FINISHED:
Gulik, Robert Hans van. (1965).  The Monkey and the Tiger (Judge Dee Mysteries). Chicago: University of Chicago Press/Macmillan.

[.]

STARTED:
Kelly, Erin Entrada. (2016).  The Land of Forgotten Girls. New York: Greenwillow/HarperCollins.

[Reviewing for ACL.  I think I'm allowed to say at this point that Blackbird Fly was a favorite of mine last year.]

*

FINISHED:
Aston, Martin. (2013). Facing the Other Way: the Story of 4AD.  London: The Friday Project/HarperCollins UK.

[Over 600 pages of year-by-year stories about the history of the greatest record label - and I loved every minute of it.  I'm calling this "4AD February" and making it a point to listen to as much 4AD music as possible (I've got over 240 4AD albums in iTunes).]

STARTED:
Gulik, Robert Hans van. (1965).  The monkey and the tiger (Judge Dee Mysteries). Chicago: University of Chicago Press/Macmillan.

[Patron recommended.]

*

FINISHED:
Cushman, Karen. (2015). Grayling's Song. New York: Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

[After fire consumes their home, Grayling’s mother discovers that her grimoire has been stolen, and when the wise woman becomes magically rooted to the ground it becomes necessary for Grayling to go look for help.  Reluctant to set out on her quest because she feels she hasn’t the courage or the know-how, Grayling is eventually joined by a shape-shifting mouse (who can now do so after getting into Grayling’s herbs and potions), and a rag-tag assortment of (mostly female) purveyors of magic whom Grayling summons by singing a gathering song.  Cushman’s first foray into fantasy is set in a medieval time, with lyrical descriptions that paint a vivid picture of Grayling’s magical world.  The journey IS the story here, with Grayling finding her voice and becoming a reluctant hero along the way.  Though slightly plodding at times, which may be a symptom of there not being much of a sense of how much time is passing in the story, there’s plenty of well-placed comic relief to bring levity.  This strong story of female empowerment should have wide appeal, especially for those who like historical tales with some magical elements.   Review based on ARC.]

STARTED:
Aston, Martin. (2013). Facing the Other Way: the Story of 4AD.  London: The Friday Project/HarperCollins UK.

[.]

*

ABANDONED TEMPORARILY:
Sepahban, Lois. (2016). Paper Wishes. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

[Spilled a glass of water on this one...  until it dries out, I've moved on to...]

STARTED:
Cushman, Karen. (2015). Grayling's Song. New York: Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Bechdel, Alison. (2006). Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

[By the way, the link above is to a Rolling Stone article about the musical... which we saw in New York right after ALA Boston.]

STARTED:
Sepahban, Lois. (2016). Paper Wishes. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

[Back to reviewing for ACL!]

*

ABANDONED:
Springstubb, Tricia. (2010). What Happened on Fox Street. New York: Balzer + Bray.

[Tricia Springstubb, I'm SO sorry that I couldn't finish this one!  I picked it up because (I think I'm allowed to say) MOONPENNY ISLAND was far-and-away one of my favorite books of 2015.  This one... just wasn't quite going anywhere for me.  I promise to try again some other time!]

STARTED:
Bechdel, Alison. (2006). Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Kinney, Jeff. (2015). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School. New York: Amulet/Abrams.

[Actually, this one was kind of funny.  Definitely funnier than the last couple.]

STARTED:
Springstubb, Tricia. (2010). What Happened on Fox Street. New York: Balzer + Bray.

[.]

*

FINISHED:
Pennypacker, Sara. (2016).  Pax.  New York: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins.

[.]

STARTED:
Kinney, Jeff. (2015). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School. New York: Amulet/Abrams.

[.]

*

Well, my Newbery year is over...  and I'm going through a bit of a mourning period...  BUT, this means that I can now keep track of all that I'm reading here again!  MAYBE, in 25 or 50 years, I'll be able to publish my spreadsheet(s) where I kept track of the multitude of books I read in 2015.

STARTED & FINISHED:
Oppel, Kenneth. (2015).  The Nest.  New York: Simon & Schuster.

[.]

STARTED:
Pennypacker, Sara. (2016).  Pax.  New York: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins.

[Got an ARC of this (in a spiffy box) at ALA Midwinter.]

*

2016 Newbery Award Winner

 

 

de la Pena, Matt. (2015).  Last Stop on Market Street.  New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin.

 

[And I helped to choose it!]

 

*