The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

Today's Featured Book: 

The First State of Being

by Erin Entrada Kelly

Genre: Children's Science Fiction

Published: March 5, 2024

Page Count: 272 pages

Summary: 

It's August 1999. For twelve-year-old Michael Rosario, life at Fox Run Apartments in Red Knot, Delaware, is as ordinary as ever—except for the looming Y2K crisis and his overwhelming crush on his sixteen-year-old babysitter, Gibby. But when a disoriented teenage boy named Ridge appears out of nowhere, Michael discovers there is more to life than stockpiling supplies and pining over Gibby.

It turns out that Ridge is carefree, confident, and bold, things Michael wishes he could be. Unlike Michael, however, Ridge isn’t where he belongs. When Ridge reveals that he’s the world’s first time traveler, Michael and Gibby are stunned but curious. As Ridge immerses himself in 1999—fascinated by microwaves, basketballs, and malls—Michael discovers that his new friend has a book that outlines the events of the next twenty years, and his curiosity morphs into something else: focused determination. Michael wants—no, needs—to get his hands on that book. How else can he prepare for the future? But how far is he willing to go to get it?

 

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY is hosted by Rose City Reader. What book are you happy about reading this week? Please share the opening sentence (or so) on BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY! Add the link to your blog or social media post and visit other blogs to see what others are reading.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

Peaches, Michael Rosario thought. That's what we need.

THE FRIDAY 56 is hosted by Anne of Head Full of Books. To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up on Head Full of Books and visit others in the linky. 

SABIO, IAN:

Ridge, get out of there! You don't know what you're doing! What if you rematerialize inside a building or a tree?

A strange new kid shows up at Michael's apartment complex. Michael has enough to worry about---his mom is working three jobs...he has a crush on his babysitter, Gibby...Michael's got bulleying problems at his new school...and will he and his mom be ready for Y2K---and now he has to help Ridge, who, if he is to be believed, has traveled to 1999 from the future and needs to get back.

A fascinating story of the small but wonderful ways in which people help people and make the world better.

Winner of the 2025 Newbery Award.

Quotes:

“‘Who knows why people do the things they do. […] It’s not your job to figure out why walnut-brained people do walnut-brained things. It’s your job to make sure you don’t become one of those people.’ [Mosley] pointed the book at Michael. ‘You know what my mama used to say? “Before you go to sleep at night, ask yourself: was I the best person I could be today? If the answer is no, do better tomorrow.” I have a feeling Leonard Gibson has never asked himself that question a day in his life. But that’s not your concern.’”

“‘Trust me, you’re better off not worrying about the future. Focus on the here and now. That’s what I’m doing,’ Ridge said. He was still looking out the window. He hadn’t stopped. ‘The first state of being.’

“‘I know it doesn’t seem glamorous or interesting to you right now,’ Ridge said. ‘But that’s because no one realizes they’re living history every minute of every day. Sure, there are big moments, like the first Black president or the first trip to Mars and Jupiter, or the first STM. But the truth is, we’re making history at this very moment, sitting on this couch together, looking at this EGG in these unfortunate living quarters. Every breath we take, we’re contributing to history.’”

“[Mr. Mosley’s] eyes softened. ‘I was lucky, though. I had a good mama, like you. She’d take out money from every paycheck and drop it in a big jar with my name on it. When I left home for good, she gave the jar to me, and told me I’d been a good boy.’”

“It was what she [Ms. Rosario] always said. I took every breath. In other words: if she was still here, still breathing, it was a good day, and she was thankful for it.”

“That's third-state thinking. You'll never get anywhere if you what-if everything. You've got to live in the now. The first state.”

The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.    

January 28th - February 6th - How much time does blogging take out of your life weekly? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

Blogging doesn't take time out of my life...blogging gives me additional life, including a sense of meaning and a feeling of happiness.

Snow Day!

 

We don't get much snow here along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The two times I have experienced more than a light dusting of snow here were when I was four years old and when I was a junior in high school.

Until last week...

It got cold early Monday. It got very cold early Tuesday. It began to rain. It began to sleet. It began to snow.

It probably won't be much of anything, we thought.

The snow continued to fall. Some of us had the wisdom to carry a coat with us, just in case.

After a few hours, the snow began to accumulate.

The bird feeders filled with snow. I threw seed down for the goldfinches.

It snowed steadily all morning. 

The snow stopped in the early afternoon. We dared to go outside.

We made a tiny snowman. The snow was soft and fell apart in our hands.

Our angel reading seems softer, lovelier, with snow.

It was probably a record for us. Four inches.

For more photos, link up at Wordless Wednesday, Comedy Plus, Messymimi's Meanderings, Keith's Ramblings, Create With Joy, Wild Bird Wednesday, and My Corner of the World.

New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2024

L. Frank Baum via Oz books

W. Somerset Maugham via Of Human Bondage

Amy Tan as a writer of nonfiction in The Backyard Bird Chronicles

Danzy Senna via Colored Television

Percival Everett (coincidentally, the husband of Senna) via James

Émile Zola who I'd already discovered through L'Assommoir, but who I recognized as a genius via Germinal

Clint Smith via his amazing book of poetry, Above Ground

Leif Enger via Virgil Wanders

Nikos Kazantzakis via Zorba the Greek

Wendell Berry via Jayber Crow

What new authors did you discover in 2024?

Top Ten Tuesday was 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. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.     

The Sunday Salon: Snow!

Welcome! I am happy that you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. 

What is the Sunday Salon? 

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Snow! 

The Arctic apocalypse arrived this week here along the Texas Gulf Coast, and, folks, let me tell you, it was cold. Very cold. Very, very cold. It froze five nights in a row, and, one of those days it was below freezing all day. 

You people who live in this kind of weather all the time...you deserve medals. I do not know how you do regular things like driving to work and going to the grocery store. I applaud you.

Our power did not go off. We did not leave the house from Sunday until Thursday, so I had lots of wonderful reading time.

The Book of Love is a quirky story of four people who die but who are brought back to give them a chance to remain alive if they successfully accomplish some tasks. I liked it a lot, though I'm not sure everyone would. 

Samuel Fromartz learns how to be a home baker in his book, In Search of the Perfect Loaf. My biggest takeaway from this book: How do you become a better baker? Bake and make mistakes and keep baking.

The End of the Affair is the story of a love affair between a man and a married woman told by the man. It has a lot to say to me about how we often misperceive other people, even those we think we know well. It also made me think a lot about spirituality and the way it works in our lives for good and for bad.

What I Read Last Week (with links to my reviews):

The Book of Love by Kelly Link (Fiction)

In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Baker's Odyssey by Samuel Fromartz (Baking)

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (Classics Club)

What I'm Reading Now:

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough (Readalong with Tina)

Roots by Alex Haley (Chapter-a-Day)

Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words by Anne Curzan (NF)

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (Fantasy)

A. J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles 

causes a stir 

by reading a book on the sidelines.

What I Posted Last Week Here at Readerbuzz:

The Sunday Salon: Snow Might Be (But Probably Isn't) On the Way to Houston!

The Ten Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelves

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

I began to list 3 Good Things every day during the pandemic. Now I've established a regular routine of writing down my 3 Good Things. Here are 3 Good Things from last week:

Good Thing #1:

I am thankful for Martin Luther King, Jr.

Good Thing #2:

I continue to practice my

personal vow of (some) silence,

with a goal of listening more and talking less.

Good to know there could be a loophole.

Good Thing #3:

I plan to post more 

about the snow here 

soon.

Weekend linkup spots are listed below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

        

I hope you will join the linkup for Sunday Salon below.