Michelle’s Comments (group member since Dec 08, 2021)

Michelle’s comments from the On The Same Page group.

Great reviews Pat! I can see you're going to fatten up my TBR.

My first hit! The Little Princeby Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

A sweet children's classic about a little prince who leaves his planet, learns many things, and imparts some wisdom of his own. This story accompanied by it's beautiful and recognizable illustrations can be enjoyed by all ages. A great book to share with multiple generations.

This is one of those books that I somehow missed when I was growing up. Ever since then I have felt that I should read it. Even so it might not have made this list without my five-year-old grandson telling me I "had" to read it because he loved it. He was right. I loved it too.

4 you can't miss a classic children's book no matter how old you get stars.

Quotable:

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

“All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

“Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

Michelle wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "There are always books that "everyone" is reading or that everyone says you "should read" or worst of all the someone or more than on..."

Thanks Alissa! It's been fun so far.

Bonnie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "There are always books that "everyone" is reading or that everyone says you "should read" or worst of all the someone or more than one someone tells..."

That makes me want to dig into this list even more Bonnie. I'm looking forward to all of those.

Currently reading The Little Prince and Neuromancer and listening to The Berry Pickers. That should take a bite out of this list!

Love your list Ruth! I listened to The Odyssey on audiobook years ago and my main take away is "dawn's rose red fingers shone". You'll see what I mean. I also decided a few years ago that I should read Wuthering Heights again as an adult. I figured I would like it more. Sorry nope. Didn't happen. I hope you have better luck. I did read and enjoy Demon Copperhead. It even inspired me to listen to David Copperfield on audio afterwards. I enjoyed them both. I'm going to be looking for your review of Atonement because that always seems like one I should read but really don't want to. I can't wait to see what you think as you work through the list.

“In a place called lost, strange things are found.”
― Evie Gaughan, The Lost Bookshop

9 books
1502 pages

7 audiobooks
2 print

#7 The Wild Robot A quirky little book about a robot alone in the wild. This was a fun little book. I'm not sure what age group it was actually aimed at. Mostly it would be appropriate as a read aloud for young children but preview it first there were abrupt passages that felt a little too violent. 3 some robots are packing heat stars. Fiction-YA.

#8 The Lost Bookshop Surprisingly good and upbeat. This book touches on so much; women's empowerment, abuse, rare book trading, books, book shops and wraps them all in magical realism. It sounds like a mess but it came together into a delightful tale. 4 magical realism and books about books stars. Historical Fiction-Magical Realism.

#9 The Nickel Boys So glad I finally read this classic. The audiobook is expertly read by J.D. Jackson. I highly recommend it. 4 a book so memorable it will stay with you forever stars. Historical Fiction.

Currently reading:
The Berry Pickers
The Little Prince
Neuromancer

“She discovered that all the different animals shared one common language; they just spoke the language in different ways. You might say each species spoke with its own unique accent.”
― Peter Brown, The Wild Robot

“I couldn’t explain it, not even to myself, but books gave me an unflinching sense of stability and groundedness. That because words survived, somehow I would too.”
― Evie Woods, The Lost Bookshop

“Make a career of humanity. Make it a central part of your life.”
― Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys

Finished The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.

The story follows the life of Elwood Curtis a promising young high school student who is wrongfully incarcerated in a boy's detention center. The school administrators embezzle all that they can and use corporal punishment to keep the students under their control. All students are subject to their abuse but the black students most of all. Elwood is beaten in his first days at the school but learns that he is lucky. Some students simply disappear. Elwood, however, cannot remain a silent witness to the abuse.

Colson Whitehead was masterful in the telling of this story. Not only does it bring attention to historical injustices that are too often overlooked, it allows the reader to experience the events through the eyes of the boys in the story. It is obvious that this book was banned due to mature themes but I do think it was so well written that high school students would benefit from reading it. In fact, I'm not sure that it shouldn't be required reading rather than banned reading. It was every bit as well done and as thought provoking as Ralph Ellison's The Invisible Man which many high school English classes read. I listened to the audiobook which was expertly read by J.D. Jackson. I highly recommend it.

4 brutal but beautiful, thought-provoking stars.

Quotable:

We must believe in our souls that we are somebody, that we are significant, that we are worthful, and we must walk the streets of life every day with this sense of dignity and this sense of somebody-ness.”
― Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys

“You can change the law but you can't change people and how they treat each other.”
― Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys

“If everyone looked the other way, then everybody was in on it. If he looked the other way, he was as implicated as the rest. That's how he saw it, how he'd always seen things.”
― Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys

Ioana wrote: "American Born Chinese. 3 beautifully intertwined stories with monkeys, men and Chinese gods, all about identity, relationships, fitting in and making friends, when you are "different"..."

I keep hearing about this one. I may have to check it out.

Next up The Nickel Boys. I just started listening and I can already tell this one is going to be memorable.

Thanks Alondra! Hope you enjoy it.

The Bookshop was already on my wishlist. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it.

Congrats on finishing your first book Lindsey.

Glad you liked All Systems Red Bonnie. Murderbot is one of my favorite characters.

Bonnie wrote: "I read and loved several of those, but I'm retired now from education and seldom to never read children's books (no grands.) I do read banned YA book when I get a chance."

Good for you Bonnie! I’m getting back into children’s books now that I read to my grandson and I had forgotten how much fun it is. Banned or not you may want to pick up a children’s book once in a while and enjoy.

Denise wrote: "Love your challenge! American Born Chinese is currently under attack in our school district. It's so frustrating. And with all of these "school library" book bans, I hope people reali..."

I totally agree Denise and thanks for bringing up public libraries and their struggles to remain uncensored. It is so important if we intend to remain a free society that we have free access to books. The public library system in the United States is standing strong and they need our support. Libraries give us the freedom to read and learn. If we limit them we limit ourselves. I want to add that I use my library for ebooks and audiobooks which is most of my reading. Most if not all the books on this list will be checked out by me through my library. So a shout out to Tennessee Reads, the state wide online reading library that I have access to, and to the Jackson-Madison County Library, my local library for holding the line.

Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. —C. S. Lewis”
― Meg Shaffer, The Lost Story

6 books
775 pages

5 audiobooks
1 print

#4 The Boys of Riverside: A Deaf Football Team and a Quest for Glory. The true story of an all deaf football team that comes together to win the state championship. The well researched and detailed look at the deaf culture was fascinating. The play by play football games were the opposite of fascinating. That could just be me I’m not much of a sportsball person. I did feel though that the narration of the audiobook fell flat, especially in the sections of the book dealing with the actual games. 3 needed more sports announcer less anchorman stars. Nonfiction.

#5. The Lost Story A delightful combination of the real world and fantasy. This was literally an adult fairytale and I loved it. 4 don’t we all secretly want to visit Narnia stars. Fantasy.

#6. The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness. This one made me feel anxious. Not because I’m part of the anxious generation but because I apparently mothered it and according to this book I didn’t do a very good job. To be fair the author does a great job of evaluating the changes smartphones have brought. The data was well presented and I mostly agree that the author is right. The problem is that we can’t undo some things. His suggestions for change are not bad but implementation will depend largely on the anxious generation. 3 if I had done some of the things he suggests as a parent, child protective services would have been knocking on my door stars. Nonfiction.

Currently reading:
The Lost Bookshop
The Wild Robot

“All books are magic. An object that can take you to another world without even leaving your room? A story written by a stranger and yet it seems they wrote it just for you or to you? Loving and hating people made out of ink and paper, not flesh and blood? Yes, books are magic. Maybe even the strongest magic there is.”
― Meg Shaffer, The Lost Story

the two big mistakes we’ve made: overprotecting children in the real world (where they need to learn from vast amounts of direct experience) and underprotecting them online (where they are particularly vulnerable during puberty).”
― Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

Socially prescribed perfectionism is closely related to anxiety; people who suffer from anxiety are more prone to it. Being a perfectionist also increases your anxiety because you fear the shame of public failure from everything you do. And, as you’d expect by this point in the story, socially prescribed perfectionism began rising, across the Anglosphere nations, in the early 2010s.”
― Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness

Alondra wrote: "Michelle wrote: "“I’m just saying—when you hear hoofbeats, don’t look for a zebra.”
― Liz Moore, The God of the Woods

3 books
15 pages

3 audiobooks
0 print

#1 [bookcover:Mrs. Plansky's Revenge|6..."

Yes. A tad too long and wordy would about sum it up. The GRCA is still a good indicator of a quality book even if you think the hype for the book was a little inflated.

Ioana wrote: "4 stars for the The God of the Woods, great news! I'm on the waiting list for it, hope to get it by end of Feb or so. I love this quote:

“Being humorless, she thought, was even worse than being d..."

Me too. Liz Moore had a lot of great observations like that from many of the characters. That was a plus. I just felt things could have moved along a little faster and maybe the ending could have had more oomph!

Lea wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Mrs. Plansky was a hoot! TGOTW was good but I'm not sure it was everything it was hyped up to be. It was a well written complicated story but I wasn't on the edge of my seat and I ..."

Liz Moore can definitely write! That was the good part of the book. It just had so many flawed characters and the story was so complicated. After a while you just wanted resolution.