Random Musings of a Bibliophile

How much do you know about African American women serving in the Women's Army Corp during World War II? Or really the Women's Army Corp in general? I'm not going to lie despite taking two classes on the second world war in college my knowledge of both is pretty slim. In Mare's War Tanita Davis has given us a peak inside this small part of the fighting force and woven it into a greater story of family and relationship. Synopsis (from Goodreads): Octavia and Tali are dreading the road trip their parents are forcing them to take with their grandmother over the summer. After all, Mare isn’t your typical grandmother. She drives a red sports car, wears stiletto shoes, flippy wigs, and push-up bras, and insists that she’s too young to be called Grandma. But somewhere on the road, Octavia and Tali discover there’s more to Mare than what you see. She was once a willful teenager who escaped her less-than-perfect life in the deep South and lied about her age to join ...

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose is a blank verse novel set in the western Kansas prairie in the late 19th century. It has received some favorable buzz since being released in January, so when my library processed its copies I checked one out to see for myself. I liked it about as much as I'm ever going to like a blank verse novel set on the Kansas prairie. Synopsis (from Goodreads): May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. There is quite a lot going on in this book. It is a story about li...

Today over at BoBs you can find a guest post written by yours truly on What the Battle of the Books means to me. I was honored to be asked to write this, but it feels kind of weird knowing its out there now. Why? Maybe I'm just weird. (This is probably it.) If you meander on over there to read it, also remember to vote in the Undead Poll if you haven't yet. Every vote counts! (Remember: Chime is awesome. You want to vote for Chime .)

I had no real expectations for The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind by Meg Medina going into reading it other than "ooh pretty cover" and "wow here's a different setting for a novel". I have to say I enjoyed it immensely. Medina is a truly talented story teller. Synopsis (from Goodreads): Sixteen-year-old Sonia Ocampo was born on the night of the worst storm Tres Montes had ever seen. And when the winds mercifully stopped, an unshakable belief in the girl's protective powers began. All her life, Sonia has been asked to pray for sick mothers or missing sons, as worried parents and friends press silver milagros in her hands. Sonia knows she has no special powers, but how can she disappoint those who look to her for solace? Still, her conscience is heavy, so when she gets a chance to travel to the city and work in the home of a wealthy woman, she seizes it. At first, Sonia feels freedom in being treated like all the other girls. But when news arr...

Hannah's Winter by Kierin  Meehan was recommended to me by Charlotte of Charlotte's Library .  Thanks Charlotte! I might otherwise never known of its existence, which would have been incredibly sad. I really liked this book, but acknowledge it may not be for the enjoyment of everyone. It is a book that, in the hands of the right reader, will work magic. I happened to be one of those readers. Synopsis (from Goodreads): Hannah would much rather be back in Australia, starting high school with her friends. But Japan turns out to be nothing like she d imagined, and when Hannah and her new friend Miki find an ancient message in the stationery shop, they are drawn into solving a mysterious riddle. Why do the beans go berserk during the bean-throwing festival? Who is the evil-eyed woman at Sarumaru Shrine? Why is Hannah attacked by flying donuts? Is the ocean boy really trying to tell her something?  Hannah's Winter is a slow journey. Much of the book is spent getti...

I can't even remember how Anahita's Woven Riddle by Meghan  Nuttall Sayres ended up on my radar. I remember why I was interested though. It has the sound of a fairy tale type plot where a girl chooses a suitor based on his ability to answer a riddle she weaves into cloth, but is straight up historical fiction. Historical fiction set in late 19th century Iran. Synopsis (from Goodreads): Anahita, a nomad, learns that her father has promised her hand in marriage to a man she dislikes. Determined to have a say in her own fate, Anahita convinces her father to let her hold a contest, in which potential suitors must correctly answer the riddle she has woven into her wedding carpet. A diplomat, a schoolteacher, a shepherd, and a prince compete in Anahita's battle of wits, for the heart of this extraordinary girl. Anahita is indeed an extraordinary girl, one who dreams of a life where she chooses her own destiny. She would be content learning the secrets of her tribe...

  At first glance, Duncan Dorfman, April Blunt, and Nate Saviano don't seem to have much in common. Duncan is trying to look after his single mom and adjust to life in a new town while managing his newfound Scrabble superpower - he can feel words and pictures beneath his fingers and tell what they are without looking. April is pining for a mystery boy she met years ago and striving to be seen as more than a nerd in her family of jocks. And homeschooled Nate is struggling to meet his father's high expectations for success. When these three unique kids are brought together at the national Youth Scrabble Tournament, each with a very different drive to win, their paths cross and stories intertwine.  The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by Meg Wolitzer is a book about Scrabble. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. In fact you could use it as a how to manual in learning to play Scrabble and play it well. There is a list of all the acceptable two letter words and anot...