So-so for me.
While it's a cute story, it's too much Hallmark-like for my taste. While I could empathize with the difficulties faced by the different characters, I found most of the characters too stereotypical, not developed enough. The role played by the octopus is interesting, but I wished she had gone all in, and told the whole story through the eyes of the octopus.

3.5/5
Beautifully illustrated book on general knowledge.
A very enjoyable book to browse, a perfect coffee book table giving facts from knots to clouds.

Kumiko, 76, decides to leave the assisted-living home to find a place of her own without telling her daughters. She feels the shadow of death close by, and tries her best to fight it off.
A lot of themes in this graphic novel: growing old, ageism, death, friendship...
I enjoyed the illustration style. This story is universally relatable, and I liked the humorous tone too.

Last Saturday, I went to buy some books 📚 at the Book Cellar in San Antonio (friends of the central library), and I bought mostly books in French, only one book in English...
And yesterday, I went back for their book sale. Guess what I bought? Yep, a lot of books in French (picture to come next week)

2/5 - Pan for me
Not my cup of tea... This story just didn't work for me. The end was quite disappointing too. Not fan of the writing style.
But I'm glad I've finished it on time for bookclub today, and I write this review while having coffee and strawberries with crème fraîche and a little bit of sugar, miam!

Great French poetry book for children. Loved the illustrations and I enjoyed the poems.
I appreciated the introduction and the extra info at the end of the book giving more context to these poems that were mostly written in the 1940s.

3/5 - soft pick
Enjoyable read, liked the creativity of the author, also liked how the plot is structured. All the elements work well together.
That being said, I found some parts too glamorized and unrealistic, a little bit too cheesy. Not sure it's a story that is going to stick with me.

Good reading month, with a lot of manga.
Still reading the Blue Period series. Even if some books are less interesting than others, I really enjoy following the journey of the main character through art school in Japan.
Why I love it so much? Because it shows you the actual struggle of artists, the self-doubt, the good and bad sides, with at moments, the main character hating art.

In this graphic memoir, Catherine Meurisse recounts her struggle with moving on after the attack at Charlie Hebdo, during which her friends and colleagues were killed. A recurring theme along the book is how to find beauty and lightness.
She talks about the aftermath of the attack, but she also includes memories of before. It's a deeply personal account, but despite all the horrors, she managed to include some humor.

Friday brunch at home with my current read ;)

Today, I just want to relax and read... Look up my feed on Litsy with your great reviews of books you liked/disliked, and read some of my magazines.

Made a big raspberry tart yesterday, got one slice yesterday night coming back from a late class as dinner, and now for brunch ;) My husband got one big slice for his breakfast. I love making these... They don't look perfect, but the taste is there.

Just as good as the first one!
Very cute manga brushing the theme of homosexuality in Japan: stereotypes, acceptance, prejudices, etc.

Just reread this classic for my French book club.
This series of short stories introduced the character of Arsène Lupin, a clever thief. Interestingly, the first story recounts his arrest. The stories are not in chronological orders, but they each offer a glimpse into the past and personality of Lupin.
These stories are filled with cleverness and humor. Perfect for spending a good time.

Fun little cartoon collection around the theme of books and literature.
Perfect palate cleanser for relaxing. Of course, some are better than others, but I'm always impressed by the imagination it takes to create so many vignettes.

*Not translated/ motivated A2 or B1 level*
What is the actual job of an astronaut? His training? His education?
In this graphic nonfiction, we follow Thomas Pesquet from his childhood to his space journey.
It shows the reality of an astronaut's life, and shows the good, but also all the work, and the bad (reading and learning by heart instruction manuals for example).
It also openly talks about the condition of living in space.

*Not translated / Level B1*
Novel. A family doctor is unable to cry, he writes about his patients, his daily life as a family doctor, mostly the long hours, the pain, frustration he encounters.

It's a novel, but the writer is an actual family doctor, so I feel it gives a pretty good idea of the daily experience of a family doctor in France.
Well-written, I really enjoyed this book.

Impressive feat.
Well-written, this dystopia is uncomfortable to read by its realism.
It's clear reading it that Butler had a deep knowledge of human nature (the good and the bad).
Written as a diary, it's interesting to follow the thought process of the main character, how she develops Earthseed, her idea of God.
I'll definitely read the next book in the series, Parable of the Talents.

2/5 Not a fan of this one... I preferred the second one of the series.
While I still like that type of storytelling mixing art and prose, the plot didn't work for me here. Too many things suggested, not enough world building.

#staycationswap

@AmyG Thank you for everything! I love Norway, and Maine is on my go-to list ;) You chose everything so well, excited to dive in these books.

@Chrissyreadit, @DinoMom Thanks for organizing this great swap ;)

What a cute manga! Loved it, I will definitely read the other books in the series.
Themes: homosexuality in Japan, prejudices, tolerance, family, etc.
I like how the different characters evolve, how Tagame mixes awkwardness with humor. It's been on my tbr list for a while, so happy to have read it.

Soft pick - 3/5
This book contains mostly paintings of women holding things. Some of the text is purely descriptive, used to describe the paintings. But some poetry can also be found, always in relation to the paintings and to the concept of “holding things.“
Like all art and poetry books, some pieces are more appealing than others, or are resonating more than others with me. Hence the soft pick.

Excellent book about AI
Across chapters dealing with different themes (livelihood, health, freedom, etc.), the author presents the hopes vs the reality/limitations of AI.
She reminds readers that it's foremost a statistical tool made out of data, by men, and that using it without human oversight could have dangerous/unfair consequences.
She also asks relevant questions about the making and future of it, and its possible impact on society.

Here is my June wrap-up... A lot of books read, a lot of short books too.
I keep on with the manga series Blue Period, while some books are less interesting, the book 10 was good. I love how this manga shows how hard the creation process is. I'll definitely keep on reading this series till the end.
Also read a lot of children's books. I highly recommend Slow Down, interesting content and beautifully illustrated ;)

In this graphic novel, we follow Paul in his first experience as a counselor at a summer camp in the 1970s.
I haven't read the first book in the series, but it's really not a problem. This book is readable by itself.
Well done, with interesting themes: coming of age, first responsibilities, first love, self-confidence, etc.

#FridayNightShare #MidsummerSolace

🌞 I don't have a go-to book when I'm feeling low or struggling. Just the act of isolating to dive in a book brings me peace and comfort.
🌞 My favorite format is physical books 📚 While I read a huge ton of magazines online, ebooks I rarely read. I just can't do audio.
🌞 I read mostly inside. During the day, on my couch in the living room, at night in bed ;)

@Chrissyreadit @TheBookHippie

@AmyG - I just dropped your package at USPS, so keep an eye for it ;)
Really looking forward to opening day. Hope you'll enjoy what I picked for you!
#Staycationswap
@Chrissyreadit @DinoMom thanks again for organizing this swap

What a wonderful book!! Highly recommend for kids, but also for adults.
Each page is beautifully illustrated, showcasing to the reader a moment in nature, reminding us to pause to admire the beauty of our surroundings.
Definitely a book crush ;)

2.75
Glad to have read this short classic of the romantic era. While it's a so-so read for me, it led to an interesting conversation at my French book club.

3.5/5
Time isn't the same for Murano glassmakers, and so we travel through centuries with the same family, discovering their trade, their ordeals, and how the outside world influenced their glassmaking process.
Well-written, I enjoyed the parts about the glassmaking process, and the evolution of the trade.

Claire Keegan delivers here quite a sad, but not uncommon tale of an unhappy marriage.
Quite atmospheric, it's a well-written short story.

2.75 - soft pick
Published in 1992, this first book in a series introduces the character of Blanche White, a black American working as a housekeeper in North Carolina.
A lot of setting the scene, also a lot of social/political commentary (at times repetitive), with the actual murder occurring only at half the book.
Loved the way the house is used in her writing.
Curious to read the second book to see how her storytelling evolves.

Thanks @AmyG
I received your package 📦 Still working on mine. Waiting to receive the books I ordered specifically for you ☺️
Looking forward to the 4th of July to open it.
#Staycationswap
@Chrissyreadit @DinoMom Thanks for organizing this swap

3/5 - topical, interesting but aggravating book to read.
Everyone in this book, including the author, seemed very amateurish, sometimes incompetent, and yes, careless.
While the author points at clear dysfunctions and at the lack of values, and shares her disenchantment, it was hard for me to take her seriously: her appalling naivety, her indecision about quitting (she actually gets fired) makes me think that she too sold her values for money.

Nice fun read. I wish the cartoons featured would be placed back in context. Often, press cartoons are linked to a specific news story, I feel it would have added value...
Overall, it's a nice read to unwind.

Soft pick - 3/5
Alia, librarian in Basra, Iraq, does her best to save the books of her library from being destroyed by the raging war.
Why soft pick? Not a fan of the illustrations and of the writing style.

Nice reading month for me, yeah 👍
The first two books are not available in English, but my third favorite is the tagged book ;)
Since I left a couple of book clubs, I feel I have more time to read books I'm interested in, hence reading more books.

Finished this one this morning. I liked it more than the first book in the series. As the first book, it's little stories (memories), but it felt more connected to me, or perhaps I'm getting used to the narrative style.
The Loop is closed, but a strange flood happens... A lot of the text is related to said flood.
Quick, interesting read, beautifully illustrated. 80s-90s nostalgia meets dystopian parallel universe (made me think of Sliders).

Enjoyable middle school read about Marion, a young girl chosen to serve Madame de Montespan, Louis XIV's favorite.
Marion, daughter of a gardener, is a gifted nose. Her talent for perfume is going to place her in the middle of an intrigue to kill the queen...

Another interesting mystery led by now Chief inspector Darko Dawson.
It's nice to see the evolution of the different characters (Dawson and his family). It's the 4th book in the series, I already put a hold on the 5th (the last) book of the series.
Set in another region of Ghana, this mystery brings us to the illegal gold mines of the Ashanti region.

New books from Nowhere book store ;)
Looking forward to diving into them.

On the fence on this one. I honestly value the creativity and the world building, but on that last note, I feel something is missing. It's like a series of disconnected events. I'll read the other books in the series to see if they satisfy me more.

Talking about satisfaction... I'll enjoy a nice cup of green tea, with a delicious tart... Miam !

Nice fictional introduction to Christina Olsen, and to the artist Andrew Wyeth.
Kline's writing transports us to this isolated house to meet Christina's world. Effortlessly, we plunge into another time and place, into the intimacy of a guarded woman, hurt by life, who only wants to be seen.

I really enjoyed diving into this book which makes you question who you are as a reader. A nice tale of friendship, and a coming of age story worth the read.

*Not in English* A2/B1 level - 5/5
In this powerful book, Anne Plantagenet brings back humanity to Letizia Storti, a woman she met during the shooting of a movie, a woman she interviewed, who had been working for over 35 years in a plant.
It's a really sad story, unfortunately not uncommon, of a woman broken by the company she dedicated so many years to. Plantagenet describes all the events which led Letizia to her suicide attempt at her work. ⬇️

3.75/5
While I prefer Foster and Small Things Like These, these three short stories are still very representative of Keegan's writing style: well-written story which slowly but surely sucks you in.

New day, new books, yeah 📚📚📚

I really love the collection The Passenger by Europa Editions, so any new book, I automatically buy from Bookshop.

And I also received my Book of the Month selection.
Very nice to have book mail, after a lovely morning spent with the San Antonio silent book club, and a lunch with a dear friend.

Now, guess what??? I'll read some more, haha

I decided to drop two of my book clubs...

I'm a member of too many book clubs, and I tried to push myself to only read the books I found interesting, but it just doesn't work for me, and I end up trying to read them anyway, and then I get overwhelmed.

So here are the books I plan on reading next. Only one is a book club pick, which I happened to choose, haha.

I want my reading to be more fun for me ;)

2/5
What a disappointment... I had so much difficulty going through this book. Interesting ideas but their presentation is boring and very repetitive. It is also lacking in depth.

Welcome to @McMeredithLemonMeringue 🎆🎉🎆

It's always great to have friends from real life joining Litsy. Let's give her a warm welcome!!!

Last book read in April!
I'm not going to lie, it's a slow read. Still, it's well-written, well-researched, and interesting. I've learned a lot from reading it. I feel the author did a great job trying to stay as unbiased as possible, and to give, as much as he could, the point of view of the natives.

Overall a good reading month ;) I can recommend the three pictured books ;)