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Reading Recap

book and coffee

Good morning! I hope you've had a nice few weeks since my last reading recap. My kids have started school and they both seem to be enjoying their new teachers and classmates. I've been extremely busy with work, as usual. We're all anxiously awaiting Fall arriving here. Starting today, I don't see any 90s in the 15 day forecast so that is a huge relief. The past several months have been hot and humid without any breaks so cooler weather, even just mid-80s, is quite welcome! I'd love to sit on my porch and read.

Blog events and challenges


This summer I participated in the Big Book Summer Reading Challenge hosted by Sue at Book By Book. I only managed to read three books for the challenge, but I enjoyed all of them. I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey, and The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton.

This past weekend, I participated in the Fall Bloggiesta. I managed to get most of my list done, which felt good. Hopefully that will kickstart me into blogging more regularly now. I wrote two reviews, got my Reviews page updated and posted several reviews on Goodreads. I also participated in one of the Twitter chats - the closing chat last night.

What I'm reading

    
Since my last update, I read Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty. Unfortunately, I agree with many of the reviews I've seen that it was just okay. My review will be up this week. I am now reading Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, which I am enjoying.

What my kids are reading


 
M, who is a 4th grader, read Claudia and Mean Janine, part of The Baby-Sitters Club series by Raina Telgemeier. She is now reading The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman at home, and her class is starting to read Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper.

 
Carter, who is a 7th grader, finished the Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen. He is now reading Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton.


I am having a tough time finding books for Carter now. We go to the library and just wander around picking things off the shelf because he's read so many of the popular series already! Any favorite YA books and series that you'd recommend for a 12 year old boy, or online book lists we could check out? Please let me know in the comments.

Book links in this post are Amazon Affiliate links. I'm linking up with Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading? as well as Unleashing Readers and Teach Mentor Texts for the children's and YA version of this weekly gathering.

What are you reading? Please share in the comments!
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Comments

  1. Steph GorelenoreSeptember 19, 2016 at 2:52 PM

    Sounds like you enjoyed Bloggiesta! :)
    Goodreads has great lists, you should see if they have any for you

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jane @ raincitylibrarian.wordpress.comSeptember 19, 2016 at 6:02 PM

    Has he read anything by Kenneth Oppel? His Airborn trilogy and his Frankenstein books are pretty good, but they tend to be a bit less well know because they're not American. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JulieSeptember 19, 2016 at 8:50 PM

      He did read the Airborn series. I know he read a version of Frankenstein. Are Oppel's Frankenstein books something different?

      Delete
  3. Ms. YinglingSeptember 19, 2016 at 6:59 PM

    John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice and Delaney's Last Apprentice, since he can do medievalish fantasies. Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. So many things! 7th grade boys are my target demographic, so check out my blog, and please e mail me if you need suggestions. There are a ton of MG fantasies!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JulieSeptember 19, 2016 at 8:52 PM

      I will definitely head over to your blog. And I may email as well. His friend, who he's Facetiming at the moment, said he wants to read Ranger's Apprentice so they've both decided to read that one. I'm making a list!

      Delete
  4. Ms. YinglingSeptember 19, 2016 at 7:01 PM

    OH! Don't forget Pierce's Alanna books. There are over 20. Cadnum's Book of the Lion. Spradlin's Keeper of the Grail. Wrede's Dealing with Dragons. So many!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sue JacksonSeptember 19, 2016 at 8:05 PM

    Same here on the 90+ degree days!!! Enough already. Doesn't feel like fall yet!

    And, hey, 3 Big Books this summer is GREAT!! And all good ones, too - awesome! If you want, you can add this post to the reviews & updates links list on the challenge page.

    Has Carter read the Pendragon series yet? 10 books and AMAZING! Jamie and I both loved it & blew through all 10 :)

    http://greatbooksforkidsandteens.blogspot.com/2009/03/middle-gradeteen-fiction-review.html

    Everything by Neal Schusterman is great. Here's the Everlost series:

    http://greatbooksforkidsandteens.blogspot.com/2009/07/teenya-review-everlost.html

    And - my all-time favorite, the Unwind series:

    http://greatbooksforkidsandteens.blogspot.com/2010/11/teenya-review-unwind.html

    Some older favorites - The Underland Chronicles, Suzanne Collin's FIRST hit series, long before Hunger Games! I think he'll love it:

    http://greatbooksforkidsandteens.blogspot.com/2009/02/life-has-been-especially-hectic-lately.html

    Our whole family also loved the Lionboy trilogy:

    http://greatbooksforkidsandteens.blogspot.com/2009/02/middle-grade-fiction-review-lionboy.html

    Hope that helps! Enjoy your books this week!

    Sue

    2016 Big Book Summer Challenge

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JulieSeptember 19, 2016 at 8:54 PM

      I know he's read the Everlost and Underland Chronicles series but not all of these. Thank you!!

      Delete
  6. Heather FineisenSeptember 19, 2016 at 8:06 PM

    The picks this week are great. My list just grew. Happy Reading!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cheriee WeichelSeptember 19, 2016 at 10:59 PM

    I hope you've got lots of idea! I enjoyed Eleanor and Park, but not as much as Fangirl.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JulieSeptember 28, 2016 at 7:48 AM

      I ended up liking Eleanor and Park better than Fangirl!

      Delete
  8. Myra Garces BacsalSeptember 23, 2016 at 4:59 AM

    The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a favourite. You may also want to check out his Wonderstruck and The Marvels.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JulieSeptember 28, 2016 at 7:49 AM

      Thanks! Carter has read all three already! M and I just need to read Marvels. We've read the others.

      Delete

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