libscote's reviews
6270 reviews

When I Arrived at the Castle by E.M. Carroll

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

Beautiful art but the story was a bit convoluted. 

Indian Shoes by Cynthia Leitich Smith

lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

An excellent chapter book about a Native family living in the city. 

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

challenging emotional funny medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

This reminded me of Gary Schmidt's books, where there is a very sad thing that happens and people deal with it, often in humorous ways. Simon wants to escape his life in Omaha when he moves to Grin and Bear It. No one can have the internet there, in addition to other electronics that might interfere with radio telescope frequencies. He meets Agate, a girl who wants to ping alien noises off of the local telescope so the researchers won't feel so all alone. These two learn to be best friends and to help each other deal with the aspects of their lives that aren't always so pleasant. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content and Mass/school shootings

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry

challenging dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

This took me a while to read. I thought it was good, but it was a lot to process and very different from my usual type of reading. I'm glad I read it though.

All Fours by Miranda July

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. It was chosen for Book Club and I was like, sure I'll give it a go. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed it. I suspect parts might hit differently if you're actually a mom, but I still found a lot to think about and enjoy in this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Medical trauma

Minor: Child death

Where the Forest Meets the River by Shannon Bowring

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing medium-paced

4.0

This is a really good series. I hope there's another one because it felt like there was a little cliffhanger for one of the characters and I need to know what happened!

The Carrefour Curse by Dianne K. Salerni

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was a really good mystery about a family that seems to be suffering under some kind of magical curse. I liked learning about Garnet and her family's take on magic (different types of earth magic with family lines having a specific focus.) I was a little confused by part of the ending, but overall this is a book you could hand to many children and they would enjoy it. 

The Adventure Zone: The Suffering Game by Griffin McElroy, Clint McElroy, Carey Pietsch, Travis McElroy, Justin McElroy

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

4.75

There were a few parts where I was confused and I realized those must have been parts of the podcast that were hard to translate into pictures. Overall I still really enjoy this series and I can't believe the next installment might be the last.

Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.0

I think this is really good as a political explainer, but I wish there was a bit more about what to do with the information. I felt so downtrodden by the end (although I am reading this in the runup to the 2024 election). 

Seed to Plant National Geographic Kids by National Geographic

2.5

A primer on plants.