Ms. Anderson's ATM

This week has been a bit all about getting back into the swing of work and has really left me with much less time for reading. Oh, how I miss you already summer! But that's not to say I'm not reading at all. When I'm not being perpetually distracted by my old and new dogs, then here's what is capturing my attention at the moment:

I love the singer, songwriter Alicia Keys, so I was intrigued to see her new graphic novel. I don't know that it really gives me anything new in the superhero origin story realm, but it was cute. I like the references to her songs in the titles (that's original) and the art is solid. I'd say it's worth reading if you're searching for something to pass the time.

I will say this, I was not immediately drawn to the artwork on the cover; however, when I noticed the author's name, Kelly Barnhill,...the book zipped to the top of my pile. Literally. Okay, it didn't get there on it's own. I helped. But you get the picture. I absolutely adore The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Barnhill's Newbery Award winning first novel. So I was filled with anticipation. Sometimes sophomore efforts end in disappointment, but not this time. At least not for me. I love her rich language, her spunky characters, how she weaves a story and embeds lessons without being didactic. She is as magical at writing as the stories she creates. I wouldn't be surprised if this lands her a bundle of hardware next award season.

This is not the first time I've read this book. It's been quite a few years now, and I'm listening this go around, but I'm still just as drawn into the story as I was the first time through. Confession: I'm very terrible at reading whole series. I've had a long range plan to rectify that (last year I listened to The Raven Boys series) and this year Laini Taylor's series is the winner. Right now I'm wishing I had a magic bead to make my hair grow blue and having fun getting to know these characters all over again.

Happy Reading!

Ms. Anderson