Wednesday, January 30, 2019

January in Minnesota . . . Perfect Time to Cuddle Up with a Good Book

Well, here in Minnesota, we are in the midst of THE Polar Vortex. Three days of no school so far, and the fourth no school day will be tomorrow. It's been nice to sit at home and read to my heart's content, but I am missing talking to my eighth graders about what books they're reading and recommending books to them. We've seen a lot of growth since the beginning of the year in terms of kids challenging themselves to read out of their comfort zones, being willing to be hooked into a book, and sharing good books with each other. Talking to kids about books is my favorite thing about being a teacher, so I have to keep up with books to share with them. The list of books below were finished during the month of January; the first book listed is the first book I finished.

On a side note, I appreciate those of you who take the time to read my blog. I truly believe in the power of books to make us better human beings. Reading fiction research continues to show the importance fiction plays in our lives. Here is one of many articles that shares the benefits of reading fiction: The Real-Life Benefits of Reading Fiction. In our polarized, and sometimes hate-filled, country and world, reading can help us better understand each other. That's a must for everyone - all political parties, all races, all religions, all nationalities . . . To be fully human to each other, we need to understand and have empathy for the entire human race. 



The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

My take: While I'm not one for fantasy books (typically), this one was part fantasy and part realistic fiction. It was a quick read, kept me engaged, and was entertaining. 


Blurb: What if you aren’t the Chosen One?


The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions...


What I Leave Behind by Alison McGhee 

My take: This short novel melted my heart. We can make the world a better for place for everyone in it. 

Blurb: After his dad commits suicide, Will tries to overcome his own misery by secretly helping the people around him in this story made up of one hundred chapters of one hundred words each.

Sixteen-year-old Will spends most of his days the same way: Working at the Dollar Only store, trying to replicate his late father’s famous cornbread recipe, and walking the streets of Los Angeles. Will started walking after his father committed suicide, and three years later he hasn’t stopped. But there are some places Will can’t walk by: The blessings store with the chest of 100 Chinese blessings in the back, the bridge on Fourth Street where his father died, and his childhood friend Playa’s house.

When Will learns Playa was raped at a party—a party he was at, where he saw Playa, and where he believes he could have stopped the worst from happening if he hadn’t left early—it spurs Will to stop being complacent in his own sadness and do some good in the world. He begins to leave small gifts for everyone in his life, from Superman the homeless guy he passes on his way to work, to the Little Butterfly Dude he walks by on the way home, to Playa herself. And it is through those acts of kindness that Will is finally able to push past his own trauma and truly begin to live his life again. Oh, and discover the truth about that cornbread.
 


A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi

My take: I have finished the book, and all I can think is, “Why?” and “How can I help?” 

A Land of Permanent Goodbyes should be a required read for every American. Every human. There are hundreds of instances in the book where the author, Atia Abawi, captures the essence of humans and what it means to be human - both the good and bad. One day, I hope we see only the good in humans. This book will stay in my heart and my mind. 

Read this book. Share this book. Pass on Tareq’s and Susan’s story to everyone because there are real Tareqs and Susans our there in our shared world. They deserve our understanding and help. 

If you can, please donate to the IRC: https://www.rescue.org/.

Blurb: In a country ripped apart by war, Tareq lives with his big and loving family . . . until the bombs strike. His city is in ruins. His life is destroyed. And those who have survived are left to figure out their uncertain future.

In the wake of destruction, he's threatened by Daesh fighters and witnesses a public beheading. Tareq's family knows that to continue to stay alive, they must leave. As they travel as refugees from Syria to Turkey to Greece, facing danger at every turn, Tareq must find the resilience and courage to complete his harrowing journey.

But while this is one family's story, it is also the timeless tale of all wars, of all tragedy, and of all strife. When you are a refugee, success is outliving your loss.
 

Words We Don't Say by K.J. Reilly  

My take: Teenagers will find this book relatable. Lots of good life lessons to learn from this book. 

Blurb: Joel Higgins has 901 unsent text messages saved on his phone.

Ever since the thing that happened, there are certain people he hasn't been able to talk to in person. Sure, he shows up at school, does his mandatory volunteer hours at the soup kitchen, and spends pretty much every moment thinking about Eli, the most amazing girl in the world. But that doesn't mean he's keeping it together, or even that he has any friends.

So instead of hanging out with people in real life, he drafts text messages. But he never presses send.

As dismal as sophomore year was for Joel, he doesn't see how junior year will be any better. For starters, Eli doesn't know how he feels about her, his best friend Andy's gone, and he basically bombed the SATs. But as Joel spends more time at the soup kitchen with Eli and Benj, the new kid whose mouth seems to be unconnected to his brain, he forms bonds with the people they serve there-including a veteran they call Rooster-and begins to understand that the world is bigger than his own pain.
 

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

My take: So much to learn from Marcelo, a young man, trying to be himself, learn about the world, and do what's right.

Blurb: Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world." There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm.

He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file -- a picture of a girl with half a face -- that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

Reminiscent of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" in the intensity and purity of its voice, this extraordinary novel is a love story, a legal drama, and a celebration of the music each of us hears inside.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

My take: What's not to like? Fabulous read that makes me want to do more to help our country and my fellow citizens!

Blurb: An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States.

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African-American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms.

Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.
 


WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING? Leave a comment. 

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