Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge: July 2018 Link-Up

I took this month off from book reviews, but here is the link-up post for your "old school" book reviews from July. Leave your links in comments!

The RAHM Report for 7/30/18

It's moving week! But first, here's what I read last week. (I'll be back with another RAHM Report in two weeks. I doubt I will get much reading done during the move.)

Finished Reading

• No Biking in the House Without a Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I stumbled upon this book when I was looking for titles starting with N that would count for the Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge. I ended up finishing it in two nights. I tend to enjoy parenting memoirs and this one, about adopting five children internationally after raising four biological kids, was one of the most engaging I've read. 
• Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen, read by Taylor Meskimen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I liked this book  even more during this re-reading than I did when I read it the first time. I was so stressed out by Sidney's parents' questionable decisions (including inviting an obvious predator to stay alone with her in their home!) but I think it might be the best-written Dessen book. 
• Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens (ARC) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I love this series so much, and I'm always disappointed when each book goes by so quickly. I read this for a Christmas in July read-a-thon at Seasons of Reading, and though it wasn't quite as good as the previous volume, it was still another great addition to a wonderful series. I'll post a review on Goodreads when the publication date gets a little closer.
• Katie's Rescue by Pamela Tracy ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I needed a book to fulfill the letter K for Alphabet Soup and found this on Hoopla. I think it's the best-written Harlequin Heartwarming book I've read to date, and I actually liked that it focused on a lot of other things besides the romance. The animal rescue park setting was also very appealing. I much prefer reading about wild animals and zoo animals than house pets.

Currently Reading

• Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West, audiobook read by Nora Hunter 64%
  I wanted to start a quick audiobook since I won't have time to finish a long one. Kasie West reminds me of Sarah Dessen, so I decided another one of her books would be a good choice. This story about a girl who reluctantly co-hosts her school's advice podcast is well-written and even after reading more than half the story, I'm still not sure how things will turn out. 
• Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres 62%
  I am not as into this book as I'd hoped, but I've read so much of it at this point, and it's so quick, that I've decided to stick with it. There's nothing really wrong with it; it's just like a lot of other middle grade novels. 
• Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivien Chien 32%
  I'm still enjoying this one, but I'm reading it slowly to make it last a while. 
• By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank 30%
  I kind of forgot about this book for most of the week, but I got back into it a little bit over the weekend and I really do like the characters. 
• Read and Gone by Allison Brook (ARC) 2%
  I've only just started this ARC, but I'm hoping to finish it before the end of the Christmas in July read-a-thon tomorrow. 

I'll be linking up today with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Sarah Dessen's Summer Spirit

I first discovered Sarah Dessen at the age of 15 when I found That Summer on the shelf in the young adult section at the Wallkill Public Library. I checked it out (and read it) multiple times, and I loved it so much that when it came out in paperback, I made sure to get a copy for myself. I also wrote to Sarah Dessen who, at the time, had only published one novel and therefore had time to write back to me. (I still have her letter, which I recently shared on Instagram.) For the past 20 years, I have read every one of her books as it has been published, but I had never gone back to re-read any of them. This summer, I decided to revisit a selection of the books by listening to their audio recordings. Today I want to share how each of these books perfectly captures the spirit of the summer season. (This post was inspired by Blog All About It's July prompt of "spirit.")

Keeping the Moon introduces Colie, daughter of fitness guru Kiki Sparks. While her mom is on tour, Colie comes to the beach town of Colby, North Carolina, to stay with her eccentric Aunt Mira. Here she meets 20-something best friends Morgan and Isabel, who work at the Last Chance diner, and Norman, a talented artist who is misunderstood by his family.  This book highlights summer as a time during which great changes can occur. During her summer in Colby, Colie overcomes the anxieties that have been with her since the days when she and her mom were overweight, and she learns to accept the imperfections of life as her Aunt Mira has done. There is also an important scene set during a fourth of July fireworks display which, for me, brings back all the excitement and anticipation of being out with friends on a summer night.

In The Truth About Forever, Macy is trying really hard to be the perfect, practical, and reliable girl both her mom and her boyfriend, Jason, expect her to be. This has been her persona ever since her dad died suddenly of a heart attack, but lately, she has found herself wishing she could have grieved him a bit more instead of having to be the strong and steady member of the family. When she meets the employees of Wish Catering, Macy sees an opportunity to relax a bit and have fun without always being reminded that she is fatherless. As she is swept up in catering jobs, and also into a bit of a crush on Wes, she starts to get over her loss, but she also upsets her mom and jeopardizes her relationship with Jason. This one is a great summer employment story, which shows how coworkers can become like family, and how stepping outside of one's comfort zone for a summer can provide a new perspective on life. There is also a great scene in which Macy tells off her coworkers at the library job she took on as a favor to Jason that will satisfy anyone who has ever worked in an environment she hated.

Another book set in the beach town of Colby is Along for the Ride. Auden's dad has recently remarried to a younger woman, Heidi, and the two now have a newborn baby. Auden is spending her summer with her dad and his new family, but things aren't going so well, mostly because her dad is very selfish and refuses to disrupt his routine to care for the baby in any way. In the meantime, Auden's professor mom is worried that Auden, who has started working at Heidi's boutique and has made some new friends, is changing and becoming less of the studious and serious daughter she has worked so hard to raise. Auden also spends a lot of time with Eli, who has been distant from his friends since the death of his best friend Abe a year ago. The summer spirit in this book comes across the most in the preparations for an annual celebration called The Beach Bash, and in Auden's late night wanderings with Eli. I also love the role of bicycles in the story, and the fact that Auden has never learned to ride while Eli is afraid to take up riding again without his friend. Riding bikes is a great summer pastime and even just the cover of this book makes me nostalgic for the days of riding my bike everywhere. 

Finally, The Moon and More is also set in Colby, but it's from the point of view of a girl who has lived in Colby her whole life and wants to get out and see the rest of the world. Emaline's family owns a realty agency that rents summer cottages, so there are lots of descriptions of vacation-related problems. There is also a strong emphasis on transition and change, as Emaline's biological father and half-brother are in town visiting in the weeks just before her father's divorce from his son's mother, and Emaline herself is preparing to go to college, something for which her father had originally said he would pay, before taking back the offer without explanation. The Beach Bash also turns up again in this book, as do references to many of the businesses mentioned in Along for the Ride.

I know some of my readers are not big Dessen fans, but if you are, I'd love to hear which books of hers are your favorites. Which ones help you capture the spirit of summer?

Memories of a Former Teen Librarian

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a good one: books with sensory reading memories. I often find that when I look at a book cover, I am reminded of certain aspects of the story, and of where, when, and with whom I enjoyed that particular story. This seems to be especially true of the books I read during the three-and-a-half years I worked as a teen librarian (2007-2010).  So my list today is of the memories associated with some of the YA books I read, recommended to teens, and purchased for my library's collection during that time.

• Dream Factory by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler 
  Though librarians like to say they don't sit at their desks and read all day, there were many days in this job where I did just that. This book - about teens who take jobs at Disney World after the regular workers go on strike -  was one that I distinctly remember finishing in one sitting on a particularly slow day. 
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher 
  All the teen employees at the library as well as their teen patron friends could not get enough of this book. I had multiple kids recommend it to me, which is probably the only reason I actually read it. I loved it back then, but I would like to revisit the book now that I'm a parent to see if my perspective has changed.
• The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin  
  I read this book for an annual local conference called Fall Into Books. The basic plot revolves around two kids dealing with their abusive mom. I remember that one of the teen boys who hung out at the library a lot also read it, and it seemed to put his issues with his own mom into perspective.
  
  
  
• Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer  
  This book made the rounds of the staff, and we were all just totally blown away by the concept - that the moon is knocked out of its orbit and Earth is affected in unexpected ways. For days after reading it, my coworkers and I would look up at the moon on our way out the door and comment on how realistic the book had been. I did read the second book, but somehow never finished the series.
• Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
  My memory of this book is of wanting to throw it across the room, (and of actually doing so at the children's circulation desk at the moment when Jacob imprints on Reneesme.) I was worried the teens would disown me for hating it, but it actually sparked a lot of good discussions and quite of few of the kids wound up not liking it either. [My scathing Goodreads review from August 2008].
• If I Stay by Gayle Forman 
  I read the end this book during my lunch one day and had to keep myself from crying so I could go back out the desk and resume my duties. I never did read the sequel because I was afraid it would be too emotional, and I gave the book a fairly negative review! [My Goodreads review from December 2009.] 
• The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti 
  This was another book that sparked some great discussions with the teens who hung out at my desk during the summer. It was interesting to me how cynical fifteen-year-olds already were about dating, but I also remember them having very astute observations about the way men were treated in the story. [My Goodreads review from July 2009.]
  
  
  
• Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan 
  I got permission to take one of my teens to New York City for a Young Adult Author Night at the Jefferson Market branch of the New York Public Library. (We were an 80-minute train ride from New York City at the time.) That night, David Levithan read from this book, and I was completely blown away. To this day, it remains my favorite novel about September 11, 2001, even if not all of the content matches my personal values. [My Goodreads review from September 2009.]
• Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
  One of the quieter teen girls who used to read several books per week asked me to read this so I could talk about it with her. I remember not being thrilled by the idea because it was fantasy, but then I did end up enjoying several of the series. That teen was so happy, and it opened her up to talking books with me every time she came in. [My Goodreads review from December 2009.]
• King of the Screwups by K.L. Going 
  K.L. Going's mom was the children's librarian at my library growing up, and she was my coworker in this position. When this book came out, I received an ARC, which I was encouraged to pass around to the teens. We all loved it, and the kids were excited when K.L. Going came and did a writing program for them. 

Just seeing all these covers together takes me right back to my old library, and to the late 2000s. Have you read any of these? What do you remember?

The RAHM Report for 7/23/18

Finished Reading

• A Mother's Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I finished this in time for book club, and we had a good decision about how we might apply at least some of the suggestions in this book to our own lives. While I don't necessarily agree that a mom needs to routinize everything, I do like the general idea of trying to organize life according to the demands of your particular vocation. I will certainly have this book in mind as we set up at our new house in a couple of weeks.
• The Losers Club by Andrew Clements ⭐⭐⭐
  This felt like a very different book for Andrew Clements. I liked that it was about kids reading for pleasure, but the details of the plot felt very forced in some sections. I'll collect my thoughts and post a review on Goodreads later in the week. 
• The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen, audiobook read by Allie Gallerani ⭐⭐⭐
  My original Goodreads review of this book from when it came out suggests that I thought it was great, but even though I loved the audiobook narrator, the story just didn't do much for me this time around. It especially paled in comparison to the other Dessen books I've been re-reading. It was worth it, though, because I finally got my 2013 book for the Family Tree challenge!
• Tangled in Magic by Kim Ellis (review copy) ⭐⭐⭐
  A friend of a friend of my dad's wrote this book, and my dad's friend passed it on to me for review. I just finished it, so I'm still mulling it over but I plan to get a review up on Goodreads in a few days.

Did Not Finish

• Decked by Carol Higgins Clark
  I so wanted to like this book, and I tried really hard to get into it. But there were just too many characters, and I wasn't invested in any of them, so after about 60 pages, I gave up. I feel guilty because I bought the book (though it was used), but I'm donating it to the Friends of the Library so they can find it a new home.

Currently Reading

• By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank 18%
  I was looking for a women's fiction book that wasn't just a romance, and came across this on Cloud Library. I've never tried this author, and this seemed like a good light read to start with.
• Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen, audiobook read by Taylor Meskimen 14%
  I only seem to remember one major plotline from this book, so it's probably good that I am re-reading it. It's not my favorite Dessen, but I'm enjoying revisiting it so far.
• Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivien Chen (ARC) 9%
  I was so excited to be approved for this book on NetGalley! I've read two chapters, and it's every bit as well-written and engaging as the first book, Death by Dumpling. I'm sure I'll finish it quickly. 
• Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres 8%
  I missed reading this when it came out, so when I saw it on Cloud Library, I decided to check it out. It looks like it will be a quick read and a good palate cleanser before I jump into my middle grade ARCs for August and September.

I'll be linking up today with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

The RAHK Report for 7/19/18

The first part of our summer has mostly been focused on our upcoming move to a larger townhouse, which will be happening between August 1 and August 6. But even in the midst of packing our books into boxes, we still find time to read a few here and there. Here are some of the titles we have recently enjoyed.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

I will readily admit that I strongly, strongly disliked this book. Pippi irritated me, and I really just wanted an adult to come along and straighten her out. But both Little Miss Muffet (age 4 years, 8 months) and Little Bo Peep (age 2 years, 10 months) absolutely loved her. We read one chapter after lunch each day, and there were times when they literally cheered when I picked up the book. Bo Peep now frequently announces that she wants to be called Pippi, and Miss Muffet has expressed interest in the other books of the series. I've decided it's fine with me if they want to read the rest, but it will either have to be an audiobook or my husband who provides the narration. I've had all I can take!

The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner

When I was cleaning out some of my childhood possessions during a visit to my hometown in June, I came upon the set of Boxcar Children paperbacks my mom read to me and my sister when we were kids. Knowing that Miss Muffet has been enjoying the Happy Hollisters books, I decided to let her try the first book of this series. It is now six weeks later, and she has read the first two books and listened to the first five in audio format. I am borrowing the audiobooks from Hoopla, where I have a monthly limit of 10 items so I've had to limit the audiobooks a little bit, since I also get music and books for myself from there. I have asked her to read the physical copies of the books she has listened to before we move onto the next set of audiobooks, and she seems agreeable to that.

Mitch and Amy by Beverly Cleary

Another audiobook that Miss Muffet has been enjoying a lot is Mitch and Amy by Beverly Cleary. Each time she listens to it, she seems to pick up some new turn of phrase. This week, it was "odd's bodkin," which Mitch uses as an example of the kind of fun language he likes to hear in books. She also marched up to me after being asked to do something and said, "You can count on me, Mom!" When I asked her where she got that, she said, "Mitchell!" For some reason, he, much more than Amy, has been the character to make an impression on her. I remember borrowing this book from the library again and again as a kid, so I'm thrilled that she is enjoying it so much. If she's going to keep quoting such specific passages to me, I'll probably need a re-read myself!

Gyo Fujikawa's A to Z Picture Book

Bo Peep is going through a stage where everything falls into one of two categories: "my favorite" and "not my favorite." This book, and specifically the page of babies for the letter B, has been placed firmly in the favorites category. She is constantly pointing things out in the book, and if she's not sure where she had it last, we all have to look for it until it's found. She doesn't really have the patience to sit and listen to the actual printed words, but she does like to discuss the details of every picture at length. She also enjoys showing the pictures to Little Jumping Joan (9 months).

The Complete Book of Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker

I started reading a few poems from this book each day after lunch, and the two big girls have become completely obsessed with the different fairies. We have read the entire section about summer fairies as well as the A to Z fairies, and we spent a lot of time looking at the illustrations to determine which fairies looked the most like which of our girls, and which flowers we recognized. Last week, we even made some fairy wings for the girls to wear around the house. We'll be revisiting this one again and again as the seasons pass.

Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I hesitate to even mention this series right now, after the recent kerfuffle over the renaming of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (which, for the record, I oppose), but it has been a major part of my girls' imaginative lives this year so far. It has been months since my husband read aloud Little House in the Big Woods, but there is not a day that goes by where Miss Muffet and Bo Peep do not play "Laura and Mary." This game usually consists of holding hands and walking down the street together or curling up together under a blanket. I don't see my kids echoing any racist ideals they may have heard in the books; what they have learned is the value of siblings, and how to be kind, loyal, and loving toward their own sisters.

The RAHM Report for 7/16/18

Finished Reading

• The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I really enjoyed this one. I think I should read more science fiction. I don't have the same problems with this genre as I do with fantasy.
• Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen, audiobook read by Stina Neilsen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I am having a great time re-reading these Sarah Dessen books. Since I won't get to all of them this summer, I've decided to focus on the ones set in Colby, and it has been fun seeing all the connections between the characters. My review of this book is on Goodreads. 
• The Summer of Mrs. MacGregor by Betty Ren Wright ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I saw this book on Instagram and borrowed it from Open Library. It was interesting and different than I was expecting, and now I want to read more books by this author.  
• The Animal, The Vegetable, and John D. Jones by Betsy Byars ⭐⭐⭐
  I loved the writing and the character development in this book, but the plot was very thin and predictable. It is set at the beach, though, so it was a good choice for a summer read.
• Midnight Snacks Are Murder by Libby Klein ⭐⭐⭐
  I had a hard time getting into this cozy mystery to the point that I considered marking it DNF around the 40% mark. But things picked up a lot at the halfway mark, and I wound up reading the remaining 60% in less than two hours. I'll be reviewing this one on Goodreads and NetGalley.

Currently Reading

• Decked by Carol Higgins Clark 8%
  I was just not in the mood for this book this week and didn't read a single page. I feel like it might be a good one to take to the pool if we take the girls this week. 
• The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen, audiobook read by Allie Gallerani 22%
  I jumped right into another Sarah Dessen book literally 2 minutes after finishing Along for the Ride. I have enjoyed all the audiobook narrators I've heard so far, but I think Allie Gallerani is my favorite. She sounds exactly like I would expect Emaline to sound, and her voice still sounds normal even when I listen at 2x speed.
• A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul by Holly Pierlot 46%
  Book club is Thursday, so this book is the priority for the next couple of days. I'm enjoying it,  so unlike the last couple book club books, I am sure I will finish it. 

I'll be linking up today with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

The RAHM Report for 7/9/18

What I Finished Reading

• The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis by Max Shulman ⭐⭐⭐
  I finally finished the last story in this collection this week. The stories were pleasant diversions and it was fun to see the inspiration for the sit-com, but the jokes are all very similar and after a while, they did get old. I don't feel the need to read anymore Max Shulman. 
• One Beautiful Dream: The Rollicking Tale of Family Chaos, Personal Passions, and Saying Yes to Them Both by Jennifer Fulwiler ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  This is my new favorite book. Jennifer Fulwiler's sense of humor really resonates with me and I related to her struggle to balance her interest in writing with the demands of a young, growing family. I both laughed and cried while reading and I think every Catholic mom should read this book.  (Also, the negative comments about natural family planning in the Goodreads reviews make me cringe. NFP Awareness Week is coming up, and apparently we need it!) 
• So Done by Paula Chase (ARC) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  This forthcoming middle grade novel is really excellent. I will have a review on the blog in August after my reviewing break is over.
• Revolutionizing Education in America: The TOTIL Method by Doris Leclerc Ball ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  My husband read this and then suggested I read it quickly as well. The author focuses on time on task and the ability of students to learn mostly independently once they can read. It was interesting information to file away for future homeschooling use. 
• The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, audiobook read by Stina Neilsen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I loved this book much more on the second reading. There was so much I didn't remember, including the amazing character development and the issues between Macy and her mom. 
• The Happy Hollisters at Sea Gull Beach by Jerry West ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I started reading this aloud to my four-year-old in May, but we sort of forgot about it for a while. Finally, I sat her down and read her the last three chapters in one sitting so we could finish it out.  

What I'm Currently Reading

• Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen, audiobook read by Rachel Botchan 50%
  I'm on a roll with these Sarah Dessen audiobooks. Because it has references to both Keeping the Moon and The Truth About Forever, which I just read, it wound up being the perfect follow-up to those even though I mostly just chose it because there were no holds on it at the library. 
• A Mothers Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul by Holly Pierlot 19%
  Book club is coming up a week from Thursday, so this book will be more of a priority as that gets closer. I really like it, but I don't want to finish too early and forget everything by the time the discussion takes place. 
• The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein 18%
  The dialogue in this book is really great, and the story moves quickly. I hope to be able to devote enough time to it in the next couple of days that I can finish it.  
• Decked by Carol Higgins Clark 8%
  This has been on my nightstand for months, and I finally picked it up over the weekend. It's decent so far.
• Midnight Snacks Are Murder by Libby Klein (ARC) 6%
  I started this because I thought I was ready to dive right into another cozy after finishing Italian Iced But it turns out I need a bit of a palate cleanse. Hopefully I'll be more in the mood for it by the end of this week.

I'll be linking up today with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

The RAHM Report for 7/2/18

What I Finished Reading

• Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen, audiobook read by Stina Neilsen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  I so enjoyed revisiting this old favorite which I read when it first came out and had never re-read. Sarah Dessen will always be one of my favorite authors. The narrator was also perfect for the story.
• Italian Iced by Kylie Logan (ARC) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  This was a great cozy mystery: good writing, interesting characters, and a well-structured plot. My review is on Goodreads.
• Why Can't I Be You? by Melissa Walker (ARC) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Melissa Walker's books are consistently great, and I really enjoyed this one. I'll be reviewing it on the blog, probably in August.
• On the Fence by Kasie West, audiobook read by Shannon McManus ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  After I finished Keeping the Moon, I wanted another quick YA audiobook. This was a perfect choice, and now I want to listen to all of Kasie West's books.
• The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  This is my favorite Armand Gamache book so far. I'll post a review on Goodreads soon. 
• The Sparrow Child by Meriol Trevor ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  This book really picked up after about 75 pages, and was really good from there until the end. I'll be reviewing this one on the blog in August. 

What I'm Currently Reading

Seasons of Reading's month-long High Summer Read-a-thon started yesterday, and I was having trouble deciding what to read, so I started a bunch of different books to work on during this week to kick things off. Here they all are:

• The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis by Max Shulman 76%
  This one is a holdover from last week. I haven't quite gotten back into the mood for it, but when I do, it will be a quick finish.
• One Beautiful Dream: The Rollicking Tale of Family Chaos, Personal Passions, and Saying Yes to Them Both by Jennifer Fulwiler 46%
  Jennifer Fulwiler is an atheist-to-Catholic convert who writes about pursuing her personal dreams while also raising six kids. I saw her speak a while back, but I've been waiting for the book to go on sale for Kindle. It finally did this weekend, and I'm already halfway through it. It sounds like my book club might read it this fall, but I'm going to finish it now anyway.
• So Done by Paula Chase (ARC) 24%
  I'm enjoying this story about middle school friendship set in a housing project. It's different from a lot of the friendship drama books out there and feels like it will be a very quick read.
• A Mothers Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul by Holly Pierlot 16%
  This is my book club book for July, and I'm loving it as much as the Fulwiler book. It's the exact kind of book I need to be reading as we prepare for our move. (One month to go!!!)
• The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein 11%
  My husband is listening to the full cast audio recording of this 1952 science fiction novel, and I caught a snippet on our ride home from church on Sunday. I can't stand full cast audiobooks so I borrowed the book from OpenLibrary instead. I've only read one chapter, but I'm already fully invested. 
• The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, audiobook read by Stina Neilsen 6%
  This is my next Sarah Dessen audiobook. I didn't feel like re-reading Someone Like You or Dreamland, and This Lullaby had holds on it on Overdrive, so I just skipped ahead to this one. I read it for the first time back when I was in library school, so it's been 13-14 years, and nothing feels all that familiar so far.
• Midnight Snacks Are Murder by Libby Klein (ARC) 2%
  I'm not sure if I will really get to this one this week. After just finishing two mysteries in a row, I need a bit of a break before diving into another one. 

I'll be linking up today with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?