I spent the better part of two years creating Instagram stories with this same title. Each month people would ask if I would create a place for these lists to live more permanently, and so here we are, kicking off 2023 with a new blog endeavor in the effort of helping others discover more options of books to read for themselves or their loved ones.
I’ll start with books I read, which span a wide range of genres and can sometimes include YA reads. From there, I’ll move into middle-grade books that my 10-year-old enjoyed, followed by chapter books chosen by my 7-year-old before ending with a selection of picture books mostly from my 5-year-old, but that all three of my kids tend to still enjoy. Without further ado, here are our January 2023 reads.
What Tiffany Read:
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez
My lovely husband bought me a Christmas gift that included signed first editions of books from various others from our local bookstore, Tattered Cover, every month for the year 2022 and this was one of those books.
The primary feelings I remember having after this book was sadness for how abandoned Olga (and her brother and the rest of their family) are by Olga’s mother and gladness for how they managed to face those feelings and begin to move past them to have a fulfilled life without their mother. I also appreciated how much the story taught me about how convoluted it can be to be a public figure that also gets swept up in a form of corruption of your beliefs.
The writing is fantastic, the story is fascinating, and the end is enjoyable.
Violeta by Isabel Allende
Another book from my Tattered Cover subscription, Violeta follows the story of a centenarian born in 1920 through 2020. Bookended by two pandemics, Violeta’s life story in an unnamed South American country is built in an incredibly interesting way around world events (The Great Depression, WWII, the fight for women’s rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and more).
I loved this story because it created a view of all the ups and downs a life can offer, the moments of pure joy woven with the times of immense loss and hardship. Life is never just one thing and this is a story that showed me how to appreciate the way every detail weaves together to make a complete story of the time we are given.
The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Egar
I read this book in practically one sitting because the story and writing are so phenomenal. This is the overview of Dr. Egar’s story: At the age of sixteen, Edith Eger was sent to Auschwitz. Hours after her parents were killed, Nazi officer Dr. Josef Mengele forced Edie to dance for his amusement and her survival. Edie was pulled from a pile of corpses when the American troops liberated the camps in 1945.
The story she weaves is so rich with her thoughts on how she maintained her interior world in the face of unbelievable tragedy, how she was able to recognize her trauma and work through it, and what a life lived in the present with hope can look like. Both horrific and hopeful, this story is one that I would recommend to anyone as it tells the reader so much about humanity and how we can do impossible things to one another or for ourselves.
The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller
My therapist recommended this book to me to help me deal with the loss I’ve experienced over the past few years. While it’s a slow read (for me), it’s also really impactful. The gist is that grief has always been communal, and the Western patterns that force us into amnesia (we don’t talk about Bruno death) and/or anesthesia (“aren’t you over that yet?”) negatively affect our ability to cope with not only our personal grief but also the world’s collective sorry. The book focuses on exercises to help us understand that we need the healing touch of others, an atmosphere of compassion, and the comfort of ritual in order to fully metabolize our grief. To welcome and step into the rituals of sorrow to process it rather than avoid or fear it and let it continue to grow and loom large in our lives.
Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews
Okay, okay. This author is one of my guilty pleasures, but I stand firmly behind these stories. They are fluffy beach reads with a fun dose of magic. This is the sixth book in the series, and the premise is there is a whole world of intergalactic travel that is run by folks called Innkeepers on Earth. The rest of humanity doesn’t know aliens are a thing because we aren’t ready for that yet, and this story follows one Innkeeper in particular as she gets her own Inn, which is a waystation for traveling aliens, up and running. If you like fantasy/science fiction and are looking for a light read I’d recommend this series. The first book is “Clean Sweep.”
What Isabell (10) Read:
Higher, steeper, faster: the daredevils who conquered the skies by Lawrence Goldstone
I’ll be honest, there have been a LOT of airplane-oriented books on Isabell’s shelves these days. She loves to travel, builds imaginary airplanes on her whiteboard wall, and plays games on her iPad that is all about managing airplane routes around the world. This book was found doing a search about Amelia Earhart and covers stories about the daring aviation pioneers who made the dream of powered flight a reality, from death-defying acts to plenty of firsts in aviation.
Just Dance by Sarah Mlynowski
Isabell has read most of the books in this series, and I love the premise of them. The books are a modern take on fairytales that encourage folks to follow their dreams and be more independent and are for the ranges of 3rd to 7th grade, according to the author. In this one, the main characters travel to the fairytale “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” where they have to learn the dances and find a magic object to give a fairy back her powers.
Cat Science Unleashed by Jodi Wheeler-Toppen
Isabell adopted a cat in January after saving up her own money so she checked out a ton of books around the topic of cats – how to choose one that’s right for you, how to care for a cat, what a cat’s body language means, and more. This one had 22 activities that help you discover what makes your cat tick, such as how catnip affects your kitty, and how she sees so well in the dark. Each activity had step-by-step instructions, scientific explanations, and pictures.
Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
Another series that Isabell has been enjoying, this is about a boy Rafe Khatchadorian who enters middle school and teams up with his best friend, “Leo the Silent,” to create a game to make school more fun by trying to break every rule in the school’s code of conduct. The story is funny and covers a wide variety of topics important to middle school ages like bullies, first crushes, and finding out what makes each of us special.
What Errol (7) Read:
Errol has been all Pokémon all the time these days. Here are a few books he’s found a lot of enjoyment from:
Pokémon adventures. Volume 5, Black & White
Story by Hidenori Kusaka; art by Satoshi Yamamoto; translation, Tetsuichiro Miyaki; English adaptation, Annette Roman; touch-up & lettering, Susan Daigle-Leach.
Premise: While White tests out a new battleground prototype, Black needs to prove his worth to the other Unova Gym Leaders so he can join in their fight against an evil organization.
Pokémon Sun & Moon. 3
Story by Hidenori Kusaka; art, Satoshi Yamamoto; English adaptation, Bryant Turnage; translation, Tetsuichiro Miyaki; touch-up & lettering, Susan Daigle-Leach.
Premise: Sun dreams of money. Moon dreams of scientific discoveries. When their paths cross with Team Skull, both their plans go awry… In hopes of earning the right to compete to win the prestigious island challenge amulet, Sun and Moon set off for Akala Island to have their Trainer skills tested by Trial Captains Kiawe, Lana and Mallow. Sun must battle a powerful Totem Pokémon–but first he has to find it! Meanwhile, Moon searches for an elusive, mysterious berry…What important lesson does Sun need to learn?
*A note that the two books above read from left to right and are graphic novels.
Ash’s Quest from Kanto to Kalos: The Official Adventure Guide: Ash’s Quest from Kanto to Kalos
This book covers a Pokémon trainer named Ash and his entire quest. It covers lots of different Pokémon, Ash’s Gym battles, friends, foes, and the regions of the Pokémon world, among other things. It’s kind of like an encyclopedia for Ash and Pokémon.
Zoey and Sassafrass, Monsters and Mold by Asia Citro
This is the one series I convinced Errol to try that he also got into. The overall premise of the series is a girl, Zoey, and her cat, Sassafras use science experiments to help solve problems. In this book in particular, a forest monster shows up looking for help with an embarrassing problem and Zoey is sure it will be a simple fix. But her first two tries at helping him fail and she has a sobbing monster on her hands! Will Zoey and Sassafras solve the problem in time for Gorp to go to the annual Monster Ball? (Hint: yes.)
The McElderry book of Greek myths by Eric A. Kimmel
We read two myths out of these books every morning at breakfast and Errol as well as Isabell loved them. It covers 12 of the most famous Greek myths – Prometheus, Pandora’s box, Persephone and Hades, Echo and Narcissus, Arachne, Pygmalion and Galatea, King Midas and the golden touch, Orpheus and Eurydice, Jason and the Golden Fleece, Daedalus and Icarus, Theseus and the Minotaur, and Perseus and Medusa. The stories are short and the illustrations are pretty. Highly recommended if you wanted to get your kids a started version of Greek myths.
What Ender (5) Read:
A Place for Zero by Angeline Sparagna
Ender has been really into books with numbers and this one is a fun way to teach younger kids about number places. It follows the story of 0 (Zero) as he tries to find his place in the number kingdom until he realized he can help make numbers in the tens, hundreds, and beyond by joining forces with the other numbers (1-9).
Carnivores by Sue Hamilton
We are all dinos all the time still and this one is about carnivorous dinosaurs from the Mesozoic era. This book included close-up photos and descriptions of the teeth and bodies these animals used to hunt and eat plus their habitats, diet, and extinction.
Crocodiles by Sally M. Walker
Still on that croc 🐊 game, too. This book describes the physical characteristics, life cycle, and behavior of crocodiles, as well as efforts to protect them.
Alligators and crocodiles can’t chew! and other amazing facts by Thea Feldman
I mean, there were some facts in here that were new to me so that was cool like alligators and crocodiles are strong enough to bite through bone, but did you know that they can’t chew their food? This book covered what makes alligators and crocodiles “super,” as well as how to tell the two animals apart. It also talked about the conservation success story of the previously endangered American alligator.
Dinosaurs: fact and fable: truths, myths, and new discoveries! by Seymour Simon
First of all, Seymour Simon is a great author of a LOT of nonfiction writing. Whether you like space, animals, or something else I recommend his books for little readers. This picture book in particular digs deep into the Age of Dinosaurs, covering topics such as fossilization, plate tectonics, dinosaur diets, paleontology, extinction theories, dinosaur relatives, and more.
Until Next Time
We also read our fair share of books to help deal with grief as we lost my stepmom/the kid’s Nonna just before the holidays. Some of my favorites include “Maybe Tomorrow”, “The Memory Box”, and “Cry Heart But Never Break”.
What are you reading out there? Come across any new favorites that are must-adds to my shelf? Drop a note in the comments or send me an email. I’d love to hear from you!