Always be a first rate version of yourself...: France

What's Going On Here?

There are SO MANY wonderful book review blogs out there and I can't compete with them, that is for sure. So this is not a book review blog. This is just a way for me to organize what I have read so that I can be better at matching the right book to the right person. The blog title comes from the brilliant mind of the most talented woman who ever lived, Ms. Judy Garland. The full quote is, "Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of someone else." That is what I hope to do here and in ever aspect of my life.

Showing posts with label France. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Here's What Happened...

one summer at work we had this Summer of Wonder. And it featured the book Wonder. Now I have loved this book ever since I read the ARC. Fell in love with it right away. LOVED it. But then the Summer of Wonder just killed it for me. It was just...I don't know...the way we did it...ah...it is complicated. But this doesn't take a way from what a great book it really is. So when I saw White Bird, well I was still thinking of the Summer of Wonder and I really didn't want to read it. No interest at all. But man, man, man I am so glad I did. I listened to it and I know it is a graphic novel and so I will read it, but man the audio was just powerful. Especially Palacio's author's comments at the end. IMPORTANT. Please, please, please let us never forget. It is happening again. It is. Please. Speak up. Please. Love and love and love again. And do not be afraid. Do not let others prey on fear and turn us into people who devalue and dehumanize others. We are all diversely created children of God. Please, please do not be frightened into hardening your hearts. Please do not be frightened into thinking that rights for all mean less rights for some. That is how it begins.

Friday, February 16, 2018

David Levithan Loves Super Models!

I mean he must, right? Because, as Mr. Levithan believes THIN IS IN! Shockingly, I don't know much about the model industry! So this book really was my first exposure. I don't know if it is a common experience, but from other things I have heard and seen in snippets on tv, it seems like it might be. I was also shocked to read about this guy who seems just like a first class David Levithan.
I wish the very best for Victoire Dauxerre and thank her for the courage it took to write this book. It must have been a painful, but hopefully empowering task.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Something Special

The Inquisitor's Tale or the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog was, indeed, something special. The group on goodreads that reads a possible Newbery every month, one of ladies, Brenda, commented, "I think Gidwitz did something special here." And wow, she said it so well.
A tale set in the Middle Ages, for the ages.
Towers Falling is still my first choice, but this is a close, close, close second.
Very funny and very poignant.