The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis was a book I first read in first grade. I figured after almost 30 years it was due for a re-read. I actually remember reading this the first time around. When my first grade teacher Mrs. Linder realized I was reading well ahead of grade level, she gave me my own reading assignments. We'd have one-on-one time where just she and I would talk about what I'd read. The fact that I still remember this all these years later says it meant a lot. Anyway, enough memory lane for now! Y'all, this book was fantastic. I can see why people are captivated by it. It's beautiful and magical and fun. I won't offer an extensive review because you've likely heard something about this one in the nearly 70 years it's been out.
Oh, but I will take this opportunity to offer you this musical selection/sketch you probably haven't enjoyed in awhile.
Read this book if - You are a fan of fantasy/magical reads. You've read this before, and you want to take a trip back. You never got around to reading this one. You need something that'll sweep you into a distant land for a bit.
iGen: IGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us by Jean Twenge is a book I picked up after hearing the author speak at a conference earlier this month. iGen (also known as Gen Z) is the next generation, and this book explores what the heck they're all about. Y'all this stuff is fascinating. As they're now in college, this is a read that is directly related to the work I do. This book is really interesting stuff, and I'm not just saying that because I work in higher education. It's genuinely interesting to see how different this group is from millenials. It's also fascinating and honestly kind of terrifying to see how they've been impacted by technology.
Read this book if - You are currently teaching, working and/or interacting with students/humans who fall into iGen (born in 1995 and later). You find generational trends interesting. You want to understand more about the impacts of technology.
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce is this month's selection for my in-person book club. The best way to explain this one is that it's kind of like Empire Records, but with more feels. This one takes place in the late eighties. Frank is a record store owner who continues to resist adding tapes and CDs to his store. He prides himself on knowing just what music his customers need for where they are in life. One day, a girl in a green coat enters his life. As love stories go, they have some good times, but also things are super complicated. By the end, I was emotionally invested in this one in a way I didn't totally see coming. Due to this, I was somewhat frustrated by the ending for reasons I won't share so as not to spoil it for you. This one was enjoyable though. Also, it made me want to watch Empire Records soon.
Read this book if - You are a "Damn the man, Save the empire" kind of person. You are a fan of music, particularly classical as this one had more references there than I was anticipating. You like an unconventional love story.
The Disappearing by Lori Roy is an ARC I received. The book is due out in a few weeks. How do I say this? I wanted to love this one more than I did. However, I think this is totally other people's jam, but it's just not totally mine for this genre. Lane and her two daughters have returned home to her hometown. With this, there are things in her family's past that are well-known that continue to impact how others see them. Then, one of her daughter's and a college student goes missing, and everyone wonders if this is the past coming back once more. However, there is so much more to the story. The twists in this one were legit jaw-droppers for me where I had to say, "Wait, what?" Ultimately, this one went just a little too dark for me, but again I think for others they're going to totally dig it.
Read this book if - You like a thriller where the truth is not at all what it seems. You like a twist that you will not see coming at all. You like a book where you just don't know who you can believe or trust.
