Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Library copy of Nimona

Finding well written, Kid appropriate graphic novels can be tough.  I typically borrow 5-6 from the library's loan system, read them first, then pass them along to the Kid.  I read them for two reasons.  One, to make sure I don't do a repeat of the Deadpool incident. Two, I'm in charge of ordering books for the Youth Department at my Library.  It's research.  

This book was pulled from my bag and read before I even noticed it was missing.  The Kid was giggling the whole time he declared it awesome, medieval/futuristic, cool, and hilarious. 

The Kid was right.  This book is amazing.

We follow Nimona, a young woman who is on a mission to become the sidekick to Ballister Blackheart, a scientist/knight guy.  The world is never really explained in the book.  In fact, it felt like the world just kept changing so that the story could move forward.  Not complaining-it was very fun to follow.  Everyone wears medieval clothing and armor but there are super computers and 24 hour news channels.  In fact, at one point they discuss magic on the news.  And they question Lionheart's codpiece.  Yep. 

Anyways, Blackheart is trying to defeat his nemesis Goldenloin.  Yep, Goldenloin.  Who has long, golden hair.  They had a training session go wrong when they were younger and now Ballister has a mechanical arm.  Goldenloin works for The Institute set on world domination-or something like that.  It's called The Institute-they're bad.

While trying to prove how important to the missions she is, Ballister and Goldenloin discover that Nimona is far more blood-thirsty and dangerous than they could have imagined.  She can shape-shift in to dragons, foxes, and sleepy little cats.  When asked about her origins, Nimona tells a story fit for a book on fairy tales.  Is it true?  Who knows.  

This book was full of action, complex characters, hilarious one-liners, and really fun world building.  I mean, the lines about game night with the henchmen were perfect!  The Kid loved it, I loved it, and someone else needs to read it because I want to talk.    

Nimona

By Noelle Stevenson

Buy on Amazon

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

Summer is just beginning and Arturo Zamora is about to start his first job at his family’s restaurant, La Cocina de la Isla.  Thinking he’ll be able to start in the kitchen where his mother is head chef, Arturo is disappointed to learn he’ll be spending his summer wet and soapy while washing dishes.  His summer takes an interesting turn when a family friend and his daughter Carmen move into the apartment complex where Arturo and his entire extended family live.   

This idea of an entire family living in one apartment building is both intriguing and terrifying.  The Zamoras are a very tight-knit and supportive family.  The grandparents immigrated from Havana, Cuba and worked hard to start their first business, the restaurant that is now owned by their daughter Cari.  Aunts, Uncles, cousins, and Arturo himself work at the restaurant and everyone is invested in the success.  Every Sunday the restaurant is closed so the family can have dinner together.  The fact that Cari can cook all day long, six days a week, and then put on a big family dinner on Sunday is amazing.  That’s a superpower.  Dealing with family 24/7 is another one.  

The themes of family and hard work are reinforced over and over again.  When a developer named Wilfrido Pipo tries to convince the community and city council that a high dollar development is better for the community than the restaurant expanding, Arturo and Carmen work together to stop him.  Between undercover missions, festival protests, an unexpected death, and city council meetings, the kids realize that working together with the family and never giving up is the only way to win.  

Highly recommend for those 10 & up.

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend

Library copy of Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend

Morrigan Crow is a cursed child.  Born on Eventide, she is destined to die on her eleventh birthday.  Her father and stepmother have been preparing for her death from the very moment of her birth.  Making eye contact with another person can lead to broken bones and heartache.  Polite comments about the weather can lead to hail damage.  Morrigan is cursed and her family can't wait to be rid of her. 

It is only after attending Bid Day, a day where elite schools come to bid scholarships on select children, that Morrigan meets Jupiter North.  Morrigan never expected to receive a Bid.  Who would bid on a cursed child?  But Jupiter North of the Wundrous Society is interested in Morrigan.  With the help of a surprising ally, Morrigan and Jupiter leave her home and prepare for the Trials.

Once away from Crow Manor, Morrigan learns of an amazing, magical world.  Magical umbrellas, ever changing bedrooms, and talking cats become Morrigans new normal.  And preparing for her entrance Trials to the Wundrous Society turns out to be even harder than living with a curse.  

This book was a wonderfully fun read full of magical twists and  turns.  Loved Harry Potter? Definitely give this one a try.

This is book one in a new series by Jessica Townsend. 

Vacationland by John Hodgman

I've mentioned before that I love podcasts-and I'm not done talking about them.  If you hop on the listening train of Stuff You Missed in History Class, this will will lead you to a detour of Stuff You Should Know, which then will make another stop at Movie Crush, and then you would finally end up at Judge John Hodgman.  We binged multiple episodes on our long drive to Florida.

So of course, I bought the book.  Also, it was all over Instagram.  

John Hodgman gives us a collection of essays covering how and why he has not one, but two vacation homes on the East coast.  This collection should be pretentious and annoying-I mean, he bought a boat! There's a whole essay on how he accidentally bought a boat! Have you ever accidentally bought a boat? No? 

His writing is actually very relatable.  His stories reinforce the idea that there is a group of adults out there who are not born with the innate ability to know everything.  Should cereal go down the garbage disposal? Apparently not.  Should one know where the septic system is? Probably.  Is it ok to talk to your neighbors? Depends on where you live. 

I found the book very enjoyable.  He's written several others and they've  been added to the never ending TBR...

Nose Peckers

Last week, 25 fluffy little chicks joined the farm.  Even though we've had chickens for years now, it's still exciting when the call comes to pick them up from the post office.  And every time we go to pick them up, another customer is shocked that you can send birds through the mail  And every time we have to show them that yes, the birds are fine and yes, they are real. 

The Kid is now old enough that we can hand over the noisy little box and he'll take care of the rest.  Dipping beaks in water, placing them under the heat lamp, making sure the feeder is full-all while the little fluff balls climb all over your feet and get in the way.  

Loki was introduced to his first baby chick.  It started off well.  Loki was calm, interested, gentle.  Then the chick pecked his nose.  Twice.  He moved far too quickly for a good photo, but Loki is really just nursing a sore nose and not licking his chops!  Both dogs check on the chicks during chore time but won't get this close again until the chicks are big enough to wander the yard.  

The Girl with all the Gifts by M. R. Carey

The Girl with all the Gifts by M. R. Carey

The Girl with all the Gifts  by M. R. Carey

This book was wonderfully terrifying! 

Melanie is a very smart little girl who goes to school and tries very hard to impress her teacher.  She loves listening to the books that her favorite teacher, Miss Justineau reads to her class.  Books about the Greek myths, Winnie-the-Pooh, and history.  Melanie is incredibly smart and can memorize all sorts of facts about math, geography and populations.  We learn as the book progresses that the world Melanie learns about in her classes is not the world found outside.  

Melanie is not like other little girls.  Melanie doesn't know this.  

Melanie and her classmates live on a military base with soldiers, researchers, and scientists.  The children are all kept locked in their cells at night and strapped in to wheelchairs during the day.  We learn very quickly through Melanie's descriptions of her daily life that she is not a normal child.  She has guns drawn on her, takes chemical showers, and is fed only once a week. 

There is no touching.

As the book progresses, we learn how the world fell apart.  How humanity has tried to hold on and rebuild.  Dr. Caroline Caldwell, head scientist on the base, believes that Melanie and her classmates are the key to humanity's future.  It is only when Melanie is brought to Dr. Caldwell to assist in an experiment that we learn how low humanity has fallen.  

While Melanie is strapped to an exam table, the base is attacked by hungaries.  These hungaries were once human and are now just a vehicle for a mysterious and deadly fungal infection that has destroyed the human race.  With the help of Miss Justineau and two soldiers, the surviving members of the base embark on a journey to find safety.  

Any more and I'll spoil the book.  This was an intense and amazing read.  The audio book version that I listened to was narrated by Finty Williams.  I firmly believe that a narrator can make or break an audio book. I have DNF'd many audio books because the narration was horrible. Williams' performance was incredible.  Listening to her polished, British accented voice describe human dissection was chilling.  

The Boy on the Bridge  is book #2 in the Hungary Plague Series.  

The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Orkorafor

The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Orkorafor 

The Night Masquerade is the third book in the Biniti trilogy.  I don't want to think about it being the last book in this series, I'm hoping that there will be more.  I also understand that trilogies only have three books.  

I'm in book denial.

Also, spoilers ahead.

Binti is a young woman from earth and the first of her tribe to leave the planet and attend the Intergalactic school called Oomza Uni.  The first two books in the series describe her incredible and harrowing journey to the university and her first year at school.  Book three puts Binti back on earth and on a mission to end the violence between the Khoush and the Meduse.

The Night Masquerade opens with Binti trying to reach her family after experiencing their deaths in a terrifying nightmare.  She makes this journey with Mwinyi, a young man from her father's tribe who is helping her after she has her zinariya abilities unlocked.  I am not going to pretend to understand everything that she experienced.  Needless to say, it was intense and life changing.  Along their journey, Binti is faced with her new abilities, visions of the Night Masquerade,  a war between two enemies, and the loss of her family.  

Did I mention she's only 17?

Orkorafor's writing is magical.  You can feel the sand beneath your feet as Binti is traveling through the desert.  You can smell her otjize as she applies it to her skin.  I really want to travel in one of those space shrimps.  It sounds amazing-traveling through space in a living creature who has plants growing inside of her.  

One thing that I love about this series is Binti always knows who she is.  She truly believes in her abilities and doesn't back down or let others shake her confidence.  She is proud of her math abilities and the skill of her family members.  Her family is well respected because of their skill in creating the best astrolabes-small devices that individuals wear.  They are not seen as lower class because they work with their hands.  

Towards the end of the book, an event occurs with Biniti that took all my willpower to not read the last few pages to see how it all ended.  And I mean all my willpower.  

HiLo 1 & 2 by Judd Winick

Guest Post by The Kid

This book series is a good series for young readers and some adults too.  It's a bout a kid that came from outer space.  A boy named D.J. discovers HiLo in a crater.  The two kids become best friends and fight Razorwark, an alien who ruins galaxies and destroys worlds.  

There is a cat named Polly who is from a distant galaxy and part of the Furback Clan.  She is the goofy person of this story.  She talks like Sherlock Holmes and Thor.

There is also a robotic assistant named Beamer who was Rant until HiLo fixed him and made him friendly.  Rants are evil robots that Razorwark sent to Earth.  

Gina is D.J.'s best friend and lives in D.J.'s neighborhood.  She is the problem solver of the group and keeps the boys from doing stupid stuff.    

These books are very funny and weird.  Weird in a good way.  

If I had known that starting a book blog would get The Kid to talk to me about books, I would have started this years ago!  I didn't anticipate how much fun he would have discussing the book and being in charge of the pictures.  M

A Study in Scarlet Women

Even my rough treatment of this book can't diminish how gorgeous this cover is!

Several months ago, I listened to an interview with Leah and Bea Koch on the Smart Podcast, Trashy Books podcast.  If you haven't listened to this podcast yet, stop what you are doing and go listen.  It's fantastic. 

I'll wait.

Leah and Bea own an independent bookstore in Los Angeles called The Ripped Bodice.  It's on my bucket list to visit but in the meantime, I can order from them online and pretend to give Fitzwilliam Waffles snuggles.  He has an Instagram account-check it out.

While browsing their signed  books section I stumbled across Sherry Thomas' book, A Study in Scarlet Women.  It's a gender-flipped Sherlock Holmes retelling.  I had to have it.  

This book was everything that I was hoping it would be.  Charlotte Holmes has no desire to marry, but instead wants to become the Headmistress of a school and live her life on her own.  As one can imagine, these plans did not sit well with her parents.  Charlotte's plans for independence lead to a family scandal, a string of mysterious murders, and an interesting new friendship.  

I really loved this book.  The characters were so well developed and the story flowed so well that I was able to finish it only two nights.  At one point, I had to stop and pick up something else just so I wouldn't have to end the book so soon.  Book 2 in this series, A Conspiracy in Belgravia,  is available now.    

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince has the most gorgeous cover!

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

When Jude was only seven years old, she witnessed the brutal murder of her parents.  It is only after this that she learns her older sister is not human and that the world of Faeries exists.  

This books was so good.  Finish in one sitting good.  

There was a time where the very words "Young Adult" meant a book was an automatic no.  Then, I became a Librarian.  I have since learned the error of my ways and Young Adult is fun.  It's even more fun when you mix magic, faeries, tough young women, and teenage hormones.  

Jude is strong and intelligent.  Faeries are spoiled and look down on humans.  Jude's journey through the royal court and the intricacies of behavior and expectations was both a coming of age story and one of determination to leave oppression.   

I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to see what Holly Black comes up with next.

The Book of Unknown Americans

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez was part of the 2017 Illinois Reads event.  It was on my list to read before the November event...and it just now made it to the top of the pile. 

I wish I had read this sooner.  

This book follows the lives of families who came to the United States to create a better future for themselves.  We meet Alma and Arturo.  Parents of a daughter who suffers a traumatic brain injury as a teenager and needs specialized schooling.  We also meet Mayor, a young man who sees beyond Maribel's struggles to the amazing person beneath.  There stories are interwoven with the other families who live in the same apartment complex.  The book takes you through many facets of their lives, each family struggling with everyday problems that makes their story as relatable as the next.  

Grab tissues for the ending.  You'll need them.  

Blackberry oatmeal

My Fat Farm is a small operation.  I have two dozen chickens and a dozen or so ducks.  Since we are small, our feed is bought in 50lb bags that the nice young men at our local farm supply store try to put in my cart for me.  They don't then carry it to the car, load it, drive it home, unload it, and dump it in to my bins.  So no, they don't put it in my cart.  

More times than not, I forget to buy feed.  This is only stressful for me.  The critters don't mind at all.  My forgetfulness means they get a hot breakfast of blackberry oatmeal.  

Spoiled.  Maybe. 

A little bit about Chick Picks

It's not chick lit.  I just like farm puns.  I also happen to be a Children's Librarian.  This amazing dream job gives me access to all of the very best children's literature.  In the past three years, I have had the joy of discovering some really great children's books and I will be sharing some of my finds here.  

Weekly Reads

One of the perks of being the Librarian is having access to titles on their publishing date.  Holly Black's newest title, The Cruel Prince, has been getting A LOT of buzz and I could not wait for this to come out.  One of the downsides of being the Librarian is sometimes that book that you've been waiting months for is already hold for a Patron and you have to be nice and let them have it first.