November 2021 Reading

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I do a monthly round up for everything we’ve read each month. Himself focuses on science articles and forums and news, so he’s not getting a section – books only!

Large boy

He’s deigned to help write some more considered and worthwhile reviews this month, thanks large boy!

Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

A really good book, he highly recommends it. It’s about Morrigan Crow controlling her powers and, as there’s no teacher to train her with them, looking into the past to do lessons but stay invisible. The best bit was the beginning because that meant there was still lots of the book left to read.

He was waiting for this book to come out for ages and was really pleased to get it during our half term trip to Edingburgh:

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The Accidental Secret Agent by Tom McLaughlin

A good book, about a kid who swapped jobs with a secret agent, Jake Pond, as they looked alike. He wasn’t supposed to do any missions but Jake’s boss made the kid do them. His favourite bit was where they met each other.

Future Friend by David Baddiel

It was really good book about a girl who lives in the future and they can’t go outside because of viruses, heatwaves and it being too cold. She lives with a talking cat and a parrot. Then Pip (the girl) ended up going to the past (to 2019) and meeting a boy and going to school. Two idiots get very suspicious of her and she ends up finding a way to get back to her time but her roboclone has been pretending to be Pip. They have a little battle and Pip gets back to her time, leaving the roboclone in 2019. The boy she made friends with managed to stop climate change by reprogramming the robot. Hurrah!

The Day I Fell into a Fairytale by Ben Miller

It was a good book about a little girl who falls into Sleeping Beauty, she tries to save the day but gets mixed up with Hansel and Gretel. She tries to tell her brother but he doesn’t believe her so she takes him in with her and he ends up turning from a boring to a playful kid.

Also read:

• Petunia Perry and the Curse of the Ugly Pigeon by Pamela Butchart
• There’s a Werewolf in my Tent! by Pamela Butchart
• Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan (even though he’s read the full length book already)
• The Accidental President by Tom McLaughlin

Small boy

Small boy is 6. He’s just started year 2 having learned to read over the last two years with the marvellous Read Write Inc phonics scheme. It’s brilliant and he’s made huge progress since we began home learning back in March 2020, especially through the spring of 2021. Well, I’m thrilled to announce that he’s now reading so confidently and independently that his section of our monthly round up has been promoted above mine. He’s currently juggling: a guided reading with his group at school (no idea what), a school book every 2 days or so that comes home, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (himself and I are reading it to him at bedtime), his own choice of book to read out loud to us, and some junk he’s reading to himself at bedtime. I don’t know how he’s keeping track of all the different stories but he’s getting 90% or 100% on his quizzes so it doesn’t seem to be bothering him.

Volcano Challenge by Bear Grylls

He’s not actually finished this, shhh. But he’s loving it…. full update next month.

Attack of the Haunted Lunchbox by Jim Smith

There was much guffawing after bedtime story as he read this to himself, apparently it’s hilarious. Hmm, I’m just glad I didn’t have to listen to it. However, it took him easily 6 weeks to wade through, completely independently and it’s well above his recommended book level according to school. So kudos to small boy for persevering and succeeding with something theoretically above his grade.

Five Project X Alien Adventures by Karen Ball

He didn’t read them in order, just as they came out of the box at school. He’s got opinions on what’s going on all the time, complaining that it’s not realistic – well, you know, aliens and magic shrinking watches aren’t the most credible premise to start with, but never mind.

Dinosaur Cove: Rescuing the Plated Lizard by Rex Stone

He read this immediately after the triceratops one at the end of October. He loved them both. So we went to the library to find more, but not a sausage was available. We might have to order some from the library service. But then again, his TBR pile is a bit ridiculous so I think we’ll manage, look!

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Me

Tom Mariner books 1-5 by Chris Collett

I downloaded this boxset while we were in Edinburgh at half term. I won’t say I was gripped from the first chapter but by halfway through the first book I was hooked.

The first book in the series absolutely sets the tone and standard for the rest. Tom is rather a likeable detective, he feels really quite normal – single but not because he’s too grumpy or unpleasant, prone to human errors without being completely flawed, and rather the kind of guy you’d enjoy a pint with. As soon I finished the first book, I tapped next on my Kindle and carried straight on to the next, and the next, and the next. Well, I read 5 and a half books in a month – they aren’t highly challenging intellectual literature, but they aren’t junk either – far from it. I didn’t guess the twist at the end of Married Lies (book 5) though I was pretty sure I knew who was responsible in Baby Lies (book 4). I’ll definitely be finishing the series before I move onto something else.

How about you?

What have you enjoyed lately?