Completely Full Bookshelf

Hey y'all! This weekend, I had the chance to see Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse , the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse  from five years ago. The new movie is pretty much as flawless as movies come, with a thoughtful plot, compelling characters, gorgeous and creative animation, insights about race, and so much more. It ends on a cliffhanger, but I'm honestly just excited for the follow-up in March 2024 because I have so much faith in the creators to do the ending justice! As far as reading goes, it was an enjoyable if slow week! I took my time working through Good Talk , although my pace definitely increased as I got more immersed in Mira Jacob's story. Then I raced through Living with Viola  in two days, which meant I have a breezy post of two graphic novels to share today. Let's dive in! Middle Grade Living with Viola Written and illustrated by Rosena Fung Graphic novel · 2021 Recommended by Cheriee Weichel Add it on Goodreads · Preview the illustratio

Hey everyone! Another week means, you guessed it, more books! Today's post is exclusively graphic novels (which is probably unsurprising, if you've been to my blog before). I raced through  The Golden Hour  and In Limbo  on the same day, then spent the week slowly savoring The Moth Keeper . So let's dive in! Middle Grade The Golden Hour Written and illustrated by Niki Smith Graphic novel · 2021 Add it on Goodreads · Preview the illustrations · · · The publisher says: · · · Struggling with anxiety after witnessing a harrowing instance of gun violence, Manuel Soto copes through photography, using his cell-phone camera to find anchors that keep him grounded. His days are a lonely, latchkey monotony until he's teamed with his classmates, Sebastian and Caysha, for a group project. Sebastian lives on a grass-fed cattle farm outside of town, and Manuel finds solace in the open fields and in the antics of the newborn calf Sebastian is hand-raising. As Manuel aides his new frie

Why, hello there! I'm feeling pretty jovial, because I totally love books and forgot (as always) how helpful they are for staying hopeful and fulfilled, especially when the stress of life and the world gets heavier. I've got three reviews of three excellent stories for you today, so why hesitate? Let's dive in! Middle Grade Invisible Written by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and illustrated by Gabriela Epstein Graphic novel · 2022 Recommended by Michele Knott , Lisa Maucione , and Laura Mossa Add it on Goodreads · Preview the illustrations · · · The publisher says: · · · Can five overlooked kids make one big difference? There’s George: the brain Sara: the loner Dayara: the tough kid Nico: the rich kid And Miguel: the athlete And they’re stuck together when they’re forced to complete their school’s community service hours. Although they’re sure they have nothing in common with one another, some people see them as all the same . . . just five Spanish-speaking kids. Then they meet

This is so nerdy, I'm not sure if anyone else will even want to read it, but it's one of those things I have to put out into the world, because I've been having so many thoughts  about it recently! (And FYI, Thursday Thoughts are not making a permanent return—just a temporary one, for this post!) The facts: Rebecca Stead is an author of middle grade fiction. Besides two novels cowritten with Wendy Mass (one coming this summer!), she's written five novels solo: First Light , When You Reach Me  (winner of the Newbery Medal), Liar & Spy , Goodbye Stranger , and The List of Things That Will Not Change . Importantly, Rebecca Stead is also  my favorite author of all time (which isn't news if you've been reading this blog for a while). I believe I've read Goodbye Stranger  8.5 times (and reviewed it 3 times), and I've read When You Reach Me  somewhere around 5 times. I was actually re-reading When You Reach Me  during the middle/end of this college semester

It's been off-the-rails in my personal life lately, but amidst the mess is exciting news: I GRADUATED COLLEGE!!! I can't believe it. The ceremony is coming up soon, but all the assignments are done, and my grad school program is on the horizon. So that's an exciting thing! And now it's summer, which means the most important thing: BOOKS! So many books. I've already devoured some picture books, and I have some semester reading to report on as well. So let's dive in! Picture Books Kumo: The Bashful Cloud Written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Nathalie Dion 2022 Add it on Goodreads · Preview the illustrations · · · The publisher says: · · · The uplifting journey of a bashful cloud ("kumo" in Japanese) who discovers the rewards of feeling seen. Kumo is a cloud whose only wish is to float unseen. When she’s assigned cloud duty for the day, she feels overwhelmed by self-doubt and her fear of being noticed. But after learning that closing your eyes isn’t