The Book Review Club (September 2020)

Welcome to the September 2020 meeting of The Book Review Club! These are strange times indeed. I spent much of the summer in lockdown. So, I'm really glad to be here today...with all these book reviews of recommended reads. A little slice of normal on the first Wednesday of the month. Enjoy the reviews. Take care of yourself and those around you.

SAVE ME A SEAT (Middle Grade, Contemporary)

by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan

I listened to the audio version and read the e-book. The takeaway: I loved this book. It was on the master list for 10 state awards. So, I'm in good company. :)

SAVE ME A SEAT takes place over five school days. It's told from two points of view, in alternating chapters. And it was written by two authors. Each author was in charge of a POV character. How fun is that?! 

The Story Behind the Story: Gita Varadarajan turned in a short story for a writing class taught by Sarah Weeks. Sarah Weeks thought the story could be a book and suggested they write it together. And they did.

In a Nutshell: Ravi's family moved from India to New Jersey. The book opens with his first day at his new school. He doesn't understand some US customs. He has trouble fitting in with his classmates. He's an outsider. Joe sits behind Ravi. Joe has been a student at Albert Einstein Elementary his entire academic life. His two friends moved away, and he's facing fifth grade alone. He deals with an auditory processing disorder. He is also an outsider. One huge thing the two boys have in common: the class bully.

The Takeaway: This is a story about inclusion, discovering what you have in common with others, finding your place in fifth grade and helping the bully have a very humorous comeuppance.

Here's a very fun video of the two authors preparing food and chatting.

And here's a link to Phyllis Wheeler's review of SAVE ME A SEAT.

(Dear FCC: library)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jody Feldman: A WISH IN THE DARK by Christina Soontornvat (Fantasy)

Phyllis Wheeler: LIAR AND SPY by Rebecca Stead (mystery)

ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: ICEAPELAGO by Peter Brennan (Eco-Thriller)

Lucy Sartain: THE VANISHING HALF by Britt Bennett (Historical Literary)

Patti Abbott:  THE DUTCH HOUSE by Ann Hatchett (Literary)

Ray Potthoff: AS THE STARS FALL by Steve N. Lee (Contemporary)

Sarah Laurence: OLIVE, AGAIN by Elizabeth Strout (Literary)

NONFICTION REVIEW

Margy Lutz: WILD FIERCE LIFE by Joanna Streetly (Memoir)

Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!