Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win by Rachel Ignotofsky

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Publication date: 2017
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Pages: 119
My rating: 5 Stars
Ages: 8+

Do you know who the first woman figure skater was? Or that a woman dressed as a man for 20 years in order to play polo? This book explores the life and achievements of women in sports from the 19th century to the present.

Just like in Ignotofsky's previous book, this book was just as wonderful and charming! It's colorful and bright, with fun illustrations and interesting facts. Each athlete gets a two page spread, with a one page bio.

While there are obviously a lot more women who could have been featured in this book, Ignotofsky chose women who were trail blazers, record breakers, or especially respected in their sport. There are mountaineers, coaches, weightlifters, jockeys, and so many other kinds of sports.

This is a must for anyone and is particularly good for children to learn more about athletes and sports history.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
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All These Wonders ed. by Catherine Burns

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Publication date: 2017
Publisher: Crown Archetype
Pages: 327
My rating: 5 stars
Ages: 16+

Seeing Pluto for the first time. Surviving a concentration camp. Sharing custody of a dog. Summer camp. Each person has a story to tell, a story to share, about facing the unknown. The Moth has collected these stories into one volume, to share with the world.

I love these slice of life stories. They could be funny, sweet, sad, or happy. Each person shares something from their life that we can all identify with, even if we've never worked with a space craft or was a spy in WWII or been a refugee. But we've all lived life, experiencing new things, encountering death and birth, living through all those moments that make life what it is.

Because these are transcripts of oral stories, the voice of the person is kept intact, in a way that written stories seem to lose. I kept telling my family about certain stories I had read, even reading one out loud in it's entirety to my mom as she made dinner one night ("A Phone Call" from Auburn Sandstrom). Others I just summarized, though I'm sure really poorly.

Well worth reading. These are the things that help us see that we are a human family, connected by the things that are universal.

Some hard language and references to sex.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Where Am I Now? True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson

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Publication date: 2016
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 255
My rating: 5 stars
Ages: 16+

Most people know Mara Wilson from when she played the title role in Matilda. In this book of essays, Wilson talks about her childhood as a star, her family, and what it's like to be an adult who is still seen as her most famous character--who happens to be an eight-year-old.

I don't know if I can even describe how I felt reading this book. It only took me a day to read, and had me in tears several times. Wilson is only a year older than me, and I could see myself in her, so I understood the world she was talking about. I may never have become a child star, but that is such a small part of who she is.

I remember going to see Matilda in theaters for a friend's birthday party (I had to leave during the cake eating part because it made me feel sick). And then, I have to be honest, I hadn't really thought about Wilson after that. Until I started listening to Welcome to Night Vale, a strange podcast where she has a small recurring role. Then I started following her on Twitter, and she's funny and smart and down to earth. So all of that kind of sparked my interest, and the book was definitely something I felt like I needed to read.

I'm glad I did. I like knowing about people, what makes them tick, why they are the way they are. Wilson opened up pieces of her life in this book, including her struggle with mental health, the openness of which is something that I appreciate. Each essay is like glimpsing through a window of Wilson's life-house, going from childhood, teenage years, and adult at different times, focusing on different things. It was a refreshing way to read a person's memoirs, instead of strictly chronologically. Wilson's openness and honesty were sincere and endearing.

There is some strong language and sexual references.

*I do not receive compensations from Amazon.

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes with Joe Laydon

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Publication date: 2014
Publisher: Touchstone
Pages: 245
My rating: 5 stars
Ages: 12+

I usually start my reviews with a synopsis of the book, but I feel that the title says it all. And if you have never heard of The Princess Bride--where have you been the past 27 years? And if you have never seen it, go and see it now!

The Princess Bride has been a part of my life for . . . well, basically my whole life. I have very distinct memories of watching it every Sunday with my family when I was young, curled up against my dad so he could protect me during the Fire Swamp scenes. I also remember thinking, as Wesley fought the ROUS, "I wonder if they are friends?" So, in a way, I feel as if I've been waiting for this book my whole life.

I loved everything about this book (though I would have made a few different copyediting choices, but I'm pretty sure that's just something that as an editor I notice more than the usual reader). Elwes tells the story with love and admiration for the cast and crew. I was at turns laughing and blinking away tears. There were also blocks of quotes for other members of the cast, as well as Rob Reiner the director. It's so validating to know that something you love so much was loved, and is loved, by the people who made it.

The parts that really got to me the most was when Elwes talked about Andre the Giant. He seemed like such a kind man, and everyone spoke about him with such fond memories.

The only drawback is that I now have the strongest desire to watch the movie to pick up on all the little things I just learned are in the movie, broken toes and all.

*I do not receive compensation from Amazon. But I do recommend buying this book right away!

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

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Publication date: 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 332
My rating: 5 stars
Ages: 16+
Awards: Printz

When a British wireless operator must parachute into France in 1943, she has only her wits to keep her out of the hands of the Gestapo. Unfortunately, one small mistake lands her in prison, where she is interrogated severely until she agrees to give them everything she knows. This book is that written record.

Code Name Verity was such an engaging, moving, and interesting story that nothing could knock me out of the narrative. I didn't notice any inaccuracies, or editing errors; I never felt that I was asked to suspend my disbelief--though I hadn't known before hand that women were spies and pilots during World War II. The narrator has such a distinctive voice that I instantly liked her spunk, her bravery, her charm, her wisdom, and her heartbreak.

The narrative is interesting, written as a set of "entries" meant to be given to the SS officer in charge at the end of everyday. It's a bit of a thrill ride, as the reader is pulled along through tales of the past and the horrors of the present. The narrative does take a bit of getting used to, but within just a few pages, it--and it's teller--are endeared to you by the very things that make both of them different from other novels you have read. Verity is also so different from the usual WWII novels. This is a more "behind the scenes" look at the war as well as a glance of the grayness of war, enemies, friendship, loyalty, fears, dreams, and family. I shed a tear or two near the end.

I think that anyone with some interest in history (WWII in particular), strong female characters, and spy novels will find this book engaging. I especially think that those that liked The Book Thief by Marcus Zusack will find this a compelling read.

*I do not receive any compensation from Amazon.