July 2015
I'm on double duty right now! Yesterday I finished The Trinity Game by Sean Chercover. It was an entertaining thriller. I'm reading Sticks and Scones by Diane Mott Davidson for fun. It is a mystery about a caterer and it includes recipes for the food she is cooking, all the while solving a murder mystery. I love books that combine my favorite things! I am also reading Mechanically Inclined by Jeff Anderson in preparation for the staff development I am attending led by him in a few weeks. It focues on teaching grammar in context rather than in isolation. Enjoying both!
AND---- I'm trying something new!! Click on the book if you would like more information about it! I love supporting local booksellers!
September 13, 2014
I plan to finish up The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle this weekend and add it to our class library on Monday. It is about a young girl who is crossing the Atlantic unaccompanied by any family. When she decides to stand up to the tyranical captain, things don't go so well...
August 2014
Even though I claim I am a wimp, I am reading a ghost story. It is Simone St. James' "An Inquiry Into Love and Death." The ghost is named "Walking John" because he walks through the woods. Hopefully I will be brave and won't lose any sleep!
August 2013
Just finished with Joyland by Stephen King. It was alright... not my fave. Reading a few books from my classroom now, but looking forward to starting up A Very Curious Invitation, the 3rd book in the series.
Summer 2013
I love summer reading! So much freedom! I became active again in my Mystery Book Club, so that has been my focus but I have enjoyed a few others thrown in for fun! Looking forward to finishing the summer at Teacher College Reading Worksop. I hope to find some great books to share with my students there.
November 2012
I am LOVING the books I have read this month. They are mostly classics with one newbie thrown in for good measure! First, I read Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. I just adore her detective character, Poirot, and I enjoy the twists and turns along the way to solve the mystery. I am currently reading A Coffin for Demetrios, by Eric Amblier, another mystery involving trains with an unlikely hero. I am also listening to a Patricia Cornwell book on CD called Scarpetta. I just can't get enough mysteries!
To add some balance, I am rounding it all out. I checked out Anna Karenina by Tolstoy this weekend and I am hoping that I will be able to get through the thousand pages before the movie is released! Wish me Luck!!
October 2012
In October I started reading two circus themed books: Night Circus and Something Wicked This Way Comes. It's been a big undertaking and I am still trying to finish up. Both books have been quite mysterious and I look forward to finishing them soon.
September 2012
This month I spent a ton of time getting back into the school groove. I enjoyed reading my student's personal narrative pieces. But, I did get some personal reading time in for my book club. I read The First Rule of Ten and First Rule, both crime/detective stories that took place in Los Angeles.
Summer 2012
I have had a busy summer reading! It has definitely been a year for action, suspense, and mystery. While on vacation I finished up the Hunger Games trilogy. Once I finished the trendy series, I went for an old, classic with Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. It was fun being whisked back in time. The next books I read were all mysteries and were set not too far from Olympic Games (well, at least closer than here!) I read Faithful Place which took place in Ireland, as well as Three Bags Full. Three Bags Full was pretty funny because it was told from the perspective of some rather intelligent sheep who were investigating the murder of their shepherd! Then I read Case Histories which took place in Scotland. Currently I am reading The Taken, another mystery, which takes place in Las Vegas. I think I may have time for one more good read before school starts.
You may be wondering why I read so many mysteries... Well, I was inspired to join a book club this summer, and the group meets in a bookshop that specializes in mysteries. So every month I will be reading one or two mysteries for the book talk. I love learning from other great readers about their thoughts on stories, authors and writing! I hope I will gain some knowledge that will enhance our reading experiences in the classroom!
March 18th, 2012
I did some great reading over spring break! I finished Molly Moon (it was really cute!) and got about half way through REAMDE (it's gotten pretty suspensful!) I also purchased Hunger Games, so as soon as I am finished with REAMDE, I can hop on the band-wagon and then go see the movie! What did you read over the break?!
March 6, 2012
I did it!! I finally finsished Earthquake Terror! Boy was that intense! Things kept getting worse and worse for Jonathan and his sister. Tonight, at the recommendation of my students, I will begin reading Molly Moon. I heard it is really funny!
Spring 2012
I finally finished Gone with the Wind, and it absolutely knocked my socks off!! Now I'm starting another epic journey with Neal Stephenson's REAMDE. His books are often out of comfort zone, but I'm giving it a try.
One Epic Novel!
I am continuing my journey through Gone with the Wind. What an amazing story! I just adore Scarlett! Hoping to finish up in early 2012 and start picking up some new mystery novels!
Fall 2011 Reading:
(Updated September 10th) My new reading focus has shifted towards student notebooks. I am enjoying reading the students' writing on personal narrative and seeing their growth in this genre. For fun, I am also reading a mystery novel. After that, I think I will be turning my attention to finding new great novels for our classroom library. Great Readers Need Great Books!
My summer reading for 2011
Boy Writers by Ralph Fletcher- Really opened my eyes to the things boys like to write about and why sometimes our classrooms just don't accomodate their writing needs. Very helpful & I will definintely use this as a reference in my classroom.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros- I've been wanting to read this one for a while as it is often spoken of highly in education. I hate to admit this-- I liked it in pieces, but not as a whole.
The Passage by Justin Cronin- Wow! Talk about suspense! I couldn't put it down! Don't want to give away any of the plot, but I highly recommend.
Dreams of Joy by Lisa See- This is the sequal to Shanghai Girls & I loved it! Lisa See is one of my favorite authors. She has such wonderfully developed female characters, and I particularly love this story of sisters, Pearl and May. Not only do you get a good story, but you learn some Chinese-American history as well.
Room by Emma Donoghue- Intense. You definitely have to be of the right mindset to get through this one. But, very powerful story of a mother who goes to great lengths to protect her son.
The Art of Fiction by John Gardner- This was a bit more academic than I had anticipated, but I did come away with a few bits of advice that I can use for enhancing student writing as well as my own.
Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters & Survival by Anderson Cooper- This was recommended to me during my writing workshop as a good memoir. It was fascinating to learn how the disasters in our world are a driving force for Anderson Cooper, and I was interested to learn more of his background.
Worst Case by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge- This was my much needed "Sit-on-the-couch-all-day-and-read-a-mystery" book. I got totally lost in this and enjoyed it!
The Myth of Laziness by Mel Levine, MD- Dr. Levine is a developmental pediatrician and blew me out of the water. He details how the unsympathetic label we give kids as "lazy" can really be attributed to neurodevelopmental problems. If we take the time to identify where kids are have a breakdown in their productivity we can find ways to help them be more productive. I wish there were a pocket edition of this so I could carry it around with me always. I recommend it for parents and teachers.