On the Topic of: Reading Slumps, Mental Health, and a Global Pandemic

Dear Reader,

The Year 2020 was certainly one for the record books – from the Australian bush fires, to a dramatic American election, and a global pandemic, we certainly cannot say that it was a boring year. If nothing else, we will certainly remember 2020 for years to come.

On a personal level, 2020 was also quite the adventure for me. On March 12th, when the Government of Ontario announced the temporary closure of schools in response to growing concerns about COVID-19, I certainly didn’t foresee the series of events that would follow. “Pivoting” to teaching online was certainly an adventure, it was also exhausting. After mere weeks of teaching online, I found myself constantly feeling burned out, experiencing exhaustion, and generally feeling overwhelmingly anxious. So I made the decision to put my own mental health first, and I took a step back to consider how I could reduce the every day stress and pressure that I felt. A large part of this involved spending less time on my devices – whether it be my computer in general, or social media in particular, I knew that I had to spend less time living virtually and more time enjoying the world around me. But I couldn’t simply walk away from teaching – which led me to the difficult choice of walking away from all things bookish.

Since then, I have experienced a plethora of highs and lows – from living through a quarantine, to getting engaged, and then returning to a much changed in-school teaching experience. One of the biggest struggles I experienced during all of this was the toll on my personal mental health – something that manifested in many ways, one of which was a seemingly never-ending reading slump.

For those of you who are lucky enough to have never experienced a reading slump for yourself, it is essentially the state of not being able to pick up a book and read, no matter how hard you try. Honestly – Urban Dictionary defines it as a reader’s worst nightmare – and they are not wrong. Reading slumps are a time when no story seems to hold your attention, and you simply are not motivated to read. It can happen after reading an amazing novel, or it can occur over time. For me, it happened as I grappled with the startling and often overwhelming new realities of a world thrust into a pandemic it was simply unprepared for. At first, I was frustrated, then simply disappointed in myself, as I tried and failed to finish a book, time and time again.

Then, I returned to school in an in-person setting, and I realized that I was not on my own in my struggles with mental health in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. My students, despite their young age, were grappling with a much changed reality, as were my colleagues. And while I was overwhelmed – exhausted, stretched thin, and discouraged – by the experience of teaching during a global pandemic, I also found myself suddenly surrounded by like-minded individuals feeling the same way I was. And slowly – oh so slowly – I began to heal.

I began slowly – reading fan fictions and short stories, then re-reading some of my favourite novels, and then finally tackling a new read. I’m still not reading as much as I was pre-COVID, and I don’t know if I will ever read quite so much again, but I am finding my way a day at a time – in more ways than one.

So, Dear Reader, if you too are struggling in light of these unprecedented times and tumultuous events, take heart – and take action. Find the things that being you joy, seek out opportunities to learn and grow, and most importantly, take care of yourself and your loved ones.

From your friendly teaching bookworm,
One Page at a Time

#BlackVoices in Young Adult Literature

These past few days, I have been thinking long and hard about what I, a white woman from Canada, have to offer to the Black Lives Matter Movement. I desperately wanted to offer my support, but was unsure how I could do so in a meaningful way. Then one night, I realized that I already had a platform – this blog, my Bookstagram, and my other social media accounts – that I could use to support and promote books written by black authors.

This post, focused on #BlackVoices in Young Adult Literature, is the third in a series of posts highlighting literature created by black authors and illustrators. It is by no means a comprehensive list of books, but I hope that it inspire readers of all ages to bring more diverse books into their own lives. This list, in comparison to my previous lists about Black Voices in Kids Literature and Middle Grade Literature, is longer, if only because this is the demographic I read most often, and I wanted to include as many of my favourite reads by black authors as possible.

I look at books as being a form of activism. Sometimes they’ll show us a side of the world that we might not have known about.

– Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Hate U Give and On The Come Up

#BlackVoices in Middle Grade Literature

These past few days, I have been thinking long and hard about what I, a white woman from Canada, have to offer to the Black Lives Matter Movement. I desperately wanted to offer my support, but was unsure how I could do so in a meaningful way. Then one night, I realized that I already had a platform – this blog, my Bookstagram, and my other social media accounts – that I could use to support and promote books written by black authors.

This post, focused on #BlackVoices in Middle Grade Literature, is the second in a series of posts highlighting literature created by black authors and illustrators. It is by no means a comprehensive list of books, but I hope that it will give readers a place to start, and inspire readers of all ages to bring more diverse books into their own lives.

“It’s important to have diverse characters in books because books give kids mirrors and windows. Books create empathy. If we don’t have diversity, if we’re only showing things from one perspective, how are we creating empathy? It’s important beyond just children’s books — it’s important period. I think that the more diversity we have in books the better. Give kids options. Who wants the same thing over and over? Let’s show other lives. Let’s show other perspectives and other marginalizations. It goes a long way in creating empathy.”

– Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give and On The Come Up

#BlackVoices in Kids Literature

These past few days, I have been thinking long and hard about what I, a white woman from Canada, have to offer to the Black Lives Matter Movement. I desperately wanted to offer my support, but was unsure how I could do so in a meaningful way. Then one night, I realized that I already had a platform – this blog, my Bookstagram, and my other social media accounts – that I could use to support and promote books written by black authors.

This post, focused on #BlackVoices in Kids Literature, is the first in a series of posts highlighting literature created by black authors and illustrators. It is by no means a comprehensive list of books, but I hope that it will give readers a place to start, and inspire readers of all ages to bring more diverse books into their own lives.

“Research from Harvard University suggests that children as young as three years old, when exposed to racism and prejudice, tend to embrace and accept it, even though they might not understand the feelings. By age 5, white children are strongly biased towards whiteness. To counter this bias, experts recommend acknowledging and naming race and racism with children as early and as often as possible. Children’s books are one of the most effective and practical tools for initiating these critical conversations; and they can also be used to model what it means to resist and dismantle oppression.​”

– Embrace Race (2020)

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Released on January 15, 2019, The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi is a YA Fantasy novel set in an alternate-Paris during a time of extraordinary change – one that is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous desires…

No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them. It’s 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance. To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood. Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history – but only if they can stay alive.

Havenfall by Sara Holland

Released in North America on March 3, 2020, Havenfall is Sara Hollan’s newest Young Adult Fantasy novel. In Havenfall, Sara Holland has taken the lush fantasy that captured readers in Everless and Evermore and woven it into the real world to create a wholly captivating new series where power and peril lurk behind every door.

Hidden deep in the mountains of Colorado lies the Inn at Havenfall, a sanctuary that connects ancient worlds–each with their own magic–together. For generations, the inn has protected all who seek refuge within its walls, and any who disrupt the peace can never return. For Maddie Morrow, summers at the inn are more than a chance to experience this magic first-hand. Havenfall is an escape from reality, where her mother sits on death row accused of murdering Maddie’s brother. It’s where Maddie fell in love with handsome Fiorden soldier Brekken. And it’s where one day she hopes to inherit the role of Innkeeper from her beloved uncle. But this summer, the impossible happens–a dead body is found, shattering everything the inn stands for. With Brekken missing, her uncle gravely injured, and a dangerous creature on the loose, Maddie suddenly finds herself responsible for the safety of everyone in Havenfall. She’ll do anything to uncover the truth, even if it means working together with an alluring new staffer Taya, who seems to know more than she’s letting on. As dark secrets are revealed about the inn itself, one thing becomes clear to Maddie–no one can be trusted, and no one is safe…

The Dark Tide (ARC) by Alicia Jasinka

Set to release in North America on June 2, 2020, The Dark Tide is Alicia Jasinka’s debut novel. This gripping, dark fairy-tale fantasy is The Wicked Deep meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely, as worlds collide in a tale about two girls who must choose between saving themselves, each other, or their sinking island city.

DISCLAIMER: Thank-you to Raincoast Books for providing me with an Advance Readers’ Edition of The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinka, in exchange for an honest review.

Every year on Walpurgis Night, Caldellas Witch Queen lures a boy back to her palace. An innocent life to be sacrificed on the full moon to keep the island city from sinking. Convinced her handsome brother is going to be taken, sixteen-year-old Lina Kirk enlists the help of the mysterious Tomas Lin, her secret crush, and the only boy to ever escape from the palace. Working together, they protect her brother, but draw the Queens attention. When the Queen spirits Tomas away instead, Lina blames herself and determines to go after him. Caught breaking into the palace, the Queen offers Lina a deal: she will let Tomas go if Lina agrees to take his place. Lina accepts with a month before the full moon, surely she can find some way to escape. But the Queen is nothing like she envisioned, and Lina is not at all what the Queen expected. Against their will, they find themselves falling for each other. As water floods Caldellas streets and the dark tide demands its sacrifice, they must choose who to save: themselves, each other, or the island city relying on them both.

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City) by Sarah J Maas

On March 3rd, 2020, #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas launched her brand-new Crescent City series with its first installment, House of Earth and Blood, which tells the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance.

Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life – working hard all day and partying all night – until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose – to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach. As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.

A Song Below Water (ARC) by Bethany C. Morrow

Set to release in North America on June 2, 2020, A Song Below Water is Bethany C. Morrow’s newest YA Fantasy novel. A Song Below Water promises to be a story for today’s young readers – a captivating modern fantasy about black mermaids, friendship, and self-discovery set against the challenges of today’s racism and sexism.

DISCLAIMER: Thank-you to Raincoast Books for providing me with an Advance Readers’ Edition of A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow, in exchange for an honest review.

Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Never mind she’s also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes. But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she’s also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either.