Wonder.

R.J. Palacio. 

Read in November. 

Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing this book discussion with me! I'm very honored to be "hanging" with you. 

I'm so glad this was chosen as one of Bon's Book Club books. When I first heard about Wonder, I knew I wanted to read it. My coworker had to read it for school, and recommended it. That was over a year ago. I'd been meaning to read it, but didn't have time with the other books I was reading for book clubs and my own stack I had personally chosen. Or so I thought. It took me two days to read Wonder. The chapters are short, the print isn't tiny, and it gets you sucked in from the beginning instead of taking a while to build up the characters like most books do. I loved the simpleness of it and how it tugged my emotions. I really felt like I was hanging out with some kids who were telling me their story. One of my favorite parts was when August's sister's boyfriend stood up for August's friend, Jack, when a couple of boys teased him for being friends with a "deformed freak". Wonder is a great book, for children and adults, about what it's like to be a child and a friend, how how hard it is to be teased and judged based on your appearance, and sticking up for others. This kid, Auggie, made me laugh and cry. He reminded me to look past the appearance and into the person, and to be hopeful that others will do the same for me.  

My children will read Wonder when they're a bit older. I bought it for the book exchange my family does among the kids for Christmas, Ty is in 6th grade. I've recommended it to other mothers and single women. A story that reminds us to be caring is one everyone should read. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0375869026/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1417557384&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

Toddler Are A**holes. It's Not Your Fault.

Sopha King Tyerd. 

Read in December. 

This self-published book is not my favorite, to say the least. I didn't like it, let's just dive right into why I feel this way. 

She talks about abandoning toddlers quite a bit. Once could have been ignored for the sake of sick humor, but the amount of times she says it is unnerving. 

I know the title has "assholes" in it, but I assumed it was just a way to draw readers in. I did not expect the constant referring to toddlers as assholes, fuckers, cockblockers, motherfuckers, bastards, etc. 

comments such as "you sometimes wish you had a time machine and a condom." and "the dad is wishing he'd masturbated in the shower instead of conceiving this crazy mofo." disgusted me. 

It was over-the-top humor. Some of it was funny, and I laughed out loud a couple of times. I enjoyed #7 on the toddler preparedness kit, "smartphone with a good data plan: The Internet is your portal to the rest of the world. The people online are your only friends." But, even with the funny parts, I would not recommend it. 

Every day.

David Levithan. 

Read in November. 

I enjoyed reading every day. A book about one person who wakes up in a different body every day. A is not a boy or a girl. A is both and neither. The first chapter is a boy's body. A falls in love with his girlfriend, Rhiannon. Then come the challenges. 

How do you have a relationship with someone who doesn't know you are you?

How do they get used to loving someone who never looks the same?

Could it mess up the life of the person who's body A's in for the day?

There's also the challenge of Rhiannon being a straight girl - since A can have a girl's or boy's body for the day. It's hard for A to understand because A just sees people as people. Which is beautiful, but physical attraction is important, too. I think it's fine that Rhiannon felt a little awkward holding hands romantically with a girl. Wouldn't a homosexual feel awkward if someone of the opposite sex tried to hold hands romantically with them, because that's not what they're attracted to? The day A was a fat boy was awkward, also. Neither of them was attracted to that body, but A was more understanding about it. I loved that, besides those two points, physical appearance didn't play a large role in how A viewed people. Personality and how they treated others prevailed. I enjoyed the perspective and acceptance from A about people and the lives they lead. 

I could have done without the "6 additional chapters". They didn't fit into the story. It should have ended when it ended, it didn't need more. I liked the end, and I thought it was really caring of A. 

I recommend every day. It was thought provoking and a great story. 

http://www.amazon.com/Every-Day-David-Levithan/dp/0307931897#

The Postmistress.

By Sarah Blake. Read in November. 

Set during the beginning of World War 2, The Postmistress tells the stories of three young women. 

Iris - looking for love and keeping order, this postmaster always does her job with pride. However, at the beginning of the story, we are told maybe she didn't do what she was supposed to do. Just one time. 

Emma - a shy woman who feels so insignificant, except to her husband. 

Frankie - a reporter in the midst of all the bombing, searching for something and finding too much. 

These three women are brought to life in a mix of fact and fiction. Sarah does a fantastic thing, making me feel so much in a single paragraph. Over and over. Life and death, how fast one changes to the other, and the impact it leaves on others. 

I love how real, how honest, this novel is. How sometimes I just cried and cried over the tragedy that's important to remember. I love how the battlefield wasn't the main focus, but the lives it affected. 

I recommend The Postmistress to everyone. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0425238695/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_3FMBub00B1304