Sunday, May 12, 2013

It's almost Monday, here's what I'm reading!

I finished listening to Hattie Big Sky late last week and it was a fabulous book. I'd strongly recommend it to fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder, which is probably why I loved Hattie so much.  The major difference in the two strong female characters is family.  Laura had one and Hattie doesn't.

In the early 1900s, Hattie travels from Iowa to Montana alone, at the age of 16, and takes over her uncle's claim of 300 acres with the provisions that she fences a certain % and farms a certain % as well.  She lives by herself in a shack that isn't weatherproofed, secure, or really very safe.  But as I listened, I thought that safety then was so different than safety now.  Back then, homesteaders were made of much sterner stuff than many of us nowadays and the major difference is...they had no choice.  They also respected their fellow homesteaders. Well, as you'll see in the book, most of them respected their neighbors.  Hattie exemplifies the homestead attitude that either she tries to make it, or she fails.  To quote a term my Grampa would have used, Hattie has gumption.

I'll stop here so I don't spoil the rest of the story but Hattie gets 5 stars from me!  I hope you think so too.  Enjoy!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

It's Monday, what are you reading?

I'm currently working on 3 different books, well maybe 4, by the time this post is published.  I'm listening to Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson and Winter White (Belles #2) by Jen Calonita.  I'm reading Code (Virals #3) by Kathy Reichs.  After meeting with the SC Junior Book Award committee yesterday, I'm trying to finish up my "fun" books and get started on the book award titles.  There are only 125 to read.  Not that many. 

Don't get me wrong, I think all books are fun books but I have to bargain w/ myself to read some book award titles and then indulge in an adult novel or other YA title that is on my TBR list.  With #bookbootcamp starting up in 2 months, I've really got to get a move-on with book award titles.

I discovered some new titles during our JBA meeting yesterday that have already been added to my TBR list.  I'm excited to read Unchained by LB Tillit, which has been recommended for readers who like Bluford High books.  That particular group of readers is very hard to keep interested because I have a limited supply of additional recommended books.  I also have a hard time recommending new titles to that group because I haven't read anything recently that might appeal to these kids.  One of the many areas in my collection that I need to work on!  If you have some titles to recommend, please let me know!  I welcome any and all suggestions.