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Life · June 30, 2019

Currently Loving…| June

Why, hello there!

It’s the end of another eventful month — so eventful that I couldn’t send out my newsletter (sorry!) — and time for another roundup. This time, I’m scheduling my newsletter for tomorrow morning as  I type, so you can rest ASSURED that it’s coming. I’m also making up for practically disappearing on you by including more articles than I have in a long time. And there will be more in the newsletter.

If you care about what happens in my personal life, that’ll be over in my newsletter. In summary, though, this month was full of surprises — literally! Thankfully, I still found some time to read and procrastinate by watching YouTube videos.

What I Loved in June

📖    👓

I’m an early at the airport kind of person — you can blame my Nigerian upbringing. But apparently some people LOVE being late to the airport (gasp). I think this theory about why is true.

It’s finally avocado season and this trick for keeping avocados from going brown is nifty. Too bad I eat an entire avocado in under 24 hours.

This post about raising twins — one with Down syndrome and the other without — is so moving.

Hands-down, the best way to answer the “tell me about yourself” question in job interviews.

I’m bookmarking this California road trip guide for whenever I’m ready for my big, fat Cali trip.

I really enjoyed Jean Kwok’s newest release, Searching for Sylvie Lee. But I think I loved this essay she wrote about the unreliable narrator more. I read it after the book and it’s just so enlightening to see a book from the author’s perspective.

searching for sylvie lee cover

Let’s hear it for the average child. (NYT)

If you’re up for a long read, then dig into this wonderful essay on The Paris Review by author Ingrid Rohas Contreras.

Why does the stew always finish?

This first look at the Little Women movie just makes me SWOON.

Yes, freelancing is a sustainable career.

I felt each of these budget cooking tips in my heart.

Editors, here’s how to work collaboratively with your authors — and avoid cat fights!

This is a refreshingly practical post with a gazillion tips on making and maintaining adult friendships. Spoiler: it takes EFFORT.

📹

I LOVE that Seji is working with Riverhead books to create these cool videos! Take a look at this one.


Blog Updates

In June, I tried to publish five times a week and was mostly successful. I’ve learned that the best way to publish often/consistently is to keep things simple and not overthink reviews or articles. So, you can expect more “article-style”/discussion posts. The first one I did this month was this Q & A style one about my Bookish Life from A-Z. I also loved writing this post about what makes a good book.

I’ve also been sprucing up the site by using more fun images to link to Goodreads, Amazon and the like. My whole goal is to keep things fun and snazzy, so I can keep talking about books and getting to read as much as my schedule allows. I read 11 books in June. These were some of my favorites:

patina jason reynolds cover

Links:         PATINA || SHOUTING AT THE RAIN || GIRL AGAINST THE UNIVERSE || NO PLACE LIKE HERE

💬 What about you? What did you read in June? Did you enjoy any of these linked articles? Let me know, and please share my posts with your network if you enjoy them! I’m looking forward to some fantastic July releases, so look out for them in my next post.

Don't Forget to Share!

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Posted In: Life · Tagged: monthly favorites

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Currently Loving…| AUGUST
Currently Loving…| July
CURRENTLY LOVING…|MAY

Comments

  1. Carol says

    July 1, 2019 at 1:47 am

    Thanks for the Searching For Sylvie Lee Link!

    Reply
    • Afoma Umesi says

      July 2, 2019 at 8:18 am

      You’re welcome, Carol!

      Reply
  2. Funmilola Ogunseye says

    July 1, 2019 at 6:54 am

    Thank you for the recommendations. This is one of my favourite segments of this blog.

    Reply
    • Afoma Umesi says

      July 2, 2019 at 8:18 am

      I’m happy to hear, Funmi, and thank you for your continued support 🙂

      Reply

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REVIEW| PATINA

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If you love layered middle grade books that still If you love layered middle grade books that still manage to be fun and relatable and accessible to tweens, don’t miss this fall release! Sometimes I thought I was reading a book for adults! Especially with the tough issues Bishop explores during the Dad chapters, which are told in 3rd person (unlike the girls who narrate in first person)!

#sportsbooks #middlegradebooks #mglit
✨lifetime favorite✨ I’m not a big re-reader ✨lifetime favorite✨

I’m not a big re-reader but if I had to re-read favorite middle grade titles, this would be at the top of my list! Clea is a highly motivated middle schooler who’s finding it harder and harder to keep up with school work. Her thoughts keep jumping around and the only time she can really focus is when she’s playing chess. Soon, she’s diagnosed with ADHD and has to find ways to work with the way her brain functions.

I love the way this book deflates stereotypes about the condition and shows just how much effort people with ADHD have to exert to function in a neurotypical world. With an unforgettable voice and strong themes of friendship, family, and crossing over from childhood to teenage years, Focused is a memorable read. 

I would strongly recommend this one for anyone curious about ADHD, chess lovers, and anyone who’s ever squabbled with a best friend.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

#adhd #bookstagram #mglit
✨how ‘bout a little virtual reality?✨

☀️ Addie has reluctantly moved across the country with her dad for his summer job in the virtual reality industry. He's working on research to use VR for therapeutic purposes, such as helping people cultivate empathy. Addie is not into VR, but that starts to change when she meets Matteo another kid on campus, and tries out VR on her own. Eventually, the two find a helpful use for VR that helps other people.

🥽 I loved the illustration style in this one and while I found the VR setting a bit disorienting, I appreciated the unique lens of the story. The graphic novel format works brilliantly for helping readers appreciate the power of VR. I think with text, it would have just been too much “world-building.” This is more engaging and exciting for kids.

🐢 Lo and Behold is a clever middle grade graphic novel about virtual reality, grief, and parental addiction. Readers who enjoy VR will love this one, but as the Author's Note mentions, it will also be a fantastic introduction for those who, like me, aren't familiar with it. A fun summer read with hints of serious themes.

#mglit #middlegrade #bookstagram
✨surprisingly heartwarming middle grade✨ 🗺 ✨surprisingly heartwarming middle grade✨

🗺️ Ginny’s summer is thrown off when her dad gets a surprise redeployment in the middle of their family’s moving to another city. Then, her geography camp gets canceled. Her sister seems to be making new friends, but no one appears to like Ginny–even when she starts her own geography camp. 

❤️ I loved this book way more than I thought I would (from the synopsis). Ginny has such a great voice and she isn’t always the most likable character but she’s always real. I loved watching her grow throughout the story.

📍This sweet, unique young middle grade book made my heart grow and ache for Ginny and her family as they navigated a season of change. Features illustrations and a new geography fact in each chapter.

#amreading #mglit #middlegrade
My current adult reads! HAPPY TRAVELER is a non- My current adult reads! 

HAPPY TRAVELER is a non-fiction title about making travel work for you and creating enjoyable, memorable experiences. So far, I’m enjoying the author’s musings on travel.

HELLO BEAUTIFUL is a bookstagram darling (need I say more?) and I already know I’ll be reading it for a while. It’s one of those books that really forces you to slow down. The writing is so tender; it feels like the author loves her characters ❤️

#bookstagram #amreading #readersofinstagram
✨growing up is full of bumps on the way✨ 🤓 ✨growing up is full of bumps on the way✨

🤓 Sixth grade is off to a rocky start for Rex. His district moved most of his elementary school to another middle school, his best friend ditches him for the popular crew, and his blurry vision means he has to get clunky new glasses–the only kind his family can afford. 

❤️ This sweet graphic novel for fans of Telgemeier is an ode to middle school, family, and finding your people.

#graphicnovel #middleschoolbooks #kidlit
Do you like to hop on the “buzz train”? I find Do you like to hop on the “buzz train”? I find that buzzy books are often worth the hype. Even the few people who dislike them tend to have STRONG feelings about them 👀 which to me is a sign that the story got to you somehow. Of course, not every book is for every reader — hype or not. I share my tip for finding a hyped book that matches your reading tastes.

Which hyped books did you love? And which ones missed the mark for you?

#reader #bookstagram #unpopularopinions
✨a different kind of sunshine✨ I loved this g ✨a different kind of sunshine✨

I loved this graphic memoir about the author’s time as a counselor at a camp for kids with cancer. It was my first time reading anything by this author and I totally get the appeal.

This one didn’t end up being as sad as I thought it would be but it was very moving, especially because Krosoczka shares newspaper clippings and pictures of one the families with whom he forged a particularly close relationship even until his college years.

If you’re looking for an engaging graphic memoir for older kids ages 11+ this is a great choice.

#graphicnovel #kidlit #yareader
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