Happy Blogiversary to me!
One year ago this week, I kicked off The Neverending TBR, and I’ve had so much fun tracking new releases and reviewing amazing books. I hope you have found some great treasures as you spent time here in the last year.
On to the new releases for this week!
Books for Kids
Her Right Foot – This ingenious nonfiction book looks at the Statue of Liberty from the perspective of her foot, sculpted in motion. I can’t wait to read this one!
It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk – The Jack in this story has NO interest in following the narrator’s instructions to sell his cow and climb a beanstalk! This time Jack is taking his story into his own hands. This reminds me of one of my favorite fractured fairy tales, Don’t Read this Book! I can’t wait to check this one out!
Read! Read! Read! – Twenty-three poems about reading!
JoJo and Daddy Bake a Cake – Fancy Nancy’s little sister gets her own Early Readers, including this story about baking with her dad.
Beatrice Zinker Upside Down Thinker – This early chapter book stars Beatrice Zinker, a girl who has a unique perspective on the world – she prefers to look at it upside down. This makes her a very creative thinker. I’ll be reviewing this book tomorrow!
Jada Jones Rock Star AND Jada Jones Class Act – New transitional chapter book series. Book one focuses on Jada’s love of science and rocks and minerals, as well as some social issues at school. Book two focuses on her desire to be class representative and her fear of public speaking. This looks like a darling series!
Lark and the Diamond Caper – Book 2 in this series starring junior detectives searching for a missing pair of diamond earrings. I love mysteries for any age reader!
Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults
Falcon Wild – A girl who longs to be a certified falconer has to use all of her knowledge and skill to survive an accident and get help for her injured and trapped family.
No Place Like Home – A girl who has lived most of her life on the move with her dad for his job gets the chance to settle in for a little while, go to public school, and make some friends. Figuring they will be moving on soon, though, she decides to take some risks instead of playing everything safe. I love the whole line of MIX books from Aladdin, and this book sounds like my style of story.
Quests for Glory – Book 4 in the School for Good and Evil series. The students embark on their required fourth year quests where some are trying to return Camelot to its former glory and others find themselves in over their heads. Fans of this series will love to hear that there’s a fourth book to devour!
Renegades – Book 3 in the Randoms series. Poor Zeke seems to be in more trouble than ever. Whatever he does to save the galaxy (and get the girl) only seems to get him in more trouble. And this time, he doesn’t have any of his usual allies to help him. Our whole family has enjoyed the first two books in this series, and we will most definitely be reading book 3!
Saving Marty – A boy adopts a runty pig as his pet. The pig thinks he’s a dog, and acts accordingly, but when he reaches 350 lbs, it’s hard to pretend he’s a normal pet. This is described as “heart-wrenching” which makes me nervous about the pig’s future, but I HAVE to know what happens in this story.
The Way to Bea – A girl facing monumental changes writes haiku in invisible ink in a secret spot. Then someone writes back. I have wanted to read this since I first saw the cover. This is exactly the sort of book that I love!
Trolled – Book 3 in the Enchanted Files. Ned the Troll knows he is supposed to despise humans. But Ned just can’t do that; his heart is full of LOVE. This sounds fantastic! I will be putting the first two books on my library list asap so I can check out this fun fantasy series.
Rainy Day Unicorn Fun – A puzzle book from the Phoebe and her Unicorn folks. I ADORE the graphic novel books in this series – in fact the next one releases in October. I’m looking forward to checking out this activity book. It might be just what I need to keep in the car or in my purse for when I am waiting for an appointment, and I don’t want to bring along a book.
Jane Unlimited – A grieving teen accepts an invitation to the mysterious island Tu Reviens where she will have the chance to make different choices for her life. This author wrote the wildly popular Graceling (which of course is on my TBR shelves), so this is getting a lot of buzz.
Moxie: A Novel – A high schooler, fed up with the double standard, starts a feminist zine that becomes more popular than she could have ever imagined. This is probably at the top of my wish list for the week. This sounds like a terrific, girl-power sort of story, and I love to read those.
Murder, Magic and What We Wore – A young woman discovers her father is dead and his money is missing so she becomes a spy and learns that she has a magical affinity for sewing glamours. This is a hard story to summarize. Come back on Thursday when I will be reviewing this one and you can find out a little more. It’s terrific!
One Dark Throne – EEEEK! Okay, I was wrong – THIS will be top of my list for the week (Moxie is a close second). I absolutely loved Three Dark Crowns last fall – you can read my review here. After a long wait, the sequel is arriving this week. By the time I get it from the library, I hope to have re-read book one so I am fresh and ready to enjoy book 2.
The Victoria in My Head – A girl daydreams of being a rock star, but her very real life and insecurities make that dream almost impossible. I love this idea of throwing caution to the wind and just running after your dream. I do not have that sort of personality, so I am happy to enjoy it vicariously through books.
Books for Adults
13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do – Morin takes her original premise from 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do and applies it this time to parenting. I have her first book, and would love to read this one as well!
Bean to Bar Chocolate – I have no idea what the “American craft chocolate revolution” is, but I don’t even care. This is about chocolate. I’d love to read it. Includes recipes.
Becoming MomStrong: How to Fight with All That’s In You for Your Family and Your Faith – Helping moms grow strong in their faith and their identity in Christ so they can pass that strength onto their children. If I wasn’t so overloaded on Bible Studies and self-improvement books right now, I would have this on my list immediately. I love the whole idea of this – especially the Bible Study piece. This is one I may revisit in another season of life.
Becoming MomStrong Bible Study – Six week Bible study based on the book. There’s also a matching journal so you can keep your notes and thoughts together as you go through the material.
Grown-Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans: How to Decode their Behavior, Develop Unshakable Trust, and Raise a Respectable Adult – Parenting a teen is hard work. I am always in the market for a book that will give me new insights and strategies to make these the best years as a family. This isn’t just for parents, either. This works for any adult committed to a strong relationship with a teen – youth workers, mentors, teachers, pastors.
Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything – If you find personality differences and types and strengths and such fascinating – and I DO! – you’ll want to check this one out.
Sally’s Cookie Addiction – I’m not much for cooking. It seems like standing in the kitchen forever for something my family will finish in less than 20 minutes. I could use that time to read! But I generally enjoy baking. So a book like this – with lots of baking suggestions – would be a lot of fun for me. Cookies are great treats – small, easy to share, and they make great gifts for teachers, friends, pitch-ins, etc.
Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years – Former speechwriter for President Obama shares stories of his time in the White House.