My Soul Looks Back

Title: My Soul Looks Back
Author: Jessica B. Harris
Publisher:  Scribner
ISBN: 978-1-5011-2590-4

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: I'll admit I've never heard of the food writer Jessica B. Harris, but her memoir is full of stories of hanging out with notable African American literati from the 1970s on.  Not only are her stories fascinating, her prose is beautiful.

Rating: 5/5

Stacking the Shelves: 8/20-8/26

For possible review (on Bookloons):

Light Years by Emily Ziff Griffin

The Dam Keeper by Robert Kondo & Dice Tsutsumi

A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck

First Reads from Goodreads:

Before I Knew by Jamie Beck

Stacking the Shelves: 8/13-8/19

For review (on Bookloons):

Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen

Warbringer by  Leigh Bardugo

Gone Camping

Title: Gone Camping
Author: Tamera Will Wissinger
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 978-0-544-63873-0

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: Cute, quick story about going camping told entirely in poems, with a great appendix about the forms of poetry.

Rating: 4/5

Journey on a Runaway Train

Title: Journey on a Runaway Train
Author: Dee Garretson & JM Lee
Publisher:  Albert Whitman

ISBN: 978-0-8075-0695-0

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: It has been a long time since I read any Boxcar Children books, but the start to this new mini-series is rather fun, although there were a few spots where it felt like something important was edited out then had to be told rather than shown.

Rating: 2/5

Buddha Boy

Title: Buddha Boy
Author: Kathe Koja
Publisher:  Full Cast Audio

ISBN: 9781932076523

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: A powerful story about bullying and finding your own peace.

Rating: 4/5

Echoes of an Angel

Title: Echoes of an Angel: The Miraculous True Story of a Boy Who Lost His Eyes but Could Still See
Author: Aquanetta Gordon
Publisher:  christianaudio

ISBN: 9781610458153

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: Uplifting and touching story of a boy who lost his eyes but was still able to "see" using echo-location.

Rating: 4/5

Stacking the Shelves: 8/6-8/12

First Reads from Goodreads:

The Man I Thought You Were by Leah Mercer

My Sister Rosa

Title: My Sister Rosa
Author: Justine Larbalestier
Publisher:  Soho Teen

ISBN: 978-1-61695-674-5

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: Very dark, but a tad predictable, although there was one twist I did not see coming.

Rating: 3/5

Bone Gap

Title: Bone Gap
Author: Laura Ruby
Publisher: Balzer + Bray

ISBN: 978-0-06-231760-5

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: A wonderful, rare work of YA magical realism.

Rating: 5/5

Theft by Finding

Title: Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002
Author: David Sedaris
Publisher: Blackstone

ISBN: 9781478949312

Why Read?: For Fun

Thoughts: Not as humorous as I expected, but it was very interesting to see the progression from slacker to best-selling author along with the changing times.

Rating: 3/5

Stacking the Shelves: 7/30-8/5

First Reads from Goodreads:

Mrs. Saint and the Defectives by Julie Lawson Timmer

The Reunion by Sara Portman

Perfect Scents by Virginia Taylor

LibraryThing Early Review:

Wings of Fire by Alma Alexander

Vanity in Dust by Cheryl Low