Gretchen recommends "The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves"

Are you thinking of bringing a new pup into your home?  Renowned dog researcher Alexandra Horowitz explores the first year of a dog’s life in comparison to that of an infant child.  Puppies grow by leaps and bounds quite literally compared to a human baby in their first 12 months.  Horowitz visits a litter from birth, and adopts one of the puppies with her family to continue her observations of all the wonderful and sometimes inscrutable antics of their new dog.  The new pup named Quiddity or Quid reminds her, “It is less who I want our puppy to be than who I want to be with our puppy .”  Educational, inspiring, and humbling for all pet parents.

 

Kara recommends "Warrior Girl Unearthed"

 

After listening to the audio version of Angeline Boulley’s first novel, “The Firekeeper’s Daughter,” I knew I also had to listen to “Warrior Girl Unearthed.”  It did not disappoint!

“Warrior Girl Unearthed” revisits Sugar Island, and many of the characters I met in “The Firekeeper’s Daughter,” but here we get to know the next generation of Firekeeper girls- Perry and her twin sister, Pauline.

From Amazon:

Perry Firekeeper-Birch has always known who she is - the laidback twin, the troublemaker, the best fisher on Sugar Island. Her aspirations won't ever take her far from home, and she wouldn't have it any other way. But as the rising number of missing Indigenous women starts circling closer to home, as her family becomes embroiled in a high-profile murder investigation, and as greedy grave robbers seek to profit off of what belongs to her Anishinaabe tribe, Perry begins to question everything.

In order to reclaim this inheritance for her people, Perry has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. She can only count on her friends and allies, including her overachieving twin and a charming new boy in town with unwavering morals. Old rivalries, sister secrets, and botched heists cannot - will not - stop her from uncovering the mystery before the ancestors and missing women are lost forever.

Sometimes, the truth shouldn't stay buried.

 

This book is best for teens and adults. 

 

Justine Recommends "Flamer" by Mike Curato

In 2022, the American Library Association recorded a record number of book challenges in America.  Flamer by Mike Curato was listed at number four on this list, with 62 challenges as of writing this review.  According to the ALA, it was challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and sexually explicit material.  

The graphic novel itself is about a boy named Aiden, who is spending his summer before high school at a sleepaway boy scout camp.  He's been bullied throughout middle school, and he's not looking forward to potential threats in high school.  At this point, he's just trying to enjoy his summer.  Boy scout camp is the only place he feels comfortable with others, and the narrative is about Aiden working up the confidence to be himself and learn who he is.  This is hard, though, as he's having gay thoughts and doesn't understand why.

This is a book off the 2022 Banned Books list I really enjoyed.  Curato's narrative manages to incorporate funny elements into a serious story.  Although the book is meant for a middle and high school audience, I enjoyed it greatly and found many of the situations Aiden finds himself in relatable.  I may be heterosexual, but I was a girl scout and an altar server growing up.  It's clear Curato was most likely a scout and altar boy as well since some of the scenes are the type of situations you could only write if you experienced them yourself.  I'm always a fan of authors incorporating personal experiences into their stories, as it makes the book feel more genuine.

As a reminder, Banned Books Week is coming up from October 1st-7th this year.   Now is a great time to get a head start on the list so you have some books to talk about!