Mom Mondays: Dragons, Harlem Heists, and Mood Reading
Hi everyone! Welcome to Mom Mondays, a new series here at booklove.
This is where we'll talk about what we're reading to our kids, what we're reading ourselves, and what's waiting on our to-be-read piles. We'll probably wander into other book-related and mom-related topics too. And if it's mom-related, don't worry, we'll find a way to connect it to books.
Some Mondays you'll get a long one like today. Others might be a few quick thoughts or a video, because we're moms and life comes at you fast!
We also want to hear from you. What are your kids reading? What are you reading to them? And what are you reading when you actually get a few minutes to yourself?
Let's dive in.
What I'm Reading with My Kids
Right now, we're reading book 32 of the Dragon Masters series, Heart of the Ruby Dragon by Tracey West. If you haven't met Dragon Masters yet, it's an illustrated early chapter book series, and it's a big hit in our house.
My kids love the quests, magic, and battles, and there's just enough suspense without being too scary. In each book, the kids have a problem to solve, and they don't always get it right the first time. They struggle, make mistakes, learn, and figure things out together.
That's one of the things I love about the series, too. There's a real growth mindset woven into the stories, but it never feels preachy. The books are fast-paced, with illustrations, so the story keeps moving. Plus, who doesn't love dragons?
They're also still reading Harry Potter with their dad. That's their special thing, and I haven't read along with them. But I've been listening. As the books have gotten darker, some of the themes have gotten heavier for my kids, and that's led to some great conversations about what drives people, why characters make the choices they do, and right and wrong.
I love that they can go back and forth between something weightier like Harry Potter and a quick, illustrated adventure like Dragon Masters. They're very different reading experiences, and there's room for both.
What I'm Reading
I read and listen to several books at once. My husband thinks this is nuts, but it works for me.
In the car: I listen to audiobooks, and right now I'm completely hooked on Colson Whitehead's Harlem Trilogy. I accidentally started with book three, Cool Machine, before reading book one. It was fine! You don't have to read them in order, and I could follow what was happening. But there were definitely a few gaps and missing puzzle pieces, so I've gone back to Harlem Shuffle to get the full story on the main character, Ray Carney.
The narrator, Dion Graham, is brilliant. His voice captures the characters and New York City, which is its own character in these books. And Colson Whitehead's sentences and word choices are just so good.
For book club: I just finished A Forsaken Prophecy by Stacey McEwan, the second book in the Artisan Trilogy, a fantasy romance. We read it for book club at A Novel Affair, our local romance bookstore.
I gave it three stars. I wanted more character development from the main characters, and some of their behavior felt so different from book one that it didn't always make sense to me. There are also a lot of new problems and plot threads, so I'm curious to see how book three wraps everything up.
But I really liked the multiple points of view and getting deeper into the lore: the three daughters sent to earth with powerful gifts, the Stewards, and the origins of the magic. I hope we get even more of that in book three.
The book club itself was great. Everyone felt comfortable saying what they actually thought, whether they loved the book or didn't, and the conversation stayed respectful. We ended up talking about the female protagonist, her motivations, why it's sometimes harder for readers to root for female characters, and the different expectations we place on them. It was funny, thoughtful, and a lovely way to start my Sunday.
On my nightstand: I'm also reading The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig, the sequel to The Knight and the Moth. I'm holding off on an opinion until I'm further in, but so far my favorite character is still Bartholomew the gargoyle.
Mood Reading: How We Pick Books in Our House
My kids and I are mood readers.
Yes, I follow the seasons a little. I love a cozy winter book in December and a beach read in July, and we'll absolutely be reading not-so-scary books at Halloween. But I'm not strict about it.
And I don't believe books by or about different cultures belong on our shelves only during a particular heritage or history month. They should be on our bookshelves, Kindles, and library holds all year. At the same time, those months are a wonderful chance to stop and spotlight stories, fiction and nonfiction, that we might otherwise miss. There are so many.
I've also learned that grabbing a book because my kids are dealing with a particular issue doesn't always work anymore.
When they were five, I could pull out a book about friendship when they were having a friendship problem, and we'd read it together. At eight? They know exactly what I'm doing.
It can feel too much like a lesson, and then they may resist the story altogether. Sometimes I have to wait for the right moment, when they're actually open to it.
That doesn't mean I don't want books about friendship on our shelves. I absolutely do. I've just found it works better to read those stories before we need them, or simply because they're good stories. Then, when something comes up in real life, we already have those characters and conversations to draw from.
Other times, a book fits the moment perfectly. We went to Alaska this summer, and that was exactly the right time to pull out books about Alaska.
So maybe that's really it for us: books work best when they're woven naturally into our lives. Sometimes that's because of the season. Sometimes it's a trip. Sometimes my kids are suddenly obsessed with a topic. And sometimes we pick up a book because the cover looks amazing.
There's no one formula.
Your Turn
How does your family pick books? And what's on your kids' shelves (and yours) right now? We'd love to hear. Join the conversation in the comments on our Substack, where you can also get Mom Mondays in your inbox. Or share your family's current reads on Instagram and tag us @booklove.box.
And if you need a little inspiration when everyone is staring at the bookshelf saying, "I don't know," try our Reading Menu or Reading Spinner.
