Completely Full Bookshelf

Before we get started, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving—ours was very peaceful, and it was when I actually finished reading the book I'm reviewing today! Also, I want to quickly mention an album of music I've been enjoying lately. Aimee Mann, who I first started listening to around 2 years ago, just debuted a new album called Queens of the Summer Hotel , and it is awesome! You can go read  this interview to learn about it, but just know that it's brilliant and worth a listen (or several)! (And especially a listen in order, since the order really matters.) Finally, I have the winners of the Holiday Picture Book Giveaway to announce! The first winner is... Danielle! Danielle will be receiving a copy of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners . The second winner is... Carlo! Carlo will be receiving a copy of A Map into the World . The third winner is... Patricia (a fellow MMGM blogger at Children's Books Heal )! Patricia will be receiving a copy of A Big Mooncake for ...

Before we get started, I want to mention that the winner of my giveaway of  Faith: Taking Flight  by Julie Murphy is... Sam! Congratulations! Thanks to everyone who entered! Now, for MMGM and #IMWAYR, I am recommending Zenobia July  by Lisa Bunker.           WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Oh, sorry, I couldn't contain my enthusiasm for this book. Several years ago, MMGM showrunner Greg Pattridge recommended Lisa Bunker's debut novel, Felix Yz , and I must thank him for that recommendation, because I read and loved  that book! (His review is here , and my review is here .) I bought a copy of Bunker's second book, Zenobia July , a while back, but I forgot to read it until now, and it is so good!!!           Zenobia July's life has just changed dramatically at the beginning of this book. Zenobia (or Zen for short) has moved across the U.S. to live with her married aunts instead of her father. A transgender girl, Zen uses this move...

For MMGM, I am recommending Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker. Here's the publisher's description: “If it wasn’t for the fused-with-Zyx thing, I suppose I would just be normal—whatever that means.” When Felix Yz was three years old, a hyperintelligent fourth-dimensional being became fused inside him after one of his father’s science experiments went terribly wrong. The creature is friendly, but Felix—now thirteen—won’t be able to grow to adulthood while they’re still melded together. So a risky Procedure is planned to separate them . . . but it may end up killing them both instead. This book is Felix’s secret blog, a chronicle of the days leading up to the Procedure. Some days it’s business as usual—time with his close-knit family, run-ins with a bully at school, anxiety about his crush. But life becomes more out of the ordinary with the arrival of an Estonian chess Grandmaster, the revelation of family secrets, and a train-hopping journey. When it all might be ...