It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (November 19): 11/19/18

Hosted by Kathryn of Book Date.

For us her in the States it's the Monday before Thanksgiving. For us here in California it's been a week of devastating fires. We're not in danger from the flames but the smoke has been sitting on us at toxic levels since they began. It's been so bad that all local outdoor events have been cancelled. School was closed on Friday. The sun has been red.

Inspired by the terrible smoke and the eerie sun, I did a trio of pen sketches. My goal is to them as watercolors for next year's climate change art exhibit that our local gallery has been holding annually for the last few years.

In the meantime, the rose cockatoo I posted last week is still unfinished. An artist in England and I got into a conversation about workspaces and in the process he recommended a different brand of acrylics that have the vibrant reds I'm looking for. I've ordered them but they won't arrive until after the Thanksgiving holiday.

In the reading department I'm now literally up to my armpits in Cybils books. Well, ok, not literally as most of them are digital. I'm down to ten books that I can't get by any conventional form and will have to see if publisher copies come my way.

What I read:

• Everything else in the universe by Tracy Holczer; library book
• The Missing Magic by Kallie George, Alexandra Boiger; library book
• Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier; personal collection
• Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech; library book
• Memphis, Martin, and the mountaintop by Alice Faye Duncan; library book
• Little Red Rodent Hood by Ursula Vernon; personal collection
• Nowhere boy by Katherine Marsh; library book
• The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser; personal collection
• Smack dab in the middle of maybe by Jo Watson Hackl; library book / research
• Amal unbound by Aisha Saeed; library book
• Boy bites bug by Rebecca Petruck; library book
• There's no base like home by Jessica Mendoza and Alana Mendoza Dusan and Ruth McNally (illustrations); library book
• Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai; library book

What I'm reading:

• So Done by Paula Chase; personal collection
• Miss Communication by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Illustrator); library book
• The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage; personal collection
• The Bigfoot Files by Linday Eager; personal collection

Up Soon:

• The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall; personal collection
• Charlie & Frog by Karen Kane; library book
• Very Rich by Polly Horvath
• The Misfits Club by Kieran Mark Crowley

Posts:

• Cybils Update (November 13)
• A Map to the Road Narrative Spectrum

Reviews Posted

• Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire; library book / research
• Lavender Lies by Susan Wittig Albert; library book
• The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty; personal collection
• The Reader by Traci Chee; library book
• Robots & Repeats by Gene Luen Yang nad Mike Holmes; library book
• Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready; library book
• Sodom Road Exit by Amber Dawn; personal collection / research

Comments  (24)

Comment #1: Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at 02:36:55

Greg

The staircase looks great! And nice job on the macaw as well.

Tiny Infinities has a beautiful cover.

Comment #2: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 20:37:00

Pussreboots

Thank you. We had a railing put in today to go with the stairs. The whole yard looks so much better and complete. Tiny Infinities is worth a read.

Comment #3: Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 14:06:11

herding cats

What fun paintings :) Hope you've been having a great couple weeks!

Comment #4: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 20:40:00

Pussreboots

Great and busy. I probably won't get any painting done this week.

Comment #5: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 00:44:46

Cheryl Malandrinos

You are so talented. Looks like you're getting a lot of reading done too. Thanks for visiting me last week.

Comment #6: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 20:44:00

Pussreboots

I'm reading with a deadline right now so I have no choice but get a lot done. Things will slow down in a month.

Comment #7: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 07:33:36

Beth F

I can't imagine how awful the fires have been.

Comment #8: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 20:44:00

Pussreboots

They've been absolutely devastating. The magnitude of them is like nothing I've ever lived through here.

Comment #9: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 08:51:07

JoAnn @ Lakeside Musing

Everyone seems to love The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street... it sounds like a good one!

Comment #10: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 20:48:00

Pussreboots

It has a similar feel to the Penderwicks series. I enjoyed the book thoroughly.

Comment #11: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 09:40:50

Laurel-Rain Snow

Lovely sketches...and a great stack of books. Enjoy! Stay safe, and let's hope that those who dispute climate change will open their eyes! Thanks for visiting my blog.

Comment #12: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 20:50:00

Pussreboots

Thank you. I hope so.

Comment #13: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 11:22:18

Yvonne

I'm so sorry for those dealing with these horrible fires. I'm glad you aren't in danger, but the smoke has to be hard to deal with. Take care. I wish you all the best.

Comment #14: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 20:51:00

Pussreboots

The smoke is making us all feel off. The young, the old, and the small are getting it the worst. One of my cats is sick from the smoke and she hasn't even been out in it.

Comment #15: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 12:29:54

Kathy Martin

I'm sorry that the smoke is so bad where you live. The news stories about the fires are so heartbreaking. As always, you have a wonderful assortment of books. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

Comment #16: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 20:53:00

Pussreboots

We all have headaches. It's making us vomit. None of us are sleeping well. And we're three hours drive away from the epicenter.

Comment #17: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 14:49:11

Ellen Pilch

I am glad you are safe from the fires. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected.

Comment #18: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 20:56:00

Pussreboots

It's terrible.

Comment #19: Monday, November, 19, 2018 at 15:00:43

herding cats

How exciting on the dedication. It'll be fun to get to explore the new place :)

Comment #20: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 21:02:00

Pussreboots

I am so eager to get inside and explore and check out books.

Comment #21: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 19:28:12

herding cats

Looks like you had a very creative October :)

Comment #22: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 21:04:00

Pussreboots

November has been one of ideas but I'll have to wait to put them to work until the end of the month. Right now my "studio" is put aside to make room for houseguests. Also I have some art supplies I'm waiting for and they aren't due to arrive until after the holiday.

Comment #23: Monday, November 19, 2018 at 21:41:48

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