Weekly Mews: Happy Mother's Day/My Thoughts on Starbreaker & Inside Out & Back Again/May's TBR List Poll Winner

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz where participants discuss what they are reading and other bookish topics. 

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there, whether you have human children, furkids, or both (or perhaps are a mother figure in someone's life)! Due to world circumstances, it may be a bit more subdued a celebration, but I hope you know how appreciated you are. Sending extra hugs to those of you who have an especially difficult time this time of year--whether because you have lost your mother, had abusive/absent mother or lost a child.

flowers from my husband and daughter

What I Am Reading: I was hoping to have A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison finished by now so I could share my thoughts with you (I am so close!), but you will have to wait until next weekend. Besides that, this week I read the last two Ivy + Bean books by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall with Mouse. We have both enjoyed the series.

What I Am Watching: Since last week, my husband and I finished watching season 2 of Elementary and watched the first episode of season 3. For those who do not know, it is a modern day Sherlock Holmes type show with Lucy Lu playing Watson.

Off the Blog: County leaders met this past week and have asked the head of the county's Public Health Department to rescind his mandatory orders of having residents wear face mask in public and social distancing, although they did state doing both are still highly recommended. I understand the meeting they held was quite heated, everyone offering their different views. One of the members of the Board wants to open up the county with no restrictions. Most of his concern surrounds the ailing economy. Regardless of the county officials' stances, the state governor's orders still take precedence. Hopefully people will exercise good judgement.

The governor allowed several more businesses to open this past Friday, the start of the slow process to getting back to some semblance of normalcy. Among them, retailers such as bookstores and sporting goods stores are allowed to offer curbside pick-up, as are nurseries. Manufacturers who supply those re-opened businesses are also being allowed to re-open as long as they maintain social distancing and take safety precautions.

On a personal note, the week was uneventful for the most part. I guess that's a good thing, considering.

 My supervisor making sure I'm working.

Tell me what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? 

Where is Daniel Ahern? [opening of Starbreaker]

Starbreaker (Endeavor #2) by Amanda Bouchet

(Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2020; Science Fiction/Romance, 448 pgs)

I enjoyed the first novel in Bouchet's romantic science fiction novel called Nightchaser featuring Captain Tess Bailey and Shade Ganavan. Tess is back with her crew in the latest novel in the series, this time with an impossible mission ahead of them. As nightchasers, the make a living off of stealing cargo from the wealthy and government and giving it to those in need. But now they are being asked to break into Starbase 12, an extremely secure facility, and free an imprisoned scientist whose recent discovery will tip the scales in the rebels favor against the Dark Watch.

Things become more complicated when the Endeavor takes on a couple of new crew members--one is not someone they are sure they can trust and the other is someone from Tess's past.

Starbreaker was as entertaining and as action-packed as I anticipated. I really like Tess and her crew. They are well matched and have each other's backs through thick and thin. Shade and Tess have baggage between them that they are still working through, and I appreciated the way Bouchet addresses both of their concerns and feelings. The reader gets to learn more about Tess and her past, including her complicated relationship with her uncle. There are plenty of twists, some of which were predictable, and others came as a complete surprise. Be forewarned that while some things were resolved, a lot more is left in the air. This is definitely a series to read in order.

Have you tried this series? If so, what do you think? 

Today is Tết,the first day of the lunar calendar. [Opening of Inside Out & Back Again]

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai 

(Harper Collins, 2011; Fiction/Historical/Middle Grade, 262 pgs)

Ten year old Hà has lived her entire life in Saigon. It is home, from the busy markets to the traditions she's grown up with, her friends and her beloved papaya tree. 

With war comes change, however, and when the war reaches Saigon in 1975 and the government falls, Hà, her mother and brothers flee to America.  Her family settles in Alabama where life is completely foreign to Hà. They do not receive a warm welcome by everyone, and Hà struggles to fit in, learn a new language and grieve for the life she's left behind. This novel in verse is based on the author's real life experiences.

Thank you to everyone who voted for Inside Out & Back Again as my April TBR read. This book had been on my TBR shelf for quite a while. One of those books I kept meaning to get to, and yet never quite managed to. Until last month. When I asked my daughter if she wanted to read it with me, she eagerly said yes. 

We both really enjoyed this wonderful book. Both simple and beautiful in narrative, this novel touched both our hearts.  Hà is a very relatable character and Mouse and I had quite a few discussions as we read. I was able to share stories about my father who fought in the Vietnam War and share some of my own knowledge of that time period. We talked about immigration and cultural differences, and how difficult it must have been for Hà, leaving behind the home she loved and coming to a country so different from her own, including being bullied, and finding her own place in her new community.

I marked several passages in my copy of the book that really moved me, too many to share. Here are a small few:

I vow

to rise first every morning

to stare at the dew

on the green fruit

shaped like a lightbulb.

I will be the first

to witness its ripening. [excerpt from "Papaya Tree" pg 9]

*

I always wish for her eyes,

but Mother says no.

Eyes like hers can't help

but carry sadness;

even as a child

her parents were alarmed

by the weight in her eyes. [excerpt from "Birthday" pg 27]

*

Would be simpler

if English

and life

were logical. [excerpt from "Fourth Rule" pg 159]

*

How can I explain
dragonflies do somersaults

in my stomach

whenever I think of

the noisy room

full of mouths

chewing and laughing?

and later in the same poem

Things will get better, 

just you wait.

I don't believe her

but it feels good

that someone knows.  [excerpt from "Someone Knows" pgs 181-182]

I know I would have loved this book just as much if I had read it on my own, but the experience was made infinitely more special because I read it with my daughter.

Have you tried this one? If so, what do you think? 

Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 

Thank you to everyone who voted! The winner won by quite a bit. It was not even close. Three of you voted for Heather Graham's The Forgotten, seven of you voted for Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews, and fourteen of you cast your votes for A Curious Beginning.

A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell #1) by Deanna Raybourn

London, 1887.

After burying her spinster aunt, orphaned Veronica Speedwell is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as with fending off admirers, Veronica intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans when Veronica thwarts her own attempted abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron, who offers her sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker, a reclusive and bad-tempered natural historian. But before the baron can reveal what he knows of the plot against her, he is found murdered—leaving Veronica and Stoker on the run from an elusive assailant as wary partners in search of the villainous truth. [Goodreads Summary]

Although I would not have minded if any of the books won the poll this month, I was kind of pulling for this one a bit more, and so am glad it won.

Thank you for voting! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy Reading!

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