A Poem: "April's Adventures Through Books"

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April’s Adventures Through Books
It’s time for April to draw to a close.
There’s been adventure enough, I suppose.
A milestone birthday passed with quiet fanfare.
That night brought music and fancy plastic flatware.

I met Onasander Octagon, genius-recluse,
But I had to watch out; there were YAKs on the loose.
I traveled to Paris in 1944.
D-Day’s approaching in the second World War.

I rooted for Channi against the Demon Witch
And stayed right there through the heartbreaking pitch.
I paused for a spell at Hope Harbor’s Sandcastle Inn.
Charley’s fish tacos were devoured for the win.

I brushed up on the Ancient World’s Seven Wonders.
Only one stands, the rest plundered, fallen asunder.
I recapped the Salem Witch Trials, too.
What an awful blame game hullabaloo.

Adventures through books are a great way to traverse,
To meet characters who are richly diverse.
With imaginations, who knows what you will find

From the workings of an authorial mastermind!

Poems: Presenting Haiku Poetry 2

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Haiku on demand
National Poetry Month
My favorite month

The moon hides the sun.
There was a solar eclipse
On April the eighth.

It was cloudy here
The path of totality
Did not include us.

It’s my birthday month
A month of celebration
No aging here, ha!

Delivering hope
Through musical fundraising
The Night of Music

What is writer’s block?
Have you experienced it?
Write down your story.

We all have stories
Some small, some fantastical
Take charge. Write them down.

Find your ray of light
Project it onto others
Appreciate you!

Rutabaga's Reads 2024: Part 3

My second chapter books compilation of 2024 is already complete. My first set of chapter books for this year featured Mindy Kim, and this set features twins Astrid & Apollo. I checked all of these out from my local library.

Astrid & Apollo and the Awesome Dance Audition (Aug. 1, 2022) by V.T. Bidania.
   Evelt Yanait, illustrator.

<This is part of a series of books.>

The spark is lit after Astrid & Apollo Lee watch their cousin Lily in a winning dance competition performance. Lily tells her dance instructor, Teacher Yang, that Astrid & Apollo want to try out for the Number One Dance School. The twins aren’t actually sure they do, though Astrid enjoys dancing and Apollo likes gymnastics. They attend rehearsal so they can learn the routine they must perform for the audition that’s only a week later. Apollo faces a setback and has to make a split-second decision, even as he knows Teacher Yang doesn’t like surprises. Will his creative quick-thinking be the ticket or cost him his chance to be on the dance team?
        These stories are not in the order in which I read them. I continue to appreciate the positive vibe of these stories as well as the cultural traditions it incorporates so seamlessly. The energy in this story is effervescent, the writing is strong, and the plot is easy to follow along with and perfect for emergent chapter book readers. Yanait’s illustrations are vibrant, and the attention to detail on the Hmong costumes is beautiful. It’s a dynamic tale.
        Also in the series: Tae Kwon Do Champs

Astrid & Apollo and the Brilliant Book Report (Aug. 1, 2023) by V.T. Bidania.
   César Samaniego, illustrator.

<This is part of a series of books.>

Twins Astrid & Apollo are big readers. When their teacher, Mrs. Lor, assigns her students a book report, Apollo knows which book he’ll pick for the assignment. Then he discovers that Kiran, his best friend, has chosen the very same book! Mrs. Lor told the class that she “will give extra points for originality.” Apollo takes this to mean that he can’t choose the same book as his classmate, so he scrambles to find another, going so far as to checkout 25 books from the family’s local library! How will Apollo’s book report turn out?
        I know I’ve been gravitating toward stories with Asian/Asian American main characters because those stories weren’t around during my childhood, but these stories are very age-appropriate. I remember being in elementary school having to write book reports (and yes, I loved being assigned book reports). Bidania’s writing is fairly uncomplicated and would be strong choices for chapter book readers to try (they may need help with unfamiliar words like bánh mì). The text is accompanied by colorful illustrations by Samaniego, and the story as a whole is full of energy.

Astrid & Apollo in Concert (Aug. 1, 2021) by V.T. Bidania.

   Evelt Yanait, illustrator.

<This is part of a series of books.>

The solo isn’t a solo, but a duet! Astrid & Apollo are overjoyed to have been chosen to play a duet at their school’s recorder concert. They’ve put in a lot of practice, especially in the two weeks leading up to the concert, but their little sister, Eliana, keeps getting in the way. She thinks to create music like her older siblings with her paper party horn, but her music isn’t so lovely. It’s clear that she wants to be included. On show night, there’s double the disaster. The show must go on, but what will the twins discover?
        For anyone who’s ever had a younger sibling who’s wanted to do what you’re doing and have felt annoyed by it, this story will be relatable. Eliana’s choices garner negative attention, but it still resulted in the family, particularly Astrid & Apollo, noticing her. That Bidania used it as a gentle teaching moment is something to value. Yes, there’s frustration and upset, but after time has passed and awareness enters the twins’ minds, it opens up understanding and inclusivity of their little sister. That’s a sweet moment. The story overall is as dynamic as the others, and now I’ve been craving pho gao (“steamed rice rolls made from rice flour and water and filled with ground meat, onions, and other seasonings”).
        Challenge: The recorder song titles are based on real songs. Do you know which classic children’s songs they’re based on?

1. ‘Sparkle, Sparkle Giant Moon’
2. ‘Cold Round Rolls’
3. ‘Mario Had a Huge Sheep’
4. ‘The Icky, Biggy Buggy’

"Sandcastle Inn" by Irene Hannon

Sandcastle Inn (Apr. 2, 2024) by Irene Hannon.

<This is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone novel.>

Hope Harbor, Oregon, is nothing more than a stopover point for 33-year-old Vienna Price, who’s come to visit her nonconforming, carefree mom, Bev, owner of Bev’s Book Nook and maker of custom jewelry since her retirement. Vienna’s been recently fired from a high-end position with a boutique hotel chain. She holds an MBA with a double concentration in finance and marketing. Her planned-to-a-T life is crumbling, and she’s at loose ends. Traveling to Hope Harbor isn’t in Dr. Matt Quinn’s (a veterinarian) initial plans, either, but he goes to help his sister, Kay Marshall, nine years his senior, who raised him from age nine. Kay purchased Beachview B&B before seeing its disrepair and is in way over her head. Beachview B&B doesn’t just need a little TLC; it’s already on life support. Kay’s gone “Florence Nightingale” to care for a grandmother-figure who’s having surgery, leaving Matt with a foundering B&B and stuck in an “emotional wasteland” with his misplaced guilt after shattering losses. Vienna has the skills to revive the B&B. Has she the skills to mend a broken heart?
        Andrew and Paige Thompson, both in their upper 20s, are desperate for work after someone they trusted ruined their business and reputation. Andrew is in construction. The B&B needs a contractor. Might this be the project that gets them off rocky ground so they can gain stable footing yet again?
        While not my first novel from Hannon, it is my first in her Hope Harbor series, and it’s the 10th installment! This fictional town on the Oregon coast is one I’d happily visit. I’d snitch a homemade cookie and peruse the inventory at Bev’s Book Nook. I’d want to eat Charley’s fish tacos daily and grab pizza from Frank’s weekly. Hope Harbor embodies a whimsy and steadfastness that is delightful to read, even as the relatable characters grapple with life-altering events and piecemeal their lives back together. Faith is staunch, but not forceful. Hannon’s writing in this Christian, contemporary romance is warm and wholesome. The pacing is snappy, the dialogue unencumbered by lofty monologues. I wouldn’t say no to another visit to Hope Harbor!

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"Her Radiant Curse" by Elizabeth Lim

Her Radiant Curse (Aug. 29, 2023) by Elizabeth Lim.

<This is both a standalone and prequel novel.>

There are two Jin’aiti sisters of Sundau in the Tambu Isles. Channari (Channi) is as monstrous as Vanna is beautiful. Channi wasn’t born with a serpent’s face, but Vanna was born with a golden light in her heart. Vanna’s the only person who values and loves Channi. Vanna was supposed to be the sacrifice to the Demon Witch, Angma, a tiger demon, as a newborn, so their mother could live. Angma plans to claim Vanna by her 17th birthday, which is two days away. As if that hasn’t weighed on Channi all these years, Vanna’s set to be married off in a vulgar betrothal contest that lines the coffers of the greedy. Channi vows to defend Vanna, lest she be bought by the horrific King Meguh. When Meguh makes a deal to kidnap Channi, Channi fights over land and sea to reach her sister with her best reptile friend, Ukar (a freckled green snake), and Hokzuh (he’s part dragon, part demon). While Angma cursed her face, it’s the Serpent King who filled her veins with his poison. Meanwhile, Hokzuh has neither the dragon nor demon halves of his heart. He knows Angma claims his demon half (his demon side is kept at bay by his moonstone), but he would not be able to see the golden glow of his dragon half even if he was standing right in front of it. How strong are the bonds of sisterhood when pitted against a Demon Witch and a half-dragon-half-demon desperate for both halves of his heart?
        A Legends of Lor’yan novel, this one’s cup runneth over with a fully-realized world of well-constructed cosmology that is beautiful and devastating. The setting is lush, the fantasy thrilling, and the Southeast Asian folklore is resounding. This fast-paced, action-fueled YA gives us characters to empathize with, courage to praise and explores the dark side of beauty while showcasing how deep the bonds of sisterhood run. For those who’ve read Lim’s Six Crimson Cranes duology, reading this particular character’s story will be heartbreaking and enchanting, in equal measure. Also, this might be the first time I’ve rooted for the slithery reptiles of the world, albeit a fictional one.

2024 Reading Challenge - Update 7

Update 7 comes thanks to reading The Black Swan of Paris. It fulfills two tiles and leaves me just one tile away from completing my Reading Challenge!

        1. "A Book with a Color in the Title": Black.

        2. "A Book with a Place in the Title": Paris.

    Yes, I did purposely search for a novel that contained both a color and a place in the title. It also happened to be at my local library, which was an added bonus.

"The Black Swan of Paris" by Karen Robards

The Black Swan of Paris (June 30, 2020) by Karen Robards.

<This is a standalone novel.>

It is Paris, 1944. It hasn’t yet been dubbed as such, but D-Day is approaching, and the Germans are desperate to know when and where. Genevieve Dumont (newly 25 years old) is a celebrated star singer, but she’s a smokescreen, too. Her fame and beauty have made her the unwilling darling of the Nazis, but this privilege allows her to go undetected as an ally to the Resistance. Genevieve thinks she’s closed off her emotions until she hears word that her estranged father, Baron Paul de Rocheford, has been killed, and her estranged mother, Baroness Lillian de Rocheford, has been captured by the Nazis. She and the Resistance know that torture is imminent. Once Genevra de Rocheford, she hasn’t shared this with Maximillian (Max) Georges Bonet. He’s supposedly a 44-year-old French citizen who’s medically unfit for military service and so acts as Genevieve’s manager. In reality, he is 34-year-old British agent Major Max Ryan, Special Operations Executive (SOE). Not wanting her mother to become yet another victim of a brutal war, Genevieve reunites with her estranged older sister, Emmanuelle (Emmy) Granville. Genevieve has caught the attention of Herr Obergruppenführer Claus von Wagner, and, as much as he makes her skin crawl, she suspects that he knows where Lillian is being held prisoner. Genevieve isn’t as done with her family as she thought.
        WWII Paris is an uncommon setting for WWII historical fiction novels that I’ve read. This war story/historical thriller is simultaneously painful and exquisite. Robards’ careful research is reflected in the story’s intense realism and meticulous historical detail. There are a couple graphic scenes of torture depicted, so know this truly isn’t a story for the faint-hearted. There are moments that made my heart pound, my mind scream, and sometimes, I wanted to hide, too. This story is suspenseful, emotional and gut-wrenching and is also part spy novel plus romance story in a theatre of resounding bravery with Paris as its backdrop. It is bold and absorbing.

2024 Reading Challenge - Update 6

My "A Book Chosen for its Cover" selection was Snowglobe. The cover art is striking, but what initially drew me to the cover were the Korean characters (Hangul) and the author's Korean name. I was the first checkout for this YA novel from my local library, on the request list while it was on order!

"Snowglobe" by Soyoung Park

Snowglobe (Feb. 27, 2024) by Soyoung Park.
   Joungmin Lee Comfort, translator.

<This is the first novel in a duology.>

Enter a world of endless winter, where the average temperature is -50˚F. Jeon Chobahm lives in a meager dwelling with her “older” twin brother, Ongi, their mom and their grandma, who’s experiencing more memory loss. The twins and their mom all work at the power plant, which produces electricity for their sector and, primarily, Snowglobe. Snowglobe exists under a vast dome. It’s a place where the temperature is climate-controlled, and most all of the residents are actors, their unscripted-but-edited lives broadcast 24/7 to the frozen wasteland outside of Snowglobe’s protected dome. (The only place where there aren’t cameras is the Yibonn family estate. Young Master Yi Bonwhe is the heir. His personal assistant is Yu Junguhn.) Snowglobe residents have all the luxurious things: fame, fortune, warmth. Chobahm dreams of becoming a director, but so far, she’s only received rejections to her applications. Her favorite Snowglobe show is The Goh Haeri Show, and she looks strikingly like the show’s star and Snowglobe’s most famous resident, Goh Haeri. On the night that Chobahm risks her life to get Jo Miryu to the clinic, she meets Cha Seol. Director Cha is a hugely successful director, the person she most admires “in the entire universe,” and she’s proposed that Chobahm become Haeri. Haeri’s committed suicide, but the show must go on. Chobahm now has a dream life inside Snowglobe, but at what cost to her identity? Because Director Cha tells her she isn’t Chobahm anymore; she’s Haeri.
        The climate-ravaged world sets the stage in this YA dystopia. Snowglobe looks like a dream, but the reality is a lie. What is the truth, even? This novel explores personal identity, surveillance and ethics through a main character lens whose ambitions, anger, questions and compassion read realistically. This page-turner transports readers to a complex world with a dark underbelly and societal inequality. It’s bleak, but not without truth and hope, though it’ll take digging to find. I look forward to the sequel in the Snowglobe duology.

A Poem: "Glitter Everywhere"

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Glitter Everywhere
Too often glitter gets a bad rap.
Dramatic thinkers think it’s a death trap.
Glitter gets everywhere and stays for life.
It appears out of nowhere to cause you strife.

There’s glitter in your hair, and it won’t wash out.
You’ve got glitter in your teeth, and it makes you shout.
You noticed glitter when you blew your nose just now.
Even glitter in your socks has appeared somehow.

A glitter galaxy’s formed in your plush rug.
How did that glitter get in your coffee mug?
Someone poured glitter into your footwear?
You say you found glitter in your underwear?

Glitter’s no joke. It invades every space,
Every nook and cranny and your workspace.
Nowhere is safe, not even your car.
Glitter’s been spotted in the cookie jar.

You better watch out for those glitter-full cards.
When it comes to glitter, be always on your guard.
Look high, search low, and shake out your afghan.
I might’ve put glitter on your ceiling fan!

2024 Reading Challenge - Update 5

This update finds me having read They Both Die at the End. It fulfills one tile, in which I read "A Banned Book." I put a Note at the end of the YA story's post, so I won't repeat it here. I'm now two-thirds of the way through my 2024 Reading Challenge!

"They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

They Both Die at the End (Sept. 5, 2017) by Adam Silvera.

<This is a standalone novel, but a prequel novel released in 2022.>

“We here at Last Friend Inc. are collectively sorry for this loss of you.” The midnight hour has recently passed when Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to inform them that they will die in the next 24 hours. Mateo’s only family is his dad, and he’s in a coma. His best friend is Lidia Vargas and her one-year-old daughter Penny. He wants to really live for one day. Rufus’ family received their call from Death-Cast four months ago. He has the Plutos – Malcolm Anthony and Tagoe Hayes – and his ex-girlfriend, Aimee DuBois, who seems to want to see him on his final day, but there’s her problematic boyfriend. Mateo and Rufus find themselves as Deckers on the Last Friend app. It’s their End Day, and they will aim to live an adventurous lifetime in a single day.
        What would you do if you suddenly only had one day to live? Silvera explores that in this profound and heartrending YA novel of friendship, fate, love and loss. This is the first work I’ve read by Silvera, and it’s emotional, the storytelling at turns inducing chuckles and tears. It’s contemplative, bold and diverse. From the title, readers know how it will end. Romance, even a lifetime of friendship, is doomed from the get-go. The story sometimes gave me Lurlene McDaniel vibes, and I read so many of her books when I was younger. This is a moving story of living one last day. “Entire lives aren’t lessons, but there are lessons in lives.”
        Note: I will have a Reading Challenge update, but I chose this book because I’d read that it’s a banned book. The reason is, apparently, because it features a queer relationship. They kiss, but it’s chaste. They’re not ripping off each other’s clothing and having graphic intercourse. This story is first and foremost about two teenagers unexpectedly having to live one last day. There’s no tomorrow for them.

National Poetry Month 2024

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A Rhyming Book Dragon in a Bibliophilic Wagon

Rhyming is for every day. Rhyming is for now.

Rhyming is just what I like. It is the cat's meow.
Note that not all poetry is in rhyming form,
But it is my favorite. It is my norm.

A new month has started. It is April 1st.
I hope it's as delicious as a strawberry Sunburst.
What new adventures will come my way?
How will I celebrate my coming birthday?

Will I be a pirate looking for a treasure trove?
Or a tourist touring through an orange grove?
How about a Fremen riding a sandworm?
Or a war-time nurse tending the infirm?

Will I be a music prodigy in a famed concert hall?
Or a debutante at her first formal ball?
How about a gymnast vying for Olympic gold?
Or a lone human surviving dystopian cold?

Whatever this month brings, I know it will include books.
The suspenseful plots may find me on tenterhooks.
Fellow readers can always find me, a book dragon,
Traveling along in a bibliophilic wagon.