Monday, September 26, 2016

It's Monday! What are you reading? 9-26-16


It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

*Sigh* I still feel like I'm playing catch up. I'm behind on grading, behind on lesson plans, I am getting over being sick this weekend. As much as I enjoy being librarian at my school, I just haven't hit my stride yet. I know it will take some time but I am impatient I guess.

Anyway, enough of the pity party.


Last week I posted:

Interview with Rob Rufus, author of Die Young with Me


I finished reading with my ears:

The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman
I reread this (listened to the audio) for a teacher book club this week.  


Picture books I enjoyed last week:

Shy by Deborah Freedman 
Books don't need to shout. Sometimes quietly and timidly tapping you on the shoulder is enough to make a big impact.


Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant
As a dog person, this book was a definite heartprint book for me. All I have to say is if dogs don't go to heaven, I don't think that can really be heaven now, can it? 


Still reading:

American Street by Ibi Zobo


Still reading with my ears:

Endzone: The Rise, Fall, and Return of Michigan Football by John U. Bacon

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Author Interview: Rob Rufus

Today on the blog I have Rob Rufus, author of the memoir Die Young with Me:


Goodreads Summary:
In the tradition of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl comes the incredibly moving true story of a teenager diagnosed with cancer and how music was the one thing that helped him get through his darkest days.

Punk’s not dead in rural West Virginia. In fact, it blares constantly from the basement of Rob and Nat Rufus—identical twin brothers with spiked hair, black leather jackets, and the most kick-ass record collection in Appalachia. To them, school (and pretty much everything else) sucks. But what can you expect when you’re the only punks in town?

When the brothers start their own band, their lives begin to change: they meet friends, they attract girls, and they finally get invited to join a national tour and get out of their rat box little town.

But their plans are cut short when Rob is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that has already progressed to Stage Four. Not only are his dreams of punk rock stardom completely shredded, there is a very real threat that this is one battle that can’t be won.

While Rob suffers through nightmarish treatments and debilitating surgery, Nat continues on their band’s road to success alone. But as Rob’s life diverges from his brother’s, he learns to find strength within himself and through his music.
Die Young With Me is a raw, honest account of a brave teen’s fight with cancer and the many ways music helped him cope through his recovery.



Thanks for visiting the blog today Rob! Your book has been described as "perfect for fans of The Fault in Our Stars, but with a grittier edge." Besides the fact that your book is a memoir, how else does Die Young with Me differ from the typical "sick lit" books that pervade YA lit today?

Oh man, that phrase makes me cringe, ha-ha. The thing that irks me about the massive amount of cancer-themed movies and books in pop culture is that they only focus on the melodrama. Maybe that’s because their authors haven’t experienced cancer treatments for themselves…or maybe it’s because they just aren’t brave enough to be real about how devastating the disease is, especially for a teenager.

Of course it’s dramatic, so I get it. Cancer is the perfect plot twist for a heavy, romantic storyline. But that’s as far as they take it, you know? They don’t talk about the horror of treatments, the stress on the families, the strain it puts on your mind and body – they only go as far as saying Billy likes Susie, Susie gets cancer, everyone cries, the end.

 So – hopefully – this book breaks that rose-tinted lense. I tried my best to be as candid as possible. The romance is there, sure, and the humor, and everything else you’d expect from a coming-of-age story. But I tried to write about my treatments, surgeries, and pain in a way to make the reader feel what it was really like – basically, if it doesn’t make you a little uncomfortable, I haven’t done my job.


Die Young with Me has a raw, confessional tone to it. Was writing it anything like the way you write music? 

Writing music and writing lit are similar in the sense that they are both very isolating. Both are done alone, in my bedroom with the door locked and my fat dogs asleep on the floor. I have to be by myself to create, and to really vibe out what I want to say. Otherwise, it’s one big jumble of. Of course, with music, collaboration comes later, but in it’s essence they are both very lonely tasks for me. But I’d rather be alone writing than with coworkers digging ditches, so I can’t bitch too much.


Most people don't consider Appalachia a hotbed of punk rockers. Is that a fair assumption or a misconception? How can/does punk rock speak to the youth in Appalachia? 

Oh it’s a fair assumption, all right. The sad truth is, Appalachia isn’t much of a hotbed of anything, besides having the most drug overdoses in the country. But I think, given the chance, punk rock can speak to young people anywhere! Punk rock is fast, pissed-off sounding music; and no one is more pissed off than teenagers. And there are lots of cusswords in punk rock songs – all teenagers love cusswords! Right? It is like a soundtrack to teenage angst, and I think it’s really therapeutic for kids in that way – at least, it was to me.


What song/album would readers be surprised is on your music player right now? 

I have a huge record collection, so it’s always a gamble. Right now, on the turntable in my bedroom, I’m spinning Teatro, by Willie Nelson. There is a song on the album that I keep seeing on this car commercial about a dog that looks exactly like my dog, Bootsie. So I’ve been singing it to her a lot lately when I get bored. Talk about a captive audience.


Since my blog is about food, books and travel, I always end author interviews with this question: what is your favorite food, book, and place you've ever traveled? 

Oh man! This is the hard! I’d have to say my favorite food is sushi. I eat it a disturbing amount. When my band is on tour, I’m always on the lookout, whether we’re in Albuquerque or Switzerland. It’s just simply the best invention ever. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to many different cities, states, and countries. Berlin might be the coolest place I’ve been so far. The history is amazing, the girls are beautiful, and there is an endless amount of trouble to get into. What else can you ask for? Unfortunately, favorite book is an impossible question to answer – it’s like asking what my favorite record is. So I’ll say the first thing that comes into my head – Tropic of Capricorn by Henry Miller. It validated a lot of the fucked up thoughts I have about existence, when I was in great need of philosophical corroboration.

YES! I love that you think Berlin is the coolest place you've ever been. That is by far my favorite city on earth. Thank you so much for taking the time to be interviewed today. Everyone check out Rob's new memoir, in stores today. 


Die Young with Me by Rob Rufus
Published: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Touchstone
Pages: 400
Genre: Memoir
Audience: Adults/Young Adults
Disclosure: ARC provided by publisher

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound

Monday, September 19, 2016

It's Monday! What are you reading? 9-19-16


It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

It's been a couple weeks since I've posted anything. Still tired. Still trying to navigate my new role as librarian and my old role as 8th grade English teacher. I'm hoping things will slow down... soon. Maybe?

Anyway, I just found out the fantastic news on Friday that I was selected to serve on ALAN's Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award committee! I am so excited I can't even. :)


Anyway, in the past couple weeks I reviewed:

Beautiful by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by JoAnne Lew-Vriethoff


I read:

Ghost by Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds always writes such wonderful, lovable characters. Ghost is no different.  

From Ghost to...

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
Not that I need to convince you to read it because Raina Telgemeier is a national treasure, but oh my, this is Raina's best work yet. It's moody and quiet but also festive and joyful. It's also wildly page-turning. I loved the setting, the characters, and the emphasis on celebrating rather than mourning the dead, as the idea for Ghosts revolves around El Dia de los Muertos. But, I'm also beginning to recognize that this book has been flagged as problematic by cultural insiders and I am still processing that. To learn more about that discussion check out the post at Reading While White and also Laura Jimenez's blog post. I still love Raina and support her work -- and this book. But I also want to validate and give credence to those who want to discuss why they take issue with it.


I listened to:

Auggie and Me: Three Wonder Stories by RJ Palacio  
Three short stories written after the wildly popular book Wonder was published, share the perspectives of characters that were previously unheard from in the original story: Julian, Christopher, and Charlotte. An enjoyable listening experience.   


And I loved these picture books:

How This Book Was Made by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex
Mac Barnett's picture books are the perfect combination of funny and complex while still maintaining its childlike innocence and wonder. I read this book to first graders last week and they loved it. 



They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel
Travis Jonker said this book was created in the Caldecott lab. As much as I enjoyed the illustrations, I actually found the text more compelling. Especially the repetition. A good text to use when discussing perspective.


The Sword and the Stove by  Frank W. Dorner
A book that's humor is silly, sophisticated, and dark all rolled into one. Loved it!

 
Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth, illustrated by Chris K. Soenpiet
When a young girl tries to find something beautiful in her neighborhood, she decides to go out and make her own beauty. This would be a great book to pair with Last Stop on Market Street.  


Currently reading:

American Street by Ibi Zobo


Currently reading with my ears:

Endzone: The Rise, Fall, and Return of Michigan Football by John U. Bacon
Because I live in Ann Arbor and my husband loves Michigan football -- and so I do by default. ;)  

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Blog Tour: Beautiful by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

Beautiful is a picture book that reimagines what our society thinks beauty is. With magazines and internet images constantly being photoshopped and airbrushed, it is virtually impossible to live up to the standard of beauty our culture has upheld for women. 

In this book, beauty is not an outward appearance but an inner projection of your spirit and joy. It is about what you contribute to the world, not just your mere physical presence. Though the text might sound like an attempt at upholding the status quo on gender conformity, when paired with the illustrations, the text immediately takes on a whole new meaning.  If you know any friends or family members with little girls, this would be a great book to add to their shelves. I know I'm looking forward to sharing this book with my students. 

Follow the Beautiful blog tour stops here:
 

Beautiful by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
Expected Publication: September 13, 2016
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
Audience: All ages
Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher 

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound