Whatcha Readin' Wednesday

I've read a bunch of books recently, and a lot of them were winners!

These are four I recently finished:

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
First sentence: "A jellyfish, if you watch it long enough, begins to look like a heart beating." This kind of beautiful writing continued throughout the book. The main character, Suzy, is dealing with the death of her former best friend. You feel her sadness and pain as well as her curiosity, intelligence, and determination. It reminds me of Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff and A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean with a bit of The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm.
This one is on the National Book Award Shortlist for Young People's Literature. I'd be thrilled if it wins. (Bone Gap would be great too). 
I MUST add this to my school library collection.

The Ugly One by Leanne Statland Ellis 
I was given a copy of this book at the beginning of this school year by a middle school librarian, after telling her about my trip to Peru this summer. I have no idea why I waited so long to read it. It is about an Incan girl named Micay, who has a scar down the right side of her face that makes her hide from the people of her village. She accepts that she will be teased and bullied for the rest of her life. A stranger from the jungle passes through on the way to Machu Picchu and gives her a runty baby macaw. Micay doesn’t realize it, but this gift is the start of a whole new life for her.
I loved this book especially because there were so many things that reminded me of my trip to Peru. I also really enjoy reading about other cultures and places. The author has certainly taken some liberties as there is a lot we don't know about the Incan culture in general and specifically Machu Picchu, but as a narrative, it works together very well. I'd love to read more books like this.
I think this will make a good addition to my library collection.
 
Reread Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
I reread this because my fifth graders are reading it for Global Read Aloud, and even though I read it in March and knew I loved it, I have a horrible "book memory." Still loved it, and of course its already part of my library.

The Marvels by Brian Selznick
I finished The Marvels last week. It is a masterpiece, like Hugo and Wonderstruck. I honestly think I liked the other two a teeny bit better but, The Marvels is still marvelous!
Definitely adding to my library.

I'm currently reading:

Five, Six, Seven, Nate by Tim Federle
I read Better Nate Than Ever a few months ago and have no idea why I waited so long to start this one. I just started reading it while eating dinner tonight and can't wait to get back to it. See, it's sitting right here next to me, just waiting for me. These books sparkle and shine like the lights of Broadway. The voice of Nate is great and makes it so easy to root for him.
These books are in my school library!

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead (audio)
I've loved, truly loved every Rebecca Stead book I've ever read and this is no exception. Pure magic. The story alternates among three seventh grade friends including Bridge, who should have died in an accident when she was 8, and her two best friends, as well as Sherm, a new friend of Bridge's who is a boy, and an unnamed girl a few years older whose story takes place a few months later.  I started listening to this when I was getting over a migraine yesterday, and I listened for over three hours. The problem with this Axis 360 ereader app I'm using is I have no idea where I am in this book and I'm afraid it is going to end before I'm ready. But, I think I still have a long ways to go.
Sadly, this one deals with more middle school stuff than I think I can safely put in my K-5 library, although I would definitely recommend it to some 5th graders. For a much more comprehensive review, check out this one from SLJ.

I'm also rereading Wonder by R.J. Palacio (audio on my commute).
One of the teachers in my school asked for an audio version, and when they were done I realized it has been a few years since I read Wonder and I could handle rereading it. I'm loving it. I definitely need to read Auggie and Me soon!

Finally, I recently finished a few adult books. I'm on a Jojo Moyes kick after reading Me Before You and so I listened to One Plus One, which I loved, and Night Music, which took me a while to get into (I didn't sympathize with any of the characters at first, especially Isabelle.) But the story grew on me.
I also read The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, which is a quick, fun read that my book club is reading this month. I read with the voice of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory in my head.

Phew! I told you I've been reading some awesome books lately! What about you? Whatcha readin'? Have you enjoyed any of these winners?