BookTok: In My Library Bag

What books I have just checked out from the library?

@yabooknerdlibrarian

♬ original sound - Jennifer @YA Book Nerd 📚📚📚

Book Covers: That One Doesn't Match

 OK, do I read this book recently that I really enjoyed. 

HOWEVER, the book nor the title match the content inside the book. 

I loved both the cover and the title, but when I realized what the book was exactly about, it was jarring for me. 

I had to take the cover out of the equation. 

The lovely cover to me says this is a book on the seaside with a library or little free library. It's women's fiction. 

And it's a little bit right.

The story does take place on an island (think Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard).

There is a character that works in a library. 

BUT:

It's really about an unsolved murder, a trio of friends who lied about the timeline, and a body that appears 20 years later, reopening the case. 

Again, it's a good story. And I've read several of the authors previous books and enjoyed them.

I just couldn't get past the cover. So, I made my own and changed the name of the book: 

It's not perfect, but it's no longer light and happy. There's a little bit of darkness to it. And there's a lighthouse, which is a key point to the story. 

Sadly, the library doesn't factor much in the book. There are a couple scenes in the library. 

Is this just a bookish quirk of mine? Or does it bug you too?

Picture Book Wednesday: Ice Cream Man

 

Today at the library, it's one of our Family Fun Nights for Summer Reading. Tonight, the owner of my favorite local ice cream shop will be talking about small businesses, ice cream, and being a part of the community. And then, of course, we get to eat ice cream! 

A picture book biography of Augustus Jackson and how his inventions help make ice cream today. From the streets of Philadelphia to the White House and back, he made ice cream for three presidents. But he wanted to make ice cream for everyone. He invented new ways to make ice cream faster, He created new flavors. He created ways to ship ice cream so other stores could sell his ice cream.

This is a fascinating book about the sweet dessert. The illustrations are charming. And there is an ice cream recipe included. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Memes

 This week's topic is a freebie. I decided to have a little fun. 

Here are some of my favorite bookish memes.

And a bonus Mr. Darcy one:

I hope these made you laugh

Review: Big Book of Nature Art

 

This book will make you spend some time outside - looking at nature and collecting it. 

It uses a blend of craft supplies and items found in nature

The instructions are easy to follow and the illustrations/pictures are fantastic.

This is a wonderful book for crafts! 

* Book sent for review

Picture Book Review: A Girl Can Build Anything

Girls like building and using tools - so they do. And it's awesome. 

This is a great book about empowering girls. There is not a lot of text, making this a great storytime reader for older kids. I love the ending! 

Judy Blume is Having a Moment

 

I've been a fan of Judy Blume since I was around 7 or 8. My sister loved the Fudge books. 

I just watched this documentary (from Amazon Prime) and it was amazing - as you'd expect. I learned all kinds of things about Judy Blume's life, her writing, and why she decided to write about all the things that kids/teens couldn't talk about with their parents. Or at least she couldn't talk about with her mother.

I love how the readers responded. She's known for being honest and truthful - especially about topics that people didn't (and some people to this day still) want to talk about. 

One of my favorite parts of the documentary was seeing all the letters written to her. And reading some of them. 

I love that she and her mother went to the library every week.

I love that she started writing by making up stories to her children. She started writing picture books but after rejections and a well-known author (unnamed sadly) who told her she had no talent, she started writing chapter books. 

Some of the letters shared are heartbreaking.

It's amazing how both the author and the reader wrote letters back and forth. 

I loved seeing authors and actors and other celebrities talk about her impact on them, how she influenced them and their work.

And then there's the new movie

I actually just read the book. And it was powerful, even has an adult. I wish I had read it when I was younger. It took her six weeks to create the first draft. 

Three favorites from my childhood:

Eat it or wear it!

I don't remember the original cover.  It was not a happy book, but it did make you think. 

I read this book until it fell apart. I loved the friendship and family drama. 

Now I really want to go to Key West and visit the book shop!