Thursday, December 30, 2021

On My Bookshelf: December

December has been a really rough month. Between what happened in Oxford (not far from where I live...) and just the general pandemic issues, I'm exhausted. There's a special kind of burnout that exists for teachers around this time of year. Looking back at 2020, I have a hard time even remembering a lot of that time, which is insane to think that I just lost months of my life.

I've been reading quite a bit this time of year, 

By Karen M. McManus

Me being honest...I loved the cover of this book. And I have a whole army of cousins that could take up an entire series. What I really liked was how this book kept most of the plot points mysterious throughout. It started out slow, and then I realized at one point I couldn't put it down.

The book takes different perspective for each chapter; Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah are the grandchildren of the incredibly wealthy and reclusive Mildred Story. She cut off every member of her family 24 years earlier, and sent a mysterious note to her grandchildren, inviting them to work on the island. Upon arrival, they realize there is much more to the family past. Everyone has secrets, and they can be deadly when people start poking around. I did enjoy this book enough to recommend it to my students!

By Ashley Poston

Another pick from the bargain bin. Why does Books-A-Million think this should be on sale? I prefer the word "nerd" for myself, but I just had to snag it because of the name. I'm a sucker for any interpretation of Cinderella, especially modern ones! There's just something sweet about that storyline, which is why I imagine it remains popular after all these years. 

Elle is an orphan, living with her cruel stepmother and stepsisters. They do a number of terrible things to her, including forcing her to cook and clean, and generally just being emotionally abusive. Her father was involved in the fandom of a particular science-fiction show and shared that with Elle before he died. As a teen she writes a blog about the series and has a mysterious connection with someone claiming to be a character. Through a series of twists and turns, she honors the memory of her parents and learns about herself. My students are going to love this one! 

~Kristen

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On My Bookshelf: December

December has been a really rough month. Between what happened in Oxford (not far from where I live...) and just the general pandemic issues,...