Well, I read 4 out of the 6, and DNF'd 1 so I think I did pretty well. However the last few days I've been starting and stopping loads of books, never fulling invested in any of them. November may be a difficult month for reading.
The first I read was Set Me Free by Ann Clare LeZotte. This was a middle grade novel about a young Deaf girl who tries to teach another child a way to communicate. The historical information about Deaf people near Martha's Vineyard was fascinating and the story was compelling. I gave it 4 stars.
Then I picked up The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik. I liked this sequel, but was disappointed with the cliffhanger at the end. Additionally, the cliffhanger from the first book wasn't answered. Even so, I enjoyed it and gave it 4 stars.
Next was a highly anticipated read called Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. So many people compared it to Becky Chambers' books but it fell flat. I found myself bored and the pacing was quite uneven. I gave it 3 stars because her characters were fantastic but the plot was lacking.
Then I chose Bread Givers by Anzia Yezeriska. This is a classic about a young woman from an immigrant family growing up in the early 1900s. She bucks tradition and society by refusing to support her father who doesn't work and only wants to study the Torah. I felt charmed by this book and by her convictions. I gave it 4 stars.
The last one I finished was Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm. This is a middle grade science fiction story about a traumatic event on a space ship that forces the children to take control. They have to navigate fixing ship features, running from space pirates, and navigating to a safe place. I felt this story was great up until the ending. I felt it lacked an ending and needed another 100 pages or so. I gave it 3 stars.
I started but ultimately DNF'd We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida. I gave it 20% but I'm in a slump and it wasn't holding my attention.
