Winter's on Its Way!

And likely has already arrived in many parts of the world, but Oklahoma (thankfully) is still just considering her buy-in this year. But snowy sidewalks or not, it's still definitely time for some wonderful (and probably some not-so-wonderful) winter reads.

The Best of 2023

As the world continues to return to life post-pandemic, I have found that my time to read has dwindled significantly. During the pandemic and in the years that immediately followed, I averaged about 200 books a year. Now I am lucky to do half that. The publishing trends in YA are continuing to head in directions I don't care for and editing in all ways seems to have become almost nonexistent. We continually are seeing mediocre plots that should have been slashed and tightened to make the story move well. Even worse, we are seeing books in print from major publishers that have not been spellchecked or proofed for grammar. This is disappointing in the extreme and makes it more difficult to muster up enthusiasm to read in massive quantities.

Nevertheless, I was able to pull together a list of ten books I felt worthy of a mention. All are YA or adult and none were re-reads for me. Some are newer, but most are not - they are just books I never got around to reading before. But if you're looking for some good reads (IMHO) and any of these have not crossed your nightstand before, might I recommend...

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This book was just straight-up fun. Like 39 Clues or The Gollywhopper Games, but for teens. YA seriously needs more books like this. It is unapologetically teen, and I suppose it suffers from the standard flaws, but it was just such a quick, entertaining read that I didn't really care. And of course, just like Truly Devious, it is a mystery that doesn't get solved entirely in one book. The whole series is worth reading, like, now.

It's (Still) Christmas Time

at the library! And we're still reading piles of holiday stories. Here are the ones that have come across our collective desk lately.

Ho ho ho...

Santa isn't here yet. But these holiday books are in town at the local library!

Disclaimer: This librarian is super-picky about seasonal books. These are one person's honest opinions that are not personal in any way, and recognize that for every book there is a reader, and for every reader, a book. I appreciate all the hard work authors and illustrators put into publishing their books. We wouldn't have libraries without you!

That said, on with today's reads:

On the Third Day of Christmas...

... we read more holiday books!

The Holiday Hunt Continues!

...and I'm still reading all the holiday books. If you think I give a lot of mediocre reviews, please see my disclaimer from the last post. And remember: Most seasonal books are written to fill a gap.

Here are my recent finds and my honest opinion.

It's the Holiday Season...

... and I am busy searching for good holiday picture books!

Disclaimer: Like many librarians who work with children, I am not generally a fan of seasonal and holiday books. Most of them are written and published simply to fill a gap in the market. We read them to our kids because it's that time of year and we want to read SOMETHING related. So they don't have to be (and frequently aren't) all that high-quality. There will always be, of course, some books like The Polar Express that manage to fully capture the spirit of the season and yank everyone's heartstrings right out. And they are elevated to the status of classics and bought by the millions and read every year, as they rightfully should be. But most books will attempt the same and fall short. They still may be worth reading when you need holiday filler for your bedtime routine or your insatiable preschool student, but they also may be one in a slew of similarly interchangeable mediocre stories.

So with that in mind, here are the ones I have picked up lately and my honest opinions.