Nonfiction November Week five goals and last week's update

With Thanksgiving this past week I wasn't sure if I would be able to reach my goal of previewing at least five Cybils' nominated books, but I did it. With five days to go in the month, I still hope to preview at least five more books this month.

Books read or previewed this past week:

• Back From the Brink: Saving Animals From Extinction by Nancy F. Castaldo---So well done and also so hopeful about the future of animals that were once clinging to existence. I read it all. (Source: print version supplied by the publisher.)
• The Disappearing Spoon (Young Reader's Edition) by Sam Kean... We listened to 75% of this one on way home from Oregon yesterday. The book was rewritten from the adult version by the author so that it is accessible for young teens. Fascinating and interesting. (Source: audible purchased by me.)
• Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Albert Marrin.--- I knew about the 1918 Influenza Pandemic but I had no idea how bad. It serves as a reminder to us of what could be in store for us again. This book is a must read. (Source: audible purchased by me.)
• Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America edited by Amy Reed. This collection of essays is aimed at teen females who are trying to find their own way after experiencing some trauma (or just being female in a male dominated world. It is not the best I've read of all the collections I've previewed this season. I read about 25%. (Source: print version from library.)
• The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth: Understanding Our World and Its Ecosystem by Rachel Ignotofsky. I love this book and it's darling illustrations.  In fact the illustrations are so plentiful and vital, it could be considered a graphic information book. I read about 30%, but hope to finish it soon.(Source: print version supplied by publisher.)
• Three Stars in the Night Sky: a Refugee Family's Odyssey of Separation and Reunion by Fern Schumer Chapman. Another Holocaust story about a Jewish family that was separated by necessity to get out of Germany. Most of the family settled in Dominican Republic because the awful despot Trujillo allowed many visas for Jews wanting out of Germany. He reason wasn't very honorable, but the families were saved. Earlier the daughter was sent to the USA on a foster care program and she lived in foster care in Seattle, not reuniting with her family until years later. A short book and I read it all. (Source: print version supplied by the author.)

On deck to read next:

• Unpunished Murder: Massacre at Colfax and the Quest for Justice by Lawrence Goldstone---I am currently reading this book about a horrible historical event I knew NOTHING about. I didn't read any of it last week due to the serious nature of the subject. (Source: print version from the library.)
• The School's on Fire!: A True Story of Bravery, Tragedy, and Determination by Rebecca Jones (Source: e-book supplied by the publisher.)
• Becoming Kareem by Kareem Abdul-Jabar---an autobiography by the acclaimed basketball player. (Source: print version from the library.)
• Apollo 8: The Mission That Changed Everything by Martin W. Sandler (Source: print version supplied by the publisher.)
• The Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th Century by Neal Bascomb. (Source: print version supplied by the publisher.)
• Defying the Nazis: The Life of German Officer (Young Readers Edition) Wilm Hosenfeld by Herman Vinke. (Source: print version supplied by the publisher.)
• Born Criminal: Matilda Joslyn Gage. Radical Suffragist by Angelica Shirley Carpenter. (Source: print version supplied by the publisher.)
• Absolutely Everything: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots, and Other Things too Numerous to Mention by Christopher Lloyd. (Source: print version supplied by the publisher.)

I am realizing that I need to step up my game and read faster or just spend more time previewing and less time deep reading if I want to get through all the books which publishers sent me, out of courtesy to them for sending me copies. Eek. I also want to write reviews of several books I read last week. I am running out of time.