Sourdough: A love letter to bakers and techies

    If you read Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore than you know what I'm talking about when I say Robin Sloan once again wrote a totally quirky but lovable book. Sourdough is like an ode to carbs. Or bread really. Mr. Sloan, you are a genius. Thankfully I had 2 loaves of bread (honey wheat & zucchini) in the house as I was reading this book, because take my word for it: You will want to eat an entire loaf within the first few pages.

    Lois is a programmer who recently moved to San Francisco for a job at a robotics company called General Dexterity. They specialize in developing robotic arms. Alone in a new city, Lois finds herself depressed and malnourished until she discovers Clement Street Soup and Sandwiches run by brothers Chaiman and Beo. She is soon their most frequent customer and they are her only form of social interaction. When the brothers must close up shop and leave the country, Lois is crushed, until they bring her one last delivery: their sourdough bread starter. She has zero baking experience but quickly learns how to care for the starter and bake the bread. Proud of her new little hobby, Lois begins sharing the bread with those around her and soon finds herself applying to sell the sourdough at one of the local farmer's markets. Instead she is immersed in an underground experimental market of sorts. Her programming skills and new bread baking talent are combined to make an interesting and totally one-of-kind story. 

    That was a lengthy summary, but there were so many strange little details about this story, and that synopsis didn't even skim the surface! What I liked most about this book was Lois's character. She was the nice balance to all the quirkiness going on throughout the story. She was relatable and often provided a breath of fresh air among all of the eccentricity. I loved the little snide comments she would make to herself about her coworkers and acquaintances. 

    This book wasn't just all about baking, it also incorporated technology. More specifically it combined the two and explored the ways people could (potentially) live only off of food gel packets, grow food underground with lights, and use strange and interesting ingredients and tools to make ordinary food extraordinary food. This setting was unlike anywhere I'd ever read about. Many descriptions sounded like science, but I knew it was unlikely that most of it was real or accurate. If there was anything I didn't like about this book, it was probably these scientific explanations that I thought bogged down the story line just a tad. 

    As for the ending, I loved how it all came full circle in a way. Let's just say I was hoping what happened was going to happen, although I really had no idea it would until it did! Those are the best kinds of endings! Overall, I'll say I'm usually turned off by extreme quirkiness in the characters and plots that I read, but Sloan just seemed to do it in a really interesting and balanced way here. I credit the bread. Bread makes everything better.

Sourdough is released September 5, 2017! Thanks to my boss for the ARC!

4/5 Stars

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (not on the edge of my seat)

    I had heard great things about Andrew Peterson as a musician and writer from my brother and sister and law. When the Wingfeather Saga was recommended on the What Should I Read Next podcast to kids who love Harry Potter, I immediately put a hold on it at the library...I mean we're all looking for Harry Potter read-a-likes, am I right?

    I think for those reasons I had really high expectations for this story, and that's why it kind of disappointed me. But before you cross this one off your to-read list, let me tell you that I actually do plan on reading the next book in the series. Though it didn't leave a great first impression on me, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness set the series up for what I hope to be an exciting ride. And with the right audience, I think there's potential.

    Janner lives in Glipwood with this mother, brother (Tink), sister (Leeli), and grandather (Podo). Their little town sits between the Dark Sea of Darkness and the sinister Glipwood forest and is overseen by the mean and nasty Fangs of Dang (stationed there when horrible Gnag the Nameless took over the continent in a quest to conquer High King Wingfeather). As the oldest child, Janner feels the strong burden to protect and watch out for his siblings. It is this responsibility, along with his natural curiosity, that brings Janner to the conclusion that his mother and Podo must be hiding something important from him about the past. What could they be keeping secret and what does it mean for their family and for the world as they know it?

    It was hard to summarize this story for one of the several reasons I did not like it...there were so many weird names! I suppose that makes it more fantastical, but I thought it was confusing. What disappointed me the most was how the first three chapters set up an interesting world and backstory, but after that it all just kind of fell flat. I had assumed going into this story that there was going to be an epic journey or adventure (perhaps because the summary on the back of the book says "this epic adventure"???). Instead it was more about three siblings who kept getting into trouble in town and then someone coming to their rescue. In fact, it seemed to me the only purpose the character of Leeli served was to get captured and then rescued. I got bored. Every so often interesting bits and pieces of that world and backstory would make their way in and then it got boring again...until the very end when it really did get interesting. I won't spoil anything, but twist at the end is what makes me want to read the next book.

   I think the right audience (middle grade readers) would probably gloss over the grievances that I have and might really like it. The quirky names, and funny situations will make them laugh. There's lots of action and likable characters. Themes like courage and sacrifice, as well as greed and grudges make for good conversation after reading.

    I'm holding out hope for North! or be Eaten, but I can't say I'm going to rush to read it soon.

3/5 Stars

Thoughts on Fitness & Fitness Junkie

Here are my health and fitness routines as told by memes:

Can anyone else relate? ;)

    A healthy lifestyle has never been an easy thing for me to maintain. I never have enough discipline. I would rather eat the cookie/brownie/pie. Vegetables just aren't priority in our house. My husband and I go on regular bike rides but we do it because it's something we enjoy together, not because we're trying to lose weight.

    I confess these things because I can relate to the main character in Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza's newest book Fitness Junkie. Janey Sweet is the CEO of the popular and thriving wedding dress company, B. When her childhood best friend and business partner, Beau, says that she must lose weight or lose her job, Janey initially thinks he's crazy. But before she knows it, she's sucked into the world of bizarre exercise routines, crazy fad diets, and some strange New Yorkers.

    What's great about this book is its commentary on today's health and fitness industry. I loved the way it poked fun at the levels of "health" people will go to in our culture. While some of the characters and situations were rather extreme, I thought there was definitely truth to be found. I mean, we all have those Instagram friends who clearly spend more time photographing their avocado smoothies than actually eating them, right? It was interesting to see how the various characters achieved their version of health and how they all reacted to the pushes and pulls of the behaviors around them. Some were hesitant. Some were desperate. Some believed in what they were doing wholeheartedly. Some were total fakes, and others just did what they felt they had to do.

     For a long while I was unsure where the plot was headed in this story. There were a lot of different directions I could see it taking and I have to say I was surprised at how much of a punch the ending packed in. Regardless of the sometimes implausible plot lines, I think the overlying message of self acceptance is one we could all stand to hear.

4/5 Stars

Youth Lit. Goals & Tuesdays at the Castle

     At work I often get asked by parents, what are some "good, clean, appropriate" books for my kid/teen? I put it in quotes because I know what they're really looking for are quality stories minus vulgar language or steamy romance scenes. More often than not, parents are okay with violence. Even more often than not, parents aren't able to read everything before their kids do. I totally understand wanting to be cautious of watch young kids are reading. On the other hand, I don't believe kids become/do/model a behavior just because they read about it. I suppose it really depends on the reader themselves, their age, and what they know they can handle. This can be a very personal opinion, but one I'm always interested in discussing with others. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

    I usually have a few titles to throw out but it seems the kid has either already read it or the book is checked out. I end up wandering the stacks pointing things out that I've heard are good or read a really long time ago.

    With that all said, I've made a goal for myself. I want to try harder to find more "good, clean, appropriate books" and then actually read them so I can enthusiastically recommend them in these situations. Because if I've learned anything in working with kids and teens it's that they aren't interested in checking out a book that I have half-heartedly recommended.

    I spent about an hour on good reads last week (oh wait, that's nothing new...) adding children's and YA lit to my to-read list and the first one I checked out was Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George. 

    Tuesdays at the Castle is the perfect example of "good, clean, appropriate" literature that I think parents are looking for. It was a fun, engaging story without any questionable content. This fantasy centers around Castle Glower and the royal family that lives within it. But Castle Glower isn't just any ordinary castle. Every Tuesday the castle grows and adds new rooms, stairways, doors, or secret passageways. It's almost as if the castle is alive. Princess Celie is the youngest daughter of King Glower the Seventy-Ninth and knows the ins and outs of the castle better than anyone. When tragedy strikes, Celie and those closest to her must use their wit to fight. It's a good thing Celie has the Castle Glower on her side!

    Perhaps one of the reasons I liked this story so much is because Castle Glower reminded me a little bit of the Hogwarts Castle with it's magically changing scenery. I love that the Castle Glower is a character all by itself. Though Celie is a young girl she is smart and tough. There are great themes of loyalty and family throughout the story. It had just enough conflict to keep me interested, but remained lighthearted. I would recommend this for anyone over the age of 8!

5/5 Stars

Another Mystery: I Found You

     It seems I have been on a thriller, mystery kick lately. I've been reading more in this genre than usual. I Found You by Lisa Jewell was another title on Modern Mrs. Darcy's Summer Reading Guide. It sounded very intriguing, but I hadn't really planned on picking it up so soon until I began my search for book club titles at work. My boss raved about this one and it had high praise on Goodreads. When I saw it on the new shelf at work and just couldn't resist the urge to grab it!

     Alice is a single mother who takes in a man suffering from memory loss. He doesn't know who he is, or why he has been sitting on the beach for the last 24 hours. Can she trust him? In another town, young wife Lily is wondering why her husband hasn't returned home from work last night. Involving the police only turn up more questions. Can she trust him? Alternating chapters take the reader back 20+ years when Gray and Kirsty's family vacation takes an eerie turn after a stranger invites them over for dinner. Gray is convinced he has ulterior motives. Can he trust him?

     This book certainly kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I started to second guessed myself. I would say I Found You is more plot driven and I've learned from the various books I've read this year that I much prefer character driven stories. I felt like I was only getting a shallow view of each of the characters. And honestly, I didn't particularly like any of them. That was hard for me. What kept me reading was the switch between past and present timelines and the desire to know how they fit together in the end. While this was a great summer read, it certainly isn't a light read. There are some pretty dark themes and each character is marked by their own sort of trauma. Don't let that stop you though, there are great twists and turns that left me pleased that it wasn't as predictable as I thought!

4/5 Stars