Slice of Life and It's Monday! What are you reading?

Reading is a huge part of my life every week. I just returned from a book club. We read a nonfiction book called Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men since it's Women's History Month. It was nice to meet with other folks in the community to chat about it. I still feel a little new here after almost two and a half years so it's nice to have ways to meet people beyond my jobs. 

I'm also reading several other books at the moment and it's book fair week at both of my elementary schools so I will be seeing, selling, and sharing books every day. Then it will be spring break and I will have some time to read even more books. I love books. If you don't believe me or want to know more about my reading, check out the books I've been reading lately through my It's Monday post below. 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop hosted by Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. 

This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how it offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts. 

I post about my reading here, at the YA blog Rich in Color and as crystalreading at Storygraph. 

The Past Few Weeks: 

Picture Books: Because it is Ramadan, I try to pick up books by Muslim authors when possible. I had somehow missed Ibtihaj Muhammad & S.K. Ali's The Kindest Red which is a follow up to The Proudest Blue. The art for both was by Hatem Aly and it was delightful. 

I also read the hilarious and very clever Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor along with Cougar Crossing by Meeg Pincus and illustrated by Alexander Vidal. They are both nominees for the California Young Reader Medal. 

Middle Grade: I really enjoyed Ribbon Skirt by Cameron Mukwa which is a graphic novel with a main character who is Two Spirit and is getting ready to wear a ribbon skirt. 

Another book by Muslim authors is Grounded. It's a group effort by S.K. Ali, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Aisha Saeed, and Huda Al-Marashi. It is a novel that takes place in less than 24 hours in an airport where the planes have been grounded. All of the main characters meet each other following a Muslim convention they have all attended. Each of their individual stories connect and reconnect in interesting ways. 

Young Adult: Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Adiba Jaigirdaris is a rom-com told in two perspectives. The main characters are ex-best friends who are forced to work together dealing with a lot including a fire at the local Islamic Center. 

I also read and reviewed Divining the Leaves over at Rich in Color.

Adult: I read two heavy hitting nonfiction books including the one mentioned above Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Pérez and Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society by Arline T. Geronimus. Both really look at many of the things in place in society that are negatively impacting people especially those with certain identities in disproportionate ways. 

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza was a novel that follows a Muslim family and how they try to love each other and how that goes awry at times. 

Currently Reading: Girl Decoded by Rana el Kaliouby is a memoir of an Egyptian born woman who has done some pretty cool things in the tech world. I'm also reading a young adult fantasy Fledgling by S.K. Ali as part of a Ramadan Readathon so we're reading about a quarter of the book each week of Ramadan. Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman is a middle grade book I am reading for a Bookelicious online book club event this week.

I wish you happy reading!