The Positive Page-turner's Challenge: Take 19

 

The Positive Page-Turner’s Challenge: Take 19

Finally! We’re halfway through 2024, yet I’m only now posting my first Positive Page-turner’s Challenge of the year. I did have it ready last month, but I didn’t want it to overshadow my Reading Challenge that I completed in May, so I’m posting this over a month later.

            Keeping to my theme, $5 is the special donation for each book in this picture. With 17 books, I donated $85. I already wrote a check a week ago to my local church’s Haiti Fund.

            I know that sometimes our budgets may be stretched too thin to contribute financially to organizations, but I’d like to believe that anyone happening upon this post is someone who donates in whatever way one can at the time. Time is a donation, just as $5 or $500 or $1M is a donation. Please do what you can, and I will continue to do so, too. The world isn’t always so great, but we can help make it a little better!

"Not Your Average Jo" by Grace K. Shim

 

Not Your Average Jo (Mar. 12, 2024) by Grace K. Shim.

<This is a standalone novel.>

Compared to Bentonville, Arkansas, a place like Los Angeles should have the diversity and opportunity that Riley Jo’s hometown does not. The Korean American teen dreams of being a musician – and no, she doesn’t play K-pop – so when she nabs a coveted spot at Carlmont Academy in L.A. for her senior year of high school, she’s ecstatic. She’s made it into the contemporary band program. Her bandmate Griff Torres accepts her readily enough, but Bodhi Collins – son of one-hit 90s wonder and advisor of their group, Blake Collins – definitely does not. Blake’s incredulous reaction to “Riley Jo?” as in, You’re Riley Jo?, adds insult. Riley chooses to keep mum, even as the microaggressions add up and even when she’s pushed as backup to her own original song in the group she ends up naming: RGB. Fellow student Xander McNeil is capturing so much of this for a documentary he’s working on for his senior project. Aerie Jung and Nari Hitomi try to get Riley to report the blatant discrimination, but she never does. She chooses to make “bad choices in order to avoid worse ones,” but is she truly playing the long game? Or has she set herself up to be a pawn in a game that ignores her?

            I checked out this book after the opening paragraph caught my attention: “When you’re Asian American in an area where there aren’t many Asian Americans, there’s a cultural expectation people have of you that is clear from day one. You become the expert on all things Asian, whether you like it or not – whether you’re qualified or not.” From being assumed as every type of Asian (usually Chinese) to once getting called down to a workplace office because someone assumed I spoke Japanese to scenarios far less entertaining and high up on the creep-o-meter, those opening lines reverberated through me.

            Unfortunately, I didn’t connect to Riley’s character, and it’s not because I lack the dream of a music career that’s Taylor Swift famous. For much of the story, Riley wants to ignore the microaggressions until she finally snaps and decides to “Go There.” The 180 did not feel authentic, but that could largely be because I never connected with the character. There are powerful themes in this story resounding around cultural appropriation, race, discrimination and nepotism. It showcases Riley’s struggle within herself, wanting to speak up while also wanting to keep her head down in hopes that she’ll be part of a record deal. Music is central to the story, and Shim details a believably cutthroat music industry via an arts school setting. This is a bildungsroman. Self-discovery isn’t an easy road, made harder when there’s bias involved, and Riley reflects this. I don’t typically rate with stars, but I’d give it a 3/5.

            Also by Grace K. Shim: The Noh Family

Rutabaga's Reads 2024: Part 4

Welcome to 2024’s “Happy Hodgepodge” post! What have you read recently that stands out?

Cat & Cat Adventures: Journey into Unibear City (Apr. 25, 2023) by Susie Yi.

Junior graphic novel fiction.

<This is the third graphic novel in a series.>

There’s a new magical mystery in the Spirit World. The Dragon Witch’s magical artifact collection is missing, and the entire region is covered in pink slime. Cats Squash and Ginny are on the case. They are determined to find the scoundrels who are wreaking devastation, and they’ll vacuum up the slime while they’re at it. They encounter a bread mushroom that leads to a secret tunnel and meet Magnus, king of the southern region of the Spirit World. They had no idea there was such a king! There’s a slime snail controlled by a conniving new foe. The foe is draining Spirit Magic from the artifacts, which is hurting the Spirit World. Squash and Ginny need to recover those missing artifacts, pronto. And if there happens to be a task force formed with a steady supply of free snacks, then all the better!

            Unibear City is the hub of the Spirit Realm, but not much of it is seen. It would’ve been fun to get a big-picture glimpse of the city. Fortunately, that lack does not take away from the colorful, vibrant graphic novel that it is. The text is uncomplicated and so will fit a variety of readers, including emergent readers. The characters are sweet, even when trying to be fierce, and helpfulness is a theme in each of the Cat & Cat Adventures. To date, these are the only graphic novels that I’ve checked out from the library, and I’ve never bought any, not even for gifts.

            Book 1: The Quest for Snacks

            Book 2: The Goblet of Infinity

Gorgeously ME! (June 4, 2024) by Jonathan Van Ness.

   Kamala Nair, illustrator.

Children’s picture book.

“I’m perfectly, happily, gorgeously me” is the repeating line of empowerment for the nameless kids throughout the story. With varying skin tones, a girl with blue hair, a boy in a tutu and youth with their own interests, abilities and skill sets, it shows that sharing individuality with the world isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be downright scary. With consistent, every day friendship, love and support, each of these kids can be assured they’re wonderful just as they are. “Fill those around you with hope, joy, and trust. / And turn gorgeously me into gorgeously US!”

            JVN’s rhyming text is lyrical, uplifting and energizing. It sparks joy and lets us all know that we are and should be loved and cherished for being who we are and not who naysayers assume we should be. It celebrates self-love and embraces differences. Blended with Nair’s sunny, high-spirited illustrations, I rather felt that bursts of sparkly confetti should’ve been raining down upon me and a delightful dance number should’ve been included. I love this story and am so pleased that it was available at my local library for checkout. Let’s all prioritize compassion, tolerance and inclusion, not only as a teaching tool for the young, but for all ages.

The Sea of Terror (May 9, 2023) by Stuart Gibbs.

   Stacy Curtis, illustrator.

Middle-grade illustrated fantasy fiction.

<This is the third novel in a series.>

Junior knights Tim and Belinda (a.k.a. Bull, since girls aren’t allowed to be knights), Rover the fr-dog, and Ferkle, a village idiot (even though he’s actually highly intelligent), have twice foiled the villainous prince to help Princess Grace, but their quests are not ended. The Queen of Merryland’s precious golden fleece and the Mystical Protective Amulet of Merryland have gone missing. The Kingdom of Dinkum’s queen accidentally took Queen Sunderfire’s fleece home with the amulet in a pocket. This kingdom lies across the Sea of Terror, which is “filled with dangerous beasts and a great number of other perils.” Tim, Belinda, Ferkle and the knights, including their leader, Sir Vyval, must face whatever dreadful perils the Sea of Terror houses, use every ounce of bravery and intellect they possess, for they are members of the Knight Brigade of the Great and Glorious Kingdom of Merryland. If they can face off against a bargleboar, they can defeat any other terror that finds them, thus making a cliffhanger ending unnecessary, right? Right???

            Like the first two stories in this illustrated, middle-grade fantasy series, this one is silly and ridiculous, which is the appeal of it. Gibbs’ story blithely takes from ancient sources (think Scylla and Charybdis and other nautical hazards such as sirens), but works them inventively, twisting them into something new and funny. For example, the sirens don’t lure sailors to their deaths with their beautiful voices, but rather the most awful, dissonant caterwauling with horrid lyrics, all singing these terrible songs simultaneously. A power ballad about filthy armpit hair overlapping a gloomy tune about maggots? Gross. Curtis’ black-and-white illustrations add pictorial comic relief and complement Gibbs’ writing as any skilled illustrations should. IQ BOOSTERs are again present. The tale is entertaining, the adventure both dangerous and hilarious. Remember that bargleboars are allergic to paprika, but stand way, way back if it sneezes or you will be covered in its snot. Ew!

             Book 2: The Labyrinth of Doom

Super-Duper Librarian (Jan. 1, 2021) by Fran Manushkin.

   Laura Zarrin, illustrator.

Early-Reader fiction chapter book.

<This is part of an unnumbered series.>

It’s a rainy Saturday, so Katie Woo decides that she and her parents should go to the library to check out books. As her friend Pedro says, going to the library is “great on any day.” There are books about so many things: dinosaurs, dragons … underwear! But is there a super-duper mystery book for Katie? Where is Miss Bliss, the Children’s Librarian, to help her out?

            While I have checked out Early-Reader (E-R) books from the nonfiction section, this is the first I’ve checked out from the E-R fiction section (likely to change as my nephew’s been starting to read books from this section). Katie Woo is a delight, and her love of books lends her an inquisitiveness that not everyone has. The story is simple, an excellent book type for young people segueing from being read to to reading on their own. The book includes a map of Katie’s neighborhood, a glossary, questions for the reader and an interview with Miss Bliss.

What Is the Story of Willy Wonka? (July 6, 2021) by Steve Korté.

   Jake Murray, illustrator.

Early-Reader nonfiction chapter book.

<This is an official Who HQ book.>

What is the story of the most famous fictional chocolatier? Willy Wonka first appears in Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. For others, maybe they didn’t discover him until the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder or even the 2005 film starring Johnny Depp. But most seem to know something about this zany factory owner, friend to Oompa-Loompas and lover of chocolate. Willy Wonka is mysterious, whimsical, wacky and wondrous. He’s utterly fantastic, if a bit chaotic, but how could you not be, filled with pure imagination as he is? Not only featuring Willy Wonka, this slim E-R book highlights Roald Dahl and mentions his other stories, amongst other factual tidbits.

            There are over 250 titles in the WhoHQ series published by Penguin Random House LLC, yet this is only the first one I’ve read! This chapter book is for early readers and is broken down into 11 chapters, plus an introduction and a bibliography. It gives many small facts, encouraging readers to explore the broader range of information out there. For example, getting a reading taste of Roald Dahl’s time in boarding schools, especially the one near the famous Cadbury’s chocolate company, has me wanting to read Dahl’s Boy: Tales of Childhood. It brings a compact trove of information. I will definitely be reading more of these titles. For now, I will don a plum-colored tailcoat and a fine top hat, so I can twirl into a world of pure imagination!

"The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches" by Sangu Mandanna

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (Aug. 23, 2022) by Sangu Mandanna.

<This is a standalone novel.>

The more witches there are, the more magic will gather, so the witches of Britain keep their heads down and don’t meet up with each other out in the wild, but they do gather on the third Thursday of every third month. 31-year-old Mika Moon loves magic, so she has an online account (@MikaMoon) where she posts videos “pretending” to be a witch. Primrose Beatrice Everly, the “ancient and very proper head of the group” of witches in Britain, dislikes this bit of show, but Mika is still, mostly, following the rules, and she figures no one will take her seriously. Except former actor-but-always-thespian Ian Kubo-Hawthorn does, made obvious by the email he sends her with the subject: WITCH WANTED.

            Mika travels in the Broomstick (that’s her car) to Nowhere House, where the owner witch, Lillian, is said to be on an archaeological dig. She’s never around to care for the three orphan witches she’s saved (note: all witches are orphans). Rosetta is a 10-year-old Black child with very dark brown skin and thick coils of dark hair. She was found by Lillian in London at three months old after a fire killed her parents. She is sweet and really wants to be able to control her magic in the outside world. Terracotta is an eight-year-old with peachy skin and straight, shiny black hair. She was found in a tiny Vietnamese town at one year old after a fever decimated the town’s occupants, including her parents. Terracotta likes to loudly contemplate Mika’s murder. Altamira is a vivacious seven-year-old with [often messy] light brown hair and brownish gold skin a similar shade to Mika’s. She was found in the rubble of a Palestinian hospital when she was but a few days old. The adults that actually do inhabit Nowhere House full-time, in addition to Ian, include Ken, Ian’s husband, groundskeeper of Nowhere House. Ken is the calm to Ian’s cyclone-like chaos and Ian’s fondness for flamingo pink wool. Lucie is Lillian’s longtime housekeeper and friend. And then there’s Jamie (James) Kelly. He’s a handsome, prickly librarian in his mid-30s, and he definitely thinks it’s wrong to have Mika at their place. He sees her as a threat, albeit an appealing threat. Will the residents of Nowhere House come to trust Mika? Can Mika teach the girls enough to hold off their unpredictable magic from Lillian’s solicitor? Will Terracotta off Mika in a dramatic way? Has Mika finally found the found family she’s been too scared to hope for but has actually always wanted?

            This adult fiction, contemporary fantasy romance sparkles with everyday magic, quirky characters, found family and a grumpy (Jamie)/sunny (Mika) relationship. Mandanna manages to give readers a warm, witchy story that is wonderfully welcoming (except for Jamie). The author’s writing is suffused with bright banter within her well-paced plot. The story is charming and effervescent, and I’d happily befriend any of these dynamic characters (even Jamie, if his grumpy countenance can stand to make friends). If you like magical enchantment with layers of humor and heart, give this cozy book a read!

"Lies and Weddings" by Kevin Kwan

 Lies and Weddings (May 21, 2024) by Kevin Kwan.

<This is a standalone novel.>

The legendary Gresham Trust has been so depleted by decades of profligate spending that the trust is almost a legend. The gargantuan mountain of debt is presently increasing by the millions due to all the money that the Countess of Greshamsbury, Arabella Leung Gresham, has had Francis, the Earl of Greshamsbury and her husband, dump into all of her resorts, including the one on the Big Island of Hawaii. Which erupted volcanically. For real. It’s during Augie’s decadent tropical wedding to a Scandinavian prince. Arabella’s scheming solution is to make their only son, Rufus, the Viscount St. Ives, marry a woman who’s at least a billionaire. His mom wants him to seduce Solène de Courcy, a French hotel heiress with honey blond hair and a royal bloodline. Or Martha Dung, a tattooed venture capitalist genius “who passes out billions like lollipops” and is the “right kind of Chinese.” But Rufus, despite his chiseled jaw and washboard abs, doesn’t obsess over what he’s wearing, and the only woman outside his family that he’s comfortable talking to is Dr. Eden Tong (and he’s never actually comfortable talking to his mother; she’s always hyper-critical). Eden’s father, Dr. Thomas Tong, is the Gresham family doctor, and they’ve resided on Greshamsbury lands since Eden was a small girl. She’s the literal girl-next-door, humble and beautiful. Rufus proposed marriage to her when he was 14 years old. She declined. What schemes and downright nasty rumors will Lady Arabella cook up? Can the earldom be saved or will it fall into ruin?

            The newest globe-trotting novel from Kwan is ridiculously lavish and laugh-out-loud funny with an audacious plot, mega money thrown around like pocket change, an entertaining cast of characters and bustling settings everywhere from Hong Kong to Hawaii to London, Marrakech, Beverly Hills and Venice and other locales throughout. That people can and do live like this, in “an orgy of excess,” is unbelievable and also sickening, when, like Eden, I think of all the poverty in the world. Still, I devoured this novel with its wit, sarcasm and drama. It’s classic Kwan writing, cheeky as ever. So, hop on that private jet with your designer labels and fizzy drinks on your way to some luscious location and enjoy this escapist tale that’s a delectable diversion from daily, mundane lifestyles. Words to the wise: beware those lofty, meddling mothers and gossiping aunties. It is all too much, but it’s also never enough!