For Some Reason

I didn't look carefully at the cover of Booked.  I wish I had.  I thought that Booked was a sequel to The Crossover which I loved, loved, loved, so I thought "a sequel, hmm...how can it be as good?" and so I wasn't too excited to read it.  I mean, I knew I would read it, but I was going to wait until I could get it from the library, one of those things.  Then I actually read what it was about and then I looked closely at the cover and I had to have it!  And so I bought it on audible.  And it was well worth it. Well worth it.  So good.  A soccer story time time, but no more a "soccer story" than The Crossover was just a "basketball story."  Mr. Alexander has done it again.  Incredible.

Finally

I am probably the last person on earth to read Naomi Shihab Nye, but I finally did!  Everyone I know always says, "Have you read Naomi Shihab Nye?"  "Naomi Shihab Nye is one of my biggest influences."  "I can't believe you haven't read Naomi Shihab Nye yet!"
And so for many years, I have felt very left out.  Very sad.  But I just finished There's No Long Distance Now and so I can finally say, "Yes!  I read There's No Long Distance Now!" I can't wait until the next person asks me!  Watch, it will be months or years.  Don't that just figure.
The sad thing is, I didn't really love the book.  But I did enjoy reading about Ms. Nye.  And she seems like a really cool person and so now after I finish all of the books I have checked out I am going to read another book by her.
I just wish I would have liked this book more.  There are forty REALLY short stories that make up TNLD.  Some are SUPER short!  Unlike the Sharon Flake short story books I've read, I don't remember a lot of these.  Maybe that was my problem, comparing one author to another when I am so totally biased toward Sharon G. Flake.  So next time I am not going to compare Nye to Flake or to anyone, and I'm just going to read!