Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

Published in 2012 by Wendy Lamb Books. 192 pages.

I absolutely loved this children's novel by the 2010 Newbery Award-winning author of When You Reach Me!

It's about bullying and about being afraid. It's about family and about friendship.

With a feel similar to Ellen Potter's Slob (which was one of my favorite reads of 2010), Liar & Spy is part coming-of-age story and part mystery, and it reminded me a bit of Harriet the Spy, a favorite from my childhood. I highly recommend Liar & Spy both for middle grade readers and for grown-ups who care about middle graders.

Lucinda Rosenfeld reviewed Liar & Spy for The New York Times here. Rebecca Stead's website has additional information about the book here. Other book bloggers who have reviewed Liar & Spy include the following:

• Confessions of a Book Habitué (August 9, 2012)
• Beth Fish Reads (October 2, 2012)
• Becky's Book Reviews (October 8, 2012)

2012.64

What I Am Reading

In my car: Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

In my kitchen: U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton.

On my Kindle: Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.

With the Book Buddies: Christianity for the Rest of Us by Diana Butler Bass.

For my young adult literature class: Return to Exile by E.J. Patten.

Via DailyLit: The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence by Tom Peters.

With my scripture study: 21 Days Closer to Christ by Emily Freeman, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver, and Whom the Lord Loveth: The Journey of Discipleship by Neal A. Maxwell.

In conjunction with my happiness project: Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin.

Yes, I am reading ten books all at the same time!

What are you reading?

Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou

Published in 2008 by Random House, Inc.
Audiobook read by the author.

I listened to Letter to My Daughter on CD. It is a short book - just two discs - but it's read by Maya Angelou herself and just hearing her voice brought a smile to my face. My daughter and I heard her speak at a conference several years ago, and we adore her!

As is usually (maybe always) the case with a collection of short stories or essays, some are better than others. I most enjoyed the essays here in which Angelou related an experience from her life and what she learned from it.

I also liked the commencement address she wrote. There Angelou advises that courage is the virtue that makes all other virtues possible. I love that idea!

2012.62

The Schwa Was Hereby Neal Shusterman

Originally published in 2004.
Audiobook read by the author.

How can something that makes me laugh out loud one minute make me cry the next?!

The Schwa Was Here is a terrific story - one to which anyone who has ever felt ignored or invisible will relate. The tale is told from the viewpoint of Antsy Bonano, whose "voice" is wonderful - and I loved hearing Antsy's words from Neal Shusterman himself.

This is the third of Shusterman's books I've read - and all three are very different reading experiences. I've definitely become a fan!

Shusterman's website is here.

2012.54

Read-a-Thon End-of-Event Survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

Hour 21, when I decided to call it quits, was the hardest hour for me. I just wanted to lay on the sofa and "pretend" to read!

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?

Young adult novels are great read-a-thon picks. Memoirs are also a good choice.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?

This was my tenth time participating in the Read-a-thon, and I thought things went well.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?

I enjoyed the visits from the Cheerleaders.

5. How many books did you read?

I finished two books - and I also read parts of three others.

6. What were the names of the books you read?

The Year My Son and I Were Born by Kathryn Lynard Soper and Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead.

7. Which book did you enjoy most?

Both books were great!

8. Which did you enjoy least?

Not applicable.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?

Not applicable.

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?

If at all possible, I will participate in the next read-a-thon! This is one of the few things I do that is just for me. I'd like to be a reader again - but I'm also thinking that it might be fun to try cheerleading.

Read-a-Thon Mini-Challenge

"Book Sentences"
Hosted by Kate at Midnight Book Girl

I have used four books from
my to-read pile to create a sentence.

Every day, the outsiders simplify life [of pi].

Elapsed Time 16:30

Progress Report
Time Read: 10:15 (This includes about three hours of "reading" via CD. I'm currently listening to two audiobooks - U is for Undertow and Between the Lines. The former has keep me company for a couple weeks while I've done kitchen chores, and the latter has been my commute companion this week. Today I've listened to a bit of both books.)

Locations I've Read: 3. (In addition to reading at home, I spent a little time at the library this afternoon and then read while I ate a sandwich and some soup at Café Zupas. Oh, I guess listening to a book on CD while driving between locations means I actually "read" in four places!)

Pages Read: 516.

Books Finished: 2. (The Year My Son and I Were Born by Kathryn Lynard Soper and Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead.)

Time Blogged and/or Tweeted: 6:15 (One of the things I did was work on some long-overdue reviews that I hope to post this coming week.)

Frame of Mind: It was great getting out of the house for a while. I'm now in my PJs, and my contacts are starting to make my eyes feel "buggy." I'm not sure how much longer I can leave them in - but once I take them out, I think my body will expect that it's time for sleep.

Cans of Diet Coke with Lime Consumed: 3.

Food Consumed: A mug of hot chocolate. A bowl of microwave popcorn. A small cup of clam chowder from Thursday's dinner. A bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, a hashbrown, and a small orange juice - brought to me by my husband and daughter from the McDonald's drive-thru. Some chocolate Twizzlers. A Rice Krispy treat. A dinner of soup and sandwich (Yucatan Chicken Tortilla and Ultimate Grilled Cheese, respectively) - plus a piece of bread and a chocolate-covered strawberry. Some Hershey's Nuggets (with almonds and toffee).

Read-a-Thon Mid-Event Survey

Now that we're more than halfway through, we have a survey to complete:

1. How are you doing? Sleepy? Are your eyes tired?
I didn't go to bed early enough last night, so I'm definitely starting to feel tired. I left the house for several hours, though - spending some time at the library and then at a favorite restaurant - so I'm hoping that change of scenery will carry me through the next little while now I'm back home.

2. What have you finished reading?
I read The Year My Son and I Were Born by Kathryn Lynard Soper this morning. I haven't finished anything else yet.

3. What is your favorite read so far?
I'm enjoying everything I'm reading - even though I've only finished one book so far.

4. What about your favorite snacks?
I love chocolate Twizzlers!

5. Have you found any new blogs through the readathon?
I've visited a few that I'm going to add a few to my blog list: YA? Why Not?, The Allure of Books, and Mom is Reading.