Mountain Dog and My Basmati Bat Mitzvah

It's crunch time for the MSBA committee.  We meet soon to create our shortlist and then we'll meet again in March to do the final list.  I have about 20 books in my TBR pile that no one has reviewed yet so those are my priority.  In addition, we are still getting a few more from publishers.

Yesterday, I read 2 books.

  

This was a novel told in verse.  The story was good.  Tony's mom has been sent to prison and Tony finds himself living far from the hustle and bustle (and illegal activities) in LA.  He moves in with his great-uncle who does search and rescue with his dog Gabe in the Sierra Nevada mountains.  The book is told from both Tony and Gabe's point of view and shows how Tony adjusts to this new life and his mother's lack of interest.  

Like I said, the book was good.  I am not sure why the author decided to tell it in verse and at times I found the sections from Gabe kind of odd, but I did like it.

  

Tara is part Indian (India) and part Jewish.  In the fall leading up to her Bat Mitzvah she has a lot of questions about her identity, her best friends, and where she fits in.  I really enjoyed this book.  Tara worked through a lot of issues and learned a lot about herself in the process.  It was not a thrill ride but it was a nice book.