There are no dreams too big or too small, but there are lots of different types of dreams!
Tillie has a love/hate relationship with skating. After she moves to Texas, her life changes. She still wakes up before dawn to practice her figure skating and arrives after school to practice her synchronized ice skating.My Thoughts: I devoured this book. I couldn't wait to see what happened to Tillie. I loved the skating world, even the terrible moments. I felt bad for Tillie as she went through the world miserable and questioning everything, not letting people get to close to her. I loved it when she found friendship, acceptance, and of course herself. The drawings were wonderful. I haven't read too many graphic novel memoirs, but if there anything like this, keep them coming. I'm eager to see what she does next!
In moving and switching everything, Tillie feels lost in the ice skating world. She has to find new friends. She puts her energy into skating and excels, but she doesn't love it anymore. She can't bring herself to quit, but she's miserable, especially after her first girlfriend breaks up with her.
Can she find a way to be happy again?
Lady Olympia's supposed to get married this morning. After years, she's finally found herself a husband. But she's having a hard time saying yes to him. In fact, after a few sips of liquid courage, she means not to say yes. She escapes out the window.My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the Olympia was so bookish and had a system for the library books. I love that she wore glasses. I loved that the ton thought her bookish and boring but Hugh brought out her playful side. I loved their banter and how they drove each other crazy. I enjoyed Hugh trying desperately to do the right thing for the first time in his life. I appreciated the bond between the Dukes. I really enjoyed his aunt the part she played in the story - support, comfort, and a few high jinx herself. I'm eager to read the next book in the trilogy.
The groom's best friend has one job for the wedding, make sure everything goes off without a hitch. She when he spies a lady in white running away, he follows her. He intends to take her back to get marries, but Lady Olympia has other ideas.
Finally, he agrees to take her to her aunt's house. But the journey takes longer than he realizes. For the first time in his life, he's desperately trying to do the right thing, but nothing works out the way he expected. He certainly can't be attractive to his best friend's almost bride.
Library Recommendation: Grab this one for your public library, you won't regret it!
Three different kids.
Library Recommendation: This one should be in all the school and public libraries.
More than anything, Sara wants a child. But with each new failure, she looses a little piece of herself. Her husband, Hunter, seems more concerned about the family business than their personal life. She has no doubt that he loves her, but she's not sure that love is enough.My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book; it was beautifully written and tugged at my heartstrings something fierce. my heart broke for Sara. I felt sad for Hunter in dealing with all the family issues, particular the business, but there were times when I just wanted to smack him. I loved seeing familiar characters from the first book and I'm so looking forward to the next book and seeing how everything plays out. I had a hard time putting this book down. I really liked Sara's volunteer work. I loved her moments with Ty. All We Knew is different from many women's fiction books because the couple is already married, but they're going through a rough match. And it works really well.
When her last option for a child of her own fails, Sara imagines the worst. But a new hope comes from an unexpected source. If all the pieces fall into place, she could have the family she's always dreamed of having.
Hunter's trying desperately to keep the family business from selling, but it's a tangled web. His ideas for the company have been turned down so far. He's willing to do the work to prove himself if he could simply have the opportunity. But lately he's fighting two battles - one at work and one at home. Could he lose at both?
Library Recommendation: Grab this series for your public library
Librarians: Jamie Beck is fantastic to host at your library for an author event.
Bruce isn't crazy about the mice who have taken over his home and never left. With the four geese following their crazy plans, life gets stressful. So he packs up the geese and moves.Bruce is grumpy about all the chaos in the house, but he's also really sweet too. The mice are certainly a handful and get into all kinds of trouble. The story's both funny and sweet. And the illustrations are charming. This is the third Bruce book and all are charming.
Amina hates the spotlight; she has a hard time projecting her voice. Even though she loves music, Amina would rather stay in the background. But she at the age when everything starts to change.My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I loved Amina's struggle to find her voice and her courage. I enjoyed the family dynamics. I really loved the Oregon Trail game - brings me right back to my childhood. I liked the food descriptions and the family celebrations. My heart broke when the mosque was vandalized. But I loved how the community came together to help. I really enjoyed the friendship moments between Soojin and Amina and the new friendship with Emily.
Her best friend is just about to become a US Citizen and she's thinking of changing her name. Soojin wants a more American name. Amina can't imagine calling her best friend by another name. Emily starts hanging around both girls. Amina isn't interested in Emily's friendship but Soojin befriends her.
Amina's uncle is coming to stay with them for a time. He's stricter than her parents. His ideas make Amina nervous - especially the ones about music.
Music soothes Amina's soul. With all the changes in her life, it's the one thing that gives her joy. Especially after someone vandalizes their mosque. Can she use music to help her and other heal?
By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.
ABOUT THE BOOK 
Princess Serena (or as she prefers, Princess Pulverizer) doesn't want to be a princess--she wants to be knight! But her father, King Alexander of Empiria, thinks she still has a lot to learn when it comes to exhibiting valiant behavior. So he presents
a challenge: the princess must first go on a Quest of Kindness and perform good deeds to prove that she truly deserves to go to knight school. With help from a friendly dragon named Dribble and a perpetually terrified knight-in-training named Lucas, can she
complete her quest and discover what it really takes to be a hero?
Last weekend, I went to see this movie and it was wonderful.Bottom Line: Go see this movie. You won't regret it.
The yellow dot has instructions that come with it, allowing for a playful story.
This week's topic is bookish goals. I feel like I write the same goals every year and just forget about them. I'm going to try harder not to let that happen this year. But I might be fighting a losing battle.- meme from That Artsy Reader Girl
Lidia and Sydney aren't just best friends, they're the new co-captains of the Nightingales, the high school a cappella group. The group hasn't won a competition in years and Lidia and Sydney have big plans for this year; they can't wait.My Thoughts: If you're a fan of Pitch Perfect, you're going to love this book. I felt badly for both girls as they struggled with their feelings. I loved the moments with the group singing - as they struggled to find their identity. I loved Julianna and how she overcame her stage fright and found her voice. I liked the pranks between the Kingfishers and the Nightingales. I loved Lidia's family and their singing moments. I enjoyed her dancing and her determination. I loved the moments with Jack, especially in the moments in the candy shop. I liked the moments between Griffin and Sydney. I really liked how the girls came back together and how they moved forward.
One day before work, they plan to meet at a coffee shop. Lidia's a few minute late and when she arrives, she spies the boy she's been crushing over forever kissing her best friend. She flees.
And they don't talk about it, leaving the wounds to fester. They both handle it badly until Lidia blows up at the first Nightingales meeting. Their dirty laundry comes out. Will they let one boy affect the group?
Library Recommendations: Grab this one for your schools and public library.
About the Book:Years before the rise of Donald Trump, this acclaimed international thriller predicted the future. A billionaire businessman is on a glide path to the White House. When an award-winning investigative reporter and former Moscow correspondent gets a call from a friend in Russia, he returns to his old stomping ground in a high-stakes bid to uncover the truth about the Republican candidate's secret ties to the Kremlin--and discovers bizarre intervention by President Vladimir Putin and a US spy agency's covert effort to alter the presidential race.
JAMES
ELLENBERGER worked for nearly 30 years in numerous capacities with the national
AFL-CIO. A Vietnam War veteran, he has written numerous articles on
international labor affairs, social insurance and medical care for injured
workers. He is a founding member of the National Academy of Social Insurance.
