ASRC 2022 Week 10 (8/22-8/28/22)

Hello and welcome to Adult Summer Reading Club 2022 Week 10! The second to last week is here. Wow does time fly.

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Week 10 Board

Here are our staff reviews for the week:

Deborah: Is it cheating to write about a novel in verse if you land on poetry … or is it the perfect opportunity to tell the world about one of my favorite reads of the year??? I didn’t think I could love a book as much as I loved Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X (2018), but I fell hard for Clap When You Land. It’s a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story told in gorgeous, alternating first-person narrative verse by two young women and their contrasting and intersecting Dominican experiences: one in the New York city neighborhood of Morningside Heights and the other in a Sosúa barrio on the outskirts of a vacation resort in Puerto Plata.

The writing is spare and lyrical and Yahaira and Camino are layered and compelling, the kind of characters I find myself thinking about long after I’ve put down the book. The story is emotionally intense–sad, but also hopeful, and with a vivid sense of place. This is one to read with both eyes and ears. Acevedo is a spoken word poet, and to hear her words spoken aloud is an entirely different and immersive experience. I recommend doing both if you can.

A wonderful pick for readers who savor language and seek out stories about families and immigrant experiences. A shorter word count and the layers of language and character make it a great choice for book clubs, including adult English language learner groups or intergenerational (particularly adult-teen) groups.

* 5/5 stars *

If, like me, you end up loving it, you might also try:

- Novels in Verse: The Poet X (2018), Elizabeth Acevedo’s beautiful debut novel, heartfelt and moving. A perfect audiobook listen and the book I use to try to persuade reluctant audio-readers to try the format. Also: Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo (2020); Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh (2020). Anything by Jason Reynolds (Long Way Down), Kwame Alexander (Solo with Mary Rand Hess), and Nikki Grimes (Ordinary Hazards, her verse memoir).

- Prose: The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (2016) – First-person narrative/multiple perspectives--not verse but the prose is lyrical; a love and coming-of-age story about NYC teenagers, immigrant families (Jamaican, Korean), and identity; I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez (2017).

- Graphic: The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (2020); Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera & Celia Moscote (2020).

Elias: This week I got off easy as I rolled a 3 and landed on Listen To A Podcast. I listen to quite a number of podcasts and it's hard to pick just one. Of course, I can shout our the one I work on for the library, A Bend in the Road, as a new episode dropped last week. It looks like I'm not the only one here who's listened to it either. The main one I listened to was The Adventure Zone, a DnD podcast which just wrapped up its lastest arc: "Ethersea: Season 1." After every season they do a breakdown, behind-the-scenes type of episode called The The Adventure Zone Zone, and that was last week's ep!

I love this podcast. It's funny, it's engaging, and with their new editor, it's only gotten better. They're about to start a new, 5 episode arc called "Dust" and then it's off to a new, longer campaign! Even if you're not a DnD player, the McElroys are just a treat to listen to as they goof around, have fun, and then tell a compelling, emotional story. I have a soft spot for "Amnesty," their spooky Mosnter of the Week season, but I've loved them all.

4.5/5 stars

We'll see you back on the the 29th of August for the dawn of the final week.