Rachel

Cade and his friends are on the Ark, leaving Old Earth to colonize a new planet. Cade loves exploring the ship and sends pictures to his friends, who writes stories of his adventures to share with others on the ship. But! The ship starts feeling impacts, and the Engineers say everything is okay...but are they? This is a fun read, and I'm so glad the whole series is out already so I can find out what happens next!

Listened to this book prompted by a Patreon I follow who rates books on the “Maenad-o-Meter.” https://www.patreon.com/posts/maenad-o-meter-136575760

I think the story rates high on that because the main character is non-binary, and the supporting main character is a female with a PhD in something related to cybersecurity. They are the heroes of the story, keeping things moving as they try to escape.

I think what bothered me about this was that the narration seemed to be more serious than irreverent. The little twinkle in the eye that shows scheming or feistiness just wasn't there for me. Also, the number of times that ‘said' was used with dialogue. I know it's picky.

That said, if you like a blood-and-guts short little adventure and you don't mind a lot of language, this could be fun for you.

I read this book in combination of audio and eBook. Seems like that's how I can get books finished these days.

Meredith drove me crazy, probably because I saw too much of myself in her. There were moments when I considered not finishing the book because her story triggered some unhappy thoughts.

However, I kept going.

It was worth it.

One thing that made it even better for me was that I visited Alaska for the first time this year, and that made the imagery even more connectable in my mind's eye.

I think I will recommend this book to my mom.

The main character drove me NUTS until she finally had some growth and development. I loved all the Swedish references. As a girl who dressed up as Pippi Longstocking for “Book Character Day” (not Halloween ;) ) I enjoyed the references throughout the story. Strong people need to be kind! :)
This was a decent departure from the heavier reading I was doing at the same time.

I received this book for free from a conference I attended. Nothing was life-changing in it; you could pick almost any tool and go through what she suggested– it is what we've been doing with other edTech tools for quite some time. It's clear that Holly is all-in on AI; she boasted at the conference that she pays $200/month for the best version of ChatGPT.

With any tool we have to be intentional about its use. We need to make sure that it's the right thing at the right time for the students in our classroom. I do agree that we need to teach kids how to use it, but on this topic I'm making sure the water is safe before I jump in.

Think “Little House” but from the view of an indigenous person. I appreciated the perspective and look forward to reading more books in the series.

This was so cute!!

Not to discount the trauma that both of the main characters went through – that is an important part of the story.

I absolutely loved the dual narrators in the audio version. They both did such a good job bringing Emma and Justin to life.

I loved the Minnesota connection, too.

Another strange combination of reading for me... first, the “regular” audiobook, then in between reading the eBook, and then finishing the story with the “Graphic Audio” edition.

I enjoyed the story. There were a few moments where I didn't agree with how Feyra made choices or was able to do what she did, but it's fiction, so that's okay! :)

It's hard for me to judge how someone who didn't know how to read would persist throughout life. Reading is such an essential part of me that it's impossible to know what life would be without it. Thanks to my parents and school teachers on that one!

I will probably keep reading the series as my summer guilty pleasure.

Lots of great perspectives on what it looks and feels like to be in school with ADHD. I certainly appreciated the perspective that the author's son provides throughout the book.

A easy and informative read for educators trying to better understand their students!
#ADHDGlobalConvo

I absolutely loved the audiobook narration in this story. Each character's voice was unique and clear, making it seem like different people were narrating. Even the chapter titles had their own unique voice.

I appreciated the growth that the two main characters had throughout the story. It was enjoyable!

I liked this book better than Room. I enjoyed the medical side of things, hearing how they cared for expectant mothers who also had influenza. Medicine intrigues me and was a big part of my childhood, being the daughter of two nurses.

The entirety of this book takes place over three days. The plot also matches one of the frequent sayings of the main character, Julia... Watch and wait.

You should avoid this book if you're queasy about blood, guts, and bodily fluids. Birth is a messy business.

I saw parts of myself in nearly every character in this book.

Parts of the story were very difficult to digest because of how it connected to things in my own life and my struggles.

I am grateful for people who truly see you.

The people we remember are never truly gone.

I think this is the most fragmented I've ever read a book – read some chapters on my phone, read other chapters of the physical book, and yet other chapters in the audiobook.

I can't say that I preferred one avenue over any other; however, my biggest annoyance was with the audiobook. The narrator kept switching between Tomas and Thomas as pronunciations of the supporting character's name.

If you liked the Hunger Games and Divergent series, you'll probably enjoy this book as well. Lots of similar vibes. I believe I'll keep going in this series.

I can imagine my Swedish (and German) grandmothers narrating this book, and for me, that is quite the compliment. It's not a how-to. It's a matter-of-fact, simple “why” on making sure that you don't leave a huge burden on the people you leave behind.

A fun romp with sky pirates as well as some hard hitting truths about discarding the “should haves” in your life.

Madelyn is a daring adventurer with a heart that wants to make sure everyone is safe and sound. She has collected refugees and cared for them in a community of her making.

But, when Grandma is kidnapped, Madelyn knows that she has to find her and bring her home. There are many obstacles along the way, including Madelyn's knowledge of her past.

This book would be fun to do as a read-aloud in a middle elementary classroom. Definitely a good read for fantasy adventure fans. Looking forward to continuing to read through Madelyn's adventures!

Mildred Harnack (the cousin-in-law of Dietrich Bonhoeffer) is an American woman living in Berlin as World War 2 begins. This book brings together all the facts that remain about her life and her resistance activity. Well worth your time!

This book is oh so good.

The author describes it as Nancy Drew-like, and I love it.

Mystery. Scandal. Crime. Romance.

And a healthy dose of learning more about indigenous people.

#MMIW

This book was up my alley.
A little bit of magic (maz), a little bit of late-teen will they/won't they angst, a little mystery, and a futuristic setting that had me wondering how large the cities in this world really were.

My only issue was that the ending tied up a little too neatly.

One of my favorite video game series is Mass Effect. If you've played the game, you know there's an ancient race of aliens bent on destroying the universe.

I got a lot of ME vibes while I was reading this book. That made it right up my alley. I was happy to have a few hours of reading that gave me a reprieve from the pandemic anniversary.

If you're a fan of futuristic space stories with a good dose of adventure and a sprinkle of budding romance, you'll enjoy this ensemble cast and the story itself.

Five stars because I can see this as a reference I will keep returning to find more information. It was an easy read, filled with great links and resources about developing courses. Wonderfully referenced as well, so I will be able to do even more reading about the specific chapters that intrigued me the most.

I wish I would have gotten this book in 1996. I think it would have helped me self-identify before I experienced the consequences of the procrastination/perfectionism with which I still struggle. Growth mindset, though...I'm working on it! I'm getting better at limiting my responsibilities and making tome to be refreshed and relaxed.

Not only does this book profile what perfectionism looks like, it offers practical tools to help people modify these behaviors and move forward with the awareness of how to manage their tendencies.

On an unrelated note, the cultural references tend to be a bit outdated. People may not care that Raquel Welch does/did yoga, or know what Leave it to Beaver is.

Honestly, anyone who works with teachers should read this book. There are so many practical strategies for communicating with in-service teachers. So glad I have this in my brain now!

There are so many things that are relevant in this book for anyone who works with education professionals at any level. I should have taken Ms. Aguilar's advice and selected the portions of the book relevant to my practice, instead of reading front to back. Still, I learned a lot about the different lenses coaches need to use as they are helping individuals transform their practice.

I loved it! While we are made up of our date of birth, the way the world is around us, our culture, socioeconomic status, and familial influence, I still believe that we can affect change in ourselves by grit, perseverance, and a desire to succeed.