May Wrap-Up, NetGalley Readathon Update, and Recent Reads

June 1, 2020 ♦

Blog

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May 25-May 31

I wrapped up May with a total of 17 books and that included NINE ARCS!

Here is a look at all of my reads for the month of May with the ratings I gave each one. There are adult and young adult books included as well. If you would like to know the age range for a book, just let me know! I will only “feature” the children’s and middle grade books though.

Have you read any of these books? Are any on your shelf to be read?

I was also doing a NetGalley Readathon and am proud to say, I got a BINGO! I also raised my approval rating from 26 to 28 percent AND I have given feedback on 80 titles! Here is the May Bingo Card and look for a new post for my June card. I am really liking this Bingo Card strategy…it is keeping me focused and helps me feel accomplished. I am going to add some of my LitReviewCrew reads and other books I have been wanting to read on this next card. I am still going to focus on those NetGalley books too though, don’t worry!

Recent Reads

This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell, Aurelia Durand (Illustrations)
- I absolutely DEVOURED this book. I am disappointed that I had this sitting on my shelf for entirely too long. My excuse is that I wanted to finished Stamped from the Beginning and How to be an Antiracist first. Then, I got distracted by Stamped by Jason Reynods. Then….other books happened. And then, our world shifted and I knew that it was time to read this book.
- It is a book for every reader. It has vivid illustrations that catch your eye. It has activities to reflect and spark change. It has real stories and real feelings. It. Is. A. Must. Read.
Spaceman (Adapted for Young Readers): The True Story of a Young Boy’s Journey to Becoming an Astronaut by Mike Massimino
- There are just not enough astronaut books out there. Or maybe I just haven’t read enough of them. Whatever it is, I need to be reading more of these books because it was fun and inspirational. I will admit, I chose this book because of the author and the astronaut…Mass. I am a HUGE Big Bang Theory fan and when I found out that Mass, an astronaut featured on the show, was a REAL astronaut…AND he had written a book for young readers????? I raced to get a copy and luckily, my Lit Review Crew had one ready for me.
- What did I enjoy about this book? Well, read more here!

Tiananmen 1989 by Lun Zhang, Adrien Gombeaud, Améziane (Illustrations)
- Will be released July 21, 2020 so preorder!
- I chose this book because I remember learning about “tank man” in a modern world cultures class in college and that story has stuck with me for a long time. The image of that man, standing up to tanks, is powerful.
- I also chose this book because it was a graphic novel and a first-hand story of the massacre.
- This book was a good read and gave me some more information that I either missed in my college class or had forgotten. Even though it is a graphic novel, I do think my sixth graders may have trouble navigating the storyline with the dates, leaders, and events. It is more for an adult audience and would go really well in a history class in high school or college.

You can read more about this photo and watch a video on the story behind it here. You can also read about the massacre of Tiananmen Square and the story behind it here.

My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee
- This book is not set to release until September, so I am going to keep my thoughts short and sweet for now…just know that it is amazing, just like all of Barbara Dee’s stories, and you need to be watching for it. Or preorder!