January/ February Reads

My Middle School read for January/February was fantastic.

Touching Spirt Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

I’ve never read a Ben Mikaelsen book but I might have to check more out.  We read this one in a co-teaching ELA class.  Wow! What an incredibly touching story about a very angry and violent young boy named Cole. How many 'Coles' have I taught? His journey made me angry, made me hope, and made me cry. My heart ached for Cole, Peter, and all the characters. The story starts out with Cole dealing with the aftermath of almost beating a kid to death for no reason (other than he is one angry kid).  You really want to beat Cole when you find out about the bully he is in the book.  This story does a great job of slowly unraveling Cole's situation one layer at a time.  The message is overwhelming powerful- one choice can totally destroy your path and that for others. If life is kind enough to give you a second chance, take the bull by the horns, or in this case the Spirit from the Bear.  

5 Stars 

Scarred, Wretched, Hooked book series by Emily McIntire 

I somehow ran across this series on Goodreads. This trio is described as a “dark and delicious fractured fairy tale reimagining”, ie. The Lion King (Scarred), Peter Pan (Hooked), and Wizard of Oz (Wretched).    Emily McIntire has added a fourth book since this reading called Twisted.  McIntire is a very detailed author which I like in most authors but some of the details are just not needed for this one (ps. very adult content here).  These three books take the villain from a fairytale and turn them into the romantic love interest.  For example, Hook is the hero to Wendy in Peter Pan. I was first “enchanted” with the book Scarred but by the time I got to Wretched I “DNF”.  It was just too dark and I can’t sympathize with a murderous/drug dealing female lead.  Otherwise the series gets a total of three stars from me for being creative and interesting.  

3 Stars

Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing By Matthew Perry 

I am on an autobiography ROLL.  I checked this one out on the Libby App (audio version).  I had Matthew Perry read the whole thing to me while I cleaned the house!  ‘Chandler’ was always my favorite Friend and now Matthew Perry is my favorite actor. What a touching memoir that reminds us this life is full of trials and tribulations but fully worth living! It’s interesting to me that Matthew Perry can track his drug and alcohol levels based on the way he looked on Friends.  This book made me laugh and cry. If you are a Friends fan- Check it out ASAP!!  

Could I GIVE this book anymore stars?  5. Aka. Chandler.

Spare by Prince Henry Charles Albert David   

(ghostwriter and award winning author J. R. Moehringer)

Autobiography #2- SPARE. Prince Harry read this one to me and his voice was quite lovely. I waited for two months on a waiting list to hear his British accent speak to me on the Libby App (though Darren said Prince Harry’s voice sounded so boring and mundane, he would be asleep in seconds).

I must confess I was NOT "Team Harry and Meghan” and they typically make me throw up when I watch them in the headlines BUT I was mistaken.  After reading this book I view Prince Harry as a naughty yet sensitive young man, similar to my son except this boy had all choices removed from him from an early age.  One thing is for sure- the "press" destroyed Harry mentally.  He detailed every single headline written about him.   Obviously his mother's death guides so much of his anger.  The most heartbreaking was the relationship between Princess Diana’s “boys”.  I so relate to Prince William's need to be responsible and deal with what is needed.  I also understand Harry and the fact he wasn’t built to be a “Prince” nor was it ever in the plans for him to be a king.  Other stories include his life from childhood to adult.  A lot of people don’t realize that Prince Harry has a very decorated military experience with two tours in Afghanistan.  You can tell he LOVED being a solider.   After this read (and it is a very LONG read) I had to watch the Netflix special.  I am now TEAM Harry and I get his perspective (while also continuing to LOVE Prince William).   My only wish is for Prince Harry to reconnect with family on his terms, and to live happily ever after with his wife and children.   

I give the Duke of Sussex a ROYAL 5 Stars. 

Autobiography #3-  I'm Glad My Mom Died By Jennette McCurdy

My kids grew up on the TV shows iCarly and Sam and Cat (two Nickelodeon favs).  Connor named our Carlee with her first name (probably because of the show iCarly).   If you know anything about the actress Jennette McCrudy, every role she has ever played as a child star makes her seem rough and tough.  Life imitates art because this girl is tough. She grew up with an abusive Hollywood mother, which triggered years of bulimia, alcoholism, and bad boyfriends. Before I began, I shared with my middle schoolers that I was reading this book and they suggested we read it in small group because they were fans of Jennette McCrudy.  BAD IDEA. This is a rated R read (and truthfully I could have did without some of the details) but very, very interesting.

This is a very powerful quote from her book: 

“Maybe I feel this way now because I viewed my mom that way for so long. I had her up on a pedestal, and I know how detrimental that pedestal was to my well-being and life. That pedestal kept me stuck, emotionally stunted, living in fear, dependent, in a near constant state of emotional pain and without the tools to even identify that pain let alone deal with it.”

Don’t be fooled by the title, you can tell there will always be love for her mother but dealing with the aftermath of her mom’s mental health was awful.  Sometimes the best thing you can do for your mental health is to simply let go of the bondage. 

I give this one FOUR Stars!