83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel by Don Brown

 

I am an English language volunteer/tutor for someone living in Ukraine via ENGin. I just started as an English language volunteer/tutor in January of this year and am currently working with a single person online at this time.

I accidentally stumbled across 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel by Don Brown by performing an online search through our public library for comics/graphic novels. 

Because I am working with an individual living in Ukraine, who wants to learn to speak English better, I thought it would be a great idea to read this work of nonfiction written in the graphic novel format. So, I checked this ebook out from our public library via Hoopla.

83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel by Don Brown is geared towards young adults. I found this book to be a quick overview about the conflict/war between Ukraine and Russia as it happened in Mariupol, Ukraine in 2022. 

I wanted to read a book where I could slowly ease myself into learning more about Ukraine. Especially with regards to learning about the history of Ukraine and the conflict/war between Ukraine and Russia. There's a lot of history between both countries and I'm sure there's a lot to learn. But I wanted an easy book to read and understand in order to learn more about Ukraine. 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary was a good place to start for me.

I enjoyed the artwork, writing, and overview of the war between Russia and Ukraine as it pertains to Mariupol, Ukraine. The events took place in 2022 and the events were horrific! According to what I read in this book, 90% of Mariupol was destroyed and is still occupied by Russia today.

Below is the publisher's summary for 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel by Don Brown from the Goodreads website:

A young adult graphic novel that captures the complexities of the war in Ukraine, focusing on the siege of Mariupol (Feb ’22 – May ’22) and the brave people who stayed to defend their city against Russian forces as well as the resulting effects on global politics.

A city ruined. In once quiet residential streets, two armies battle, driving people into cellars and basements with little food or water. No lights or heat. Dwindling medical supplies. Shells and bullets deliver cruel, random death to the young and old, men, women, and children.

This is Mariupol, a Ukrainian city and early target of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Bordering Russian-occupied territory, the coastal city seemed doomed to a defeat that would come within days, if not hours. Could Mariupol, and Ukraine, survive? As Russian rockets threatened the city, Ukrainians resisted, and with a heroic combination of sacrifice and bravery, the besieged city endured . . . for months. But it all came at a steep cost.

With compassion and his keen journalist’s eye, Sibert Honor creator Don Brown illuminates the horrors of Mariupol and the depredations of its people not seen in the city since World War II. He also shows that outside of Mariupol, the city’s agonies were mirrored by similar events occurring in towns and cities across Ukraine.

83 Days in Mariupol reminds us that the bloody defiance shown at the Alamo, Dunkirk, Leningrad, and Thermopylae isn’t confined to the past but has a violent, modern presence. It is the story of senseless destruction, patriotism, and grit against long odds—a brutal battle whose consequences still reverberate across Ukraine and continue to reshape the global political landscape.

I am giving 83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary: A Graphic Novel by Don Brown a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading to all!

American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era by Nico Lang

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era by Nico Lang and narrated by the author via Hoopla.

American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era by Nico Lang is a work of nonfiction and is the March 2026 Online Rainbow Book Club selection.

I liked this work of nonfiction, but didn't love it. The best part of American Teenager for me was that the author focused on the lives of "eight trans and nonbinary teenagers across the country, following their daily triumphs, struggles, and all that encompasses growing up trans in America today." Each teenager came from different backgrounds and each teenager lived in different states. I feel it is important to learn about the lives of other people in order to become more empathic and also to learn about the lives of others to avoid making assumptions about what we think their lives are like.

A couple of the topics that were discussed in American Teenager included gender affirming care and puberty suppressing hormones. I understand the need/importance for individuals to have a body that matches their gender identity and how this mismatch can lead to depression, suicide, etc.... BUT, personally, I am concerned about the long term, negative effects of using puberty suppressing hormones. Especially on prepubescent children. Is it really healthy to suppress puberty through drug therapy? 

I did a quick search on Google and learned that studies on puberty suppressing hormones show that "some studies suggest potential risks to neurodevelopment, such as changes in memory, stress response, and reduced IQ, evidence is not conclusive." (Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender) and "reduced bone mineral density, hot flashes, fatigue, mood fluctuations, headaches, and potential long-term impacts on fertility and growth velocity." (PubMed Central) In other words, more studies need to be done to show the risks and benefits for puberty suppressing hormones. 

Below is the publisher's summary for American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era by Nico Lang from Chirp's website:

From an award-winning journalist comes a vivid and moving portrait of eight trans and nonbinary teenagers across the country, following their daily triumphs, struggles, and all that encompasses growing up trans in America today.

Media coverage tends to sensationalize the fight over how trans kids should be allowed to live, but what is incredibly rare are the voices of the people at the heart of this debate: transgender and gender nonconforming kids themselves. 

For their groundbreaking new book, journalist Nico Lang spent a year traveling the country to document the lives of transgender, nonbinary, and genderfluid teens and their families. From the tip of Florida’s conservative panhandle to vibrant queer communities in California, and from Texas churches to mosques in Illinois, American Teenager gives readers a window into the lives of Wyatt, Rhydian, Mykah, Clint, Ruby, Augie, Jack, and Kylie, eight teens who, despite what some lawmakers might want us to believe, are truly just kids looking for a brighter future.

Drawing on hundreds of hours of on-the-ground interviews with them and the people in their communities, American Teenager paints a vivid portrait of what it’s actually like to grow up trans today.

I am giving American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era by Nico Lang a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Quitters, Inc. by Stephen King

Quitters, Inc. by Stephen King had been on my radar for quite a while. I wanted to read this horror, short story ever since first learning about it. 

This month, I listened to the unabridged audio version of Quitters, Inc. via Hoopla. in one sitting as Quitters, Inc. is only 43 minutes in length. 

Quitters, Inc. is narrated by actor, Eric Roberts. I was expecting to be blown away by Eric Roberts's narration of Quitters, Inc., but I wasn't. His performance was very average.

I enjoyed Quitters, Inc. by Stephen King overall. For a short story, Quitters, Inc. is pretty well developed. Loved the ending!

Below is the publisher's summary for Quitters, Inc. by Stephen King, which I discovered on Goodreads:

Dick Morrison's life has become a nightmare of addictions, filling his days with overeating, overworking, and smoking way too much. When an old friend tells him about a surefire way to quit, he's more than willing to give it a shot. But what Dick doesn't know is that Quitters, Inc. demands a high price from anyone who strays from their rigid rules-like a few volts of electricity for the nearest and dearest... or maybe a missing thumb?. Forced to choose between his desperate need for cigarettes and the dire consequences of giving in to his addiction, Dick must decide just how important another drag really is.

I am giving Quitters, Inc. by Stephen King a rating if 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!
 

The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens

 

The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens is my third read by this author. Thank you Dorothy @ The Nature of Things for introducing me to Allen Eskens works! I've enjoyed his novels very much.

I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens, which was nicely narrated by Ilvana Muratovic.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this thriller! It was super engaging. I finished The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens in four days. The novel is well written. The storyline follows two time lines, present day Minnesota and Bosnia in 1995. Each chapter alternates between each time line until the storyline converges. Then the remaining ten chapters takes place in Minnesota for the grand finale.

I liked the main character Hana Babic/Nura Divjak a lot. She seems like an unassuming, quiet librarian working in Minnesota. Hana/Nura is 47 years old and originally from Bosnia. At the start of this novel, a police officer comes to visit Hana/Nura at work. Hana/Nura learns her best friend (also from Bosnia) has been killed in a suspicious manner. It's at this point onward where we begin to learn more about Hana/Nura and that not all about her is as it seems. 

Hana/Nura lived a very difficult existence in Bosnia during the war. We learn that Hana/Nura witnessed her entire family being killed right in front of her. We continue to learn about what happens to Hana/Nura in Bosnia throughout the novel and how she came to the USA. We also read about Hana/Nura doing her own sleuthing into her friend's death.

All in all, The Quiet Librarian is a great read, especially if you like thrillers. I highly recommend it. The ending for The Quiet Librarian is great. I loved it!!

Below is the publisher's summary for The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens through the Goodreads website:

After the murder of her best friend, a librarian’s search for answers leads back to her own dark secrets in this sweeping novel about a woman transformed by war, family, vengeance, and love, from award-winning writer Allen Eskens.

Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared.

Thirty years before, Hana was someone else: Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend—the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head.

Now, someone is hunting Hana, and her friend has paid the price, leaving her eight-year-old grandson in Hana’s care. To protect the child without revealing her secret, Hana must again become the Night Mora—and hope she can find the killer before the past comes for them, too.

I am giving The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Alta Journal - California Book Club - Grand Avenue by Greg Sarris

 

Earlier this month, I attended Alta Journal's California Book Club virtual event featuring author Greg Sarris and his book, Grand Avenue. Lisa See was this month's special guest interviewer.

I'd never heard of Greg Sarris before or any of his books. He's a Native American writer from Santa Rosa, California, who has lived quite a colorful life. 

I must say that listening/watching Greg Sarris speak during this live, online event was amazing! I now want to read Grand Avenue and another one of his books. I'd say that this month's California Book Club event is one of my favorites!

Above is the YouTube video of Greg Sarris talking about his writing!

Have you attended any author events recently?

Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez

 

Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez is my tenth read for 2026. I listened to the unabridged audiobook of Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez, which was nicely narrated by Ruby Corazon.

Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez is the Online Rainbow Book Club selection for the month of February 2026, which is perfect as it is a romance novel and fits in nicely for the month of February and Valentine's Day. The Online Rainbow Book Club is an online book club offered through my county's public library system. Lgbtqia+ books are read and discussed on a monthly basis within the Online Rainbow Book Club.

Kiss Me, Maybe is a romance novel featuring an asexual (or ace for short) lesbian, named, Angela Gutierrez, as the protagonist. Angela is a librarian and social media influencer. She has never been kissed. After posting a video on TikTok, which goes viral by the way, Angela's status as a late bloomer becomes widely know with her TikTok followers. 

Based on the interest of Angela's TikTok followers regarding her late bloomer status and admission that she is asexual, Angela decides to host a scavenger hunt through TikTok where one lucky recipient becomes her first kiss. Sounds like a straight forward proposition. What could go wrong? A lot that is!

There's a lot that made Kiss Me, Maybe a great read. It's an easy, breezy romance read. It's fun and quick. As a cis gender, heterosexual female, I learned a lot about ace lesbians that I didn't know prior to listening to Kiss Me, Maybe. 

This novel deals with the struggles of trying to figure out one's own sexual identity, which can be difficult, especially when you don't know who to turn to for advice or answers. Kiss Me, Maybe also discusses the struggles of coming out to family, friends and co-workers. Being bullied by some family members while other are accepting of your sexual identity is another topic addressed in Kiss Me, Maybe. Plus, other topics were discussed as well that are important too.

Additionally, Angela has had a massive crush on Krystal for years. Krystal is a bisexual bartender at the bar Angela and her best friend have visited regularly over the years. Angela holds no hope that they will ever become a couple because Krystal thinks she is incapable of loving anyone after her last serious relationship ended badly.

As much as I like Kiss Me, Maybe, it isn't perfect. The major gripe I have is the typical one I have with most romance novels. Angela and Krystal have major chemistry throughout this entire novel and flirt like crazy. Their flirtation ebbs and flows as they both try to assess how they feel about the other person romantically and whether their feelings will be reciprocated. I dislike this type of trope where you have to wait until the very end of a novel to learn whether the two characters become a couple or not. 

Below is the publisher's summary for Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez from Chirp Book's website:

Librarian Angela Gutierrez has never been kissed. But after posting a video about her late bloomer status and ace identity, she's finally ready to get some firsts out of the way. Using her new influencer status to come up with a scavenger hunt idea in which the winner earns her first kiss, Angela realizes she may need some help to pull off the event. Enter Krystal Ramirez, hot bartender and Angela’s unrequited crush of five years. Despite vowing that romantic love isn’t for her, Krystal seems awfully determined to help Angela pull off the scavenger hunt and find true love.

There’s just one problem: the connection between Angela and Krystal is getting stronger and stronger the more they hang out, until Angela isn’t sure she wants to go through with the scavenger hunt after all. But Krystal is convinced that she isn’t capable of love and before long, Angela realizes she's falling head over heels for a woman who may never love her back.

I am giving Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Top Ten Tuesday - The Best First Sentencess From Books That Make You Want to Read Them!!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

A first sentence in a book can make a HUGE impact on one's desire to read it! 

Below are ten first sentences from books I've yet to read. Each sentence listed below makes me want to read the book it came from.

1. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.—Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859)


2. Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.—Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (1877; trans. Constance Garnett)


3. Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.—Charles Dickens, David Copperfield (1850)


4. I am an invisible man.—Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (1952)


5. Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. —Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita (1955)

6. I am a sick man . . . I am a spiteful man.—Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground (1864; trans. Michael R. Katz)


7. It was a pleasure to burn.—Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953)


8. Justice?—You get justice in the next world, in this world you have the law.—William Gaddis, A Frolic of His Own (1994)


9. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. —George Orwell, 1984 (1949)

10. It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not.—Paul Auster, City of Glass (1985)

Use This 1972 Rule to Improve Reading Comprehension

 

A 1972 experiment that changed educational neuroscience through schema activation. Watch the above YouTube video to learn more about schema activation and the pre-reading technique that helps with reading comprehensive.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!