ASRC 2021: Literary Monopoly Final Week

Hello everyone and welcome to the final week of Literary Monopoly. You can find the rules here and fill out the form for participating this week here. We can't believe the summer's already coming to a close. Hopefully you've had fun reading with us this summer and gotten to a few things you wouldn't have otherwise.

Current Literary Monopoly Board

Now for this week's staff participation:

Elias: After a long dry spell, I finally landed on a reading space after crossing Go, with a 5. This promptly landed me on my toughest challenge yet: a picture book. Having been out of this loop for a long time, I looked on the shelves and picked one at random. The book I ended up reading was Spot & Dot by Henry Cole, a book that really puts the "picture" in picture book. The premise is simple. There's a missing dog, Dot, and a cat who chases after Dot, named Spot. Their humans spend their time putting up Lost Dog posters while the chase goes on.

We're treated to a series of tableaus throughout the town as the two run through marketplaces, cafes, libraries, parks and past many, many apartment windows. It's all drawn in beautiful black and white, which sucks you into the world and gives the right kind of quiet distance to appreciate each scene as it is. Reading Spot & Dot is like reading a book of paintings - though with a more clear narrative conceit that acts as a throughline - where one is asked to dwell on each page and take in the details of the crowds, of the environments, of the small pieces that make up the greater whole. It's also a bit of a Where's Waldo? on each page as you try to find Spot and Dot as they ride trolly cars, jump on cafe counters, and weave between legs in a crowd.

I did not spend as much time looking at the book as I could've but that's OK. The time I spent was relaxing and focused, something I didn't know I needed until I dug into Cole's book. I give Spot & Dot 5/5 stars.

Elizabeth: This week I rolled a 10 and landed on "Poetry." I frequently find poetry difficult to get through so I chose to read a novel-in-verse. The book I settled on was Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. It was amazing. In it, Camino and Yahaira Rios loose their father in a plane crash. The twist: neither of them know about the other. Camino grew up with her grandmother in the Domincan Republic after her mother passed away. Her father visits during the summer and sends money so she can attend an international school. Yahaira grew up in New York City with both of her parents. In the aftermath of the plane crash, both girls believe there is nothing left of their father. But in learning of each other they find someone who understands and forge a new relationship. This novel alternates points of view between Camino and Yahaira. I loved seeing the juxtaposition of their lives and experiences. 5/5 stars.

You have until Monday September 6th to get in your final review. We look forward to seeing the last thing you get up to!