The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

Goal for 2023: read more to my children.  I started the year out with four books for them to choose from, three of which I was familiar with and had already read. They chose The Unteachables by Gordon Korman that I read in 2021. I have enjoyed other books by Korman (Masterminds trilogy was wonderful) and didn't mind this revisit. It tells the story of a group of middle school kids who are considered "unteachable" and are lumped into a classroom together and forgot about. The teacher that is assigned to these kids is at first as disengaged as his students. Through some unexpected chance encounters both the teacher and the students see past the labels that have been applied to them and surprise everyone, most importantly themselves.

 All three of my kids (ages 14, 16, 19) and my husband listened to me read each night. This book is engaging and short enough that we got through it in a week or so. They had a good time trying to guess what would happen next and even got a few things right.

 Recommend as a read aloud? Most definitely

56 Books read in 2022!

 I was surprised as I was counting the books I read last year to reach over 50!  It was difficult to pick my favorite, but two of them do stand out. 

Duet by Elise Broach belongs at the top of my list because of the uniqueness of the narrator: a goldfinch named Mirabelle. I've read books with animal viewpoints before but this one was more than just a bird personified. I felt I was getting a bird perspective of human life and it was fascinating. I loved how Mirabelle sees the young budding pianist as a kindred spirit and how she fights for his success. It doesn't hurt that my favorite composer, Chopin, is the passion of the boy pianist and his frail teacher. And finally the ending is not perfectly tied up in a bow with a comfortable dominant to tonic ending chord. It does, however, give hope in more work to come, more progress to make and more joy to create. 

100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons. I read this by accident really. I needed a book with a yellow cover and this seemed to fit the bill. It was a wonderful surprise. A little bit of romance and some teenage angst made it a typical young adult novel, but what stood out were the lives of the two main characters and most importantly their character. Tessa has been in an accident that robs her of her sight. Weston has also been the victim of an accident which left him a paraplegic. Tessa does not know that Weston is a paraplegic and so treats him "normally". This gives Weston a much needed break from the pity he is constantly shown. Tessa wants to be left alone in her misery, but Weston doesn't give up and is constantly there for her. Together they are able to help heal each other from their unseen wounds that their very visible problems have caused. I really enjoyed their journey. 

Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen

Fantasy. I found this book while browsing the books at my daughter’s home. Both my daughter and son-in-law recommended it to me and since I’m a sucker for dragon books I happily took it home. It immediately throws you into intense action as three men from London are fleeing for their lives. The action is compelling until about half way through and then it stalls with lots of back story explanations. I got a bit frustrated and nearly decided not to finish but my daughter said the ending was worth it so I pushed through and it picked up quickly. An author’s ability to end a story well is key for me to recommend a book. The ending was not only surprising but satisfying and tied together everything that happened perfectly! Bravo Mr. Owen, bravo!

Recommend: Yes!

The Best Laid Plans by Sarah M. Eden AND Charming Artemis by Sarah M. Eden

 Regency Romances. Why does cold weather bring me to settle in with a quick regency romance? These were two enjoyable reads. I have read many of Eden's books and she develops her characters quite well. Many of her books have the same families of characters in them and these two were some of those. As you get to know the families better it adds to the enjoyment of each story. There is always a social obstacle to overcome before the couples can attain their happily ever after as well as strengthening resolve in each other. A good recipe on a cold winter's day. 

Recommend: Yes. 

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

 Young Adult fiction. This is a re-read for me. I really enjoy all of Shannon Hale's books and this is one of my favorites. A young motherless girl gets assigned as a lady's maid to a princess that is about to be shut up in a tower for seven years because she refuses to marry the ruler of a neighboring kingdom. Thus starts Dashti's adventure with the Princess Saren, who is petulant and sad and stubborn. 

Dashti is resilient through situations that seem daunting and hard, which is a favorite attribute of heroines in the books I read. This is a book I will be re-reading again and again. 

Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

 Junior realistic fiction. This is the second book by this author that I have read and enjoyed. She also wrote A Tangle of Knots which I highly recommend. Albie is growing up in the middle of New York City and is in 5th grade. His life isn't always easy. He has family issues, friend issues, school issues. Really he is a pretty typical kid growing up in the world today. What makes Albie stand out is his ability to continue to live his life amid the imperfections. He does this with the help of friends and family members. These people are not perfect and make mistakes, but they also make life better for Albie and he in turn makes life better for others. I especially loved how his family dynamics were able to grow and change and that we don't ever have to accept that our current situation is permanent. We can change. 

Recommend: Yes. 

Duet by Elise Broach

 Junior Fiction. The subtitle on the book jacket explains perfectly the plot of this book: A bird. A boy. A musical mystery. This was not only a musical adventure for me as I read about one of my favorite composers, Frederick Chopin, but it was a lovely story about how music touches all of us, both human and animal. The story is told from the viewpoint of a goldfinch named Mirabelle who lives in the garden of a retired pianist. He is old and his health is wavering, but he decides to take on one student in his retirement and what a student this young boy is. Thus the melody of this story unfolds, painfully, beautifully, poignantly, and triumphantly. 

Recommend: Yes