How to be Luminous by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Summary from Goodreads:

When seventeen-year-old Minnie Sloe's mother disappears, so does her ability to see color. How can young artist Minnie create when all she sees is black-and-white?

Middle child Minnie and her two sisters have always been able to get through anything together: growing up without fathers, living the eccentric artist lifestyle, and riding out their mother's mental highs and lows. But when they lose their mother, Minnie wonders if she could lose everything: her family, her future, her first love . . . and maybe even her mind.

Review:

I remember being super impressed by Hapgood’s first YA book: The Square Root of Summer, so I was really excited to read another book by her. This wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. It took me a while to get into it. I almost stopped and gave up on this book several times. It’s no that it was bad. I just wasn’t feeling it. It’s sad. And it reads like a lot like a lot of other YA novels where the main character is dealing with the loss of her mother. To be honest, it reminded me a lot of The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan. But, at least that one involves traveling to another country….This one is just really slow.

Eventually, I did slip into the story. I liked the story of the sisters. I found all of the scenes with the three of them together to be the most interesting. I love the idea of a house of artist sisters.

However, I just don’t understand how they couldn’t all communicate. Pretty much all of main character’s problems would have been fixed with more communication, and it drove me crazy that the sisters weren’t talking to each other. None of that seemed healthy. Also, the whole older sister not talking to her younger sister because of a boy….ugh…..and then the love triangle? There were some serious flaws going on here.

I found the color/art elements to be interesting. I liked all the images of the clay, the paintings, the dinosaurs, everything to be so interesting. I genuinely think they added cool details to the story, as compared to just being reasons for why the mom was “flighty,” as is often the case with artist parents in YA novels. And I guess that’s the full circle of my problems. So much of this book is stuff I have seen before. It’s a book of YA tropes: grief, uncommunicative family, loss of a parent, love triangle, magical realism, artistic parent figure who also suffers mental illness, etc. The author’s first book felt so fresh. And this one feels almost the opposite. I was expecting more.

I didn’t hate this. It was perfectly fine. I just wanted more than fine. And I wasn’t in the mood for a grief novel, during a pandemic (which isn’t really the book’s fault), but still. Not the best. I give this one a 6/10.

Giant Days: Not on the Test Edition, Fall Semester by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Sarin

Summary from Goodreads:

Going off to university is always a time of change and growth, but for Esther, Susan, and Daisy, things are about to get a little weird.

Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university and became fast friends. Now, away from home for the first time, the girls, along with their male hall-mates, Ed and McGraw, find that college is more than academia and bad microwavable meals. In the face of holiday balls, hometown rivals, “personal experimentation,” and regretful hookups, they may be lucky just to make it past their freshman year.

Giant Days: Not On The Test Edition, written by John Allison (Bad Machinery, Scary Go Round) and illustrated by Disney artist Lissa Treiman and newcomer Max Sarin collects the first two volumes of the Eisner Award and Harvey Award-nominated series as well as issue one of the original webcomic in a deluxe hardcover.

Review:

So, I have to own up to something: I’m not good at accepting book recommendations. I’m a pro at giving them. Literally, it’s my job. I give them all the time. I take pride in recommending the right books for people. But, I’m so bad at getting to the books others recommend for me. I think part of it is that I love coming to books on my own. I love reading reviews. I love blogs, review journals, and articles. I hate being contacted by companies that want to do that part of my job for me…Seriously, it’s one of my favorite parts about being a librarian: finding good books and buying them.

However, I recognize this about myself. I feel bad that Nick, my husband, has a skyscraper-sized pile of books I’ve recommended to him, and I have practically two he’s recommended for me. So, I recently told him he could find me 3 graphic novels he thought I might enjoy. This was the book that was his top choice. So, I read it first. I haven’t gotten to the other choices yet….I will soon!

And, my verdict is that I really enjoyed it. This was a fun coming of age/college themed graphic novel. There were things I loved about it. I loved the friendship story. At it’s core, it’s about the three girls having each other’s backs no matter what. And I love this so much. I loved that it was more about their friendship than it was about the boys or the classes or anything else. I also loved that a lot of it felt real. I thought it was a good portrayal of the first year of college. There’s partying, test cramming, crushes, dancing, friends, awkwardness, finding yourself, and so much more and I feel like the writers understood this. It was the right amount social, right amount private, right amount experimental.

I also loved the art! I almost feel like the art is the more adult art of Raina Telgemeier. That’s it. This is the book to give to all the fans of Smile when they go to college! It has a similar aesthetic, but with more adult themes.

I didn’t love everything. Some parts of the story dragged for me. It could be that I was reading it in a format though where I had many, many volumes all attached together. So the flow felt a little off at points. The timeline was strange. Like it wasn’t fluid. You’d be in the middle of the school year, and then all of a sudden at the begiining….and then on vacation, and then back in the middle? I got a little confused.

Also there was one sort of fantasy fight scene in the cafeteria that didn’t make any sense to me. It just didn’t fit with the rest of the story, which isn’t fantasy at all. Like the whole giant book is contemporary fiction, and then out of nowhere, we have one fight scene where the girls are ninjas? Also, confusing.

Overall though, I loved it. I loved the girl power. I love the friendship story. I definitely plan on reading more. I know Nick owns more volumes, so I’ll definitely see where this story goes. And I’m curious to see what else he recommended for me. I give this one an 8/10.

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

Summary from Goodreads:

In his latest graphic novel, New York Times bestselling author Gene Luen Yang turns the spotlight on his life, his family, and the high school where he teaches.

Gene understands stories—comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins.

But Gene doesn’t get sports. As a kid, his friends called him “Stick” and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it's all anyone can talk about. The men’s varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that’s been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships.

Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realizes that their story is just as thrilling as anything he’s seen on a comic book page. He knows he has to follow this epic to its end. What he doesn’t know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons’s lives, but his own life as well.

Review:

I was not expecting to love this book! I am not a sports person at all. The crazy, cool, fancy book cover and the author’s name grabbed me and pulled me out of my regular reading order. I was just planning on reading a few pages to see what was up. And I read half of the book before realizing it. Excellent graphic novels have this magic to them. They can just suck me in and envelope me in a story without any real effort. I just wasn’t expecting that to happen with a book all about basketball.

I watch zero sports. My husband and I actively dislike them. We go on dinner/movie dates during the super bowl, even when it’s our state’s team playing. We are book and movie people. Nick likes playing video games. And I like crafts. But, neither of us enjoys watching or playing sports. I really thought there was zero chance I’d get sucked into this. I do really enjoy this author. I know he can tell a good story. I guess I was curious. Also, the book literally feels like a basketball. I can’t stop touching it. It has these deep grooves to it. If you can get a physical copy of it, go for it! It’s so much fun to touch. I guess the combo of the author’s name and the feel of the book drew me in.

I’m so glad it did. The book is kind of made up of three stories. It’s the story of Gene, the teacher, who also typically doesn’t like sports. It’s the story of the kids (aka: characters), who come from all over the world to play high school basketball at Gene’s school in the hopes of getting on to a college team. And these kids of various backgrounds and cultures are fascinating. The third story is of basketball itself. It’s the history of the sport, which I apparently knew nothing about. Yang goes into the sports creation and delves deep into its associations with poorer incomes, urban settings, and Catholic schools.

I weirdly found the history of the sport to be the most interesting. Not only am I not a sports person, but I’m not a nonfiction person either! However, learning about the socio-economic past and the racism behind the sport was so interesting –especially right now. Of course it makes sense that a sport that requires little to no equipment or space would be a sport that could easily be picked up by those with little to no funds.

And then there’s the kids who came from other countries to play basketball here! One came all the way from China. Other kids came from rougher local neighborhoods. The team is a mixed bag of cultures, religions, and races. It also takes place during a critical moment with the Black Lives Matter movement, and between reading that and the discussion about racism in the sport, I couldn’t help but find this book to be so critical in current topics for discussion today. There’s also a young basketball player who discuses the persecution of the people of his faith (the Sikh). I can see this book being used in classrooms to discuss many important topics.

At its core though, this is a book about the sport. It’s about the ups and downs of winning and loosing –how you can’t always predict the outcome. Good guys always beat the bad guys in comic books, Gene notes at one point in the story, but the sports team you want to win, might not defeat their foes. I love that Gene gets sucked into basketball in the book, and I, the reader, do too. The sport is its own comic book, its own superhero. I give this a 10/10.

The Trials of Apollo Book 4: The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan

Summary from Goodreads:

In his penultimate adventure, a devastated but determined Apollo travels to Camp Jupiter, where he must learn what it is to be a hero, or die trying.

It's not easy being Apollo, especially when you've been turned into a human and banished from Olympus. On his path to restoring five ancient oracles and reclaiming his godly powers, Apollo (aka Lester Papadopoulos) has faced both triumphs and tragedies. Now his journey takes him to Camp Jupiter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the Roman demigods are preparing for a desperate last stand against the evil Triumvirate of Roman emperors. Hazel, Reyna, Frank, Tyson, Ella, and many other old friends will need Apollo's aid to survive the onslaught. Unfortunately, the answer to their salvation lies in the forgotten tomb of a Roman ruler . . . someone even worse than the emperors Apollo has already faced.

Review:

I couldn’t remember why I postponed reading this one. I knew I had a subconscious reason for stalling. I just didn’t remember why. Then one day in quarantine, I found this on my TBR pile and was like, “How have I not read this yet? It came out ages ago!” Then, I started reading and a few pages in, I remembered….

A character I cared about died in the previous book! How did I forget this? I mean I must have subconsciously remembered because why else did it take me so long to get to this book? Also, I didn’t think in my wildest dreams that I would ever say this, but I think this series has become my favorite by Riordan….I love this series so much. Not only does Riordan combine both the Percy Jackson series and the Heroes of Olympus series in one here, but he also involves the Gods in a way he never has before.

I was not expecting to love Apollo. I grew to seriously love him by the last book. But in this book, my love ran even deeper! When I first started the series, I was entertained by him and often annoyed by him. I often skipped his haikus and found them trivial in the scope of the story. Now, he’s come so far. I love his character as much, if not more than the other heroes. And I read every haiku! I cried with Apollo at the beginning when he had to explain a certain death.

I actually cried with Apollo a couple more times in this book. This book really messes with your heart. These heroes are not safe. And they are all (as always) willing to die, to save everyone. So, you never know what’s going to happen! People need to be saved all the time in these books! There are no breaks. Literally. This book is jam-packed with high stakes battles, car accidents, killer unicorns, evil birds, silent Gods, prophecies, the undead, terrible war wounds, bombs, explosions, and I know I’m not even remembering it all. It was crazy. It was hard to put this book down.

I’m so glad I finally read this. I cannot wait for the final book. The last book is taking place in New York. So, I know more old friends will be there. But, also, I just need to know how the prophecy ends. Does Apollo finally get to go back? More importantly, do I want him to? And what’s the last haiku going to be? I give this one a 9/10.

The One and Only Bob Katherine Applegate

Summary from Goodreads:

Bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family.

Review:

I discovered Ivan rather late in the game. I feel like I only just listened to the audio book, on my short drives to and from work. But, time feels so strange now. 2020 has got to be one of the strangest years of my life. And time just doesn’t seem to work as it normally would. How is it the middle of June right now?

I had no idea there was going to be a sequel to Ivan! It was lucky happenstance that I chose to read The One and Only Ivan just months prior to the release of this sequel. It was also extraordinarily lucky that I happened to open an email that mentioned a webinar with the author! I can get what seems like hundreds of emails a day in (in my work account). I often delete emails that mention webinars because I don’t have the time to attend them, let alone read about them. However due to working so much from home this year and having a little more time for digital, professional development, I read the email about a Q and A session with Katherine Applegate, and I was shocked to learn about this sequel!

I went ahead and pre-ordered the book right away for my library, and got in line for the eAudio. I attended the webinar of course, and remembered why this author was just so amazing. She has this way of getting into the heads of her animal characters. She really can think how you’d imagine a dog or a gorilla might think. And it was so wonderful to hear her talk about Bob and Ivan, and the upcoming movie (which I also didn’t know about!).

Reading this sequel was a special treat. I had no idea it was coming, or that I might even have wanted it to begin with. But, I think I secretly did. It was a little bit more closure than we were allowed before. It was a few more answers to questions I never hoped I could possibly go back to.

Bob was never my favorite character. It was fun hearing Katherine Applegate talk about how he was hers. She saw him as the comic relief. But, I never viewed him as such. I found him a little hard to love. I immediately took to Ruby and Ivan. But, I had to grow to love Bob, and even then, there were always parts to him that bothered me a little. I guess this book filled in those parts. I got to see fully what made him the way he was. His story is a sad one. And he’s such a great a character. I’m glad I had the chance to get to know him more.

Did I love this book as much as the first one? No. I think part of the reason Ivan was so magical was because there aren’t many gorilla books out there. Ivan was truly one of a kind. I have read a million and one dog books. There are now even adult books written from the dog’s perspective. And in that regard, this felt a little less special –a little less fresh. Bob isn’t as unique as Ivan. I know that’s not necessarily fair. How can I compare a dog to a gorilla? Though, it is what it is. This book did have a lot of action in it, possibly more than the first one. There were natural weather disasters, rescue missions, family dramas, and lots of new characters. The reunions with old characters were definitely the standout moments for me. I can see kids loving this book just as much as the first one. It just wasn’t quite as special for me. I give it an 8/10

The Betrothed by Kiera Cass

Summary from Goodreads:

When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked—and thrilled. After all, she’s grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the king’s attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.

But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine.

Review:

This was a mixed bag for me. First off, Kiera Cass is always so lucky with her book covers! This one is so pretty! All of her books are so pretty. I always pick them up, always. I really enjoyed the Selection series (at least the first three). And when I had the chance to pick up this ARC, I went for it –no regrets.

I read this book remarkably fast. It reads a bit like a typical royal romance novel. But, I guess that’s what I was in the mood for when I read it. It has some things in it that I really don’t like (ie: insta-love, ignorant main character, mean girls, awful parents, etc.) but I never once thought I didn’t want to keep reading. Something in this book grabbed me and allowed me to escape the craziness that is the world right now, so I just went with it. Sometimes, you just need a typical romance.

Also, sometimes I don’t mind an ignorant main character if she learns. And Hollis did learn. She accepted that there was a lot she didn’t know. And she grew. I liked that about her. She was redeemable. I never liked her best friend (aka: mean girl), but I don’t think I was supposed to. I also never liked her parents (they were really awful). And I never fully got behind the instant-love attraction she had with Silas, the guy who could compete with the King, who took up the first half of the novel.  But, again, I went a long with it. I wanted a romance novel, and I got one.

Then, right when I thought I knew how this was all resolving, BAM, major plot twist. And I actually found myself crying. I didn’t even realize I was so invested. But, yikes, what a crazy ending. So, I guess I liked being surprised. But, I almost didn’t want that. I wanted the fluffy, expected romance I was given for the first 95% of the book. So, I have seriously mixed feeling for everything. I do want to know what will happen next and see if my guess will for everything will come to light. But, I also feel a little betrayed by that twist. It was brutal.

All in all, I mostly enjoyed this. It’s not the best book. It was a nice distraction for the time (at leas until that crazy ending). It’s not as good as The Selection. I will probably continue with the series when more books come. I will definitely be attracted to the next cover. I give this one a 6/10.

A Castle in the Clouds by Kerstin Gier

Summary from Goodreads:

A Castle in the Clouds follows a girl as she navigates secrets, romance, and danger in an aging grand hotel.

Way up in the Swiss mountains, there's an old grand hotel steeped in tradition and faded splendor. Once a year, when the famous New Year's Eve Ball takes place and guests from all over the world arrive, excitement returns to the vast hallways.

Sophie, who works at the hotel as an intern, is busy making sure that everything goes according to plan. But unexpected problems keep arising, and some of the guests are not who they pretend to be. Very soon, Sophie finds herself right in the middle of a perilous adventure--and at risk of losing not only her job, but also her heart.

Review:

This book was a delight! Mix in a full cast of a quirky Stars Hollow type community, a Grand Budapest Hotel-type setting, a witty main character, a forbidden cat, a love triangle, diamonds, and mayhem, and you only partially get the magic of this book.

There was a little bit of a slow beginning to this novel, but it didn’t matter. I was so in love with the crazy setting and characters that literally nothing could happen for ages and I wouldn’t have put the book down. There’s a definite quirky Gilmore Girls vibe to this weird hotel. There are strange characters make this hotel come alive. And if you are not into weird people and their stories, this might not be the book for you

That being said, eventually the plot leads to a crazy heist/kidnapping/mystery and it left me going “how did we end up here?” but in a really good way. This book had a lot of unexpected twists and turns, both literally and figuratively. The hotel had secret passages and plenty of hiding spots….

I loved Sophie. I loved how she got along with the rest of the staff. I loved her rocky relationship with some of the other maids. I love how she made friends with animals and learned the ins and outs of the hotel. I found the whole book to be fascinating, and I was so sad when it was over.

I found the romance to be fun too. It wasn’t my favorite element, but I like that was there. I’d watch this movie. I really enjoyed other books by this author, and I’m so glad she continues to write for a YA audience. I hope she does more. I give this one a 10/10. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re looking for something light to escape into.