Weekly Update

Welcome to my weekly update for November 28, 2021! I hope that everyone who celebrates had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My husband was on call at the hospital and of course he got called in for the evening before we had dinner. So we had our delayed Thanksgiving meal on Friday evening. A couple of our oldest friends were on their way from North Carolina to Florida so we had lunch with them on Friday. It's always nice to have visitors! While we were home in Asheville, NC last weekend, we went out for date night. We had drinks at a rooftop bar and watched the sun set over the mountains then went to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. Slideshow: Sunset views over Asheville from Capella on 9My mom got the 2021 Belle Hallmark Christmas ornament for meThe fog in the trees behind our campground in Charleston was eerieView from the Isle of Palms Connector Bridge Posted: Nothing. I've been more of a reader than a blogger lately. Read: I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.  I've been reading a lot of high school nonfiction for the Cybils awards lately and decided I needed to take a break this week. I gravitated toward middle grade fantasy instead. Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) (Cybils Nomination) by Anton Treuer--4 Stars Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre (Cybils Nomination) by Brandy Colbert--4 Stars Thornwood (Sisters Ever After #1) by Leah Cypess--4 Stars Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve--4 Stars Tristan Strong Destroys the World (Tristan Strong #2) by Kwame Mbalia, read by…

Welcome to my weekly update for November 21, 2021! My husband is on call at the hospital over Thanksgiving weekend but he had three days off this weekend so we came home to Asheville to visit family for a few days. We've missed seeing most of the fall color on the trees but the skies were a gorgeous, clear blue and there were still a few pops of color here and there. Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate! Posted: Women in History for Nonfiction November Read: I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.  We Are Not Broken (Cybils Nomination) by George M. Johnson--4 Stars The Beautiful Struggle (Adapted for Young Adults) (Cybils Nomination) by Ta-Nehisi Coates--4 Stars The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit, read by Virginia Leishman--4 Stars Gilded by Marissa Meyer, read by Rebecca Soler--4 Stars Currently Reading: Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) (Cybils Nomination) by Anton Treuer Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre (Cybils Nomination) by Brandy Colbert Watching: Jungle Cruise on Disney + I've been a fan of Dwayne Johnson for what feels like forever, so of course we had to watch this movie. It was an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours. Up Next: I'll continue reading Cybils high school nonfiction nominations. I'llalso post for Week 4 of Nonfiction November (hosted by Christopher at Plucked from the Stacks). What did your week look like? Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book Date hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Welcome to my weekly update for November 14, 2021! My little sister turns 40 today! I can't believe it! She's with her husband visiting an old friend at her home in St. Croix, USVI for two weeks. There are worse places to spend your 40th birthday. As I write this on Friday night, I have plans to attend YALLfest in Charleston tomorrow. My husband has the day off work so he's going to keep me company. Yay! He's not remotely interested in books but he's being a good sport. He promised himself some good food as a reward. Charleston is definitely a foodie town! Last weekend was cold and rainy so we haven't done much exploring. We did have dinner with a friend we both used to work with and haven't seen in almost ten years. He and his wife retired down here and invited us out as soon as they realized where we are. He was kind of my work dad at one point so it was so nice to see them and reminisce and catch up! One of our best friends committed suicide six years ago so we enjoyed talking about him with someone else who knew him. It's always bittersweet to revisit good memories with others who share your loss. Posted: Nonfiction/Fiction Book Pairings for Nonfiction November Read: I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.  How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith, read by the author--Hopefully I'll review this soon, but I'll say now that this is going to be one of my top books of the year. 5 Stars Almost American Girl by…

Welcome to my weekly update for November 7, 2021! Last week I asked if you thought I should attend YALLfest, a young adult book festival, even as an adult reader, and you all agreed that I should. I'm looking at the festival schedule now and figuring out which panels I'd like to attend. But I noticed that there are virtual events and giveaways every day this week leading up to the in-person festival! Check out the links if you'd like to know more! Last Saturday, my husband and I decided to visit Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. I thought hard about this and debated whether it was a...socially conscious?...thing to do. I obviously decided that I was okay with it but only if we toured the slave quarters too. The slavery tour was a powerful experience, even if there were things I thought our White guide could have addressed better (telling me repeatedly that Brazil "imported" millions more Africans than the United States doesn't change the fact that we enslaved people for hundreds of years). The other guide I saw was Black so I'm curious if her tour would have been different. The gardens were beautiful, even this late in the season. We also went to Folly Beach a couple more times. Slideshow: All images © Jennifer G. at Introverted Reader Bridge and Statue by a pond Fall decorations Live oak with Spanish moss A tree on Folly Beach draped in seashells Underside of a butterfly's wings. I think it's a Gulf Fritillary. There were so many passing through Folly Beach last weekend! Dunes at Folly Beach Posted: World War Z by Max Brooks, read by a full cast My Year in Nonfiction for Nonfiction November The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher The Black Friend by Frederick Joseph (Cybils Nomination) Read:…

Welcome to my weekly update for October 31, 2021! Are you and/or your kids dressing up? I love costumes but I'll probably just stick with my "Boo!" shirt this year. My husband and I spent an afternoon on Folly Beach this week. It was so nice to soak up the sun and listen to the waves while reading my book! The beach is my favorite place to read. Where's yours? I need opinions, please. I found out that there's going to be a young adult book festival here in Charleston in a couple of weeks. Some authors I really like will be there (Grady Hendrix, Tahereh Mafi, Ransom Riggs, Kwame Mbalia, Margaret Stohl...) Organizers require everyone attending to show proof of vaccination or a negative covid test within so many days and wear masks so I would probably feel safe attending. But as an adult reader, would you attend a young adult book festival? Or would you let the teens have their time alone? I edged around one in Texas and had Jennifer Donnelly sign some books a couple of years ago but I felt too unsure to go to any panels. My husband will probably be at work so I'll be on my own and I'm pretty timid. What's the proper thing to do? Slideshow: My sister and her dog dressed as Carmen Sandiego for a virtual Halloween office party. I was surprised by how serious Thor looked--for one picture anyway! Folly Beach County Park from the main park building A view over the Folly River from the park. If you look closely on the left, you can see the two white triangles of Charleston's iconic Cooper River Bridge (Arthur Ravenel Bridge) in the distance. Posted: The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix--4 Stars The Necromancer's House by…

Welcome to my weekly update for October 24, 2021! The past few weeks have been such a whirlwind of packing, unpacking, packing again, and seeing all our friends and family that we've basically just relaxed around our camper as much as we could this past week. We took our bikes out for a 19-mile ride on a greenway today but neither of us stopped to take pictures. The first (and last) few miles were through land typical of the coastal Carolinas, with tufts of grass, tidal flats, and lots of hunting egrets and herons. It was a gorgeous ride! Posted: Ten Bookish Resources Read: I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.  From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement by Paula Yoo--4 Stars In the Shadow of the Moon: America, Russia, and the Hidden History of the Space Race by Amy Cherrix--4 Stars The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix--4 Stars Strange Planet (Strange Planet #1) by Nathan W. Pyle--4 Stars Book Love by Debbie Tung--4 Stars The Necromancer’s House by Christopher Buehlman, read by Todd Haberkorn--3.5 Stars Currently Reading: Last Witnesses (Adapted for Young Adults) by Svetlana Alexievich, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks, read by a full cast Watching: Muppets Haunted Mansion on Disney Plus--I can read most horror all day (or night) long but I can't watch many horror movies. So kid's Halloween movies it is! This was about an hour long and had some cute musical numbers and surprise guest appearances. I think it should be…

Welcome to my weekly update for October 17, 2021! We've moved on to my husband's next work assignment. We're in Charleston, SC! It's nice to wear shorts and tees after spending the summer in Alaska in long sleeves and jeans. I don't know how long the shorts weather will last but we're soaking it up while we can. We're usually only in one spot for three months before moving on, but we're frankly tired of fighting snowbirds for campgrounds (we travel in our RV) and new traveling healthcare professionals for jobs around the new year, so we signed a six-month contract this time. We'll be here until April! We're only about a four-hour drive from home (Asheville, NC) so we should be able to spend some long weekends and hopefully some holidays with our family and friends. We arrived on Thursday last week, drove up to Raleigh for my cousin's long-awaited wedding (rescheduled twice because of covid!) and got back here last Sunday. Needless to say, we haven't had much time to explore yet, although we have spent some long weekends in Charleston in the past. Slideshow: Beachwalker Park on Kiawah IslandA view from our campground Posted: Top Ten Book Settings Read: I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.  Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe--4 Stars I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara, read by Gabra Zackman--4 Stars The Mist by Stephen King (originally published in Skeleton Crew)--4 Stars Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet--4 Stars The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph--4…

Welcome to my weekly update for October 10, 2021! We wrapped up our final week back home in Asheville, NC and had a wonderful time seeing our friends and family! We were supposed to go hiking with one friend on Tuesday so I hoped to have some pictures to show off. Unfortunately, it rained almost all this week so I don't have anything. This is the final week for public nominations for the Cybils awards! You have until October 15 to nominate any outstanding children's/young adult books of any genre. The publication date must be between October 16, 2020 and October 15, 2021. Need some ideas for nomination-worthy books? Check out the Cybils padlet to see books that other readers have enjoyed. Each person can only nominate one book per category, so all of the books on the padlet might not have been nominated yet. Visit the Cybils page for complete rules and the nomination form! Posted: Ten Bookish Pet Peeves Read: Nothing. It's always nice to go home and see everyone but I stay so busy, there's not much time for anything else. Currently Reading: I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.  Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara, read by Gabra Zackman Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet Up Next: I'm not sure. It will be a mix of horror and young adult nonfiction. What did your week look like? Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book…

Welcome to my weekly update for October 3, 2021! Last week was Banned Books Week so I posted a review of a different banned/challenged book every day. I feel that it's terribly important to bring awareness to this issue. Monitor what your kids and you yourself read, by all means. But no one has the right to remove a book from the community at large. Some of the books I reviewed last week are books I probably wouldn't have found on my own, but they cover topics that are so relevant today. I posted last week that I've been chosen as a round one panelist in the high school nonfiction category of the Cybils awards. I'm so excited! Public nominations opened on Friday. Please, please take a moment to nominate outstanding children's, middle grade, or young adult books that were published between October 16, 2020 and October 15, 2021. Full details and the nomination form are on the Cybils website. Last week, we flew home to North Carolina after spending three months in Anchorage, Alaska with my husband's job. It snowed just a bit on Friday but I was shocked to hear that the school system closed for the day. I didn't think Alaskan schools would ever close for snow! The rest of the weekend, we had crystal clear air, gorgeous blue skies, and unbelievable views of the mountains. Alaska really showed off for our last weekend! Slideshow: All images copyright © Jennifer G. at Introverted Reader 2021 Lake Hood Seaplane Base, the busiest seaplane base in the world, with the Chugach Mountains in the background Anchorage as seen from my airplane, just before dawn Posted: My thoughts on Banned Books Week 2021 The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, translated by Magda Bogin--3 Stars Top Ten Most Challenged…

Welcome to my weekly update for September 26, 2021! My husband and I are flying home to Asheville, North Carolina tomorrow after spending three months in Anchorage, Alaska with his job. We've had a wonderful time in this beautiful state! My big bookish news is that I've been chosen as a round one panelist in the high school nonfiction category for the Cybils Awards! I'm so excited! This is my first year participating but the other panelists and round two judges have amazing qualifications; I look forward to working with everyone! Nominations begin Friday, October 1. Also, today kicks off Banned Books Week. I'll write a separate post about it but I've tried to read enough banned books recently to review one every day this week. Right now I'm a little behind but I think I'll get it done. In personal news, I checked my number one bucket list item off last weekend--I saw the northern lights! Woohoo! You can see them from Anchorage sometimes, but the farther north you go, the better your chances of seeing them. At least that's my understanding. So we drove up to Fairbanks for the weekend and spent three nights looking at the sky. We only saw a low mass of snow clouds on the last two nights but we did get lucky on our first try! I did not know that a camera with the correct settings will pick up the lights better than our naked eyes will. So at first there was a lot of, "Is that faint greenish smudge what we're looking for?" Sure enough, it was. But as the night went on, we were able to see them more and more clearly. We didn't see the most active display by any means, but seeing them at all was a dream…