In October 2022 I managed to read 4 books. I say ‘managed’ because I traded my reading time for setting up my blog. It was important to me that I establish what I wanted the blog aesthetics to be before posting content more frequently. That and my sanity only allowed me to get through 2 picture books, a graphic novel, and an adult fiction novel.
Book blogging is new for me and deciding what I want to post has been a constant back and forth. Thankfully I approach most things with the goal in mind to accomplish whatever’s at hand with ease. I didn’t force myself and I’ve taken time to think about my feelings well after reading these books and now I’m ready to put paper to pen. Below are reviews for the 4 books I read in October. A link will be included for the ones I have a lengthier review or blog post for and star ratings and other blurbs can be found on my Goodreads, Storygraph, Readerly and Litsy profiles. Let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
- A Wee Boo by Jessica Boyd, Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan
- A Fall Frolic in the City by Cathy Goldberg Fishman, Illustrated by Melanie Hall
- Smaller Sister By Maggie Edkins Willis
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- Chat Back!
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A Wee Boo by Jessica Boyd, Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan
I picked up “A Wee Boo” because I wanted to read at least one Halloween-themed book for the spooky season. Usually, I would reach for something on the creepy side, but instead, I decided to pivot in the opposite direction and pick up something cute. Cute is exactly what I got with “A Wee Boo.”
“A Wee Boo” is a September 2022 new release about an adorable ghost named Wee Boo. More than anything, Wee Boo wants to be a properly certified ghost. They have finished all of their classes in Ghost School but cannot pass their haunting test, and it’s not from a lack of trying. They have tried twice and failed each time because they simply are not scary. Who knew that being a ghost could be so hard?
At 32 colorful pages, “A Wee Boo” is as endearing as its namesake. In its positive turn of events, we learn that even the most adorable and cutest of ghosts can create a fun scare for someone. I recommend this book for young readers that enjoy humor, as laughter is guaranteed while witnessing Wee Boo’s journey trying for their haunting license a third and final time.
A Fall Frolic in the City by Cathy Goldberg Fishman, Illustrated by Melanie Hall
Book four of the “In the City” series, “A Fall Frolic in the City,” is a beautifully illustrated picture book that encapsulates Fall sights, smells, and celebrations. Showcased against an autumnal backdrop are pictorial representations of children from diverse backgrounds participating in activities and festivals associated with the Fall season. I picked up this book specifically for its eye-catching cover and finished it wanting some hot apple cider. If I were a child, this would be a designated cozy read and reminiscent of a warm hug. The epitome of Fall.
Written in the fashion of simple rhymes and ascending counting pattern, “A Fall Frolic in the City” makes for an easy read for young readers. It’s sure to be a Fall staple in any home that creates space for it on their bookshelves.
In mentioning young readers, I must note that I read this book in ebook format and if you are to purchase or borrow the book in physical format, it helps to know that it is a board book. Board books are quintessential for growing children and built with durability to withstand treatment from little hands that haven’t fully developed their fine motor skills. They can withstand little gnawers too.
Smaller Sister by Maggie Edkins Willis
After completing those two picture books, my library hold on “Smaller Sister” came in. “Smaller Sister” is a graphic novel I started in August of this year and had underestimated how long it would take for me to read. Before I knew it, the book was automatically returned to the library before I could finish it. I was a little perturbed by that because I only had 10% of the book left.
Lesson learned, I immediately placed another hold on the book and did not waste time finishing the book in October. Looking back, I’m appreciative of the break away from the boo. It allowed me to gauge whether or not the graphic novel had a lasting impression on me.
“Smaller Sister” is about two sisters, Lucy and Olivia, transitioning from grade level to grade level while navigating all the ships, friendships, familial relationships, and life occurrences that are beyond their control.
The book’s focal point is the companionship between the siblings. As with any relationship, there are peaks and valleys; initially, with Lucy and Olivia, there are more valleys than peaks. Besides temporarily growing apart due to their different stages of development, their sisterhood bows under additional pressures that evolve from their family move to relocate for their father’s job. Olivia’s response to this change manifests in her developing an eating disorder that causes miniature fractures in the infrastructure of the family and ultimately causes friction between her and Lucy.
Through a series of bright and colorful panels, the reader witnesses how Lucy’s preteenhood is impacted and the difficulty she faces in traversing its landscape compacted with complicated friendships, crushes, body changes, and more. Lucy suffers greatly from the lack of parental attention and support that has now been entirely directed toward dealing with Olivia’s recovery. Eventually, with time and maturity, the sisters reconnect on new common ground.
What I liked most about the illustration of this graphic novel is how the character’s facial expressions were drawn to emote discomfort, concern, and a myriad of other visages that made the tone of each panel palpable. As for dislikes, I initially wished there were more behind the scenes on Olivia’s eating disorder, but upon reflection, I think the author intentionally did not include more than what was on page to mirror what eating disorders are like for the person experiencing it. It’s discreetly done behind closed doors. I also would rather have more insight into why the parents felt they should uproot their children so often. I personally do not think it was best for either child. Especially Olivia who has demonstrated that sudden change triggers her to retract back to controlling what she can, which is her eating habits.
The subjects and themes of “Smaller Sister” make for a productive discussion about body image, responses to change, sisterhood, and how to identify traits of healthy friendships and human interactions. I think it would be the perfect companion read in a middle to high school setting, specifically for a Health Education class. I would consider in addition to being taught alongside a chapter unit that encompasses subjects similar to what’s in “Smaller Sister.”
Having this book in the home or classroom can bridge gaps in communication between adults and teens and further facilitate discussions about real-life experiences that require dialogue about difficult or sensitive subjects. Understanding self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-worth is important, and “Smaller Sister” may be the book needed for someone to realize just that.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
My fourth and final read for the month of October was Delia Owens’ “Where the Crawdads Sing“. “Where the Crawdads Sing” was a surprising read for me because I had attempted the audiobook in 2020 and put it down because it felt slow and stale. The same thing almost happened this time, but I pushed through the first couple of chapters and when I arrived at chapter 8, the book really picked up. Unbeknownst to me, because I usually do not check to see what a book is about before reading, “Where the Crawdads Sing” is a murder, mystery, romance, coming-of-age story. Although the first group of chapters almost deterred me from continuing on, the middle and meaty portion of the book is what I stayed for.
Spanning between 1952 and 1970 North Carolina, we follow Kya Clark, ‘The Marsh Girl’. Despite experiencing abandonment from an early age and subsequently by almost everyone that she could have considered a friend, Kya embraces self-isolation and is able to survive in the Marsh. With the help of some townspeople, Kya becomes self-sufficient and miraculously learns life lessons from living amongst nature. Due to Owens’ professional background, she successfully transformed what some would consider technical writing into relatable and analogous language. Very fitting for Kya who has such a close relationship with the Marsh and its inhabitants.
The story timeline moves forward and backward before building up to a court case where Kya is put on trial for murder. Consequently, the book layout facilitates the reader in fully understanding the formative years that create Kya’s background and what motivates her to continue living in isolation. Through the years we meet supporting characters that have had an influence on the trajectory of Kya’s life story. And ultimately, as a reader, spending copious amounts of time with Kya and the Marsh, I fought against why any of her family would abandon her. The book heavily plays on your emotions with character development.
Witnessing Kya experiencing so much hardship and overcoming adversity, one can’t help but root for her. The story will pull on your heartstrings and have you on your toes, as I was pleasantly surprised that I did not know who the murderer was.
I’m holding back from including more details because I do have more thoughts that I’d like to include elsewhere. A proper book review post will be linked here once published. Below are some “gists” or Reader Reviews from Readerly that can give you a better idea of what other readers thought of Where the Crawdads Sing.
Chat Back!
Overall, I feel that I had a pretty decent reading month in October. I did not have any five-star reads, but I did have a good time reading what I chose. What have you been up to? If you’ve read any of these books, let me know your thoughts. If you haven’t, share what you have read. And if you haven’t read anything, then what is something you’ve been working on completing that you’ve finally got around to? For me, it’s this blog. Prepare to be sick of me repeating that because I’m proud. Until the next post, chat back in the comments and dare to start something new. Preferably, a book.
