AKA – I’m on a reading kick right now!

You know what I mean. You have two phases: one where you finish one book and immediately start the next, and one where you finish a book and don’t read another one for 17 years.

In 2020, I read a whopping 3 books. Yes, THREE. Oof.

So far in 2021, I’m already up to 4! More books in 15 days than 366. That’s a reading kick for ya.

So here’s what I’ve read so far this year, and maybe I’ll do these weekly or biweekly until I abruptly quit reading once again:

milk and honey by rupi kaur – “The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.”

I’ve been on a poetry kick and this one is obviously very popular. It was a quick read for me because I was taken in by the words and the themes of every section and poem. Many criticize her writing style because it doesn’t fit the “traditional poetry” definition. I just couldn’t get enough of the story told through short poems, and the beautiful imagery woven throughout. The illustrations are perfect too, and don’t detract from the words on the page. Loved this one, which is why my next book was –

the sun and her flowers – rupi kaur – “Divided into five chapters and illustrated by kaur, the sun and her flowers is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. A celebration of love in all its forms.”

I actually liked this one a lot more than milk and honey, I think because the themes resonated more with me personally. This one is still a lot about love and loss and love again of someone else, but also more about finding the love within yourself. I actually put sticky notes in this book of poems that I just had to sit with. This one took me two days to finish because I felt myself relishing in these poems and rereading them more than I did with the first book. Forever one of my favorites.

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick – “Two boys – a slow learner stuck in the body of a teenage giant and a tiny Einstein in leg braces – forge a unique friendship when they pair up to create one formidable human force.”

I was waiting on the school librarian to drop off some books I’d put on hold from our library (I love YA and will never deny it), so while perusing my closet collection I came across this book. One of my coworkers taught it every year, so I figured it had to be good.

This one broke me. It’s a story of two polar opposites who become best friends and make each other better throughout their adventures together. I wish I could unread this book so I can read it one more time. The power of friendship is so huge, and I appreciate mine so much more than I did before. 

House Arrest by K.A. Holt – “Timothy is a good kid who did a bad thing. Now he’s under house arrest for a whole year. He has to check in weekly with a probation officer and a therapist, keep a journal, and stay out of trouble. But when he must take drastic measures to help his struggling family, staying out of trouble proves more difficult than Timothy ever thought it would be.”

I am a sucker for a book written in prose. Long Way Down, Crossover, etc. are perfection. This one is highly recommended in teacher groups for those who loved those other books, and I agree 1000%. A male protagonist, writing in verse, telling the story of a bad decision he made when he felt he had no other choice. I felt personally connected to this story, having grown up with a disabled sibling myself (my youngest sister has Down Syndrome – she’s 22 now). I love the twists and turns and feeling the highs and lows this family experience as they deal with something so challenging. I will definitely be downloading the second book in the series (Knock Out) to my Kindle ASAP. Great read for when you just need a little hope that things CAN change for the better.

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That’s it for this week. I excitedly also shared these reviews (the middle-school appropriate books that is) with my students in case they’re looking for their next read. In return, they love suggesting books back to me!

Now back to my kinda-depressing-but-its-an-outlet-ok poetry.