Genre Readers looking to expand discussion

The new list for March Madness 2021 is here!

Middle Grade Novels
A Wish in the Dark
Before the Ever After
Black Brother, Black Brother
Bloom
City Spies
Clean Getaway
Indian No More
Lifeboat 12
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
My Life as a Potato
Otherwood
Scritch Scratch
The Canyon's Edge
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez
What Lane?
When Stars Are Scattered



Young Adult Novels
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America
LIFEL1K3
Opposite of Always
Patron Saints of Nothing
Pet
Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee
Red Hood
SHOUT
Spin
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
The Downstairs Girl
The Lovely War
Two Can Keep a Secret
Watch Us Rise
We Are Not From Here
We Hunt the Flame

Some interesting books on this years list.

There are some interesting books this year. I am going to have to see what the library has versus buying the books if I want to complete the challenge this year. I do recognize quite a few titles on both lists that I have added to my TBR list in the last couple of years.

My new teaching position took me out of a middle school library and away from teaching a reading class, so now I feel so out of the loop with these books! Teaching reading is the one thing I miss about my former position. I was THAT teacher in the school who knew about ALL the new books coming out.

May have to start implementing time for a quick book chat within my classes next year.

Tracking List:

Middle Grade Novels
A Wish in the Dark
Before the Ever After 8/13/21
Black Brother, Black Brother 12/30/21
Bloom
City Spies
Clean Getaway 5/31/21
Indian No More 7/10/21
Lifeboat 12 7/10/21
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
My Life as a Potato
Otherwood
Scritch Scratch
The Canyon's Edge 7/10/21
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez
What Lane?
When Stars Are Scattered



Young Adult Novels
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America
LIFEL1K3
Opposite of Always
Patron Saints of Nothing
Pet
Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee
Red Hood
SHOUT previously read
Spin
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
The Downstairs Girl
The Lovely War
Two Can Keep a Secret 7/23/21
Watch Us Rise
We Are Not From Here
We Hunt the Flame

I finished reading Clean Getaway today. It took me awhile to get into it but I enjoyed reading it in the end.

I finished reading Indian No More and The Canyon's Edge today.

I finished Lifeboat 12 on July 10th as well. I had not heard of this event but it was an interesting way to read about it.

I finished Two Can Keep a Secret today. I honestly was shocked at how it ended. I thought I knew where it was going and then I did not.

Karin wrote: "I finished Two Can Keep a Secret today. I honestly was shocked at how it ended. I thought I knew where it was going and then I did not."

Might have to read this one.

Tracking Post

Middle Grade Novels
A Wish in the Dark
Before the Ever After
Black Brother, Black Brother
Bloom
City Spies
Clean Getaway
Indian No More
Lifeboat 12
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks
My Life as a Potato
Otherwood
Scritch Scratch
The Canyon's Edge
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez
What Lane?
When Stars Are Scattered



Young Adult Novels
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America
LIFEL1K3
Opposite of Always
Patron Saints of Nothing
Pet
Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee
Red Hood
SHOUT
Spin
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
The Downstairs Girl
The Lovely War
Two Can Keep a Secret
Watch Us Rise
We Are Not From Here
We Hunt the Flame

I read Bloom, which had a great concept and some pretty good descriptive writing but the characters fell a bit flat for me.

I finished reading Before the Ever After today. I am really enjoying the poetry format of the story.

Finished City of Spies. I thought it was a fun adventure spy story.
I think middle grade kids would really enjoy it. It does have some murdering, and law breaking but they are not described in great detail.


In the brackets they post for this challenge Bloom and City of Spies are going against each other. I much preferred City of Spies.

I finished reading Black Brother, Black Brother today.

In the young adult list I read LIFEL1K3 and Red Hood and I gotta say I wasn't a fan of either one.

Lifel1k3 was an interesting idea and Red Hood was so overwhelmingly man-hating-feminist that it just destroyed what might have been a good story. I am all for feminism but wow that was a lot of man hate going on.

I tried to read Red Hood several times, but could not get into it.