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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Readerbuzz, and Book Date.

The Sunday Post #373

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In My Reading Life

The only books I've been reading are EMT textbooks for school. Nobody wants to hear about those! So, here are some books I read a while ago and never got around to blathering about.

I read The Ambassador Of Nowhere Texas by Kimberly Willis Holt. I was nervous about this one because it's the sequel to one of my childhood favorite books, When Zachary Beaver Came To Town. I was not disappointed!

I guess I'd call it middle grade historical fiction. The sequel follows the children of the characters from the first book. It's set in 2001, which is pretty cool because I was middle grade aged in 2001. It feels nostalgic, even though middle school was a terrible time for me. It's not great for the characters, either.

The main character, Rylee, is growing apart from her best friend and doesn't understand why. Since her friend won't talk to her, Rylee befriends the mysterious new boy in town. The new kid, Joe, is moody and refuses to talk about his family or why they moved to Texas. Joe starts confiding in Rylee when they make a plan to reunite Rylee's father with his childhood friend, Zachary Beaver.

Like the first book in the duology, this one is slow and quiet. It's about grief and how a friend can change everything. The best part is how it captures the flavor of smalltown America in 2001. I could especially relate to this paragraph about 9/11:

"Some of the same kids who talked about how much they hated Muslims made their own prayer circles before school the days following the attacks. To me, it didn't seem right to act like it was okay to hate and then turn around and pray for peace."

I had the exact same thought in 2001! My school had a club for Christian athletes. The athletes would hold hands around the flagpole every morning and pray for peace. Then they'd go into the school and throw kids down the stairs for being "weird." I guess 2001 was a confusing time for everybody. This book gets it.

If you like character-driven middle grade, I recommend this duology.

Then I read So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens. I love this book and need to find similar books. It's funny but not completely frivolous.

This fantasy novel is set after the characters finish their quest and fulfill a prophecy. They've killed the evil king and taken control of his kingdom, but now what? How do you rule a kingdom? And what about the expectation that the new king will get married and produce heirs?

This book will make you smile. The characters are endearing because they're fumbling through life with the best possible intentions. They want to do the right thing. They're just . . . really bad at everything. Their banter is hilarious. Every character is fabulously chaotic. I loved them all immediately and didn't want to put the book down. I was having too much fun.

My only complaint is the miscommunication plotline. I don't have patience for those. I know that using your words is hard, but problems aren't interesting if they can be solved with one conversation.

I still recommend this book, especially if you like Rainbow Rowell's Carry On series. Recommend more books like this one to me!

Then I read Bridge Of Souls by Victoria Schwab. Someone on social media said this series got canceled, so maybe this is the finale? I don't know. I hope not because the series feels unfinished. This definitely reads like a middle book and not a finale.

I would have been obsessed with this middle grade horror series when I was a kid. Each book follows Cassidy and her ghost friend, Jacob, to a new city. Cassidy's parents host a ghost-hunting reality TV show, but they don't know that Cassidy can actually see paranormal creatures. Every time Cassidy goes to a haunted location, she ends up fighting monsters.

The third book in the series finds Cassidy in New Orleans. She's being chased by creatures who don't appreciate her ability to move between the human world and the ghost world.

This book is atmospheric and fast-paced. I like that it teaches young readers about the history and culture of New Orleans without making them feel like they're reading a textbook. It's a fun, spooky time.

I hope this isn't the end of the series. Cassidy is just starting to make friends! And there are so many more haunted places to explore!

Then I read The Tent by Margaret Atwood. It's a collection of flash fiction. I didn't like it. I love (most of) Margaret Atwood's novels, but her short fiction is too abstract for me. A few of the stories are witty and insightful. I especially like when she writes about the publishing industry and author life. However, the majority of the stories are just frustratingly odd. I didn't understand why I was reading them.

Okay, last one. I read A Psalm For The Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. I wish I bought this book instead of getting it from the library so I could highlight it. It's a science fiction philosophy conversation between a monk and a robot. That probably sounds weird and boring, but it's interesting! I promise.

In a futuristic world, a monk named Dex decides to explore the woods. Dex meets Mosscap, a robot. Mosscap has never seen a human before and is on a mission to discover what humans need. Dex has no idea how to answer Mosscap's question, so they try to figure it out together. What do humans need?

This book is too low stakes for my tastes because it's pretty much just a walk in the woods. I appreciate the optimism about the future, though. The characters are good people (or robots) who respect each other's beliefs. They're not afraid of anyone they meet on their journey. They exist in a green, peaceful world. I like it.

If you're in the mood for a short, gentle book, this is a good one. It'll make you think about what you truly need in life.

In The Rest Of My Life

Here's what's been happening:

1. Baby Brooklyn started kindergarten. I think it's going well. She hasn't been kicked out yet.
2. I started EMT school. I also haven't been kicked out yet. So far, school is difficult and exhausting. I'm attempting to work enough hours to pay for school while going to school. This is a terrible plan because I'm too tired to be useful at work or school.
3. My EMT school used to be a taxidermy museum. When the museum closed, they left the taxidermy in the building. It gives me something to look at during my lunch breaks.
4. I've been helping with kids' fishing clinics at work. The kids get so excited about fishing. It's hilarious. I've gotten slightly better at taking fish off the hooks. At the last clinic, I only got stabbed by one spiky fish. I usually get stabbed by every spiky fish.
5. TikTok seems to know that it's wildfire season. It gave me this:

@lexy_1993 Oh so true. #vetmed #work #worklife #adult #piratesofthecaribbean #disney #wtf #fyp ♬ Angel of the Morning - Graham Blvd

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Take care of yourselves and be kind to each other. See you around the blogosphere!