I’m well-ahead of the game in my 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 50 books. (Last year I had an epic fail at getting anywhere close to 65!)

Here we go . . .

Germy Johnson’s Piano War is my second voyage with Jeremy “Germy” Johnson. Bravo, Alison Lohans for capturing so brilliantly this Middle Grade boy. J. J. is impulsive and reckless. See for yourself what happens when Germy is determined NOT to enjoy piano lessons, even though his best friend (the traitor!) is ahead of him in the piano book and the teacher actually seems pretty cool. This is a thoroughly entertaining (and short!) chapter book for new readers. Parents will enjoy it too. 

I’d give the audiobook version of Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King a 6 out of 5. This Middle Grade contemporary fiction novel is an important read for students, teachers, administrators, and parents since censorship and book banning are hot topics at the moment. I loved the way Mac learned to navigate his complex and messy relationship with his father, assert his independence with his Grade Six teacher Miss Sett, and deal with his growing attraction to one of his classmates. I cannot recommend this book enough. 

I wish I had not seen A Man Called Otto before I read the Fredrick Backman book on which it is based. I think I would have enjoyed A Man Called Ove more if I hadn’t kept hearing Tom Hank’s voice and wrestled with the altered ethnicity of the characters. (I did love the movie.) This is my second Backman read, and I am not “feeling the love” for his story-telling, which I find a little too cute and Pollyanna-ish. Still, I am going to give Beartown a try one of these days.

A Woman of No Importance by Sonja Purcell is the story of American World War II SOE spy Virginia Hall. This book, which is dense with names, places, and events, is not an easy read, but it’s definitely worth the time and effort. I’m disheartened that Hall’s accomplishments in coordinating the French Resistance were more or less ignored by her male peers. According to the author, her contributions were significant in shaping the outcome of the war and in bringing about the hasty surrender of Paris. Her skill in creating small bands of resistance fighters influenced the practices of the CIA in Afghanistan in the previous century. I highly recommend this nonfiction book to lovers of WWII history and espionage.

I’m nearly finished Majicked Born by Ashleigh Mattern (who helped give my website a cleaner/simpler look). This imaginative and thought-provoking MG fantasy has been a treat! I’m also currently reading The Mud Man by Donna Marie West and listening to Finding Me, which was written and narrated by Viola Davis. More on these next time!

If you have any books you’d like to recommend, please let me know!