#jackie polzin

[jurassicbooks]

October 22, 2022

✨ blue vibes ✨

Have had a wild time recently. Had a job interview last week, and another one is scheduled for next week. My health issues cropped up majorly and have really been dragging their feet about leaving. Ordered groceries to be delivered today and the doordash person left them at the end of the street without contacting us or anything? And we only found out 2 hours after because I called to ask what happened. Lots of stuff.

[acerobianco1984]

'Una gallina sana brilla. Le piume appartengono alla categoria degli elementi luminosi in natura.'

Come fa un soggetto così minuto e, all'apparenza, banale come il racconto di una persona che decide di allevare animali guadagnarsi così tanto l'attenzione della critica e di chi è appassionato di letteratura? Vi basti pensare che la trama, riassunta sul retro della copertina, raggiunge a malapena una riga: "Quattro galline: la vita, nient'altro che la vita". Eppure gli elogi da parte di autrici e autori importanti - da Giulia Caminito a Chiara Valerio - si sprecano.

Lo sguardo di Jackie Polzin, al suo primo romanzo, è dotato di estrema ma misurata empatia, un'attenzione scrupolosa per ogni piccolo dettaglio e la capacità di far girare le pagine degna di chi sta narrando un thriller al cardiopalma o un'avventura incalzante. Uno sguardo similare a quello della sua protagonista, una donna sposata e in età matura come tante, con il desiderio di dedicare parte della propria vita ad accudire quattro volatili.

Durante la lettura scopriremo le caratteristiche di ognuna di loro (ovviamente, la vivacissima Testanera è diventata la mia preferita) ma anche e soprattutto delle persone che l'accudiscono e degli amici che fanno loro visita. Ed è nelle pieghe di una quotidianità apparente, fatta perfino di incauti errori (tipici di chiunque adotti per la prima volta un animale), che il romanzo svela la sua raison d'etre.

Con una scrittura capace di non indugiare mai nel dolore fine a se stesso, sebbene semplice e diretta, Polzin ci regala leggerezza, attimi di tenerezza e momenti di quieta riflessione.

"La vita non è altro che lo sforzo continuo di vivere. Certe persone lo fanno sembrare facile. Le galline no. Muoiono all'improvviso e senza una ragione."

Rimango sempre stupita da chi riesce a condensare così tanto in un spazio così contenuto come un piccolo pollaio nel Minnesota.

[notmorbid]

brood.

dialogue prompts from brood: a novel by jackie polzin.

are chickens upset when you take away their eggs?

i always thought you should be a teacher.

i don't think i'm like my mother, or her mother.

i don't want to think about it unless it happens.

no news is good news.

i want to be the kind of person kids want to see.

i can't see where i'm going.

i love this house.

stay as long as you like.

why don't you make some brownies and relax?

the winter has been so long already.

what do you say we sit down and catch up?

i'm sorry. i didn't know.

do you think ____ remembers me?

you seem taller.

do you think ____ will miss me?

it is a rarely acknowledged truth that he who gets nothing waits the longest.

i'm sorry. i wasn't thinking. i should've thought.

my future has become a blank space. i can't imagine it.

i never feel smaller than when i'm filled with doubt.

you can't keep a bird from singing.

it's good to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

a grave feeling begets grave consequences.

have you ever wanted to be a smoker?

newness is an optimistic state.

i came to tell you the phone tree has been talking.

i never make lists.

for every 'pro', there is an equal and opposing 'con'.

i want something that won't end in disappointment.

i'm excited to spend my life with you, no matter what happens.

chicken is the friendliest meat.

strangeness is the truth of all things.

oh, come here. it's nobody's fault.

the world accepts failure only insofar as you keep trying.

this is a place where things get stuck.

maybe i'm a fatalist, but i'd like to be wrong.

you're safe now.

why are you crying? are you sad?

i know you a bit better than you know yourself.

[rockislandadultreads]

Book Recommendations: National Pet Day

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa

Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he inherited from his beloved bookworm grandfather. Then, a talking cat appears with an unusual request. The feline asks for--or rather, demands--the teenager's help in saving books with him. The world is full of lonely books left unread and unloved, and the cat and Rintaro must liberate them from their neglectful owners.

Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey, where they enter different mazes to set books free. Through their travels, the cat and Rintaro meet a man who leaves his books to perish on a bookshelf, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publishing drone who only wants to create bestsellers. Their adventures culminate in one final, unforgettable challenge--the last maze that awaits leads Rintaro down a realm only the bravest dare enter...

Brood by Jackie Polzin

Over the course of a single year, our nameless narrator heroically tries to keep her small brood of four chickens alive despite the seemingly endless challenges that caring for another creature entails. From the forty-below nights of a brutal Minnesota winter to a sweltering summer which brings a surprise tornado, she battles predators, bad luck, and the uncertainty of a future that may not look anything like the one she always imagined.

Intimate and startlingly original, this slender novel is filled with wisdom, sorrow and joy. As the year unfolds, we come to know the small band of loved ones who comprise the narrator's circumscribed life at this moment. Her mother, a flinty former home-ec teacher who may have to take over the chickens; her best friend, a real estate agent with a burgeoning family of her own; and her husband whose own coping mechanisms for dealing with the miscarriage that haunts his wife are more than a little unfathomable to her.

It Started with a Dog by Julia London

All Harper Thompson wants for Christmas is the huge promotion she's worked so hard for—which she should get, as long as her launch of the hip new coffeehouse, Deja Brew, goes according to plan. Jonah Rogers is trying to save his family's coffee shop, Lucky Star, from going out of business, which will be tough with the brand-new Deja Brew opening across the street.

When Jonah and Harper meet for the first time after accidentally swapping phones, their chemistry is as electric as a strand of Christmas lights. He's a tall, handsome, compassionate hunk of engineer, and she's an entrepreneur whose zest for life is very sexy. They love all the same things, like scary movies, greasy food—and most of all, dogs. It's a match made in heaven...until Jonah finds out that Harper's the one about to put him out of business.

Only one coffee shop likely can survive, and a competition of one-upmanship ensues in a battle of the brews. The paws really come out when the local rescue shelter has a fundraiser where local businesses foster dogs, and patrons vote with their dollars for their favorite pup. Harper takes in an adorable old bulldog on behalf of Deja Brew, while Jonah fosters a perky three-legged dachshund for Lucky Star. As the excitement builds for who will be crowned King Mutt and king of the coffee hill, Harper and Jonah must decide if their connection was all steam or if they are the perfect blend.

This is the second volume of the “Lucky Dog” series. 

Other People’s Pets by R.L. Maizes

La La’s world stops being whole when her mother, who never wanted a child, abandons her twice. First, when La La falls through thin ice on a skating trip, and again when the accusations of “unfit mother” feel too close to true. Left alone with her father—a locksmith by trade, and a thief in reality—La La is denied a regular life. She becomes her father’s accomplice, calming the watchdog while he strips families of their most precious belongings.

When her father’s luck runs out and he is arrested for burglary, everything La La has painstakingly built unravels. In her fourth year of veterinary school, she is forced to drop out, leaving school to pay for her father’s legal fees the only way she knows how—robbing homes once again.

As an animal empath, she rationalizes her theft by focusing on houses with pets whose maladies only she can sense and caring for them before leaving with the family’s valuables. The news reports a puzzled police force—searching for a thief who left behind medicine for the dog, water for the parrot, or food for the hamster.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

We take journeys to explore exotic new places and to return to the comforts of home, to visit old acquaintances and to make new friends. But the most important journey is the one that shows us how to follow our hearts...

An instant international bestseller and indie bestseller, The Travelling Cat Chronicles has charmed readers around the world. With simple yet descriptive prose, this novel gives voice to Nana the cat and his owner, Satoru, as they take to the road on a journey with no other purpose than to visit three of Satoru's longtime friends. Or so Nana is led to believe...

With his crooked tail—a sign of good fortune—and adventurous spirit, Nana is the perfect companion for the man who took him in as a stray. And as they travel in a silver van across Japan, with its ever-changing scenery and seasons, they will learn the true meaning of courage and gratitude, of loyalty and love.

[yourtrashcollector]

La vita non è altro che lo sforzo continuo di vivere.

Jackie Polzin, Quattro galline

[televinita]

Books Read in 2022: The Why

I said I wasn’t gonna do this but then it really annoyed me that I hadn’t while I was looking at the older ones, and SECRETLY it turns out I had the whole document on my computer so boom. End-of-year wrap-up but it’s midway through the next year.

We are now in year seven (?!) of looking back at my reading list for the year and answering the question, why did you read this particular book? I’m officially adding back in where/how I heard of it, too, because I also missed being able to easily see that stat.

You can see the full chronological list w/ larger cover images here, but these are split into groups by target readership age, plus nonfiction at the end. When it comes to 20th century teen books, sometimes it’s very hard to decide whether to count a title YA or middle grade, so I tried to just stick with the rule of “protagonists age 13 and under = middle grade.”

ADULT FICTION

(splitting into 3 sections because there are A Lot of covers here)

Very Sincerely Yours - Kerry Winfrey. 2021. Do we all know the story of how I took one look at the love interest described in the summary and said “Darren Criss??” (specifically the energy of him in that one music video?)

How I heard of it: a book blog

How Not To Die Alone - Richard Roper. 2019. I mean, it’s an eye-catching title! Upon pulling it out: “oh I’m here for sad introverted men. And the prospect of office romance.” And his job sounded interesting to read about.

How I heard of it: library

The Killer in the Carriage House - Sheila Connolly. 2019. The Secret Staircase - Sheila Connolly. 2021. The first audiobook of this cozy-mystery series was such a fun experience last year that I was excited to enjoy the next two (sadly there are no more, or I would have kept going)

Cross My Heart - Robin Lee Hatcher. 2019. Pulled this out of a Little Free Library like “HORSES??” (a romance featuring people who work with horses, specifically) and read it immediately.

Castaways - Brian Keene. 2009. The premise of “Survivor goes horribly wrong” was irresistible. I love jungle thrillers, I love horror, I don’t usually love cryptid horror but combined with the premise, I said yeah, okay.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Present Danger - Elizabeth Goddard. 2021. My rewatch of Blood & Treasure season 1 whipped me into a frenzy of both searching the keyword “treasure” in the library catalog and looking for 2nd chance romance. This one gave me both, PLUS my beloved western mountain setting!

Brood - Jackie Polzin. 2021. Small, cute, compact book to which I said, “chickens? Vignettes? Cool.”

How I heard of it: library, specifically because it was shelved beside the next book on this list.

A Rumored Fortune - Joanna Davidson Politano. 2018. See “Present Danger” rationale but swap mountain setting for a 19th century English estate (woo!) and more prominent focus on treasure.

How I heard of it: library

Made in the U.S.A. - Billie Letts. 2008. I really enjoyed two of her earlier ones; this cover caught my eye at the library so I spontaneously decided to take a trip back to her.

The River - Peter Heller. 2019. The Guide - Peter Heller. 2021. Watch The Amazing Race Season 33 –> find Dusty & Ryan’s friendship totally awesome –> Google for a book about two best friends, ideally in an outdoor setting –> find the book of your dreams in a Reddit post looking for exactly that. And I loved the characters so much that of COURSE I was going to read the sequel.

Five Tuesdays in Winter: Stories - Lily King. 2021. The title got my attention and the first couple of stories intrigued me juuuust enough that I decided to read the whole thing instead of just skimming or reading a couple.

How I heard of it: library

The Bookshop of Yesterdays - Amy Meyerson. 2018. How could you NOT love the idea of a) a literary scavenger hunt and b) inheriting a bookshop??

How I heard of it: I think this one was on a book blog?

While You Sleep - Stephanie Merritt. 2019. Picked up the previous book at the library and this was next to it. What I could see of the spine looked cool, the cover looked awesome, and “ghost story on an isolated island off the coast of Scotland?? TAKE ME TO THERE.”

Before I Called You Mine - Nicole Deese. 2020. I was desperate for a sweet romance. I wasn’t sure if this would cut it, but when I looked it up on Goodreads, there was a review that said “if you don’t fall in love with Joshua you are not human,” and that was a very good endorsement indeed. not least because I was looking for a book specifically to cast Josh Groban in

How I heard of it: used book sale

Lake Season - Denise Hunter. 2019. Days of furious keywoord-googling produces: sweet romance prospect the second! (he’s a shy and reclusive romance novelist?? OK go) WITH a bonus dream setting/premise of “inherited B&B.”

Beautiful Girls: Stories - Beth Ann Bauman. 2002. The cover was very pretty – less for the image of legs than the lovely use of purple tones, which I suppose includes the knee high socks I now want – and I was hoping to relate to the women/girls in this collection. Bought 1.5 years ago, read now to see if I could get rid of it. (yes)

How I heard of it: used-book section of my magic local Barnes & Noble.

girlchild - Tupelo Hassman. 2012. I was intrigued by the cover, trailer park setting, vignette style of writing, and 3-generations-of-women cast of characters.

How I heard of it: used book sale

All That Really Matters - Nicole Deese. 2021. Her other book was so good that I looked up her backlist, which led me to one been intrigued by on a book blog but forgotten to write down; I genuinely had no idea it was this author! Mostly because: I love main characters who are Influencers, but I was also curious about her youth mentorship job.

The Middle of Somewhere - Sonja Yoerg. 2015. Summertime = hiking inspiration time! (she’s on the Pacific Crest Trail)

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Thief of Hearts - Tess Gerritsen. 1995. Blood & Treasure obsession round 2 (for season 2) leads to me seeking an audiobook with a British female narrator whose voice will remind me of Lexi’s. And then I find one from an author I love, about a CAT BURGLAR?? Serendipity! So even though their nationalities are reversed, “whatever, this is a Danny-and-Lexi story now in my head.”

How I heard of it: Libby

In Their Footsteps - Tess Gerritsen. 1994. And then I accidentally fell in love with Jordan Tavistock so much that I went back to the first book in the duology to get more of him.

How I heard of it: Libby

Never Say Die - Tess Gerritsen. 1992.   But in between those books, I was like, that is WILD, I can’t believe I’m finding 90s mass market romance so fun?? so I picked up a bonus (in print this time) because this one kind of looked like my other OTP Of The Summer, Claire/Owen, since it was an ex-soldier + headstrong woman who Doesn’t Need His Help.

How I heard of it: Libby

Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes - Alexa Martin. 2021. Raise your hand if you LOVE the idea of best friends moving in together in adulthood even though one of them has a kid.

How I heard of it: a book blog

The Summer List - Amy Mason Doan. 2018. SO many reasons: the beautiful cover and title, best friends reuniting in adulthood after 15 years apart, the idea of scavenger hunts, the northern California setting...

How I heard of it: oh no, can’t remember! I think Goodreads?

The Lake Season - Hannah McKinnon. 2015. The beautiful summery cover, mostly. I wanted in on a similar setting after loving the above.

How I heard of it: Goodreads (upon looking up Lake Season in the search bar)

What You Wish For - Katherine Center. 2020. I’ve loved several of hers and though I was definitely Wary about this one’s romance, then I got briefly obsessed with Adam Scott and was like, oh, I could imagine HIM playing this character in a still-appealing way, given the difference between his personalities on Parks & Rec vs. Severance! (facts: even picturing Scott, I still hated Duncan)

How I heard of it: Goodreads

A Dazzle of Diamonds - Liz Johnson. 2020. Was once again in the mood for a sweet romance and I loved the other two in this series / had always wanted to read this one. Guaranteed good time.

How I heard of it: Goodreads, but introduced to the series originally on a book blog

Tailspin - Elizabeth Goddard. 2016. Blood & Treasure got me to a place of “I need multiple life-threatening/life-saving action scenes STAT!” and then my brain remembered that when I was last here in January, I’d learned that Goddard had one billion options for me. This one seemed closest to my needs from what the library had. Cookie-cutter mass market romance is very useful sometimes.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

We Went to the Woods - Caitlin Dolan-Leach. 2019. It sounded like an American version of my beloved The Shadow Year. Friends deciding to try group homesteading for self-sufficiency? BRING IT.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Rizzoli & Isles #13: Listen To Me - Tess Gerritsen. 2022. Read & loved all the other books in this series.

The Map That Leads To You - Joseph Monninger. 2017. I’ve read several of his YA novels, and then a Reddit post described it as some of the most beautiful writing they’d ever encountered. Plus, it is very romantic to think of a man following his grandfather’s leatherbound travel journal.

The Vines - Shelley Nolden. 2021. Came up on my Goodreads feed; I clicked on the link to her research about North Brother Island with all its crumbling abandoned structures, and immediately said TRANSPORT ME HERE FICTIONALLY.

An Afternoon Walk - Dorothy Eden. 1971. The cover pulled me in and the first chapter – which details the cover image as they explore the grounds of a nearby estate and peek at the abandoned house – sold me entirely.

How I heard of it: used book sale

The Lost Island - Preston & Child. 2014. Gideon's Sword - Preston & Child. 2011. Looking for more audiobooks that at least vaguely fit my Danny/Lexi/adventure casting, the “treasure” keyword pinged the Lost Island. It didn’t work for Lexi, but I could totally picture Matt Barr as Gideon and the audiobook was really good, so I went back to the beginning. (I had intended to listen to the whole 5-book series, but I got Distracted)

How I heard of it: Libby

Fading Starlight - Kathryn Cushman. 2016. Beautiful cover + fixing up a coastal house, I’m there.

How I heard of it: used book sale

Hidden Treasures - Michelle Adams. 2021. Needed an audiobook, did a keyword search for “treasure” on Libby this time and was drawn in by that, the cover, the prospect of cleaning out a hoarder’s house, and the 2nd chance romance (hey there Danny/Lexi).

The More I See Of Men - Lynn Hall. 1992. Reading all her books is #1 on my literary bucket list. I’ve long been intrigued by this one ever since Lynn referenced it in an interview, so I finally bit the bullet and bought a copy when I found one for $5 (and, in a shocking turn of events, actually read it immediately).

Small Game - Blair Braverman. 2022. Does everyone in the world know yet how I fooled myself into believing this would be like the TV show Siberia??

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts - Kate Racculia. 2019. Small Game failed me, so I desperately went fishing on my TBR for a pick-me-up and decided a treasure / scavenger hunt with riddles would be a good consolation prize.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Dragon Keeper - Mindy Mejia. 2012. I liked a previous book of hers and loved the idea of a zookeeper character, with a focus on her zoo charge. Bought cheap at a book sale since library didn’t have it, and read it ASAP to send it back out the door.

A Shroud of Leaves - Rebecca Alexander. 2019. A Baby's Bones - Rebecca Alexander. 2018. The cover and title pulled me in, not least because season 1 of Bedlam ended on a cliffhanger that made me desperate to read a proper British crime novel about missing girls. Who knew I would find one at the dollar store?? Anyway, the book was so awesome that I went back to the first one at the library ASAP.

In A Cottage In A Wood - Cass Green. 2017. Riding high on British thrillers, this was for sale at the library and I jumped on it because “you randomly inherit a house” is always a plot favorite. Bonus points if it’s apparently creepy.

The Doll's House - M. J. Arlidge. 2015. Still on the British thriller theme of missing girls, this time looking for an audiobook -- and I’m always extra-intrigued by The Collector-type scenarios. (I was not aware it was part of a series until after I started)

How I heard of it: Libby

Vanishing Edge - Claire Kells. 2021. An Unforgiving Place - Claire Kells. 2022. Hiking inspiration (national parks) AND an investigative mystery? The first one was so good that I devoured the sequel as soon as it was available.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Escape Room - Megan Goldin. 2019. Found a cheap audiobook at a library sale, am down for escape room thrillers

How I heard of it: used book sale

Lease on Love - Falon Ballard. 2022. It popped up on the library homepage and immediately looked like it might be one of those sweet romances (or at least have the sweet love interest) I’ve been craving. Plus real estate porn from getting to live in a brownstone for practically nothing. (I didn’t factor in there being actual porn, but regrettably...)

The Cottage on Wildflower Lane - Liz Davies. 2020. Available audiobook, cute cover, sweet romance, soothing British narrator.

How I heard of it: Libby

Three Story House - Courtney Miller Santo. 2014.   Who am I to turn down stories about women fixing up old houses??

How I heard of it: library

The Night She Disappeared - Lisa Jewell. 2021. Anyway, back to British thrillers about missing girls. (But also, I know this is a popular author, and the phrase “abandoned mansion” IMMEDIATELY sold me as the one to start on from her)

How I heard of it: Libby, I think?

Dead Lake - Darcy Coates. 2020. The Folsom Ghosts was actually the book that caught my eye on the library website; it looked like everything I like in horror. When I got to the library and found a whole SHELF of identically appealing books, I checked out half a dozen and intended to read them all, but randomly started here. And then I just...didn’t read any others, it was too good.

Check Me Out - Becca Wilhite. 2018. Bought at a book sale a while ago, because G-rated romance featuring a librarian.

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman. 1990. Reread via the new full cast audiobook (listened on Libby), which was the dream/what I wanted the first time around in 2020.

(I forgot to include a pic of this one, whoops)

=========

CATEGORY TWO: YOUNG ADULT

(again in two parts)

99 Lies - Rachel Vincent. 2018. Sequel to (more accurately “the second half of”) a fantastic thriller I read in December.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Eden Summer - Liz Flanagan. 2016. Bought cheap at a book sale because cool title and cover, plus curiosity about what had happened to her missing best friend.

Spellbook of the Lost and Found - Moira Fowley-Doyle. 2017. In search of an available audiobook, I thought the Irish-accented narrators would be cool, not least because I had looked with interest at this beautiful cover for years at the library and only been put off by the “fantasy” sticker on the spine. This time I actually read the summary, and it sounded a lot more realistic.

The Runaway's Diary - Marilyn Harris. 1971. Intrigued by the publication year + dog + journal format. First came across it on Goodreads in a “what’s that book?” post; was in the mood to order from Interlibrary Loan.

The Rules - Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie. 2015. Love me a creative serial killer Spooky Book in February.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Children of the River - Linda Crewe. 1989. Reminded of its existence by Speaking For Ourselves and was frankly stunned to see the library still had a 90s copy in circulation, so I took the opportunity to reread a book I’d liked in high school.

In Summer Light - Zibby Oneal. 1985. Read about it in Speaking For Ourselves, Too; was intrigued by the setting and the focus on art. Lucked out this year finding a copy for sale at the library.

The Golden Window - Ernie Rydberg. 1956. Tripped over it in an antiquarian bookstore on clearance; it seemed like a very darling, nostalgic look at college.

Pretty Bad Things - C.J. Skuse. 2010. Cover model looked like Melissa Benoist and I was under the impression (until I started) that the twins were both girls. Read now because I could -- after 2 years on my TBR I saw the audiobook on Libby (the library doesn’t have a print version).

How I heard of it: Goodreads

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - Holly Jackson. 2020 (US edition). Good Girl, Bad Blood - Holly Jackson. 2021. As Good As Dead - Holly Jackson. 2022. I finally succumbed to the hype, mostly for the promise of some unusual formatting / mixed media, and had such a good time that I finished the trilogy in quick succession.

How I heard of it: book blogs

The Mall - Megan McCafferty. 2020. Fun cover design/colors + I love malls. And the 90s.

How I heard of it: a book blog

What Waits in the Water - Kieran Scott. 2017. Picked up in a Little Free Library & read immediately because I liked her previous What Waits book.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Three Desperate Days - Hope Dahle Jordan. 1962. Vintage teen thriller! With a road trip twist.

How I heard of it: used book sale

Lies Like Wildfire - Jennifer Lynn Alvarez. 2021. Wildfire + teen thriller/suspense/mystery = sold.

How I heard of it: library

There You'll Find Me - Jenny B. Jones. 2011. Loved the movie (Finding You), wanted to immediately revisit it in book form.

How I heard of it: I do remember it from the library when it was new

Sisters In Sanity - Gayle Forman. 2007. I like this author and was surprised to see the library had such an old book (old by the library’s standards, not mine). Plus I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of middle-of-nowhere reform camps for uncontrollable teens, ever since I read an article about one in a teen magazine when I was a teen -- not the one this author apparently wrote before writing her book, but very similar.

How I heard of it: library

The Dead House - Dawn Kurtagich. 2015. + Dead House: Naida (not pictured) I was at the library to pick up the book below, when I saw this next to it with a more alluring title/cover/premise and – oh, is that COOL MIXED-MEDIA FORMATTING?? Sold! (then I read the sequel novella on Libby because I Just Can’t Get Enough.)

And The Trees Crept In - Dawn Kurtagich. 2016. Read a post about it on r/whatsthatbook; it sounded so awesomely spooky that I wanted to read it even after being spoiled on the ending.

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids - Sarah Ockler. 2015. Beautiful cover/cover model (the girl, at least); between that and the setting it seemed like a perfect summer read.

How I heard of it: Library

The Evolution of Claire - Tess Sharpe. 2018. In which after losing my mind about Jurassic World: Dominion, I learn that there is officially licensed YA fanfic about Claire Dearing and immediately pterodactyl-screech “GIVE IT 2 ME!”

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Never Coming Home - Kate Williams. 2022. I will apparently read infinity versions of social media influencers being lured to deserted tropical islands for creative and vengeful Murder Reasons.

How I heard of it: library

Hold Still - Nina LaCour. 2009. Continuing last year’s quest to finish reading her YA novels, I decided I wanted to go back and reread this one before my last new one, mostly because there was an audiobook version this time.

How I heard of it: library

Gap Life - John Coy. 2016. Always interested in post-high-school paths that aren’t college.

How I heard of it: library

Property of the State - Bill Cameron. 2016. Always interested in foster-kid stories.

How I heard of it: library

Damselfly - Chandra Prasad. 2018. *New York “Beyonce?” face* MIXED GENDER LORD OF THE FLIES??? (one of the few assigned classics I genuinely enjoyed in high school)

How I heard of it: library

We Are Okay - Nina LaCour. 2017. Working my way through all her books; specifically interested in the idea of best friends reuniting after months of silence (as a person who remained solitary and had minimal contact with her own best friend during the first semester of college).

Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town America [stories] - ed. Nora Shalway Carpenter. 2020. Interested on sight in the promised settings of small/rural towns.

How I heard of it: Barnes & Noble

Secret Scribbled Notebooks - Joanne Horniman. 2004. The most alluring title in the history of ever. I wanted a peek at what she scribbled in the notebooks, perhaps for notebook-using inspiration of my own.

How I heard of it: OpenLibrary

Meet The Sky - McCall Hoyle. 2018. Natural disaster survival + lost horse?? Two of my favorite things.

How I heard of it: library

Solace of the Road - Siobhan Dowd. 2009. Reread of a book I didn’t remember well because available audiobook + pleasing Irish narrator I figured would lull me to sleep.

How I heard of it: library

This Is Our Story - Ashley Elston. 2016. I keep wanting to read one of hers, and murder mysteries are always fun.

How I heard of it: library

The Tenth Girl - Sara Faring. 2019. IT LOOKED SO SPOOK (plus how often do you find a story set in Patagonia?)

How I heard of it: Barnes & Noble

The Small Crimes of Tiffany Templeton - Richard Fifeld. 2020. Mostly the pretty colors in the cover (see: The Mall) and irresistibly cool title; a little bit because “small town in Montana” setting.

How I heard of it: library

Holly Jolly Summer - Tiffany Stewart. 2018. Bought cheap because cute cover + working at a theme park?? As unusual a theme for YA as the idea of a Christmas-themed town. (Read now because I needed a summery read to match the Indian summer weather.)

How I heard of it: the used book section of my Barnes & Noble

Full Flight - Ashley Schumacher. 2022. Loved her first book, ready to be heart-hurt again.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Not In The Script - Amy Finnegan. 2014. Randomly browsing at the library and saw...cute romance on a TV show set? I love that.

Drop-Out - Jeannette Eyerly. 1963. Been meaning to read one of hers, this one was on OpenLibrary and I always like mid-century stories about teens getting (or in this case trying to get) married.

How I heard of it: yet another Speaking For Ourselves find. :)

Out of Reach - Carrie Arcos. 2012. Bought on BookOutlet because I thought it was on my TBR (and it wasn’t at my local library), but it wasn’t there when I looked?? Maybe it was at one point and I deleted it. Anyway, still read it because kind of interested in the story of a girl looking for her runaway drug-addict brother on the streets. Also, pretty cover.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Distance Between Lost and Found - Kathryn Holmes. 2015. It’s not the right time of year for hiking inspiration, but I didn’t hike much this year after July anyway so I randomly decided I wanted to read about it regardless.

How I heard of it: library

I Am Princess X - Cherie Priest. 2015. Read a post about it on r/whatsthatbook and was intrigued by: the mystery premise, best friends, and curiosity about how the graphic novel panels would be incorporated.

This Is Not A Love Letter - Kim Purcell. 2018. Loved her first book, have long been interested in the setting of this one while leery of a lecture on racism, but to be honest? I can’t say why without spoilers, but the reason I finally read it is that I vaguely remember hearing how this one ended, and I needed a fictional way to process a similar scenario I’d just heard in celebrity news.

How I heard of it: library

Rain Is Not My Indian Name - Cynthia Leitich Smith. 2001. I’ve known about this semi-classic for a while and have been vaguely interested in reading it as an early Native American #OwnVoices; someone bought it out from under me at a book sale, but luckily Libby had an audiobook!

(side note: I am stubbornly keeping this in YA where it was originally shelved at the library, even if they’ve kicked it to middle grade now. Which is fair since it’s short and she’s 14, the Border Age, but I really dislike the more childish new cover image.)

How I heard of it: I don’t actually remember! I may have seen it at the library back in the day, or maybe I read about it in a book about teen books.

All American Boys - Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely. 2015. I don’t read a lot about racism or social (in)justice, but something about this one seemed like it would be unusually accessible. I found a copy in a little free library over the summer, finally remembered I had it while cleaning out the car, and just randomly read it.

How I heard of it: Half Price Books

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CATEGORY THREE: CHILDREN’S/MIDDLE GRADE

Ghetto Cowboy - G. Neri. 2011. I’ve always been vaguely interested because of the horse aspect, but I finally made the effort in order to have an idea of the story before watching the movie based on it.

How I heard of it: library

The Tiny Mansion - Keir Graff. 2020. I put ‘mansion’ into the library catalog keywords because of my general interest in those kinds of settings, but I was equally thrilled to find something unique: a middle grade story about a tiny house?? In a forest setting?? YEAH

How I heard of it: library

Bearstone - Will Hobbs. 1989. Reread of a middle school favorite when I saw there was an audiobook.

The Door in the Wall - Marguerite de Angeli. 1949. Reread of a middle school assignment I’d forgotten I ever read (and barely remembered) when I saw there was an audiobook.

Operation Red Jericho - Joshua Mowll. 2005. Operation Typhoon Shore - Joshua Mowll. 2006. Operation Storm City - Joshua Mowll. 2008.  

I read about the first book on r/whatsthatbook and it sounded like it had the coolest art design ever. It did. Even though I didn’t love the actual stories, I had to finish the trilogy just so I had enough context to keep fully enjoying it.

The Secret of Blandford Hall - Margaret Crary. 1963. It was mostly the map of the 4-acre estate in the front that sold me on this quick-n-easy vintage kids’ mystery, tbh. Literally, sold; I paid $4 since library didn’t have it.

How I heard of it: antique store

Bonny's Boy Returns - F.E. Rechnitzer. 1953. Sequel to a dog book I loved.

How I heard of it: bookfinder.com

Breathing Room - Marsha Hayles. 2012. I haven’t read a lot of books about patients this young being treated for tuberculosis in sanitariums. The local MN setting doubled my interest in this one.

How I heard of it: library

You May Already Be A Winner - Ann Dee Ellis. 2017. Bought for $1 mostly due to the very cute cover + trailer park setting.

How I heard of it: dollar store

Maisie Lockwood Adventures #1: Off the Grid - Tess Sharpe. 2022. In which I lose my mind about the found family in Jurassic World: Dominion, go home intending to google for middle grade novels with this exact family dynamic, learn that licensed fanfiction about this actual family already exists, and immediately pterodactyl-screech “GIVE IT 2 ME!”

How I heard of it: Goodreads

A Patron Saint for Junior Bridesmaids - Shelley Tougas. 2016. Bought cheap because cute cover and title with a local setting; I was curious how she would navigate bridesmaid duties as a 12-year-old.

How I heard of it: used book section of my Barnes & Noble

Water Balloon - Audrey Vernick. 2011. 99% because of the summery cover, 1% because she sounded relatable in being left behind by her friends for not maturing fast enough.

How I heard of it: a book blog

Meant to Be - Jo Knowles. 2022. Sequel to a book I didn’t love, but liked enough to want the full story.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

Birdie's Billions - Edith Cohn. 2021. Fantasizing about what I’d do if I found a bunch of money is second only to talking about books in terms of my favorite hobbies. A Goodreads friend read this and I literally went to the library the next day to check it out so I could have full context for deciding what I would do as her.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

All The Things You Are - Courtney Sheinmel. 2011. Found for $1 -- I like this author so I’ll give most any standalone she writes a shot.

How I heard of it: Goodreads

The Echo Park Castaways - M.G. Hennessey. 2019. Cool cover + foster kids.

How I heard of it: used book sale

When I Hit the Road - Nancy J. Cavanaugh. 2020. I love road trip books!

How I heard of it: Goodreads 

=====================

CATEGORY FOUR: NONFICTION

Living Simply: A Teen Guide to Minimalism  - Sally McGraw. 2019. It was slender and brightly colored and I thought it would be fun to fantasize for a bit that I was a teen again, with only one bedroom’s worth of possessions to sort.

How I heard of it: library

Deep in the Heart of Texas: Reflections of Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders  - Suzette, Stephanie and Sheri Scholz. 1991.

Obsession with the DCC reality show = time to look for books about cheerleaders’ time there. There didn’t seem to be any from the modern era, so this was as close as I could get to actually hearing about the practices, appearances, etc. (also, someone said it was soapy/scandalous)

How I heard of it: googling keywords

All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House  - David Giffels. 2008.

I will read any memoir you have about fixing up a big ol’ historic house.

How I heard of it: library

Speaking For Ourselves  - ed. David Gallo. 1990. Loved the second volume when I read it last year, finally realized I could get this one through Interlibrary Loan as well. Tell me about prolific authors of teen books and their work from my favorite era of teen lit!

How I heard of it: OpenLibrary

Things I Should Have Said  - Jamie Lynn Spears. 2022. Honestly, I’ve always found her more appealing than her sister, and the world’s Absurd Hatred of this book for daring to exist made me extra-curious about it (and desirous of helping its Goodreads rating), so reading it ASAP became a priority.

How I heard of it: ONTD

Everybody Fights: So Why Not Get Better at It?  - Kim & Penn Holderness. 2021. See “teams I fell in love with on The Amazing Race.” I loved their podcasts about it so I started watching their YouTube videos, found out about this audiobook and was like, “A PODCAST I CAN COUNT ON MY READING LIST??”

How I heard of it: YouTube

UnSweetined  - Jodie Sweetin. 2009. I re-fell in love with her on Beyond the Edge, needed more of her ASAP and then vaguely remembered she had written a memoir.

How I heard of it: just...random celebrity news sites back in the day before I was on ONTD regularly

We Are the Baby-Sitters Club: Essays and Artwork from Grown-Up Readers - ed. Marisa Crawford & Megan Milks. 2021.

I was also the BSC!

How I heard of it: Goodreads

I Want To Be Where the Normal People Are  - Rachel Bloom. 2020. It was at the library and I was juuuust curious enough to check for some Crazy Ex-Girlfriend stories.

How I heard of it: ONTD

Made From Scratch: Discovering the Simple Pleasures of a Handmade Life  - Jenna Woginrich. 2008. I was browsing through old reading lists and remembered how much I liked this one. I wanted to read one of her more recent memoirs, and was bummed to find the library didn’t have any of them – but they still had this one! So I checked it out intending to just skim through it, and ended up rereading cover to cover because fascinating info.

How I heard of it: library

Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life With 600 Rescue Animals - Laurie Zaleski. 2021. Rescue animals!!! At an animal rescue!

How I heard of it: Goodreads (but my dad independently recommended it as well; both my parents liked it actually)

The Horseman's Companion  - Margaret Cabell Self. 1949. An old horse book with a cover illustrated by Wesley Dennis, written in an appealing writing style (basically storytelling)? SOLD.

How I heard of it: used book sale

O.C. Undercover  - Brittany Kent. 2004. I love The O.C. and I will read any ridiculous books you have about it.

How I heard of it: used book sale

===========

And that’s it; hope you have enjoyed this special 6-months-late edition of the traditional post.

[bibliobethblog]

Hello everyone and happy Saturday to you all! This #stacksaturday I’m sharing another #authornamestack inspired by lovely Kelly over at @smeets_x who posted about recurring author names on her shelves. This time it’s Jack/Jackie/Jacqueline/Jake which I don’t have too many of! All are still on my TBR 😂 Sentient - Jackie Higgins Brood - Jackie Polzin The Valley Of The Dolls - Jacqueline Susann The Fatal Tree - Jake Arnott Not pictured: Do No Harm by Jack Jordan which is on loan to my sister @chrissireads Have you read any of these authors or books? I’d love to know! Let’s have a chat in the comments and have a great weekend everyone! 🤗😘 #bookstagramuk #scottishbookstagrammer #recurringauthornames #sentient #jackiehigginsauthor #brood #jackiepolzin #thevalleyofthedolls #jacquelinesusannsvalleyofthedolls #thefataltree #jakearnott #lovingbookslovinglife #stillonthetbr #illreadtheseeventually https://www.instagram.com/p/CpGMmaCLvU0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[paoloferrario]

POLZIN Jackie, Quattro galline, Einaudi, 2022

POLZIN Jackie, Quattro galline, Einaudi, 2022

[insidemylibrarymind]

Pop Song: Adventures in Art & Intimacy by Larissa Pham Review

Pop Song: Adventures in Art & Intimacy by Larissa Pham Review

Goodreads blurb: Endlessly inventive, intimate, and provocative, this memoir-in-essays is a celebration of the strange and exquisite state of falling in love, whether with a painting or a person, that interweaves incisive commentary on modern life, feminism, art and sex with the author’s own experiences of obsession, heartbreak, and past trauma. Like a song that feels written just for you,…

[bookmama]

Good morning Bookstagram! Today, I want to know, what is one new skill you have learned in the last year? For us raising chickens would definitely fall into that category!!! These ladies aren’t quite a year old yet, but have filled the last year with so much joy and wonder.

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Now about the book! Thank you to @doubledaybooks for this gifted copy of Brood by Jackie Polzin! This was such a beautifully written story of both love and loss, surrounding one woman and her struggle over the span of a year to keep her small brood of chickens alive.

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Synopsis from the publisher: Over the course of a single year, our nameless narrator heroically tries to keep her small brood of four chickens alive despite the seemingly endless challenges that caring for another creature entails. From the forty-below nights of a brutal Minnesota winter to a sweltering summer which brings a surprise tornado, she battles predators, bad luck, and the uncertainty of a future that may not look anything like the one she always imagined. Intimate and startlingly original, this slender novel is filled with wisdom, sorrow and joy. As the year unfolds, we come to know the small band of loved ones who comprise the narrator's circumscribed life at this moment. Her mother, a flinty former home-ec teacher who may have to take over the chickens; her best friend, a real estate agent with a burgeoning family of her own; and her husband whose own coping mechanisms for dealing with the miscarriage that haunts his wife are more than a little unfathomable to her.

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I loved this quietly heartbreaking tale so much. In many ways this book perfectly illustrated many of the things I worry about with my own brood of chickens, but it was about so much more than that. This story shows the healing power of taking care of someone or something other than yourself. This book also shows how we all deal with loss in different ways, wether it’s the loss of a child, a pet, a home, or a dream we once had for ourselves. It is also about chickens, which I have personally fallen in love with over the past year in all of their quirkiness. Even though the narrator is nameless throughout the entire book, I knew her well at the end.

[catiesbooks]

Find my recommendation for Jackie Polzin’s Brood & more in the American Bookseller Association’s March issue of IndieNext!

Brood: A Novel by Jackie Polzin Doubleday, 9780385546751, $24 “Over the course of a year, told in a collection of snapshots, Brood shows the life of a woman grieving by doing anything but. She gives herself purpose by taking care of a small flock of chickens, as well as finding small but kind, funny, or wry ways of interacting with her neighbors, eccentric mother-in-law, and caring husband, Percy. There are plenty of clever and funny moments from scene to scene (not to mention the odd and interesting analyses of a chicken’s life and point of view), but the beauty in this book lies in the narrator’s acceptance of the everyday, and of all the things — bad, good, but mostly in-between — that come therein.” —Cat Chapman, The Oxford Exchange, Tampa, FL

Find Brood here

[bigtickhk]

Brood by Jackie Polzin https://amzn.to/2OMi5EY

https://bookshop.org/a/17891/9780385546751

[v171]

Best in Books, 2021

Sorry for another book post that no one asked for. I just enjoy doing these as it lets me reflect back on books that I haven't read in a long time.

Got this survey online here and thought it was another fun way to reflect back on what I read.

1. Best Book You Read In 2021?

Provenance - Ann Leckie

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?  

Hummingbird Salamander - Jeff Vandermeer WHAT a colossal disappointment...

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?    

The Midnight Library - Matt Haig I absolutely hated this book and it made me realize that I don't think I'll ever like him as an author. I was stunned that this book got the acclaim that it did considering how objectively bad I felt that it was.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Words of Radiance - Brandon Sanderson I don't actually think I pushed too many people to read this, but I recommended it to a friend who in turn recommended it to by brother and now another friend. So it all started with me.

5. Best series you started in 2021? Best Sequel? Best Series Ender of 2021?

Best series I started - Rosewater - Tade Thompson Picked this up on a whim and really loved it. Looking forward to finishing the trilogy this year.

Best sequel - Artificial Condition - Martha Wells Honestly all of the murderbot books blend together, but I THINK this one was my favorite.

Best series ender - The Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson This was honestly just okay, but I didn't finish many series this year....

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2021?

Jackie Polzin I read her debut novel, Brood on a whim as my last book of the year. I was so surprised by how wonderful it was and how excellent of a writer she is.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Poison for Breakfast - Lemony Snicket This was some mixture of memoir and philosophy I guess? I really enjoyed it and neither genres are something I read often.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Sea of Rust - C. Robert Cargill This had been on my TBR forever before I finally picked it up, and I'm so happy I did. It was fantastic and oddly touching.

9. Book You Read In 2021 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Blindsight - Peter Watts I initially rated this a lot lower than I should have, because I am still thinking about how impactful this was. There's a sequel and I think I might try to re-read this before jumping into Echopraxia.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2021?

The Hole - Hiroko Oyamada I'm not super big into the genre of Japanese mystical realism, but I found this to be short, sweet, and moderately enjoyable. I LOVE the cover though.

11. Most memorable character of 2021? Molly, Neuromancer - William Gibson The original Trinity. I loved her.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2021?

This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mothar, Max Gladstone

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2021?

The Seep - Chana Porter I thought this was a very interesting exploration into what it means to be progressive and what we'd be giving up if we actually were liberated from earthly conflict.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2021 to finally read? 

 Neuromancer - William Gibson

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2021?

I never write down quotes that I like, but it would probably be something from The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin because of course it is.

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2021?

Shortest - Peace, Pipe - Aliya Whiteley More like a short story. I think its like... 20 something pages.

Longest - Words of Radiance - Brandon Sanderson 1087 pages

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

The Invention of Sound - Chuck Palahniuk This was literally written to be shocking, so I guess it wasn't surprising that I found it shocking. It was not good though.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

I do not do this.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Henry Thompson and OWEN, The Municipalists - Seth Fried Totally fell in love with this book and I loved their buddy cop dynamic. (They weren't actually cops, don't worry)

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2021 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro The Buried Giant was one of my favorite books of last year and this was just as wonderful and devastating.

21. Best Book You Read In 2021 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

Piranesi - Susanna Clarke Absolute garbage. Can't believe I was tricked into reading this by everyone on youtube and goodreads.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2021?

Tobias, Silver in the Wood - Emily Tesh I was about to say that I don't get fictional crushes... but that's not true I guess. How am I supposed to resist a gruff mountain man forest spirit??

23. Best 2021 debut you read?

Brood - Jackie Polzin

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson Not a surprise that Brandon is good at worldbuilding. Only reason that I didn't put Stormlight Archive is that I haven't caught up yet.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

A Psalm For The Wild Built - Becky Chambers So lovely and beautiful. A joy to read.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2021?

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro I mean come on... completely devastating...

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

The Raven Tower - Ann Leckie Criminally underrated book. I know Leckie is known for her Imperial Radch saga, but this was absolutely excellent.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Razorblade Tears - S.A. Cosby So heart wrenching. Cosby was able to convey grief so wonderfully.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2021?

Version Control - Dexter Palmer What I thought would be a standard time travel sci-fi story really surprised me with its novel approach to time travel. Completely unique and an actually scientifically backed theory.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

The Midnight Library - Matt Haig What a stupid waste of a book. So dumb, not insightful, waste of time. He literally just wanted to write a worse, less nuanced version of The Bell Jar, and in that I suppose he succeeded. Baffling that people loved this book. Not only was is completely surface level, the overarching commentary on mental health was bad and harmful.

[sanspatronymic]

Books I Read in 2021 (Part 1):

Brood by Jackie Polzin Treasure Island!!! by Sara Levine Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Colorful by Eto Mori (trans. Jocelyne Allen) Cabal by Clive Barker The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Emma Southon The Owl Service by Alan Garner Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch by Rivka Galchen Psychopathy: A Very Short Introduction by Essi Viding

[amongtomesandtales]

Jo’s Reading of the Month 📖

🗓 January

·  Total: 11 ·  📙Rereads: 3 ·  📚 Library: 6 ·  🎧 Audiobooks: 4

End of the month currently reading: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - Highs: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Catlin Doughty (reread) ★★★★★ + Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier ★★★★★ - Lows: The Braid by Laetitia Colombani ★★ + Brood by Jackie Polzin ★

Are my books balanced?

(how much I’ve read vs. how much that’s come in) 11 / 7