📚second batch of excellent reads from 2023📚
MBH no. 25
Hello everyone!
I apologize for the huge gap between posts—my kids have been in school literally four days out of the past month, and I still had someone home sick yesterday (after having a snow/cold day on Tuesday!) Between a lot of family togetherness 😉 combined with freelance work, some weird health stuff, and feeling generally down/anxious about the news (how I hate the news), I couldn’t find the time or the motivation to write—and I’ve missed it.
How do you find the motivation to keep up with your hobbies during tough times? I’d love to know because it seems like my own interests are the first thing I abandon when I have too much going on.
Hoping this year brings a little more consistency to my life and work, and especially want to make this newsletter more of a priority.
I promised a second random batch of books we read and enjoyed in 2023, so here we go!
Hither & Nigh(series), by Ellen Potter (2022)(2023)
Dad used to say that River and I were twins born eleven months apart. And really, that was how it felt. It wasn’t that we were alike—we weren’t, not at all. It was just that we were happiest when we were together, which I guess is unusual for siblings. During school, when we were apart, I felt like a mess. Awkward, weird. Never knowing what to say. When we found each other at the end of school, it was always such a relief, like stepping into a warm building when you’re freezing cold.
After he disappeared, I was left to like my own messy life alone, a life which just seemed to get messier every year.
Nell Batista would rather play chess in Washington Square Park with the hustlers than attend school. Deep down, Nell hopes she might find her older brother River, who disappeared from the park three years earlier.
Because of her truancy, Nell lands in the “Last Chance Club,” along with other rule breakers, and is startled when their teacher starts giving them lessons—in magic.
Nell discovers a parallel world—a magical New York City called “the Nigh,” a place that is eerily similar to the city she knows but also completely different, with a sinister undertone. The Nigh is controlled by the terrifying minister, who might hold the key to finding River.
Originally, I thought this book would be ideal for my daughter, 8 at the time, but I quickly realized that the darker elements of the story would be too creepy and intense for her. While the magic is sometimes silly--the kids learn spells using chopsticks--the minister, evil magicians, and certain creatures living in the Nigh might be too much for sensitive younger kids.
However, my older child (11) read Hither and Nigh and its sequel, The Golden Imaginarium, quickly– the first ends on a cliffhanger, and both are total page-turners.
It’s funny, but if you look at the Goodreads reviews, this one doesn’t rate super highly, and I think it might be because adults are usually the ones rating books on Goodreads, and some reviewers found plot holes, etc…but if you judge this book on whether kids like it or not (as the Amazon reviews seem to reflect), Hither and Nigh is a clear winner.
My opinion? The author did a great job building a unique, kid-centric magical world, one that ISN’T trying to be Harry Potter.
Recommended for ages 9-13
Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish, by Pablo Cartaya (2018)
I tried to keep cool about most things. When you’re as big as me you can’t get rattled easily or you’ll scare people. But make fun of my brother and all bets are off.
Marcus is the biggest kid in his entire middle school, and he uses his size to his advantage. He’s unapproachable and consumed with caring for his younger brother to make life easier for his hardworking single mother.
Although Marcus is convinced he doesn’t need friends, he offers “services” like walking younger kids to school so they don’t get picked on and puts any money he earns into his family’s emergency cash jar.
But when a vicious bully calls his brother (who has Down syndrome) an unforgivable name, Marcus snaps, throws a punch, and gets suspended.
Marcus's mom is incredibly distraught, blaming herself for Marcus’s actions (sounds familiar🤣), and decides it's time for a change of pace. She takes Marcus and his brother on a trip to Puerto Rico to visit family the boys have never met, and hopes it will give the three of them the reset they desperately need.
However, Marcus wants to visit Puerto Rico for an entirely different reason: he knows his father–who abandoned them ten years ago–lives somewhere on the island. Marcus is determined to find him, hoping his dad will step up and help their family.
Although his mom isn’t crazy about his quest, the entire family supports Marcus as they travel around Puerto Rico in search of his father.
Our whole family listened to the audio version of this book and absolutely loved it.
Although Marcus thinks he’s just looking for his dad, he finds so much more—an understanding of himself and his family, and a place in a culture he didn’t know he needed.
A fantastic, unmissable read.
Recommended for ages 8-13
The Eyes and the Impossible, by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Shawn Harris (2023)
Definitely listen and watch the official book trailer—narrated by Ethan Hawke!
Johannes is a self-proclaimed “free dog” who lives in a large park on a small island. He is the Eyes of his community, responsible for keeping track of everything happening in the park and reporting his findings back to three Bison–the Keepers of the Equilibrium.
He has a team of Assistant Eyes: a seagull, a raccoon, and a squirrel, who all bring different strengths (and quirks!) to the table.
Johannes and his friends face several disturbances to the Equilibrium. They encounter disruptive humans they call “Trouble Travelers," a potential coyote spotted in the park, the construction of a huge new building, and the mysterious “rectangles” that fascinate Johannes–but also mesmerize and distract him, putting him in danger of being caught by the Control the Animals People and the Parks People.
After he’s nearly captured, Johannes realizes how much he values his freedom and decides to spearhead a mission to free his Bison friends who live in a fenced enclosure in the park.
There’s been a lot of buzz around this one, so you’ve likely heard about it. However, it was, hands down, the most beautifully written and unique book we read last year. It’s also hilarious--I read this aloud with my 6th grader (he’s still letting me read to him…some nights) and we laughed out loud multiple times.
Above all, The Eyes and the Impossible is a story about freedom, beauty, and finding strength in community.
The Eyes is a novel that would appeal to any age, but I’d recommend it highly for adults who want to read more middle grade literature but aren’t sure where to start.
Recommended for ages 9+
Wishing you hours and hours of reading magic,
Katie
P.S. As you all know by now, I am a Bookshop.org affiliate. This impactful organization donates all profits to local bookstores (more on that here). If you purchase through one of my links or by visiting my storefront, I earn a teeny tiny commission, which (one day 😂) will support my work on this newsletter.
I can’t wait until we are in middle grade stages! I love picture books but I feel fairly versed in them and middle grade is uncharted territory for me since I left it behind in the late 80’s early 90’s and I bet a lot has made its way onto the shelves in the interim.
When I don’t have time to be creative, I try to keep up the creativity in my mind if nowhere else - take short notes on things I wish I was writing, plan quilt patterns in my head. It keeps me connected without stressing me about having an end project. And sometimes, for me, it’s about having an audience for my project, even if the appreciation is mostly imagined on my end!
Good luck with finding your way back to the rhythm! Don’t be hard on yourself for the periods of slower flow, those have their purposes too I’m sure.
I feel you on the hobbies dropping off. This year I’ve been trying to pay myself first but filling my own cup before other obligations. It seems counterintuitive but it’s so refreshing. I’ve been meaning to read MARCUS VEGA!