in an English classroom so I could share it with my students. I’m not sure if it’ll be one of my top 5 books overall this year, but it’s certainly one I’m going to be recommending a lot!

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 73/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, Short stories, YA Books | LEAVE A COMMENT
June 5 2021

Cemetery Boys, by Aiden Thomas

Cemetery Boys

Cemetery Boys, by Aiden Thomas

Title: Cemetery Boys
Author: Aiden Thomas
Genre/ issues: YA. Fantasy. Queer fiction. Latinx fiction.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I often talk about the power of books to transport you, allowing you to see the world through different viewpoints and experiences. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas exemplifies this for me, in more wonderfully visceral ways than any book I’ve read in quite a while.
What happens when you summon a ghost – but it’s the wrong one, and he refuses to leave? Yadriel is from a long line of brujos, but his traditional Latinx father has problems accepting his gender, so he performs his quinces ceremony himself and sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. Instead, he summons Julian, a guy he knows from school, who is just as shocked as Yads is because he didn’t know he was dead. Julian won’t go quietly, though, and wants to figure out what happened to him. Yadriel agrees to help,so they can both get what they want, but he quickly realises that he doesn’t want Julian to leave.
So, if you’re a follower of mine, you know a few things about me. I’m a white, cishet, English speaking middle class woman. I’m a proud SJW leftie and queer ally, so I have always tried to be open to other perspectives and experiences. But I have to say, this books was challenging for me. I don’t mean that with any negative connotations. It was a good challenge. I enjoyed teasing out the language and cultural references from context, and resorting to google translate to confirm I had it right. I also loved that it doesn’t homogenise culture, but celebrates the diversity of Latinx culture and identity, through the glorious preparations for and celebration of Día de los Muertos. Whilst I know a few trans people, and I do a lot of reading to educate myself so that I can be a good ally to my friends, family and community, I’ve never really questioned my own gender, so reading narratives from the point of view of trans characters is always an experience I enjoy, especially when they are so brilliantly crafted by an own-voices author. If you’re looking for a book that is first and foremost a cracking good read, but will also allow you to visit the unique and wonderful world of a trans Latinx teen coming to terms with his multifaceted identity, I’d highly recommend this.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 72/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, YA Books | LEAVE A COMMENT
June 4 2021

Labyrinth Coronation, volume 3

Labyrinth

Labyrinth Coronation, volume 3

Title: Labyrinth Coronation, volume 3
Author:
Illustrator:
Genre/ issues: Comics. Fantasy. Labyrinth backstory.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

“Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered … “
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth is one of my favourite movies, so when I discovered this series existed it was pretty much an insta-buy. I read the first 2 volumes last year and finally got around to number 3 today. Beautiful artwork, evocative storytelling, and an interesting parallel narrative that provides some context to Jareth’s backstory. Not the best comic I’ve ever read, but a completely enjoyable way to spend an hour or so on a lazy Friday!

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 71/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, Graphic Novels | LEAVE A COMMENT
June 4 2021

Dear Sweet Pea, by Julie Murphy

Dear Sweet Pea

Dear Sweet Pea, by Julie Murphy

Title: Dear Sweet Pea
Author: Julie Murphy
Genre/ issues: Middle Grade. Contemporary fiction. Queer fiction. Family and relationships.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I’ve had Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy sitting on my shelf for a while now, and in an attempt to whittle down my work-related TBR, tossed it into my carry-on bag before I headed to the airport yesterday. I’m so glad I did! A sweet, lovely, joyful gem of a book. I was expecting it to be YA, but instead discovered a middle grade book full of heart and humour.
Patricia DiMarco is known as Sweet Pea by everyone in her life – and her life is a little weird right now. She’s in a constant battle of insults with her former best friend, her divorced parents have set up almost identical houses 2 doors apart so that her life can stay “normal”, and her eccentric next door neighbour who writes the local paper’s advice column has just asked her to carry out a detailed and frankly a bit strange house-sitting and mail sorting job while she’s away.
It’s all going kind of ok … but then Sweet Pea recognises the hand writing on one of the letters that is sent to her neighbour seeking advice. Of course, she decides to answer it herself … and what follows is a sweet narrative about changing friendships, dealing with prejudices, and accepting people for who they are.
I read this in a couple of hours on the plane last night, and had the biggest smile on my face when I finished it. Great for upper primary readers, or teens/ adults who want a sweet, diverse, and delightful quick read.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 70/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, Children's Books | LEAVE A COMMENT
June 3 2021

Wyrd Sisters, by Terry Pratchett

Wyrd Sisters

Wyrd Sisters, by Terry Pratchett

Title: Wyrd Sisters
Author: Terry Pratchett
Genre/ issues: Fantasy. Comedy. Witches. Discworld.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

“The power of words had sustained him throughout the hell of the Guild. Wizards and witches used words as if they were tools to get things done, but the Fool reckoned that words were things in their own right. “Words can change the world”, he said.”
Book 69 (nice!) in my #2021ReadingChallenge is book 6 in the #Discworld series. Wyrd Sisters is the first time we see Nanny Ogg, Granny Weatherwax and Magrat Garlick all together, and it’s a suitably Shakespearean tale of three witches, a murdered king, incessant washing of hands, and a play within a play. Not only is it laugh-out-loud funny, but it provides some powerful reflections on the nature of history and memory, and the sheer magic of words and language. A gem of a book from a master storyteller.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 69/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

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