Books, Just Books

What's On Your Nightstand - March 2011

2011-03-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

I really was in a reading mood this month! I read several great books, even finishing up one that has been hanging around for awhile.

Finished in March -
The Count of Monte Cristo (unabridged) by Alexandre Dumas
The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
Bound South by Susan Rebecca White
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

Currently Reading -
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah (reread to teach to my Geography classes)
The Alchemist by Paul Coehlo
Freedom by Johnathan Franzen

Next Up -
The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston

To see what others are reading this month, visit 5 Minutes for Books.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

2011-03-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

by Lisa See

This is one of those books I know I should read, but never got around to it. In the back of my mind I thought I wouldn't like it. Was I ever wrong. I was pushed to read Snow Flower as part of the Global Reading Challenge as my Asian selection and I really wish I would have read it sooner.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is beautifully written - drawing the reader in and captivating your attention with fluid and descriptive storytelling. It is the story of two laotung sisters in 18th century China, detailing the trails and tribulations of the girls individually and their relationship together. It is narrated by Lily and told at the end of her life as she has entered her 80th year of life.

The laotung relationship between Lily and Snow Flower has no American equivalent. It is at its core, a "marriage" of two women who share eight common traits. Their purpose is to the burdens of being women in Chinese society - from footbinding, to marriage, to cruel mother in laws, to births and deaths of children and if they are lucky, a long widowhood together. From the beginning the laotung relationship between Lily and Snow Flower is based on deception and this ultimately breaks down this sacred connection.

What I liked most about this book was the detailed look into the lives of Chinese women in the 18th century. Never before have I read such a description of the horrors of footbinding. Lisa See details the entire process from the first wrappings through the breaking and healing of the bones. She address the dangers, even death, that can result from the process. She returns to the consequences of footbinding throughout the lives of the girls - how the size of their feet can help make a better marriage. The constant cleaning rituals necessary to prevent infections through out their lives. And just how limited the lives of women are because they can't walk long distances on such small, unbalanced feet. And yet, given all of this, women in China continued to subject their daughters to this treatment for generations.

Another important Chinese cultural practice that is well developed in the book is the unequal treatment of men and women. From the beginning of the novel, it is obvious the young girls in the story are a burden. Everything they are taught in in preparation to get rid of them in marriage to the higest bidder. Once in their in laws homes the girls are at the mercy of their mother in law. Some get lucky, some do not. As the lowest member of the household most of the work falls to them. If they are fortuitous enough to give birth to a son, their lot in life may improve.

It is because of the shared hardships that Chinese women developed their own secret, written langauge - nu shu. Kept secret and hidden from men, Chinese women used nu shu to share their joys and sorrows throughout their lives. Nu shu is the basis for a laotung relationship and it is through nu shu and the secret fan that Snow Flower and Lily share their lives together.

There is nothing in this book that I did not like. I highly recommend it. Don't let this one sit on your shelf for years like I did.

Rating - A+

What's On Your Nightstand - January 2011

2011-01-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

Finished - Things Fall Apart by Chinua Acebe
                  The Know It All by A. J. Jacobs
                  The White Queen by Phillippa Gregory

Started - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
                The Art of War by Sun Tzu
                The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Things Fall Apart

2011-01-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

by Chinua Achebe

I have been trying to read this book for several years and assigned it to my AP Human Geography class, which forced me to finally sit down and read it. Upon finishing it, I wonder what took me so long. Achebe's writing style leaves room for the reader to draw their own conclusions and fill in the blanks in many instances. Hallmarked as one of the first African books really about Africa, it gives great insight into life in African villages before the arrival of the white man and colonization. I found myself drawn into the symbiotic relationship between the Ibo and their natural surroundings. Everything had a reason, a purpose and a story. When the white man came and destroyed this relationship, I found myself more than just a little bit ashamed of my ancestors.

I viewed the main character, Okonkwo, as a tragic hero in this novel. He achieves so much - building a successul farm, becoming a great warrior, marrying 3 wives, earning many village titles, but he also loses a great deal culminating in the losses of his son, his culture and belief in his fellow man. For Okonkwo, his Ibo people and Africa, things truly did fall apart in this novel.

Rating - B

Last 2 Reading Challenges for 2011

2011-01-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

When creating my original challenge list for 2011, these two challenges had not been posted yet, but I was looking for them!

Southern Literature Challenge

Jen at The Introverted Reader is hosting the Southern Literature Challenge. This is the one type of challenge I really wanted to join this year and I am so glad I found it. I am signing up at the Y'all Come Back Now level - 4 books.

I plan on reading
I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg
The Cracker Queen by Loretta Hannon
South of Broad by Pat Conroy
probably a Joshilyn Jackson book

Historical Fiction Challenge

I participated in this challenge last year at Royal Reviews and am following it to its new home at Historical Tapestry. The Historical Fiction Challenge is one of my favorites, as in the past I have mostly read historical fiction. I am signing up at the Struggling with the Addiction - 10 books. I am hoping to overlap many books for this challenge with my other challenges.

My first read will be Philippa Gregory's The White Queen.

Best Books of 2010

2011-01-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

As we ring in a new year, I wanted to share the books I consider to be the best books I read in 2010.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larrson
Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Signoria da Vinci by Robin Maxwell

Overall this year, I read 36 books with a total of 13,486 pages. Not bad statistics for a very busy school year which severely limited my reading time. I only wrote 16 reviews, a dismal number at best and one statistic I hope to increase over the course of 2011.

2011 E-Book Challenge

2010-12-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

I will be participating in E-book Challenge at The Ladybug Reads. This is really a no brainer challenge for me as I am trying to use my nook more and more, only buying hard copy books at a discount or when a book is not available electronically. I have signed up for the addicted level - 12 e-books during 2011. I will probably read more than that, but I know my book budget will be much smaller this year than in years past, so I don't want to over-extend my available book funds. I also plan on overlapping this challlenge with the others I have joined for the year.

Here are the details -
Challenge Guidelines:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.

2. There are four levels:

-- Curious – Read 3 e-books.
-- Fascinated – Read 6 e-books.
-- Addicted – Read 12 e-books.
-- Obsessed – Read 20 e-books.

3. Any genre counts.

4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

5. Challenge begins January 1, 2011 and lasts until December 31, 2011.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post about the E-Book Reading Challenge. Include the URL so that other participants can join in and read your reviews and post.

2011 Global Reading Challenge

2010-12-28T20:11:00.000-08:00

I am joining the 2011 Global Reading Challenge this year. I am joining at the EASY level, which means 7 books, one from each continent. As a geography teacher, this challenge is right up my alley.

The Easy Challenge

Read one novel from each of these continents in the course of 2011:

Africa
Asia
Australasia
Europe
North America
South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you)
The Seventh Continent (here you can either choose Antarctica or your own ´seventh´ setting, eg the sea, the space, a supernatural/paranormal world, history, the future – you name it).

From your own continent: try to find a country, state or author that is new to you.

I have already selected some of the books I want to read.
Africa - Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Asia - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Australasia -
Europe - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
North America -
South America - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Seventh Continent -

To join this fun challenge visit 2011 Global Reading Challenge.

School of Life Reading Challenge

2010-12-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

I am the perpetual school nerd, a geek. I would be happy to go to school forever, getting degree after degree. What is stopping me? A little thing called tuition. So, when I found the School of Life Reading Challenge, I knew I was joining! This is the perfect challenge to feed my nerdiness. I am joining at the Summa Cum Laude level. I will be reading 12 books, but I will be double majoring in Human Geography and European History. I teach the Advanced Placement course for both of these subjects, so not only will I be in full geekdom, but I will also be accomplishing a great deal of research for my courses as well.

Here is my initial list of books.

Human Geography Books -
1. Geography Matters by Harm de Blij
2. The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
3. Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman
4. Naked Economics by Charles Wheelan
5.
6.

European History Books
1. Sophie's World
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

2011 Reading Challenges

2010-12-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am the first to admit I did not do very well with my 2010 Reading Challenges, but that is a topic for another post. I am, as always, drawn to the newness of a new year and all the opportunity that abounds. In this case, the opportunity to jump start my reading and blogging slump. I plan on joining the following challenges, with high hopes of completing all of them. The key to the challenges I chose this year is that many of them overlap, for example, most of the books for the 2011 Global Reading Challenge come from my TBR stack and will count for the Reading From My Shelves Project. I am still looking for a Southern Reading Challenge to join, so if you know of one, please let me know.

Challenge #1 -
School of Life Reading Challenge

Do you miss being a student? Did you major in English but you haven't read a classic in years? In this reading challenge you can pick and choose books that are assigned in classes related to your old major.

How To Participate
1. Decide which major or subject you would like to study
2. Visit your alma mater's website and see if they have class syllabi online. If they don't, check one of the hundreds of free online classes at Yale, MIT, or any other college
3. Pick a few classes in your major
4. Choose one or more books required in each class syllabus
5. You do not have to write reviews
6. You may keep in touch and leave links to your reviews below, if you choose to write them
7. You do not have to have a blog
8. The books you choose can be overlaps from other reading challenges
9. The challenge begins January 1 and ends December 31, 2011

Levels of Participation
cum laude: 6 books
magna cum laude: 8 books
summa cum laude: 12 books

I will be joining at the Summa Cum Laude Level. I am going to do a "double major", reading 6 Human Geography books and 6 Euroepan History books - both courses I teach.

Challenge #2 -
Reading From My Shelves Project

The Details -
Challenge runs from January 1 - December 31, 2011.

Read books from your own shelves, and then pass the books on to someone else: a friend, relative, the library, used book store, swap them, just as long as the book leaves your house once it has been read.

Decide on your goal (12 is the minimum - no maximum). Cross over books are allowed.

Grab the button and do a post about the challenge.

Keep a running list of the books you've read and passed on.

Leave a comment with a link to your post and you are entered (no Mr. Linky).

Have Fun and GOOD LUCK!

Reading Challenge #3 -
ebook Reading Challenge

Challenge Guidelines:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.

2. There are four levels:

-- Curious – Read 3 e-books.
-- Fascinated – Read 6 e-books.
-- Addicted – Read 12 e-books.
-- Obsessed – Read 20 e-books.

3. Any genre counts.

4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

5. Challenge begins January 1, 2011 and lasts until December 31, 2011.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post about the E-Book Reading Challenge. Include the URL so that other participants can join in and read your reviews and post.

I am going to join at the Addicted Level - 12 books. Since my book budget will be smaller this year than ever before, I will be limited in the number of books I can add to my e-reader. I am hoping for some Barnes and Noble gift cards for Mother's Day, Birthday, Anniversary....

Reading Challenge #4 -
2011 Global Reading Challenge

The Easy Challenge

Read one novel from each of these continents in the course of 2011:
Africa
Asia
Australasia
Europe
North America
South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you)
The Seventh Continent (here you can either choose Antarctica or your own ´seventh´ setting, eg the sea, the space, a supernatural/paranormal world, history, the future – you name it).

From your own continent: try to find a country, state or author that is new to you.

The Medium Challenge
Read two novels from each of these continents in the course of 2011:
Africa
Asia
Australasia
Europe
North America
South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you)
The Seventh Continent

Try to find novels from fourteen different countries or states.

The Expert Challenge
Read three novels from each of these continents in the course of 2010:
Africa
Asia
Australasia
Europe
North America
South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you)
The Seventh Continent

Select novels from twenty-one different countries or states if possible. (For Australasia, selecting a different state for your last book will be acceptable)

I am joining at the EASY level, commiting to one book for each continent.

I will be posting individual sign up posts for each challenge for each with a list of books for each. To find the reading challenge that is right for you, visit A Novel Challenge.

2010 Reading Challenges Wrap Up

2010-12-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

I joined 4 - year long reading challenges this year and I was afraid to even think about evaluating my success on any of them. I lost my reading mojo at the beginning of the summer and gave up on it around September. I couldn't seem to finish a book and had about 8 laying around the house in various stages of "unreadness". But, as my dear husband would say, I "manned up" and evaluated how little I had accomplished this year.

I was most successful on the Take Another Chance Challenge - I joined at the Small Gamble Level, requiring me to read 3 books out of my comfort zone. I actually read 2 out of the 3.

The Historical Fiction Challenge was also fairly successful. I signed on at the Obsessed level or 20 books. I completed 14 out of the 20.

I was really interested in the concept of the Social Justice Challenge, but once I lost my reading mojo, there was no hope of me focusing on the serious topics and heavier content of the books this challenge necessitated. I hope another challenge like this comes my way at some point as I really want to complete the list of books and actions steps I had planned. I did read books for Religious Freedom, Water, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, and Child Soldiers and Children at War, so 4 out of 12 books.

The Read the Book, See the Movie challenge was an epic fail for me. I did not read one book, nor see one of the movies I put on my list. This challenge however still interests me and I hope to read the books and see the movies from my original list in 2011.

All in all, not as bad as I thougth it would be. I read 35 books in 2010, 20 of which were for challenges. This gives me hope for the challenges I am considering signing up for in 2011.

Writer's Workshop - 10 Reasons I'm Glad It's Fall

2010-09-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across Mama's Losin' It and her Writer's Workshop today and it was truly what I needed to jumpstart my writing. I am a descent academic writer, but creatively and expressively I don't believe I write very well. Most writing challenges are overwhelming and quite honestly scare me, but this one, with its variety of writing prompts made me feel comfortable. I chose prompt #5, 10 Reasons I'm Glad It's Fall, mostly because for the first time, in Georgia it actually FEELS like fall. Enjoy.

10 Reasons I'm Glad It's Fall

Pumpkins -
I love anything and everything about pumpkins, the color, the smell, the texture, the taste, basically everything. My favorite family outing is our trip to the local pumpkin patch. I have eleven years worth of wonderful pictures of my babies sitting amongst orange pumpkins, large and small.

Fall Foods -
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all the fresh produce summer brings, but just as the weather starts to get cooler, I find myself anticipating our favorite fall foods. Chicken Pot Pie, Chili, Chicken and Dumplings, Bacon and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli Cheese Soup, BBQ, Pumpkin Bread and Muffins, Apple Crisp, all those wonderful comfort foods that just scream cool weather.

Halloween-
Again, my love of this holiday is steeped in family tradition. Since my son's first Halloween we have hosted a Halloween Hayride through our neighborhood for trick or treat. It is a coveted invitation. As the kids have grown and siblings have been added, we have had a purchase a larger trailer not once, but twice. As my son heads into middle school I am already dreading the day he says he doesn't want to do it anymore. I think that will break my heart.

Cooler Temperatures -
After weeks and weeks of over 90 degree weather in Georgia, it feels so good to have a temperature break.

Rec Football -
My son plays rec football and my daughter cheers. My husband coaches and I am the team mom. We spend alot of time at the ball park in the fall. I wouldn't change it for anything. This time we spend at the park together is so valuable and appreciated. So what if the laundry doesn't get done, or we are up late doing a forgotten homework assignment. The time is so well spent.

College Football -
We live and breathe college football at our house. Saturday mornings are ripe with the cheers of "Game Day" which sends the dog scurrying to find his football. Alabama and Kentucky are the two teams we follow closely since my husband played for both, but any good SEC game or BCS game will always be on our television each and every week.

Colors -
Vibrant yellows, rich reds, subtle browns - I just adore the colors of fall. Other than Christmas, fall is the only time I decorate my house. I just can't wait to pull out all my lovely fall linens, centerpieces and florals to bring the beauty of fall indoors.

My Back Porch, a Cup of Coffee and a Quilt -
Without a doubt, my favorite "room" in my house is my back porch. It is covered and runs the lenght of the house. It is secluded from my neighbors by a variety of trees and it is a very peaceful place. During the summer I drink my coffee there every morning until it gets just too hot to bear. The best day however it the day I need to wrap up in a quilt to enjoy my porch in the mornings.

Routine -
Since I am a teacher, our summers tend to just go with the flow. If we want to do it, we do. If we desire a day of doing nothing, well, we do that too. Fall brings back a much needed routine. Schoool, homework, football, cheerleading, work, Book Club... Eventhough we appreciate the freedom of summer, there is something to be said for the structure fall brings.

Horse Racing -
Growing up in Kentucky, fall always meant one very special thing -- the races. Living 3 miles from one of the most beautiful race tracks in the United States was a dream. We often skipped classes (both in high school and college) to catch the first race at Keeneland. Watching those amazing animals race at such speeds around the track is truly magnificent. Eventhough we don't get to go as often anymore, I still have fond memories of the first Saturday in October when the track would open and for 31 glorious days magic was made on the race track.

Banned Book Week

2010-09-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

This is Banned Book Week, so I did a bit of research on books that have been banned in the US. I am always amazed at the books people tend to challenge or ban and their reasons behind those decisions. A school system in Georgia several years ago had to fight a parent to keep the Harry Potter books on the shelves of their middle and high schools. The fight went all the way to the school board, not once, not twice, but three times before it was finally defeated and the books were allowed to stay on the shelves. I am all for censoring what my kids read, but should my opinions infringe upon the choices of others? I don't believe so. Do not deprive others of the choice to read a certain book based upon your values and beliefs, please allow me to do that for myself. OK, off my soapbox now.....

There are several lists of banned books to be found online. I randomly selected this one from Adler Books. Upon reading the list, I found several of my favorite and most memorable books on the list (*books are books I was assigned to read for school assignments)-

To Kill a Mockingbird*
The Grapes of Wrath*
The Bastard
Prince of Tides*
100 Years of Solitude
How to Eat Fried Worms
Forever
Fahrenheit 451
A Wrinkle in Time
Flowers for Algernon*
Decameron*
Bridge to Terabithia

What banned books have you read?

Fall Into Reading Challenge 2010

2010-09-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Katrina's Reading Challenges at Callipidder Days. I am so glad to be joining the Fall Into Reading Challenge again. I failed miserably with the Spring Challenge and I hope I am being more realistic with my goals this time around. I can always depend on these challenges to jumpstart my reading. Here is my list of books I hope to read between September 22nd and December 20th. You can find the information to join here and the post to link you list to here.

Fiction
Little Bee by Chris Cleeve
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Count of Monte Cristo (unabridged) by Alexandre Dumas
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet's Next by Stieg Larsson
Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Book Club pick for November
Book Club pick for December

Non-Fiction
I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali
The Know It All by A. J. Jacobs

Meme of Reading Questions

2010-09-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

Found this gem while perusing all the Booking Through Thursdays I have missed on my unintentional book blogging hiatus. Couldn't resist!

1. Favorite childhood book? My Brother Sam is Dead.

2. What are you reading right now? The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Know It All by AJ Jacobs, The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo by Steig Larsson

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
none, I owe too much money in fines to use the library!

4. Bad book habit? I fold down the corners of my pages if I don't have a bookmark.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library? nothing, see #3

6. Do you have an e-reader? Yes, a Nook, LOVE IT!

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once? I read several books at once. Usually my book club book, a book for school and one just for me.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? I choose from a more eclectic list and I HAVE to have a book the day it comes out because everyone has already read an advance copy and I feel left out!

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?) Sacred Hearts

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year? The Help

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? not often. Usually if it is a book club pick or a student recommends it so highly and so often, I have to read it to get them off my back.

12. What is your reading comfort zone? Historical fiction, biographies, chick lit, mysteries, true crime

13. Can you read on the bus? Only if I want to throw up on the person sitting next to me.

14. Favorite place to read? My back porch or my bed - depends on the time of day and the weather.

15. What is your policy on book lending? The saddest thing is a book unread. I loan most of my books, if they don't come back, I just hope someone is reading them somewhere.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books? Yes

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books? All the time, especially if I am reading for research for school or for my book club.

18. Not even with text books? I write more in my textbooks than the author did.

19. What is your favorite language to read in? English

20. What makes you love a book? an engrossing story with great characters. If I can empathize the characters I am hooked. Historical accuracy - as a history teacher, gross errors really turn me off. If I can't stop thinking about the characters and what happens next after I finish the book, it goes into my list of favorites.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book? a great story, especially if there is a strong female character. I like my students to read about strong, intelligent women.

22. Favorite genre? Historical fiction, by far

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?) Fantasy

24. Favorite biography? The Six Wives of Henry VIII

25. Have you ever read a self-help book? Yes

26. Favorite cookbook? The Southern Living Ultimate Cookbook

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?

28. Favorite reading snack? M & Ms or a glass of good pinot grigio

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience. Harry Potter

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book? not often

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? I will give a negative review based upon my experience with the book only. I try really hard NOT to attack the author, just tell why it did not work for me.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose? French

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin? Atlas Shrugged - had it on my shelf for 2 years now. Took me 10 just to buy it. Guess I'm making progress....

35. Favorite Poet? Langston Hughes

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time? None, see #3

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread? All the time

38. Favorite fictional character? Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With The Wind

39. Favorite fictional villain?

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation? Historical Fiction or Crime/Suspense/Thrillers

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading. 3 - 4 months of reading for pleasure. I am always reading something for school

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish. Atonement and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading? TV

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

45. Most disappointing film adaptation? Twilight

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time? Can't answer, my husband just might stumble upon this post....

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it? Maybe once, if at all

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through? A story I can't get into or characters that are really unbelievable to me.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized? I try....

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them? I keep them until someone wants to read them or I run out of space.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding? The Hunger Games, not sure why.... want to read them, but just can't....

52. Name a book that made you angry. My Sister's Keeper. Threw it across the room when I finished it!

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did? The Lightening Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) and The Red Tent

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t? Sacred Hearts by Sarah Durant

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading? Mystery/Crime/Suspense formula books. Jonathan Kellerman, Lisa Gardner, etc.

I'm Still Here...

2010-05-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have neglected not only my blogging, but my reading as well. The end of April and all of May are just crazy in the world of a teacher. I have managed to read a couple of books, but finding the time to write a thought out review has just not materialized. However, my AP exams are over! My students took the last one on Friday afternoon, my grading is caught up and I only have my final exams to write, final projects to grade and my room to pack up. Trust me that is a piece of cake compared to what I have had going on the past couple of weeks.

The best news I have had all week is that I have a job for next year and a full schedule of classes. Whew!!! With all the budget cuts in education in Georgia none of us felt safe until we had a contract in our hands. Mine is signed and delivered and I can rest a bit easier now.

I will be getting some reviews up soon.

Sunday Salon - April 2010

2010-04-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

Wow, I didn't realize how little I read this month until planning this post. Hopefully I will find more reading time soon.

April Review

The Reluctant Suitor by Kathleen Woodiwiss
Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoffis

Reviews Written

Monique and the Mango Rains
Day After Night

Currently Reading

To Hold the Crown by Jean Plaidy
The Know It All by A J Jacobs

Booking Through Thursday 4/22/10

2010-04-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

EARTH DAY -
It’s Earth Day … what are you reading? Are your reading habits changing for the sake of the environment? What are you doing for the sake of the planet today?

I am currently reading The Know It All by A. J. Jacobs, a satire written by a journalist about his experience reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. I am thoroughly enjoying it.
My reading habits have changed

I recycle all magazines and newspapers
Share my books with neighbors, colleagues, family and students
Purchased an e-reader

What am I doing for the sake of the planet today? The past year has been one of change in our household as we become more and more aware of how our individual actions affect our planet. Here is a list of the small things we do in our household to "make our world a better place" (a quote from 6 yo Boo Boo last weekend when she saw some kids planting flowers at their school).

Use reusable shopping bags wherever we shop, not just the grocery store. Most of them are made of recycled materials.
Switching out all lightbulbs to more energy efficient ones
Grow our own produce - we started a rather large suburban garden last year and I did not have to purchase much produce last summer and fall. We expanded this year to blueberries, strawberries, potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Installed a water barrel to use to water vegetables, fruits and flowers
Turn off lights when we leave the room (we are still working on this one!)
Recycle as much as possible
Use BPA free reusable water bottles
Cook at home as much as possible

We have a long way to go, but I believe our family has made some positive changes in the past year. How about you? What are you doing to "make your world a better place"?

The Book List - Three Favorite Eras to Read About

2010-04-20T06:45:00.000-07:00

For Lost in Books meme, The Book List - a short and fun meme that lets you make and share lists of books.
This week's topic is - Three Favorite Eras to Read About

1. Tudor England - this is by far my favorite era to read about. From Catherine of Aragon to Jane Parr, I am and always have been intrigued by everything revolving around Henry VIII and his many wives. As I have read more and more about this era, I have developed a deep respect for the literary and political advances of the time. His marital woes aside, Henry VIII was an innovative king and his dabbling in humanist ideas and the encouragement he offered men such as Sir Thomas More set the stage for the changes to come in Europe and the world.

Favorite books from the Tudor Era - The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory, Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett

2. World War II - During my high school history classes this was always a favorite topic of mine. I was devasted in college when I could never fit the WWII History class into my schedule. As an AP European History teacher, I probably spend way too much time on this subject (but the students don't mind!). The sacrifices, the heart wrenching stories and the ultimate triumph of determination and spirit make this era one I cannot resist.

Favorite books from the World War II Era - Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Dairy of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

3. Modern Day Middle East - this is a new era of interest for me, sparked of course by the influx of Middle Eastern literature due to the recent conflicts in the area. Most of the fascination comes from how radically different the cultural norms are from our everyday existence. Another pull to this era is how women are treated.

Favorite books from the Modern Day Middle East - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra, Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

4. Civil War Era - I know, I know, I am only supposed to list 3, but the Civil War was the very first era I was interested in, going all the way back to reading Across Five Aprils in 3rd grade. This era developed my intense love of historical fiction as well as establishing my love of history which led to me chosen profession. My father being a member of the local Civil War Roundtable, just sealed the deal.

Favorite books from the Civil War Era - North and South by John Jakes, In the Season of the Wild Rose by Clara Rising, and the classic, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Booking Through Thursday 4/15

2010-04-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

This week's Booking Through Thursday Question -

In general, do you prefer the beginnings of stories? Or the ends?

I love a good beginning, it grabs your interests, pulls you in and keeps you going to discover the wonderful characters, plots, twists and turns of the book. For me, if the beginning doesn't get me, I probably won't finish the book. Now, I do love a good ending as well, but many, many times, I hate to see a book end because it means I have to say goodbye to a time, place and people that I have grown attached to. The end is where my emotions take over. This is where I cry (The Friday Night Knitting Club, Death Be Not Proud), get angry and throw the book across the room(My Sister's Keeper), sign with longing (Gone With the Wind), smile with hope (A Thousand Splendid Suns) and a million other emotions. I think it would be fair to say I enjoy the entire reading process. After all, isn't that why we read?

Monique and the Mango Rains - Two Years with a Midwife in Mali

2010-04-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

by Kris Holloway

Monique and the Mango Rains is a memoir following the friendship of a Peace Corps volunteer and an overworked midwife in Mali It is an honest and heart tugging view of life, especially for women in a lesser developed country.

In the developed world we, as women, take for granted so many things -- the ability to choose our own spouse, clean drinking water and an indoor bathroom, to use birth control or not, being in control of our own finances, giving birth in a safe, clean environment, access to health care and medicines for our children and seeing our children survive childhood. In many countries in the developing world, all of these are considered luxuries -- in Mali, to achieve even one of these is a miracle.

As Monique Dembele's midwife's assistant, Kris Holloway experiences first hand some of the most horrifying statistics in Africa. She weighs a 2 year old child who weighs only 5 kg (11 pounds). She treats the wounds of a woman beaten by her husband because she gave birth to a girl. She attended horrible births only to watch both mother and child die. She watched as Monique's salary was given to her husband who spent it on motorcycles and leather jackets. She helps Monique struggle to aid the women of the village against a lack of education, a lack of resoures and the oppression of a strict patriarchical society.

Yet, for all these differences there are also many similarities - somen depend on each other for support. Just like we go to lunch with our girlfriends to share our joys and frustrations, Malian women meet in the fields or at the well to share the news of the village. Women share the joys and sorrows of marriage, birth and death together. And in Mali, women are also the force behind change and innovation. Monique's determination to bring modern birth control methods and post-natal care to her village are just as radical as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony's crusade for the women's right to vote.

The relationship that develops between Monique and Kris is beautiful. Never, at any time is it an unequal relationship -- both women have so much to teach and offer each other. There is never pity or envy, complaining or preaching, just two women who bring out the very best in each other. Monique and Kris remain close long after Kris's Peace Corp assignment is over. Monique even visits the United States.

In a book that could have been so sad, depressing and hopeless, there was so much love and hope. This book will stay with me for a long time.

Rating - A

Day After Night

2010-04-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

by Anita Diamant

After loving The Red Tent, I was excited to pick up Day After Night by Anita Diamant. The book tells the migration story of a group of young women who join the Zionisht movement to Israel after World War II and the Balfour Declaration. This was a new topic for me and I learned a great deal about the settling of modern Israel. For example, when first arriving in Israel the girls were all put in camps run by the British. This seems a rather ludicrous idea after many of the settlers had just been released from German concentration camps. The camps however were clean, there was plenty of food and many educational opportunities from learning Hebrew to organizing political events.

The bulk of the story follows 4 young women as they try to settle in Israel. Their reasons and goals for coming to Israel are just as varied as their backgrounds. Diamant develops these characters so well, that you can visualize not only the physical characteristics of each girl, but also the psychological scars each bears.

The reasons people came to settle Israel were so varied. There were many staunch Zionists -- many who had fought for a Jewish homeland long before World War II. There were many who were non-religious and viewed Israel as an ethnic country rather than a religious one. There were also many who came because they had no where else to go -- they had lost everything and everyone to the Germans, so they came to Israel to start over.

This was a quick, light read, which I was not expecting given the subject. I expected more emotion and depth to the total story, but it was truly rather passive, almost as if they story, like the Jewish suriviors of the war, was tired. The story also mimics the holding pattern the settlers are in once they arrive. They wait in the camps until someone sponsors them or the British/Israeli government assigns them to the kibbutz.

This book fascinated me. I learned so much about the settlement of modern day Israel, how the settlers were treated, their reasons for coming and how the British were overwhelmed by the numbers of refugees coming to the new country. This is a great book to read if, especially like me, you love World War II novels.

Rating - B

The Book List - Books I Should Love, But Actually Hate

2010-04-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

For Lost in Books meme, The Book List - a short and fun meme that lets you make and share lists of books.

This week's topic is - Books You Should Love, But Actually Hate

1. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling- not just The Sorcerer's Stone, but all of them, I just could not get into these. My husband and son have both devoured them as have numerous students, they are just not for me. Not a big fan of the movies either, so that has nothing to do with it.

2. The Shack by William Paul Young- This book is nothing at all like my personal perception and relationship with God,
I had a hard time believing it at all. I know others just loved it, but not me.

3. Atonement by Ian McEwan - I was the only on in my book club that did not like this

selection. In fact, it was one of the few books I have never finished. I could not connect with any of the characters and the plotline just left me cold. I was disappointed, because I really like Ian McEwan and have read (and liked) many of his other books, especially Amsterday. Again, didn't see the movie either.

To join the fun, like up to The Book List at Lost in Books!

Water - Social Justice Challenge

2010-03-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

This is my very belated wrap up for the Social Justice Challenge February Topic -- Water. I addressed the initial questions for this topic here.

I wanted to read Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway but I had a difficult time locating a copy of the book, so I adjusted my reading to online articles. I chose to focus on dams. In my AP Human Geograpy class we were studying development and one of the first pieces of infrastructure that can contribute to the development of an area is a dam. I created a lesson comparing and contrasting the Aswan High Dam in Egypt and the Three Gorges Dam in China. We looked at the economic, political, cultural and environmental impact of each dam. Students then had to decide if each dam was a positive or negative force on the area and support their decision with specific data. Overwhelmingly they addressed the environmental and cultural concerns of the Three Gorges Dam, while admitting that the dam did control flooding and helped prevent drought in parts of China. This brought about many excellent discussion points on development, flooding, agriculture, preservation of culture and environmental concerns and the impossible situation governments face trying to satisfy all points of view. Living in a community where a dam and the lake it creates permeates many parts of their life, it was an eye opening lesson for many of them.

** I did finally find a copy of Monique and the Mango Rains. A review is coming very soon.

Sunday Salon - March 2010

2010-03-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

March Review Edition

This month I read (linked to reviews)

The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Day After Night by Anita Diamant
Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway
Hope's Boy by Andrew Bridge

Our Book Club met tonight and we discussed Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.
We also will be reading Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff for our April selection.

Sex with Kings

2010-03-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

by Eleanor Herman

I picked up this book in hopes of finding some interesting facts and tidbits to use in my AP European History class. From the title alone, I was sure I would find something to spark the interest of a class of 17 - 18 year olds.... well, not really.

First of all the book is not written chronologically or by country, but by topics. Topics like Beyond the Bed -- The Art of Pleasing the King, Public Opinion and the Mistress as well as The Fruits of Sin -- Royal Bastards made it difficult to organize and use the information for my class. Looking for information on the political power of Madame de Pompadour proved difficult.

It ws next to impossible to keep up with all the kings and the countries they were from -- do you know how many Charles there are in England, not to mention France? At least 12, but I might have missed one or two.

I did pull afew interesting, classroom appropriate tidbits..

"Courtiers aped the king's treatment of the Queen. If he treated her with respect, so did they. If the queeen was to remain a significant pressence at court, she required her husband's support."

and

"Frederick III, the elector of Brandenburg, an uxorious prince who despised infidelity , appointed a beautiful court lady as his official mistress and loaded her down with jewels, even though he never touched her -- his wife would have killed him."

For the purpose I read the book -- to gather historical background and facts to add to my European History lectures -- it just did not measure up. I probably won't read other books by this author.

Rating - C

Booking Through Thursday

2010-03-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

Booking Through Thursday asks

"Do you take breaks while reading a book? Or read it straight through? (by taking breaks I don't mean eating, sleeeping, going to work; I mean putting it aside and reading something else.)

My answer - sometimes. But, I only put it aside if I have lost interest in the book. Sometimes I will start reading a book and it is just not the right time for me to read it. So, I put it on my night stand, read something else and eventually go back to it. Most of the time, I fall in love with the book and finish it quickly. If I don't get into it this time, I usually stop reading it altogether.

That begin said, I usually have at least 2 books going at a time. I have my "reading" book and my "studying" book. For example, I am "reading" Hope's Boy now. I am also "studying" How to Read Literture Like a Professor. Usually my "studying" books are related to the classes I am teaching at school and take me much longer to finish. I also have a 3rd book going on my Nook. Since getting my e-reader I find that I also keep a book going on it to read on the go. This will probably be the norm until I switch over totally to ebooks.

To join in the fun visit Booking Through Thursday.

What's On Your Nightstand 3/23/2010

2010-03-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

It has been forever since I participated in What's On Your Nightstand. It always sneaks up on me. I am just lucky today that I thought about it or I would have missed it again..... To join in the fun visit 5 Minutes for Books.

Read this month -

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Day After Night by Anita Diamant

Currently Reading -

Monique and the Mango Rains by Kris Holloway

The Reluctant Suitor by Kathleen Woodiweiss

The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family by Mary S. Lovell

Up Next -

Hope's Boy by Andrew Bridge for the Social Justice Challenge March Topic - Domestic Violence and Child Abuse

The Know It All by A. J. Jacobs for my high school book club April selection

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins for the Social Justice Challenge April Topic - Hunger

My Book Club's April pick - whatever we pick on Sunday

The Book List - Three Books You Loved As A Child

2010-03-23T13:56:00.001-07:00

Rebecca at Lost in Books hosts the Book List - a quick meme that lets you share lists of books. This week's topic - 3 Books You Loved As a Child

1. Dr. Suess's ABC Book

My dad read it to me so many times we can still quote it to each other.

2. Twas the Night Before Christmas

My grandmother always tried to skip parts and I caught her every time! I think if I tried really hard I could still quote the entire poem.

3. Trixie Belden - The Secret of the Mansion

This book put two of my favorite childhood obsessions together - mysteries and horses. I so wanted to be Trixie!

The Friday Night Knitting Club and Knit Two

2010-03-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

by Kate Jacobs

I am reviewing these together because you really can't read one without the other because one truly is only half the story.

The Friday Night Knitting Club was a good, solid story. One online review compared it to a warm blanket on a cold night, which is an accurate description -- it really is comfortable. The premis is a knitting club made up of multigenerational women forms at a knitting shop run by single mother Georgia Walker. As they women get to know each other, they also come to depend on one another even though they come from such different places, backgrounds and experiences. It reminded me a lot of my Bunco group. I did not know any of the girls well at first, but we have battled divorce, unemployment, breast cancer, loss of parents, homeschooling, ADHD diagnosis and a million other life events. There are my "go to girls."

I thought there were some great characters in the book, especially Cat. Cat is a high school friend of Georgia's who reappears as a damaged, spoiled socialite on the verge of divorce from a neglectful husband. Watching Cat's journey (and it is a LONG one) to self-confident, independent, successful business woman was quite a ride. She is my favorite character precisely because her journey was so rough and for her to come out in one piece was a triumph.

The second book, Knit Two picks up where The Friday Night Knitting Club leaves off, but it follows Georgia's bi-racial daughter, Dakota as she struggles to find her own path in the world. For me, I needed to "finish" the story and I enjoyed this book. However, I did feel the plot veered off in some unrealistic directions, had a few dead end events and the author tried to hard to wrap it up into a neat package at the end.

Both books were entertaining and enjoyable reads, but I liked the characters more than I liked the author. I probably won't seek out other books by Kate Jacobs, but I did dust off my old knitting needles and began knitting again!

Rating - B for both books

Everything Bad is Good For You

2010-03-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

by Steven Johnson

I read this book on the recommendation of Stephanie at Stark Raving Bibliophile ( you can read her review here). I actually read this book almost a year ago and have recommened it to so many people (our 2009 Salutitorian quoted it in his speech!) I can't believe I have not reviewed it yet.

The premise of the book is that TV, video games and movies of current pop culture are not as bad for us as some people make them out to be. Johnson argues that pop culture grows more sophisticated each year and congnitively challenges our brains, ultimately making us smarter.

"Popular culture has been growing increasingly complex over the past few decades, exercising our minds in new and powerful ways."

Video Games -
The video games of today are much more difficult that in years past -- Pong, Pacman, Space Invaders - all these were reflex games - mash the buttons and something happens. There were no complicated tricks, tips or cheats necessary. Contrast that with Grand Theft Auto, EverQuest and Ultima that require a 200 page guidebook just to be successful, not to mention the hours of trial and error needed to figure out how to advance. Also, newer games force participants to make, build or maintain something. Civilization, Zoo Tycoon and all the Sims games revolve around the building and responsible upkeep of either a civiliation, city or amusement park with animals. The problem solving skills and creativity required rival anything teachers can create in a classroom, not to mention the variety of decision-making skills required.

"No other pop cultural form directly engages the brain's decision making apparatus in the same way"

Television-
Even television has gotten smarter. Beginning with Hill Street Blues in 1981 - television shows introduce more characters, multiple plot lines and references to current and historical events. West Wing, Lost, Seinfeld, ER, the Sopranos, even the Simpsons stretch our thinking much more than Dragnet, Mary Tyler Moore or Three's Company ever did. In order to understand and "get" all the references in current television shows, the viewer must process hidden clues, make inferences, plot line leaps, current events, historical figures, past episodes and literary references. Call me crazy, but these are the same strategies my high school AP English teacher taught me to use when trying to read "real" literature.

Film -
Like television shows, films have gotten more complex, forcing viewers to think in order to follow and understand the plot lines. Johnson compares Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. Lord of the Rings has 3 times as many characters with signficant plot lines than Star Wars. It requires the viewer, on the fly, to follow many more narrative threads and background information. The biggest change is among children's films. Compare Bambi and Finding Nemo and you will see Nemo requires children to keep up with over 20 characters and their plot lines in several locations.

"Where the child's mind is concerned, each viewing is training him or her to hold those multiple threads in consciousness, a kind of mental calisthenics."

A new genre of film has developed-- the mind-bender, a film designed specifically to disorient the viewer, mess with their heads. Think Pulp Fiction, The Usual Suspects, The Matrix and Magnolia. Each of these films mentally challenges the viewer in some way.

Does this mean all pop culture is good for us? NO -- there is still plenty of mind-numbing junk out there. There is still the question of violence, sex and morality in general. There is still the question of how much TV, movies and video games is too much. What Everything Bad is Good For You is trying to point out is that pop culture can (and is) making us smarter than it has in the past.

"The first test screening of the Hill Street Blues pilot in May 1980 brought complaints from the viewers that the show was too complicated... Fast forward 20 years... audiences happily embrace that complexity."

Is this just a way of making us feel better about letting our kids watch TV and play video games for hours? I don't think so. My son is a much better basketball player after playing NCAA Hoops on XBox 360. He understands the game and what is allowed and what is not. I believe most of what he learned he could not learn by playing in the driveway. Watching both my kids discuss the open-ended ending to a movie and discussing the various ways the plot could have ended proves to me that they are interacting more with a children's movie that we did at their age. I think Johnson is on to something and everything bad just might be good for us (in moderation).

Rating - A

People of the Book

2010-03-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

by Geraldine Brooks

Hannah Heath arrives in Sarajevo to restore the Sarajevo Haggadah - an ancient Jewish volume rescued during the Bosnian War. She finds several items in the book - an insect wing, wine stains, salt crystals. As she investigates each item, she discovers the mysteries of the book and how it came to be protected and preserved over the centuries.

But, there is so much more to the book. There are many, many layers to the story

There is the modern story of the Haggadah
The history and protection of the Haggadah
Hannah's journey of self-discovery
Hannah's mother's secrets
The story of Sarajevo itself
Ozren's story of redemption and Werner's destruction

Each layer is woven together to create a beautiful story, alternating from present to past in an effort to fully develop not only the story, but the characters as well. The journey of the Sarajevo Haggadah gives you faith in people, faith in survival and most importantly, faith in peace.

Over time, the book is protected not just by Jews, but by Christians and Muslims as well. It is hidden in a mosque -

"Serif and the khoja took the haggadah into the library of the mosque. They found a narrow place on a high shelf, pressed between voloumes of Islamic law. The last place anyone would think of looking"

It is saved from the Inquisition by a Catholic priest.

"Suddenly, the pen was in his injured hand. He flipped the pages until he found the place. He wrote: Giovanni Dom. Vistorini. That is who I am, in this Year of Our Lord 1609."

It is even hidden in an Israeli Holocaust museum.

"But in the end, the one who looked like a soldier understood me. He smiled at me, very kindly. Then he turned to the others and said, Well, why not? The entire story of this book, its survival until today has been a set of miracles. So why not just one more?"

Excellently written about a new and interesting topic, at least for me, People of the Book drew me in and has kept popping up in my mind long after I finished it.

Rating - A

Spring Reading Challenge 2010

2010-03-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite challenge by far. I think I like the freedom I have to choose my books or to change them if necessary. I also almost always finish it! The Spring Reading Challenge is hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days. Visit her to learn more. The challenge runs from March 20 - June 20, 2010.

My list....

Non-fiction -

The Know It All by A. J. Jacobs (for my high school book club - April)

Monique and the Mango Rains - Two Years with a Midwife in Mali by Kris Holloway

The Sisters - The Saga of the Mitford Family by Mary S. Lovell

Flawless - Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell

Hope's Boy by Andrew Bridge (for The Social Justice Challenge - March)

Land of a Thousand Hills (for The Social Justice Challenge - June)

Fiction -

The Reluctant Suitor by Kathleen Woodiwiss

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Help by Kathrym Stockett

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (for my high school book club - May)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (for The Social Justice Challenge - April)

Neighborhood Book Club selections for April, May and June (we have not selected these yet)

April -

May -

June -

The Social Justice Challenge May Selection - AIDS

If I finish these, I also would like to read

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

The Diplomat's Wife by Pam Jenoff

The Count of Monte Cristo (unabridged) by Alexandre Dumas

Globalization by Manfred Steger

International Relations by Paul Wilkinson

Southern Vampire Series

2010-03-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

OK, I did it, I couldn't help myself. I read all 8 of the Sookie Stackhouse books. I know I said I wouldn't, but I did.

I have an excuse... it was easy to do. I bought all 8 books as a package deal for my nook. Instead of being separate books, they were loaded one after the other, so when I finished one, I just kept on going to the next one, then the next one, then the next one, until I had read all 8 of them.

I'm still not convinced they are great books, some of the characters are flat, there are storylines that never go anywhere, there is foreshadowing that foreshadows nothing. But, I am so caught up in the drama! I have to know who Sookie ends up with!!! It had better not be Bill or Alcide, or even Sam. I was sad when she broke up with Quinn and I still hold out a bit of hope for him, but my money is on Eric. I do like Sookie more now than I did after the first book. She has developed some depth and I like how she has a conscience and sticks to her values.

I also really like how Charlaine Harris used the existence of supes to explain some real life events -- Elvis sightings, missing persons, Hurricane Katrina, etc. It is a very entertaining and creative approach.

While I'm not signing up for the fan club, I will read the other books as they become available.

Rating - B

Booking Through Thursday - Encouragement

2010-02-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

What a great question on encouraging non-readers at Booking Through Thursday.

How can you encourage a non-reading child to read? What about a teen-ager? Would you require books to be read in the hopes that they would enjoy them once they got into them, or offer incentives, or just suggest interesting books? If you do offer incentives and suggestions and that doesn’t work, would you then require a certain amount of reading? At what point do you just accept that your child is a non-reader?
In the book Gifted Hands by brilliant surgeon Ben Carson, one of the things that turned his life around was his mother’s requirement that he and his brother read books and write book reports for her. That approach worked with him, but I have been afraid to try it. My children don’t need to “turn their lives around,” but they would gain so much from reading and I think they would enjoy it so much if they would just stop telling themselves, “I just don’t like to read.”

Luckily both my children are "readers". Bubba, my 10 yo son just devours books. His favorite gift is a gift card to Barnes and Noble, in fact we are on a first name basis there. Boo-Boo, my kindergartener is learning to read so fast and just can't get enough of it. How did I accomplish this? I read the them in utero, as soon as they were born, and all the time after. They own hundreds of books and our home is full of them. They read for 30 minutes each night before going to sleep. I didn't really give them much of a chance!

My dear husband is the only non-reader in our home. He had reading difficulties in school and never developed a love of reading. I just could not accept that! How can you not love to read?? I became determined to "fix" him. I started out slowly, always making sure there was a Sunday newspaper around, them I started subscribing to Time, Sports Illustrated and People Magazine for him, hitting on all his interests. He read them all from cover to cover. I also read to him. Yes, you read that right, I read aloud to my wonderful, non-reader husband - every night before we went to sleep. We read all the John Grisham books and several Tom Clancy's (try reading those long military, spy tomes aloud! Whew!) This got him hooked on the stories and the authors. When the children came along, reading aloud just didn't fit into our schedule anymore, so I tried audiobooks. He would listen to them in the car until finally that was not enough and we picked up a new John Grisham BOOK at Costco and he read it cover to cover! I was so proud of him. He branched out into Jack Higgins and W.E.B. Griffin and a reader was born. This year, so far he has finished 4 books and has discovered 2 new authors - Tom Grace and Stephen Coonts. I know he will never be the avid reader the rest of us are, but I feel we have succeeded in conquering his fear and dislike of reading. It is a happy day, when you can look around our family room and the TV is off because all 4 of us are involved in our own book world. I truly believe it is never too late to encourage and develop a love of reading in someone.

Dead Until Dark

2010-02-11T07:03:00.000-08:00

by Charlaine Harris

I read this book for the Take Another Chance Challenge -- Challenge 6 - Genre Switch Up: Read a genre you have not read before.

I don't read vampire books -- I just don't, not my thing. I did read the Twilight series, but I don't consider them true vampire book (but that is a topic for another post!) Everyone is just so over the top about Sookie Stackhouse, that I decided to try one out. When I discovered I could download all 8 books onto my nook for $3.5o/book, I decided to go for it.

This was a very quick read. I read it in 1/2 a day while home with a sick child. I liked some things about the book and disliked many others. I kept expecting it to go somewhere and I just never did for me.

What I did not like - First, I have a problem with the name Sookie Stackhouse - it just does not fit the character for me. My BFF growing up had a cleaning lady named Suki - in my mind, I picture a very short Asian woman using broken English, not a tall blonde cocktail waitress with a Louisiana accent. It is just a strange name for me, just as it seems strange for Bill the vampire to be named Bill, it is just too common a name for a vampire. Secondly, I think most of the characters lack depth. Bill is just plain ole boring, Sookie's brother is a pain and Sam, the bar owner/shapeshifter is not very believable at all. Finally, there is way too much sex for me. Now, don't get me wrong, I like my trashy, rip the bodice romance as well as the next guy (gal), but I felt the sex scenes received much more emphasis than the plot line.

What did I like? I liked all the references to Southern culture; food, class structure, the glorification of the Confederacy, burial rituals and good old Southern hospitality. I like that Sookie is a telepath, but her powers are limited in some ways. I really liked the concept of vampires living out in the open. I thought the author did a great job of including prejudices against vampires in the book. I see parallels between discrimination against blacks in the South. But, by far my favorite part of the book is the way Charlaine Harris includes Elvis and Elvis sightings in the story. Brilliant!!

Since I do not have much experience with the vampire genre, I can't really say whether Dead Until Dark is a good representation of the genre. For me this was an entertaining read, something we all need from time to time. I will probably finish the other 7 books in the series eventually -- more than likely while sitting by the pool this summer.

Rating - C+

Social Justice Challenge - WATER

2010-02-08T08:32:00.001-08:00

This month's topic for the Social Justice Challenge is Water. Several questions were presented to us related to the topic --

1. What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you think of water as a social justice issue?

I think of women in Africa that must walk for miles every day just to get water for their families. I think of men, women and children living in Bangladesh who drown because of inadequate infrastructure to deal with monsoon floods. I think of those dependent on water sources contaminated with chemicals, sewage, etc. I think the people who suffer from water issues, whether it be too little or too much, are those with the least economic resources.

2. What exposure, if any, have you personally had to a water shortage?

I live in the community surrounding Lake Lanier, a WPA project of the 1930s designed to dam the Chattahoochee River to create a hydroelectric power plant, a steady water supply for Atlanta and North Georgia and a recreational lake.

The summer of 2007 brought a severe drought to the Southern US and Georgia was particularly hard hit. Lake Lanier, already low from years of sub-average rainfall and the over release of water through the dam, became dangerously low -- at one point, holding only a 30 supply of water with no rain in sight. We had been on water restrictions before, but now they became more strict and more important than ever before. In a community built on revenue from the recreational activities of the lake, the economic impact was severe as well. Our restaurant was hit hard - we depended on people picking up food to take to the lake every weekend. That business virtually stopped as did my husband's paycheck. With lower water levels, came lower power levels as well. We experienced more that afew "brown outs" and were advised to stagger high electricity usage throughout the day. Water was being pulled from the very bottom of the lake and the water coming into our home was nasty - full of Georgia red clay, we had to boil it at one point. The clothes I washed were tinged red. We installed a filter system where the water comes into the house and had to change the filter weekly. We truly began to appreciate clean and reliable water.

This in no way compares with the water issues other countries face, but it is my story and it really made me look at water in a different way.

3. What potential action steps can you think of that relate to this month's theme of WATER?

Since the drought we have taken many steps to conserve water. I NEVER run the dishwasher or washing machine unless there is a full load. We bought a rain barrel last summer to use to water potted flowers and the vegetable garden. We will probably buy another one this summer. I only water the garden at night so more water will be absorbed and not evaporated. I am looking for more suggestions to help conserve more water.

Another Challenge - Social Justice Challenge

2010-02-02T05:44:00.000-08:00

I had promised myself only to join as many challenges as I thought I could complete this year. I decided on 3 that really touched on my reading interests and also stretched my normal genres. Well, my blog friend Stephanie at Laughing Stars reviewed Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks this week for the Social Justice Challenge. I had seen this challenge floating around the blogosphere but I had my 3 challenges and just could not do anymore. After reading Stephanie's review, I checked out the Social Justice Challenge Blog and this is soooooo the challenge for me. The themes for each month are topics I read about and teach about all the time.

But, I was already behind. It was January 30th and I hadn't read a book for January. That was when I realized the theme for January was Religious Freedom and I had read Sarah's Key, a Holocaust novel this month. That sealed the deal for me. I am now committed to completing this challenge in 2010 as well.

February's topic is WATER. I can't wait to find a great book on this one. I live on Lake Lanier, just north of Atlanta. The lake provides water for the city of Atlanta, metro Atlanta and many communities in Alabama and Florida as well. It has been well below full for several years and we have had water restictions for as long as I can remember. There is even a lawsuit over the water in Lake Lanier and the Chattahooche River headed toward the US Supreme Court. On a world scale, water is the most scarce resource. I believe this resource to be even more pressing than oil on the global scale. I am looking forward to discussing this other challenge participants.

Sarah's Key

2010-02-02T04:42:00.001-08:00

by Tatiana de Rosnay

I love stumbling upon a World War II/Holocaust novel that tells the story in a new way. Skeletons at the Feast, The Book Thief and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society are such books, so is Sarah's Key. Told in 2 voices in 2 different time periods it is amesmerizing tragedy that sums up all that was horrible about this period in history.

Like many others, I had never heard of the great Velodrome d'Hiver roundup which took place in Paris on July 16, 1942. The French police rounded up Jewish families and sent them to the Velodrome, where they were held for several days with out basic necessities. The descriptions from the novel were reminiscent of the horror stories from the Superdome in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. From the Velodrome, they were sent to temporary camps and then on to concentration camps in Germany where almost none of them survived.

Sarah Starzynski's family is one of those rounded up. Trying to protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in their secret hiding place and promises to return to get him, when it is safe. She doesn't. This begins Sarah's heartbreaking story to save her brother and redeem herself.

Julia Jarmond stumbles across Sarah's story while researching the Velodrome d'Hiver roundup 60 years later. While she expects to find sad, heart wrenching stories, nothing prepares her for just how close one of those stories be tied to her own family and change them forever.

The author does a brilliant job of telling the story from 1942 and 2002. Sarah's story is told via a third person narrator, which creates a detached, almost unbelievable quality to the telling of the story. I loved how it portrayed Sarah's shock at all that had happened to her and her family is just a few short days. Julia narrates her own story and her voice is so strong as she fights to discover Sarah's story as well how to resurrect her own life.

Be prepared to cry while reading this book. The central storyline itself is very moving and it will outrage you. However, the subplot lines involving Julia and her husband as well as her relationships with her husband's family will bring tears to your eyes as well. Both stories are so personal and the characters just tug at your heart, leaving you just a bit emotionally exhausted by the end.

I am using this book as my selection for the Social Justice Challenge. The topic for January was Religious Freedom. As always when I read a book about the Holocaust I can't help but question. Why the Jews? Why did the German people not help? Did the Allies really not know what was going on? Would I have done the same thing -- choose my own survival of those of my friends and neighbors? I know the historical answers to these questions - the blame placed on Jews for the loss of World War I and the resulting financial crisis in Germany, Hitler's propaganda and talent of persuavive speaking, but it is the moral issues I have a hard time with.

I have had the privilege to hear two Holocaust survivors speak as well as visit the Simon Weisenthal Museum in Los Angeles. There are not words to describe either experience. Horror, pity, guilt, amazement, disbelief -- none of these can adequately explain. Amazement comes closest. Amazement at the resilience of the human spirit, how such horrors can be overcome and that people who have suffered the unimaginable can still have faith in God and in each other.

Also read and reviewed for the Historical Fiction Challenge.

Rating - A+

The Secret Life of Josephine

2010-01-31T11:28:00.000-08:00

by Carolly Erickson

The Secret Life of Josephine was a delightful read. Carolly Erickson takes the life of Josephine Bonaparte and enlivens it with some very colorful characters and situations to make a wonderful story. This is not a biography, it is a very fictionalized view of Josephine's life. Erickson herself calls this an historical entertainment, not historical fiction. But, do not let that distract you from the fact that is it well written and a interesting story.

Josephine was born on the French colonial island of Martinque. She makes her way to France to marry her first husband, an aristocrat, who had no desire to marry, but must in order to receive his inheritance from his father. He basically ignores Josephine, except to impregnate her with two children who Josephine adores and their father basically ignores. Josephine eventually is legally separated from her husband and here her adventure begins.

To earn money, Josephine tells fortunes for money at several of the best salons in Paris. She takes many lovers and becomes involved with several men of promenience in France, several of whom end up supporting her and her children. At the time of the Revolution she even spends time in prison because she is an aristocrat. She is jailed with her ex-husband who eventually is put to death by guillotine. Josephine is saved by a kind doctor and finally released from prison.

The portion of the book portraying her relationship with Napoleon shows an unstable man infatuated both with Josephine and his own rising power. I did find Erickson's portrayal of Napoleon to be historically accurate based on many biographies I have read of him. He was truly heartbroken about putting Josephine aside to marry an Austrian princess. If Josephine had been of royal birth or have been able to give him a son, I believe he would have stayed married to her. On his exile island of St. Helena at his death, it was Josephine, long dead, that he called out for.

Probably the most captivating story lines in the book take place on Martinique. Although there is little historical background for it, Erickson has Josephine return to the island several times where she is involved in a slave rebellion and meets Donovan, a mysterious man who plays a long lasting role in Josephine's fictional life. In an historical study of the French Revolution, the French colonies are often overlooked with their all important trade and entrenched system of slavery.

I enjoyed this novel as much as I did Erickson's The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette several years ago. It was a quick read and fun.

I read this book as part of the Historical Fiction Challenge.

Rating - B

The Sunday Salon - January 31, 2010

2010-01-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

It has been a long itme since I have participated in the Sunday Salon. My Sundays are less about reading and more about getting ready for the week ahead. I decided this year to at least write a Salon post on the last Sunday of the month as a way of recapping my reading and reviewing.

January Review Edition

Books I Read This Month (linked to reviews)-
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
The Secret Life of Josephine by Carolly Erickson
Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette by Sena Jeter Neslund
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Our book club meets today to pick books for the next 6 months. I am suggesting the following -
19th Wife by David Ebershoff
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

We shall see what we pick! This is always one of my favorite meetings, everyone brings great books to share and even if we don't choose them to read for Book Club, I always add 2 or 3 to my personal TBR stack.

Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette

2010-01-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

by Sena Jeter Naslund

I picked this bookup from the bargain table at Barnes and Noble at least 2 years ago. As my AP European History class began studying the French Revolution, I picked it up, looking for some insight into the woman that some historians believe launched the French Revolution.

The book begins with Marie's birth as a Frenchwoman, where on an island in the Rhine River between France and Austria, she sheds everthing she owns that is Austrian, even her name, and becomes French. Marie embraces her new country and awaits with great anticipation her first meeting with King Louis XV and his grandson Louis Auguste, the man destined to become her husband.

Over and over again throughout her life, Marie is confronted by disappointments -- lack of a sexual relationship with her husband, inability to conceive an heir to the throne, coldness from the women at court, the deaths of two of her children, the criticism of her mother, the negative propaganda surrounding her court activities and finally the loss of the only life she understood. The novel goes far in explaining the woman behind the famous Queen. It takes fact and fiction and creates a Marie Antoinette that falls somewhere in between. The author is sympathetic to Marie, but offers no excuses for her behavior.

As poor harvests, harsh weather, huge debts and poverty oppress the French people, they turn on thier most favored Queen and blame Marie, the Austrian Whore, for their problems. While Marie did not create these problems, she did nothing to prevent or attempt to solve them. She didn't even acknowledge the suffering existed, and in reality an arguement can be made that Marie herself did not know of the troubles of the people until it was too late.

What we find in the novel is a very humanized Marie Antoinette. She struggles with her marriage, especially when Louis chooses his favorite hobby, hunting over her and an attempt to produce an heir. She faces the same struggles of all mothers when it comes to her children. She is heartbroken when she is not allowed to care for her first son, the Dauphin, herself and she is devastated by the deaths of Louis Phillipe and her daughter Sophie. She even feels inadequate under the criticism of her mother via long letters from Austria, fed by court spies. It is this very vulnerable portrayal of Marie in the novel that makes you almost feel sorry for her.....almost.

I did like Marie Antoinette more after reading this very well researched and well written novel. The history is impeccable and being told from Marie's point of view it has a very authentic tone, and their are no excuses for the behavior of either Marie or Louis -- just a matter of fact, this is how it is view of the most life of one ofthe most famous women in European History.

This book was part of the Historical Fiction Challenge.

Rating - A

The Time Is Snowed on Puerto Rico

2010-01-28T06:13:00.000-08:00

by Sarah McCoy

The Time it Snowed in Puerto Rico is a coming of age novel and I am not a big fan of this type of book. I think too many years of teaching them in middle school has just made me very jaded in regards to this genre. That being said, I rather enjoyed this one. Not only is Verdita, a young Puerto Rican girl struggleing with growing up, Puerto Rico itself is also experiencing growing pains. Taking place during the early 1060s, the Puerto Rican independence movement is just finding its voice.

At times enamoured by all things American, yet still tied so strongly to her Puerto Rican heritage, Verdita is not sure where she fits in. She convinces herself that if she just changes her hair she will be beautiful, like the American women she sees in magazines. She convinces her aunt to cut her beautiful black hair and dye it blonde, so she can be more American -- it is a disaster -- kind of like the summer before 9th grade when I used bottle after bottle of Sun-In trying to be Barbie blonde and ended up with Lucille Ball orange hair!

Having been to Puerto Rico many times, I felt myself immersed in local culture while reading. From the sights and sounds of San Juan to the foliage and quiet forests of the forests, you could hear the coqui frogs and see the crowds of the city. I was given this book by the publisher at the National Council for Social Studies Convention. Their goal being that I would choose to use this book in my class. While it does not meet the needs of my advanced students, were I still teaching middle school, I would certainly consider it as it has more cultural meat to it than most other coming of age novels.

Rating - B

Cleopatra's Daughter

2010-01-27T14:59:00.000-08:00

by Michelle Moran

I think I am the last historical fiction buff to read a Michelle Moran book. My wonderful husband chose to "surprise" me with Cleopatra's Daughter for Christmas and I since I have been sick for the past 8 days, I found some time to read it. Wow, can she tell a story!

Cleopatra's Daughter tells the tale of twins Selene and Alexander --Marc Antony and Cleopatra's children -- as they are taken from Alexandria to Rome upon the deaths of their parents and the take over of Egypt by Octavian. Taken as prisoners, the children are welcomed into the home of Octavia, Octavian's sister and divorced wife of Marc Antony. They are raised with Octavian's own children as well as a handful of half brothers and sisters. Imagine those living arrangements! Told through the first person account of Selene, the reader discovers a stong bond between the twins and a commraderie among all the children as they attend school and partake in the pleasures of ancient Rome, from visiting the temples of the gods, shopping at the Forum to the chariot races at the Circus Maximus. The intrique that surrounds the household of Caesar is enough to give anyone an ulcer and Selene and Alexander live under constant fear that at any moment Octavian could choose to make them slaves or worse. In order to make herself useful to Caesar, Selene apprentices herself to the brilliant architect Vitruvius and helps design and eventually build many of the beautiful buildings of Octavian's Rome. Surrounded by the likes of Homer, Ovid, Agrippa and Juba we the reader, get a fascinating look at the daily life of ancient Rome, including its ugly side. Woven amongst the history are the love stories. The love triangle of Marcellus, Caesar's heir apparent, Julia and Selene as well as the forbidden love of Gallia, the Gaul slave princess and the chidren's tutor Verrius.

I knew absolutely nothing about this historical event, so every turn of the page enveloped me into the story. The vivid and descriptive writing painted such images in my head, not only could I see how dirty ancient Rome must have been, but I could hear the yelling and smell the smells as well. My historical interests tend to begin around 1450 with the Renaissance and I was not sure how I would like reading about the ancient world, but since the book blog buzz about Michelle Moran has been so positive I decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did. I will be looking for more books by her to add to my collection.

Read and reviewed for the Historical Fiction Challenge.

Rating - A

The Complete Peresepolis

2010-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

by Marjane Satrapi

Peresepolis is the memoir of a girl growing up in revolutionary Iran. Marjane Satrapi opens her story with a childlike description of the Islamic Revolution

"In 1979 a revoltution took place. It was later called the Islamic Revolution.
Then came 1980; the year it became obligatory to wear the veil at school.
We didn't like to wear the veil, especially since we didn't understand why we had to."

and the Cultural Revoltution

"All bilingual schools must be closed down. They are symbols of capitalism
and decadence. This is called a Cultural Revolution."

From a child's perspective, this is how this time period in Iranian history looked and Satrapi's descriptions of these events set the tone for a wonderful, simple, straightforward story of one girl's experiences.

From the beginning it is obvious Marjane is a bit of a revolutionary herself, following the example set by her uncle, she makes fun of the martyrs, lashed out against authority and is expelled from several schools. Her parents are afraid her outspokenness will result in imprisonment or worse and send her to school in Austria.

In Austria, Satrapi does an excellent job of portraying the lonliness and cultural shock she experienced. I was totally drawn into how difficult this must have been for her, especially at 15 years old. She dabbles in drugs, alcohol, and experiences first hand the sexual revolution. She continues her outspoken ways and is kicked out of several boarding houses as well as school. She eventually ends up on the streets of Austria before finally returning to Iran, where once again she experiences cultural isolation and depression while figuring out just where she fits in, all the while still questioning the times and events surrounding her.

This was my first graphic novel and I enjoyed the formaltmuch more than I expected to. I loved how the stroy was interspersed wtih intimate details and grand historic events. This book while simply written was very emotional.

What I did not like was Marjane herself. I felt she was whiny and caught up in the "poor me" mentality. Her parents sacrificed to send her to good schools and to provide her with opportunites to be safe as well as grow and prosper while she indulged in self-pity and self-destrictive behavior. She did redeem herself however when she acknowledged her faults in the book.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you have not ventured into the graphic novel genre. This was so well done I was disappointed when Satrapi finished telling her story, wanting to know what happened next.

Rating - A

The Girl From Junchow

2010-01-03T06:44:00.001-08:00

by Kate Furnivall

This is the sequel to The Russian Concubine, one of my favorite books of 2009. I bought this the day it was released in July, but put off reading it because I was afraid it would not hold up to my expectations. However, I promised it to a student after Christmas Break, so I started it right after Christmas.

The Russian Concubine ends with Lydia heading into Soviet Russia to find her father. Her companions are an unlikely group, a brother she just found out existed and a huge, uncouth Cossack who has remained loyal to her father all these years. This is where The Girl from Junchow begins. Lydia's story is full of twists and turns and of course hardships. Her brother suddenly disappears, she is penniless and has to find a way from Siberia to Moscow, and Popkov, the Cossack picks up an unlikely Soviet woman. Somehow Lydia's Communist Chinese lover, Chang An Lo appears in Moscow, the Soviet mafia makes an appearance and Lydia's father just might not be what she expected.

Furnivall does a beautiful job of depicting the grey, depressed, desolate landscape that was Soviet Russia. Set in 1929, the Communists under Joseph Stalin are still trying to figure out how to make communism work. The society that is supposed to make everyone equal is only succeeding in making everything less so. Factories spring up overnight and draw farmers from the countryside, leaving no one to grow food for the huge, growing population . People are rounded up and disapppear for reading books, speaking out or just looking at the wrong person. Work camps and prisons are filled with political prisoners. Churches are blown up on a daily basis. The fear that surrounded this time in Russian history is palpable throughout the book.

The story itself is really good. The plotlines are woven together with the history very well. I truly enjoyed Lydia's journey through Russia and her quest not only for her father, but to find herself as well. My one criticism with the book is how neatly and quickly the loose ends were tied up at the end. For such a complex story with many plotlines, things just came together too well. The end left me unsatisfied, feeling just a little cheated after investing so much time in the characters and their stories. Furnivall did however lay the ground work for at least 2 more books involving Lydia and her family. The backstory of Lydia's mother and father will be the focus of her next book currently titled The Jewel of St. Petersburg to be released in June 2010. I also think there just might be more to Lydia and Chang An Lo's story.

Rating - A

Eclipse

2010-01-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

By Stephenie Meyer

I made the mistake of seeing New Moon a few weekends ago. I liked the movie, close to the book, but I still have a hard time with the casting, just not who I would have picked -- guess that's why I'm not a Hollywood casting agent. But, it made me come right home and re-read Eclipse, just to remind myself what happens next.

Let me be clear, I don't read vampire books. Not at all in my realm of interest, but when you teach high school you sometimes have to make sacrifices. Several students told me I just HAD to read Twilight and so I finally did. Loved it! Then I read New Moon, and Eclipse in a 48 hour time period. I went with some students to B&N at midnight for the release of Breaking Dawn. I know, pathetic, but had a great time with some really super kids. I boycotted the Twilight movie since the kids and several adults who's opinion I trust, said it was terrible and I didn't want to mess up the perfect images I had created for myself while reading. I do however have the original movie poster hanging in my classroom -- a gift from a student who worked at the movie theater at the time. It makes me the "really cool" teacher on the hall.

I know these books have plenty of critics, especially how they portray the treatment of women. Yes, I do think it is more than a little creepy that Edward watches Bella sleep and that she turns into a virtual zombie when he leaves her, but that is what young love is like. Believe me, I see it everyday. You are not going to change to obsessiveness of first love. I can also see my own husband exhibiting some Edward-like behavior, not because he is possessive (oh, so not) but because quite honestly he adores me (and I adore him).

What I like about the books most is the return to morals and values, especially in regards to sex. Edward and Bella do not have sex until they are married and it is not just because he will hurt her in her frail human form. At the very root, is his desire (and eventually hers too) to do everything "right". This is the example that should be set for teenagers, both male and female. I see the devastation of having sex too early all the time. It is much more devastating to a yound girl than just about anything else. Her self-esteem drops, she looses her friends that have not had sex yet, her reputation is destroyed. This is the lesson I hope girls take away from the book.

Off my soapbox now... I enjoyed this one just as much the second time around and when I finished it, I of course, opened Breaking Dawn...

Rating - B

Books I Read in 2009 Linked to Reviews

2010-01-02T08:08:00.001-08:00

The Girl from Junchow by Kate Furnivall
The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico by Sarah McCoy
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
The Dowry Bride by Shobhan Bantwal
The Last Queen by C. W. Gornter
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman
Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett
A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester
The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella (Audiobook)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall
In the Wake of the Plague by Norman Cantor
Freefall by Anna Levine
Salt - A World History by Mark Kurlansky
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Healthiest Kid in teh Neighborhood by Dr. William Sears
Everything Bad is Good for You by Steven Johnson
Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (Audiobook)
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
The Reincarnationist by M. J. Rose
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry
The Guernsey Literary adn Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller
A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Beyond the White House by Jimmy Carter
Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman
The Lady Elizabeth by Allison Weir
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

The Best of 2009

2009-12-30T06:10:00.000-08:00

I started this year with the goal to get back to reading and I was very successful. Not only did I read more books, but I read better books. I discovered new genres and authors. Most of this growth I can credit to the wonderful book blogs I discovered this year. I read 41 books in 2009 and I have chosen eight I consider to be the very best of that lot. They are linked to my reviews (in no particular order) below. Enjoy.

The Last Queen by C. W. Gortner

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian

The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood by Dr. Sears

The Shadows of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Neffeneger

The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall

I also started this blog in an effort to keep up with the books I read and to review them. As a first time blogger and book reviewer, I think I was successful with these goals as well. I reviewed 24 of the 41 books I read. I posted on a semi-regular basis as my school schedule allowed and I successfully completed the 2 reading challenges I joined. All in all, not a bad reading year. I look forward to what 2010 has in store.

Mailbox Monday 12/28

2009-12-28T12:43:00.000-08:00

This is my first time participating in Mailbox Monday, mainly because around August my husband put me on a book-buying ban. I made just one too many high dollar trips to the local Barnes and Noble and he had a fit. Well, he did not put a ban on Santa buying books for Christmas, so I am linking up the wonderful assortment of books I found under the tree on Christmas morning.

People of the Book by Geraldine Broooks

I have been talking about reading this book for some time, at least a couple of years. This year I finally put it on my Christmas wish list. The book centers around a rare book expert and an early Jewish volume with illustrations. The book's mysteries trace the history of not only the book, but the people who owned it.

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

This is my first Michelle Moran novel. I am looking forward to reading story of Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and Marc Antony as it takes place in imperial Rome.

Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji

I have seen this book reviewed in several places on the Internet. I had it on my TBR list awhile ago, but read so many Middle Eastern novels that I was a bit burned out and put this one on the back burner. The novel takes place in Iran before the revolution and is a story of forbidden love as well as revolutionary dangers.

The Secret Life of Josephine by Carolly Erickson

I thoroughly enjoyed The Secret Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson and I can't wait to dive into her novel on Josephine. It takes place during the last phases of the French Revolution through the Napoleonic Wars, chronicalling the role of Josephine not only in politics, but also her personal life.

Fall Into Reading Wrap Up Post

2009-12-27T06:28:00.000-08:00

We were out of town Christmas Week and I did not get a chance to post my Fall Into Reading Wrap Up post. The challenge is hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days and it is one of my favorite challenges, mostly because it is low pressure, it encourages me to read from my ever growing TBR, but also allows me to change my list as new and fascinating books come my way or my reading mood changes. You can find my original list and goals here.

I was not as involved in the Fall Challenge as I was the Spring one. School has just been too crazy and hectic. I have however, been reading more as the semester progresses. I am feeling more at ease with my AP European History class and have been able to read for pleasure instead of studying all the time. Although, I have to say by reading everything I have assigned my students in real time with them, I have gained a new appreciation for how hard some of my advanced students work.

I did not stick to my list very well, but some great books have come my way to distract me and there were a couple I just had to re-read. From my original list I read (reviews are linked):
World Lit Only by Fire
Sex With Kings
The Dowry Bride
The Lost Queen
Portrait of an Unknown Woman

Books I read off my list (linked to reviews):
Time Traveler's Wife
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico
The Complete Persepolis (my very first graphic novel, but not my last)

I am still reading The Girl from Junchow and will probably finish it in the next couple of days. I am also reading How to Read Literature Like a Professor with the intent of completing it before the end of the year.

I don't think I can pick a favorite book from this challenge. I really enjoyed The Lost Queen by C.W. Gortner and Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I also read my first graphic novel for this challenge, at the suggestion of my students who read it for their advanced English class. I liked the book and the genre, so I will probably read more in the future.

All in all, I did well for this challenge considering the pressures from school this fall. I had hoped to read 15 books and I ended up reading 10, with 2 more from my original list in progress. I will certainly be on the lookout for the Spring Challenge sign ups!

The Last Queen

2009-12-27T06:07:00.001-08:00

By C. W. Gortner

I found this book through 2 of my favorite book blogs, Hist. Fic. Chick and The Burton Review. After reading both their reviews here and here I put it on my TBR list.

this book takes place during one of my favorite historical periods -- the very late Middle Ages - Early Renaissance. Whiel I ma very familiar with the history of England and France during this time, the history of Spain is another story. I found this a fascinating read. This is the first time I have read anything about Juana, the 3rd daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, the monarchs that united Spain and pushed the Moors into North Africa.

Juana, through a series of unfortunate events, becomes heir to the throne of Spain. This proves to be her undoing. Her marriage to Philip , heir to the Hapsburg throne is destroyed by her husband's desier to claim the throne that is rightfully hers. The nobles of Spain have their own ideas on who should rule Spain adn even Juana's own father, Ferdinand of Aragaon, fights her claim to the throne. In an attempt to gain control of Spain, Juana returns to Spain with her husband. While there, she gives birth to a child, conceived and born on Spanish soil, creating another Spanish heir.

Juana endures more stress and heartache than any woman should. When she leaves Flanders, she leaves behind her 4 children, who in essence forget who she is and when she is finally reunited with them, they are strangers. Her husband dies while in Spain, under mysterious circumstances. She is betrayed by her husband, father and son, all over inheriting the throne of Spain.

History has painted Juana as crazy, calling her Juana, la Loca, or Juana, the Mad. C. W. Gortner weaves the most infamous historical examples of her irratic behavior with his ideas of why she would have acted this way -- preservation of Spanish sovereignity, her family and herself.

I liked the twists and turns the author incorporated into the story. His writing style -- vivid descriptions, interesting dialogue and accurate history pulled me thorugh the story. This is one of those books I did not want to end. I look forward to his new novel about Catherine de Medici which will be published in spring 2010.

Rating A+

2010 Reading Challenges

2009-12-12T06:41:00.000-08:00

This was my first year to participate in any reading challenges. In fact, I only created this blog so I could participate in them. As the 2010 Reading Challenges start popping up across the Internet, I want to join so many. However, I am trying to be realistic, picking only a few and focusing on ones that involve books I am interested in as well as ones that stretch my reading selections. I also am aware that I can only read so many books, so without further ado, these are the 3 - year long challenges I am joining this year.

The Take Another Chance Challenge is hosted by Find Your Next Book Here. There is a list of 12 challenges to use to pick the books you are going to read. There are 3 participation levels.

A Small Gamble - complete 3/12 challenges
A Moderate Gamble - complete 6/12 challenges
Gambling it All - complete all 12 of the challenges

Now, my husband will tell you am quite the gambler, but for this challenge I am going to try for the Small Gamble level. My plan is to use 3 of the challenges to read books that I never would have picked up on my own, after all I do believe this is what this one is all about.

My second challenge is A Royal Review's Historical Fiction Challenge. Now, this one is just screaming for me to join. If I could only read one genre of book, it would be historical fiction. Again, this challenge has multiple levels of participation.

Curious - 3 books
Fascinated - 6 books
Addicted - 12 books
Obsessed - 20 books

I am going to jump into this one at the Obsessed level. I think I can easily read 20 historical fiction books next year. 12 of my 37 books I read this year were in the historical fiction genre and I believe I can read more, especially with a conscious effort. I also plan to challenge myself to read only books already on my shelves or from the library for this challenge.

Some books I am putting on the challenge for this list are - The Girl from Junchow by Kate Furnivall, The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory, Pope Joan by Donna Woolfold Cross, Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant and Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund.

My final year long challenge is the Read the Book, See the Movie Challenge hosted by Ready When You are, C.B The ideas behind this challenge is to read a book, watch the movie based on the book and then review both. You can also see the movie, then read the book. There are several different levels for this challenge as well.

Matinee - 1book/1movie

Double Feature - 2 books/2 movies

Saturday Movie Marathon - 4 books/4 movies

Film Festival - 8 books/8 movies

Festival Jury Member 10 books/10 movies

At first, I was going to sign up for the Double Feature, but then when I started looking at all the books I could read for this challenge, most off my own shelves, I decided to up my participation to the Film Festival Level. The following books are on my list: Time Traveler's Wife, Revolutionary Road, The Duchess, Lovely Bones and Persepolis. Each of these are already on my shelves or I have asked to borrow. That leaves me 3 more to choose during the course of the year.

I am excited about these challenges. I really think I have a shot at completing all 3 in addition to some other shorter challenges that I am sure will attract my attention over the year. In case you are wondering how I found all these great challenges, I DID NOT spend hours surfing book blogs to find them. A Novel Challenge is a great blog of nothing but , you guessed it, Reading Challenges! If you can't find a challenge there that piques your interest, then well, you will just have to start your own!

Time Traveler's Wife

2009-12-08T05:31:00.000-08:00

by Audrey Niffenegger

Yet another book I am the last literate person to read. I ignored this book, thinking I wouldn't like it at all, not my genre, not even remotely interested. ( I am one of the few people who just don't get the Outlander series.) Then my assistant principal, whom I often share books with and trust her book sense, brought it to me and gave it a glowing recommendation, so I read it.

Wow, not at all what I expected. I was prepared for some off the wall, fantasy time traveler saga and this book is certainly not that. It is a passionate love story between two people, one of whom jumps back and forth in time at inconveniet times and how they deal with it.

I love that when they meet in Claire's adult time, Henry doensn't know her and they have to fall in love all over again. I love that eventhough Henry knows what the future holds, he never tells Claire. I also love that Henry disappears at very awkward times - it makes the story very interesting, even if it does get a little predictable. I love how Niffenegger portrays time travel as a burden, when so many of us think it would be fabulous to know the future and visit the past.

Then, there are the parts I didn't like -- not because they were bad or poorly written, but because the brought out such emotion in me, mostly sadness, fear and anger. Claire's struggle with infertiliy, the dangers Henry suffers during his travels, that he knows when and how he is going to die, and that Alba can travel and see Henry, but Claire cannot, that Claire sits and waits for him, day after day.

All the parts, the ones I liked and the ones I did not come together to make one excellent story -- one full of passion, humor, heartache and lonliness. I lived and breathed every word of this book and I was terribly sad when it ended. Niffenegger weaves a complex story that engulfs the reader. I kept expecting a wrinkle in the chronology or an inconsistency in the story because of the jumping back and forth. I was convinced I would be confused at some point by an out of place event or an unexplainable occurance, but that never happened. This is a superbly written novel. The movie based on the book was released in August 2009 and the DVD is scheduled for release in February 2010. Her next book, Her Fearful Symmetry is on my wish list.

Rating - A

Book Rating System

2009-12-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

I have a book rating system now. As I have reviewed more books, I found this necessary. Now let's be clear, this is just my personal opinion, which may or may not agree with yours. After hours of trying to decide what type of symbol I wanted to use, the teacher in my just could not get past a grading system, so here it is....

A+ - One of the best books I have read. I want a sequel! This one I just might re-read. Makes my list of best books of all time.

A - Highly recommended - well written with a capitvating storyline (fiction) or interesting topic (non-fiction)

B+ - Interesting and enjoyable. Would recommend.

B- Enjoyable read, flaws in research or story flow. Lacks depth, but would recommend to people who like the topic or genre

C+ - Average as a whole, but parts are good. Could have been better written.

C - Very average. Would probably not recommend.

D - Not enjoyable at all, wish I had used my time to read something else.

F - Terrible, so bad I did not finish the book

The Dowry Bride

2009-12-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

by Shobhan Bantwal

The Dowry Bride is another book I discovered from a student recommendation. It addresses a serious issue in India --- dowry deaths. Dowry deaths are the "mysterious accidents" that occur when girl's family cannot pay the promised dowry to her husband's family. Megha finds herself in this situation. One night she overhears her mother-in-law and her husband plotting her death and how to make it look like a kitchen accident. In a panic, she runs. The only place she can think to go is her husband's cousin who has treated her very kindly in the past. He takes her in, regardless of what the consequences will be for them both.

This book was a very good overview of India's controversial dowry system, but it lacked depth. The novel eventually becomes more of a love story and the social and moral issues get lost in the story. The novel takes on a "sweetness", rather than focusing on the horrors of the issue. Everything seems to work out just too perfectly in the end, with there being very few ramifications for the characters. Ramifications are mentioned briefly, but neither of the characters ever really "face the music" for what they have done. In the real world, several characters would have suffered consequences, some of them severe. One review on Amazon compared this book to the Kite Runner, hoping it would bring the same awareness to India's dowry system. I am afraid that will not be the case, simply because the issues take a backseat to the love story.

The author does do an excellent job of showing the growth of Megha, from an insecure girl who has been beaten down by her husband's family to a more confident student who suceeds in finding a real life and choosing her own path. She is a good role model for young girls of all backgrounds. All the characters are believable and well developed. The descriptive writing techniques employed by Bantwal are wonderful. I enjoyed the story and the writing. The best part of the book was the insight she gives into India culture, especially that of conservative Hindu families. Arranged marriages, dowry payments, traditional dress and allegiance to one's promises regardless of the situtaion or outcomes. The portrayal of Indian culture was quite good and makes the novel stand out.

This was Shobhan Bantwal's debut novel and she has two other novels I look forward to reading, The Forbidden Daughter and the Sari Shop Widow. Both of the books take a look at some of India's darkest traditions, female infanticide and treatment of widows.

Rating B

FREE BOOKS from NCSS Conference

2009-12-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to win a scholarship to attend the National Council for the Social Studies Conference when it was held in Atlanta a few weeks ago. With budget cuts and almost no staff development funds, this was a huge deal.

While the conference sessions left a bit to be desired for my subjects - very little Geography and almost no European History, there were several benefits from attending...

1. I saw several AP Human Geography reader friends from all across the US.

2. I got to participate in a focus group with 2 authors who are writing a new Human Geography textbook -- this was a GREAT experience! Only 12 were invited and it was a great chance to talk about what we want in a textbook and where our subject is heading.

and the best part....

3. FREE BOOKS! I picked up 13 free books, several of them not available to the public yet. Now that is a book lovers dream!

Wordless Wednesday - November 18th

2009-11-18T04:45:00.001-08:00

The Lady Elizabeth

2009-10-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

by Allison Weir

Review #2 from my written book journal for 2009.

Reading this book was like talking to an old friend. Having read so many books on the Tudors, many of them by Allison Weir, I know the history forward and back. What I liked about the fictional work is the author took many of the rumors about Lady Elizabeth and weaved them in to the story. It made for an interesting life. She also took liberties with a few of my favorite historical characters in Elizabeth's life, Kat Astley and William Cecil, both of whom I liked a great deal in this book. My one complaint is the trivial role Sir Robert Dudley played in the novel, showing up only in the last 10 pages. HOw I would love to see what Allison Weir would do with a relationship between Elizabeth and Sir Robert. Maybe in her next book...

Rating B

19 Minutes

2009-10-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

by Jody Picoult

Before I began blogging about the books I read, I kept a written book journal. Since my goal was to review all the books I read this year, I am posting the reviews I have in my book journal for the 3 books I reviewed before my foray into the world of book blogging. This is the first of those books.

I did not expect to like this book. In fact, I resisted reading it for a long time, until a student made me promes I would read it over Winter Break. the main character, shoe does the school shooting, was bullied from the first day of Kindergarten. His only friend deserts him, joing the popular crowd, the ones who bully him. As the story unfolds, you begin to see why he felt this was his only option. As the mother of a child who was bullied at school, I lived and breathed with the mother of the main character. This book created sleepless nights for me as I explored the "what ifs" of our own situation. Upon completion of the book, I found myself empathizing with the boy and felling more than a little sympathetic for the mother. I'm not sure I would say I liked the book nor am I glad I read it, but it did have a profound effect on me.

Rating - C+

What's On Your Nightstand - October

2009-10-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

Eventhough I am a few days late, I just had to post because for the first time I finished everything on my nightstand! Last month I was reading 3 books and I finished them all this month. I have even reviewed two of them and expect to post the third in the next day or two.

This month I am reading -

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

My assistant principal and I share books all the time. This one came from her with high recommendations.

The Last Queen by C. W. Gortner

The story of Juana of Castile, the last Spanish blood queen of Spain

Vive La Revolution by Mark Steel

A series of anecdotes about the French Revolution. This one is research for my AP European History class.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

Stark Raving Bibliophile mentioned this book on her blog this summer and I just had to have it. My hope is it will help me explain literature and its importance better to my students as well as make me a better critical reader.

Hopefully, this time next month I can claim to have finished all these too!

Portrait of an Unknown Woman

2009-10-29T10:42:00.001-07:00

by Vanora Bennett

Portrait of an Unknown Woman tells the story of Renaissance portrait painter Hans Holbein and Sir Thomas More through the eyes of one of More's adopted children, Meg Giggs. Taking place during the turbulent years of Henry VIII's obsession with Anne Boleyn the book protrays the uncertainty that surrounded the time. At the beginning of the book, the More family is on the rise, having recently moved to their grand country house from London. It is in this light that Hans Holbein arrives to paint a portrait of More and one of his family. Holbein is drawn to Meg and fancies himself in love with her. Meg however is blinded by the return of her one time tutor, John Clement. Meg, having been in love with John for years, quickly finds out her affections are returned and eventually they marry. John's past however is clouded in secrecy. These secrets eventually have an effect on the relationship between Meg and John.

By the end of the book, 5 years later, when Holbein returns to again paint the More family, thier fortunes are on a downward spiral. As Henry seeks a annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragaon and is more drawn to the new "reformed religion", More's strong Catholic beliefs and his campaign to destroy heretics puts him in a precarious situation with the King. Secrets among More's children, wards and their spouses also come to light, putting a strain on the family from within.

What I enjoyed most about the book is the liberal poetic liscence the author took with the historical facts. Amidst the very accurate timeline, social climate of the time and a very historically accurate cast of characters, she creates some very interesting twists, many of which involve they mystery of the Princes in the Tower. While I had most of them figured out , long before they were revealed in the story, it was a very interesting twist on an age old historical mystery.

What I learned most from the book however was just how fanatical More was. He feared the rise of the reformed church so much so that he kept and tortured heretics at his country home. He actively sought out heretics and as a servant of the Crown, brought back the burning of heretics. One of the most memorable scenes from the book involves Meg witnessing a burning and being accousted by the crowd. When she realizes her own father was responsible, her world begins to fall apart, mirroring the destruction of her own family.

Rating - A

Wordless Wednesday - October 15

2009-10-15T03:45:00.000-07:00

New Friends :-)

A World Lit Only By Fire

2009-10-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

By William Manchester

I assigned this book to my AP European History class. It is a great, interesting history of Europe’s transition from the Dark Ages through the Renaissance and Reformation.

Manchester takes the reader from what is left of European society after the Black Plague to the completion of Magellan’s circumnavigation of the globe in a story like fashion. He does not mince words or gloss over the worst part of this time period. He is especially harsh on the Borgia’s, probably with good reason. Pope Alexander VI, the Borgia pope was known for his wild Vatican parties.

“Borgia’s enjoyment of the flesh was enhanced when the woman beneath him was married, particularly if he had presided at her wedding. Breaking any commandment excited him, but he was partial to the seventh.”

Another unusual accomplisment of Pope Alexander VI was his illegitimate daughter, Lucrezia. Lucrezia was an example of the hard life a Renaissance woman faced, especially if her father held any sort of political power. She was married and divorced several times to create alliances that benefitted her father. It is also rumored that she was one of her father’s own mistresses for a time.

Manchester follows the historical path of Martin Luther as he, through his attack on the selling of indulgences, sets the fire that will create the largest schism Europe had seen to date.

“In defying the organized church, Luther had done something else. He had broken the dam of medieval discipline. By his reasoning, every man could be his own priest.”

He addresses how without the protection of Frederick of Saxony, Luther would have been burned as a heretic and the Protestant Reformation we know today would not have happened when and how it did.

He is also not complimentary of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, blaming a great deal of the religious wars that followed on his inability to rule Spain and the Holy Roman Empire at the same time. As he ignored the conflict between Luther and the Pope, he allowed the principalities of the Holy Roman Empire to embrace Luther’s ideas and bring a slow end to an institution that had existed since Charlemagne.

“…the political vacuum being left by the ebbing Holy Roman Empire was being filled by a new phenomenon: the rising nation-states.”

And finally, he is infatuated with the exploits of Ferdinand Magellan.

“In the long lists of history it is difficult to find another figure whose heroism matches Magellan’s.”

I agree that Magellan’s achievements were extremely important in technological advancements, globalization and human achievement; I do not believe he is the greatest hero of modern times.

I chose this book for my class because it is easy to read and Manchester writes in a conversational, interesting style. He sprinkles history with just enough “interesting” facts to hold the attention of high school seniors. But, I also chose it because there is some controversy about his writing of the book. He uses many secondary sources, rather than primary sources from the time and he sprinkles his history with his own biases at times. I really wanted to use this book to teach my students to be critical readers and not just accept whatever is written in a book, especially non-fiction books as the final authority.

Rating - B+

2009-10-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

Fall is by far my favorite season. Cooler weather, bright blue skies, changing leaves, football, mums and pansies everywhere, just make me smile. Going to the pumpkin patch and our Halloween Hayride two of my very favorite family traditions. I don't know about everywhere else, but in Georgia, the air just smells better in the fall!

I also love foods associated with fall so when My Friend Amy announced she was hosting a Fall Recipe Challenge I knew I had to participate, not only to share my favorite recipes, but to steal some from others. I just could not decide between a pumpkin recipe or an apple recipe, so I am including both.

The first is an OLD family favorite that my mom made when we were kids. It is an easier take on old fashioned apple dumplings wrapped in pastry.

APPLE DUMPLINGS

1 c sugar

1/8 t nutmeg

2 T margarine

2 t baking powder

2/3 c shortening

6 apples, peeled and sliced

1 c water

1/4 c cinnamon red hots

2 c sifted flour

1 t salt

1/2 c milk

Combine sugar, water, nutmeg and cinnamon candy; cook over low heat until candy dissolves. Make dough of flour, baking powder, salt, shortening and milk. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into strips. Cover bottom of 13 x 9 pan with dough strips. Add apples and sprinkle with more sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Dot with butter. Cover with dough strips. Pour cinnamon syrup over all. Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream if desired.

The second recipe is from a 1998 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. It is easy and makes enough to share, so I take to school quite often.

PUMPKIN RAISIN BARS

2 c all purpose flour

2 c sugar

1 T ground cinnamon

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1/2 t ground cloves

1 15oz can pumpkin

4 large eggs

3/4 c vegetable oil

1 c raisins (good with dried cranberries too)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 c powdered sugar

1/3 c butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 15 x 10 1/2 inch baking sheet. Stir first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pumpkin, eggs, and oil and beat until blended. Mix in raisins. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl to blend. Spread frosting on cake in thin layer.

Must be refrigerated. Makes 24 bars.

To add your own favorite fall recipe, link your post here.

The Sunday Salon - October 11th

2009-10-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

This Sunday brings a beautiful, sunny fall day to my corner of the world. The perfect day to sit out on my porch and read. I plan on reading Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman today. I am about 1/3 of the way through this entertaining book about the various mistresses of the kings of Europe over the past 500 years. My one complaint with this book so far is the fact this it is not chronological, but organized by themes, types of mistresses for example. With the number of King Henrys, Charles and Philips through out history, I am having a difficult time keeping track sometimes, and I teach European History, I can imagine that this book would frustrate someone with little knowledge of the chronology behind the book.

This week, I finished Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Verona Bennett. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It follows the family of Sir Thomas More during his rise and eventual fall from grace through the eyes of one of his adopted daughters, Meg Giggs. Not having read much on More, I was very interested in how much actual history was intertwined with the fictional story. Look for my review later this week.

THe Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood

2009-10-06T03:10:00.001-07:00

By Dr. William Sears et all

My children have food sensitivities. They are not diagnosed and their pediatrician and psychologist think I am nuts, but when my kids eat certain things, they act a bit crazy. They are short tempered and emotional and family life is not all that much fun sometimes. Couple that with the fact that my 10 year old son is on medication that makes him have almost no appetite at all and you have a mother that is going crazy trying to get her kids to eat all the right things.

Enter Dr. Sears…. This is one of those books I found just browsing the book store and it seemed like an answer to my prayers and in a way it was. Dr. Sears bases his nutritional advice on his own battle with cancer as well as many, many years as one of the most successful pediatricians in the United States. While all of his strategies do not fit with our way of life, eating styles or preferences, I have made many positive changes in our eating habits that have made a huge difference.

Substituting ½ whole wheat flour for white in recipes
Serving “colorful” vegetables
Protein smoothies for breakfast
Less processed foods
Grazing is healthy
How to read labels correctly

These are just a few of the changes we have made since June and I can tell a difference. With our crazy schedules we sometimes get off track and end up eating out several times a week. When this happens, I can tell a difference in how my kids behave.

My kids are great eaters. They always have been. They love fresh fish, vegetables like asparagus and broccoli and every fresh fruit known to man. The problem was me, not taking the time to feed my family like I should. This book showed me it really is not that hard to feed them food that is healthy.

Rating - A+

Wordless Wednesday - September 30

2009-09-30T03:40:00.001-07:00

From my backyard

The Russian Concubine

2009-09-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

by Kate Furnivall

The Russian Concubine is a complex, beautifully written story about a young Russian girl living with her mother in exile, in Junchow, China. Eleven years after the Russian Revolution, the same turmoil threatens China and Lydia Ivanova is caught in the middle of it.

Her mother drinks away her memories of grand old Russia, while Lydia pickpockets their way to survival. She moves easily between the European and Chinese worlds, saved by her street smarts and how easily she is accepted into polite society. She attends a prestigious private school, but just how her mother affords it, is one of the most closely guarded secrets in the book.

Lydia meets a young Chinese man who is involved in the communist movement. They fall in love, and of course danger is always just around the corner. But, the plot of The Russian Concubine is so much deeper that a simple story of forbidden love. The many layers that make up the story keep unfolding; drawing the reader in, wondering what twist the story can possibly take next. The intertwining of Russian and Chinese history and culture makes this a fascinating book. The characters and the tangled webs their lives form makes for an unforgettable story. The final piece to this wonderful book -- the story is based upon the experiences of the author’s own mother as a Russian refugee in China.

I enjoyed this book so much, I made a special trip to Barnes and Noble the day the sequel was released, just to get it. I was thrilled there was another installment to Lydia’s story, as I was not quite ready to let her live happily ever after.

Rating - A

The Sunday Salon - September 27th

2009-09-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

Today is a BEAUTIFUL, sunny day and it is much welcomed after the 2 weeks of rain and flooding in Georgia. Most of the day I spent watching my daughter paint. She is determined to enter the school art contest this week and she had devoted hours today to creating a variety of water colors to choose from. She has quite a variety, from owls to flowers to steaming cups of coffee. I am not sure which she will choose, I however have a favorite, but I am trying REALLY hard not to push her towards my choice. We shall see.

My back porch did call to me for a couple of hours today where I finished A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester. I required my AP European History students to read this and I am just finishing the last part on Magellan's voyage and the impact it had on European thought. The book itself is an intriguing look at the transition from the Medieval world to the Renasissance and Reformation. It it an interesting read, even my students will admit that, full of little known tidbits about life in the Middle Ages. Manchester is the author of several other books and his historical research is, I believe, impeccible. His writing style is conversational and easy to follow, even when the history is complicated.

Next on my list is to finish Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman.

Can You Keep a Secret?

2009-09-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

by Sophie Kinsella

Can You Keep a Secret is true “ckick lit”, not my usual genre to be sure. In fact I can count on one hand the number of “chick lit” books I have read in my life. But, I was looking for an audio book to download for a seven hour solo trip (one way) and since the options on iTunes are limited, I ended up with this one.

Emma Corrigan, seems to have the perfect life, great job, perfect boyfriend, all the right clothes, until a business trip goes wrong. Her plane experiences turbulence and she spills all of her terrible secrets to the anonymous stranger sitting next to her. Once the crisis is over, she returns to her job, only to find that the “anonymous stranger” is actually the owner of the company she works for. Hilarious events ensue and Emma’s world is turned upside down.

I actually liked Emma, she was funny and the situations she found herself in were actually a bit believable and if they had happened to me I would have been truly horrified. This book exceeded my expectations. It was perfect to listen to while driving as I didn’t have to focus on the plot more than navigating the interstates. Would I run out and by Sophie Kinsella’s books? No, but I will consider downloading one again for traveling.

Rating - B

Wordless Wednesday - September 23rd

2009-09-23T02:51:00.000-07:00

Happy 6th Birthday my Sweet Girl!

What's On Your Nightstand - September

2009-09-22T14:22:00.001-07:00

It is that time of the month, the time when I tell you what's on my nightstand to be read. Since today is the official start of the Fall Into Reading Challenge hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days, this is just a big redundant, but I missed last month and was determined not to miss another one.

Currently I am reading...
World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester
This is a non-fiction book chronicling the history of Europe from the Black Plague through Magellean's voyage around the world. It is a rich, vibrant look at the time periods and the author certainly does not mince words about corruption and lack of morality of the time. This is required reading for my AP European History students, so I are reading it with them.

Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman
Again, research for my AP Euro class. I am really enjoying this irreverant look at the Kings of Europe through the associations with their mistresses. If I had lived during this time, I certainly would have been a mistress, not a queen!

Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett
This novel centers on Hans Holbein, portaitist to the royal families of Europe during the Reformation, as he travels to Europe to paint for Sir Thomas More, advisor to King Henry VIII. The story focuses on one of More's wards, Meg. I am just beginning this one and can't wait to read more of it.

Hopefully, next month will find other new titles on my nightstand.

Fall Into Reading Challenge

2009-09-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of fall, my favorite season. I love the colors, smells, holiday, temperatures of fall. I also love fall because it means it is time for Katrina’s Fall Into Reading Challenge! (I have a confession to make, I only began blogging so I could participate in Katrina’s Spring Fling Reading Challenge. It just looked like so much fun.)

I have spent days putting together my list of books to read – I really am a geek – and I’m still not sure I like it. See, Book Blogger Appreciation Week was last week and as I discovered so many new, amazing book blogs, I also found so many more books I wanted to read. Compound that with the books I need to read for school, and the fact that my family will demand clean clothes and food to eat over the next 3 months and you see my dilemma.

Well, anyway here is what I am starting with … I reserve the right to change this list at anytime -

Required for School –
A World Lit Only By Fire by William Manchester ( I am almost finished with this one)
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (started, but it is slowwwww going)

Book Club Books –
September - The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
October - The Mulberry Tree by Jude Deveraux
November – TBD
December - TBD

Fiction –
The Last Queen by C. W. Gortner
The Girl from Junchow by Kate Furnivall
The Dowry Bride by Shobhan Bantwal
Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett
The Brothers Boswell by Philip Baruth
The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Non-Fiction –
How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster
Naked Economics by Charles Wheelan

Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman (started)

And, that’s it. For me this is rather ambitious and I hope I can read most of these - to be honest, I really don’t think I can finish A Tale of Two Cities. There are several books on this list that have been sitting on my TBR shelf for too long and I am determined to read them. Good Luck to everyone participating. I look forward to your reviews and adding some of your suggestions to my ever growing list.

Booking Through Thursday 9/17

2009-09-17T15:12:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I had the chance to participate in Booking Through Thursday...

What’s the most enjoyable, most fun, most just-darn-entertaining book you’ve read recently?
(Mind you, this doesn’t necessarily mean funny, since we covered that already. Just … GOOD.)

I LOVED The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall. In fact I liked it so much I made a special trip to the bookstore to buy the sequal, The Girl from Junchow, on the day it was released. Then, school started and I have not had time to read it, but I will!

First Blog Award!

2009-09-15T16:39:00.001-07:00

I was thrilled to get the wonderful award from my friend Steph at Stark Raving Bibliophile. I have only been blogging since March, 2009, so to have people actually read my book reviews is GREAT!

The Lemonade Award is a feel good award that shows great attitude or gratitude. Here are the rules for accepting this award:

Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post.
Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude.
Link your nominees with your post.
Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award.

Here are some of the blogs I read on a regular basis that inspire me and make my life a little easier.

Katrina at Callapider Days---She was the first blog I discovered and fell in love with. Her Spring Reading Challenge is the reason I began blogging.
Heather at Age 30+... A Lifetime of Books--- Love her reviews and her book club blog is an inspiration.
Marie at The Burton Review --- I share her love of historical fiction and her Friday Fill-ins are great.
Allie at Hist-Fic Chick --- I have to visit her blog sparingly or I end up at Barnes and Noble with a bag full of historical fiction books she has reviewed.
Jennifer at Snapshot --- She reviews wonderful books for kids and young adults. My son's reading list is richer because of her blog.
Laura at I'm An Organizing Junkie--- I have time to read because of Laura's great tips and especially her Meal Plan Monday.
Carrie at It's Frugal Being Green--- She makes me pay attention to frugal, environmental size of me that tries really hard to hide! I have found lots of inspiration on her site.
Ashley at Make It and Love It--- She makes things I can only dream of. Wish I had her talent.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

2009-09-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

In honor or BBAW, I wanted to share some of my very favorite book blogs. These are the ones I try to read on a daily basis.

The Burton Review

Hist-Fic Chick
My Cozy Book Nook
My Round File
Lost in Books
The Literate Housewife
Stark Raving Biliophile

Wordless Wednesday September 16th

2009-09-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

Chinon, France - June 2008

The Sunday Salon

2009-09-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

For teachers, school started on August 3rd. The last book I finished was on August 2nd!! I was so glad this week to find time to pick up a book and really READ.

This week I started and finished Philippa Gregory's The Other Queen. I also read part of The Prince and I am working my way through A World Lit Only By Fire by William Manchester. The last two are for the European History class I am teaching, so they really don't "count" as pleasure reading.

Today, I spent a great deal of time outside planting my fall/winter garden, but I have also managed to read Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman. This is a fun, eye opening read about royal mistresses throughout history. I am hooked! Not much in here I can share with my European History class, but I am sure enjoying the exploits of Europe's royal families. Our American politicians look really dull and puritainistic (is that a real word?) next to the kings of Europe.

And finally, my most exciting news of the day.... I received my first blog award from my friend Steph at Stark Raving Bibliophile. Thanks!!!

Finally!!! I finished a book! The Other Queen

2009-09-12T16:55:00.001-07:00

by Philippa Gregory

Finally, I found the time to read a book. This is the first book I have finished since school started on August 3rd. Let me tell you, I MISS reading!!! I made myself a promise I will not do this again. Yeah, right. Grading papers, making lesson plans, staying one step ahead of my European History class, 13.5 hours per week at the ball park, dinner, laundry, homework, time with my wonderful husband and dear children… yeah, it might be awhile before I finish another book, so I will just enjoy this one.

Philippa Gregory is one of those authors I love because of where I discovered her. In the summer of 2004 I took a group of 5 girls to England and Ireland. I had picked up a copy of The Other Boleyn Girl at the airport. All 5 of us traded this one copy back and forth all during the trip. Reading this book as we discovered the beauty of England was magical. Touring Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey and The Tower of London all while reading and incessantly discussing the book made it come alive in a way no other book had before. In Westminster we found the tomb of Mary Carey and her husband. We discovered the tomb of Anne Boleyn in the chapel at the Tower of London. Tower Green, the Crown Jewels, the Royal Apartments and the dungeons of the Tower made the story so real. The fascinating place that is Winsor Castle was amazing. Thus began my love affair with the books of Philippa Gregory. Say what you will about historical inaccuracies in her books, her descriptive, imaginative writing draws me in every time.

Westminster Abbey

The Other Queen is Gregory’s story about the imprisonment of Mary, Queen of Scots by Elizabeth I. During this time, Mary is kept under the guard of George, Earl of Shrewsberry and his wife Bess at a variety of their homes and castles. It is a disaster from the start. Bess is a self-made woman. She has made marrying well an art form and through her 4 marriages has earned the title of Countess and amassed property and treasures in her own right. Mary, an ordained Queen has been raised in the French court, married to the King of France and is a Scots Queen on the run. She seeks shelter from the Scots rebels in England and finds herself the prisoner, although in a very luxurious prison, of her cousin, the Queen of England.

The book follows the intimate relationships that develop, the hardship of supporting the court of an exiled queen as well as the various plots to free Mary. Gregory does a good job of telling the story from the viewpoints of Bess, Mary and George, without favoring one character over another. I could easily view each side and understand the actions and reactions of the characters.

Prior to this book, I had not read much about Mary, Queen of Scots, but now I am very interested in learning more about her. Off to see if Alison Weir (my favorite Tudor biographer) has written about Mary….

Rating - A

Fall Into Reading Challenge Is Coming

2009-09-05T05:32:00.000-07:00

The start of school always stops my reading progress in its tracks. I have not even opened a book for 5 weeks! My husband asked the other day why I was so grumpy and I really didn’t have a good explanation. After thinking about it, I really believe it is because I have not had time to read - relax and escape – in such a long time. BUT, I have just the event to remedy that! Katrina at Callapidder Days announced the Fall Into Reading Challenge is coming next week. Immediately, I began collecting a list of books I can’t wait to read and review. So, if you need a reading jumpstart, head over the Callapidder Days this week and join the fun.

Fahrenheit 451

2009-08-16T05:26:00.000-07:00

By Ray Bradbury

I am not sure how I did it, but I managed to make it to 41 years old without having read this book. Unbelievable. My high school students could not believe I had not read it and challenged me to read it over the summer. My book club chose it for our August read and I can’t wait until we meet to discuss it.

I think I liked the book so much because I read it in Ray Bradbury’s “future”. The book was published in 1953, written during the era of McCarthyism, just after Hitler’s burning of books in World War II and at the beginning of the nuclear arms race. It addresses how society has become listless, uninvolved, self-centered and drugged by the media. It is illegal to own or to read books. Firemen, instead of putting out fires, set them, to destroy that which could destroy society. Montag, the main character is a fireman and happily goes about his business, until he meets a young girl, Clarisse. Clarisse is considered quite mad because she refuses to submit to the restrictions of society. When she suddenly disappears, Montag begins to see his world differently, even stealing books from fires and reading them.

Ray Bradbury’s “future” really is so much like our present. He alludes to the Ipod, big screen TVs, the importance of the media, reality tv, wars no one really pays attention to, high use of medication, and the lack of importance on education. As I read the book, I realized he could be talking about us. While we don’t burn books and it isn’t illegal to own them, there are so many people who self-censor themselves by simply choosing NOT to read. To ignore the knowledge and ideas of others. To ignore the past, when we could learn so much from it. To ignore the beauty of words and instead feast on the abbreviated, abridged drivel of movies and television.

There is still a lesson to be learned from Fahrenheit 451 – society is a reflection of what we allow to happen. The importance of education, including self-education, is critical to the growth and development of both ourselves and our society.

Rating - A+

The Sunday Salon - Summer Reading Review

2009-08-09T18:24:00.001-07:00

Tonight is my very last night of summer vacation. The students arrive tomorrow and the lazy days with lots of reading time will be over. Instead of boring you with all the millions of things I did this week, which did not include much reading, I want to take a look at the books I read this summer.

I read 15 books this summer, which is really pretty good for me. The best part is that there is NOT ONE romance or quick mystery on there. Because I have discovered the wonderful world of book blogs, my reading choices have broadened. Now, I have always read a variety of books, but they just leaned a little heavy on the quick, easy to read variety.

I read 3 classics that I had not read before, Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (well, I read it in high school, but I didn’t really READ it) and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. I loved all of them, especially Fahrenheit 451. How did I make it to 41 without having read this book??? However, I think I liked it so much BECAUSE I read it in 2009. Bradbury’s ideas of what would be futuristic and far-fetched are now common place. The seashell ear piece = the Ipod, the viewing of his flight from the city on TV = reality TV and big screen TVs and home theaters are so similar to his ideas of the wall to wall TV. It makes you think….

I had a World War II theme going without even trying. I read The Reader, Snow Falling on Cedars and The Book Thief. This was after I read Skeletons at the Feast and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in April. I enjoyed the many different perspectives each novel ____ on this period of history. Of these, The Book Thief was my favorite, how can you not like a book narrated by death?

I was surprised to see how many non-fiction books I read this summer. I usually read a lot of non-fiction during the school year to supplement my historical and geographic research, so imagine my surprise when I realized that 5 of my 10 books were of the non-fiction genre. I liked Everything Bad is Good for You by Steven Johnson. Thank you Stephanie for the recommendation.

I discovered one new author, Kate Furnivall, the author of The Russian Concubine. I enjoyed the characters in this book so much I made a special trip to Barnes and Noble to get the sequel, The Girl from Junchow the day it was released. I look forward to reading many more novels by this author.

And that is a quick review of my summer reading experience. While I did not get reviews written for each book, I promise, they are coming, just as soon as I write a few lesson plans.

Wordless Wednesday - August 5th

2009-08-05T19:23:00.001-07:00

Wordless Wednesday - July 29th

2009-07-29T06:14:00.001-07:00

I had a lovely beach picture from our vacation all picked out for today, but last night we picked up this cutie pie and my plans changed!

What's On Your Nightstand - July

2009-07-28T07:09:00.001-07:00

July has been a busy reading month! I finished 7.75 books. That is a lot of reading for me, even during the summer. Going back to school next week is really going to slow my reading pace and I am going to miss my mornings sitting on my back porch with a cup of coffee and my books.

This month I finished:
Salt - A World History
Snow Falling on Cedars
To Kill a Mockingbird
In the Wake of the Plague
Freefall
The Russian Concubine
The Book Thief

I am almost finished with (my .75 book)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Next on my nightstand
Vive La Revolution by Mark Steele
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella (this one on audio for my trip to KY this week)
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (my book club pick for September)
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston - this is a re-read to prepare to teach it in class the second week of August
and if I can squeeze it in...
The Girl from Junchow by Kate Furnivall - this the sequel to The Russian Concubine

What's on your nightstand this month?
For more great book lists visit 5 Minutes for Books.

The Book Thief

2009-07-27T05:50:00.001-07:00

By Markus Zusak

It seems I am the last person on earth to read this book! Somehow I missed this one and just recently picked it up at my favorite place in the world… Barnes and Noble. When choosing my books to take on our beach trip last week, The Book Thief just kept calling to me from the shelf,….”Take me, read me, you will like me….”, so I did. And The Book Thief was right, I did like the book.

For those of you living under a rock, like me, the book is set in Munich during World War II. It follows the story of a Liesel, a 10 year old girl and the people who touch her life during the war. The book is narrated by Death. This in and of itself makes the book different, but what makes it amazing is the writing. The story is beautifully written and pulls you along with beautiful characters that make you ache with sorrow and smile at the love shared between the most unlikely people. This is a story of what it was like to live in Germany during the war and it pulls no punches. Hunger, fear, inhumanity and death all play a prominent role, but so does love and compassion, friendship and learning.

As a reader, the central theme of Liesel learning to read and the way she acquires the books she reads, thorough stealing them, really hits home. The world that opens up for her thorough books is what keeps her going though the war. The relationship she builds with the mayor’s wife and her library takes some amazing turns. The comfort her books bring to others is just another thread that draws a group of unlikely people together, to survive.

The best part of the book however was the author’s style. The book is full of interjections from Death as the story goes along. He will explain things, including himself and his duty, as well as give you teasers of what is to come. In a book that should be dark, drab and depressing, Death uses colors and the most beautiful imagery to tell Liesel’s story.

“It felt as though the whole globe was dressed in snow. Like it has pulled it on, the way you pull on a sweater.”

“The last time I saw her was red. The sky was like soup, boiling and stirring. In some places it was burned. There were black crumbs, and pepper streaked across the redness.”

Now, who wouldn’t want to read a book written that beautifully? I am just sorry It took me so long to read this book.

Rating - A+

The Sunday Salon

2009-07-27T05:09:00.000-07:00

This week found my family at the beach sharing a beautiful beach house with our neighbors. It was a fantastic week. Our kids are all the same age and get along wonderfully. Our husbands are friends and have similar interests, but the best part of the trip was that my neighbor Julie is a reader. Leaving hours of beach and pool time open, not to mundanely talk about the too small bikini on the lady next to use, but to read fabulous and wonderful books!

During the 4 perfect days we spent on the Emerald Coast, I finished The Russian Concubine by Kay Furnivall, started and finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and begain Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. It was a very successful reading trip. Reviews of all books will follow soon, but I enjoyed The Russian Concubine so much I went out and bought the sequel, The Girl from Junchow to read next. The Book Thief was an excellent read, so much so, I am thinking of making it required reading in my AP European History class this fall. Fahrenheit 451 is my book club selection for this month. My students can’t believe I have not read this classic, but I am enjoying it so far. I do not read futuristic novels, but this one has grabbed my attention. We shall see. My goal is to finish before I start back to school on August 3rd.

Booking Through Thursday 7/24

2009-07-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

From Booking Through Thursday

Which do you prefer? (Quick answers–we’ll do more detail at some later date)

Reading something frivolous? Or something serious? Serious
Paperbacks? Or hardcovers? Hardcovers
Poetry? Or Prose? Prose
Fiction? Or Nonfiction? Fiction
Biographies? Or Autobiographies? Biographies
History? Or Historical Fiction? Historical Fiction
Series? Or Stand-alones? Both
Classics? Or best-sellers? Best-sellers
Lurid, fruity prose? Or straight-forward, basic prose? Basic
Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness? Plots
Long books? Or Short? Long
Illustrated? Or Non-illustrated? Non-illustrated
Borrowed? Or Owned? Owned
New? Or Used? New

My "Little" Literary Shopping Spree

2009-07-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

I was a very bad girl today! I went book shopping for our upcoming beach vacation. Not that I needed any books, but my historical fiction tbr is seriously lacking and I really wanted to take a good one on vacation, soooooo I visited some blog friends.... big mistake! Marie at The Burton Review had reviewed Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant and after reading her review, I just HAD to have it. On Marie's blog, I also found Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross and The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner. Stephanie at Laughing Stars, listed How to Read Literature Like a Professor on her blog today and well, that went on my list too. In addition to these, I picked up 6 more books, for a total of 10!! My husband it going to take away my Am Ex card, but at least I will have enough to read until I get it back!

Booking Through Thursday 7/16

2009-07-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

Follow-up to last week’s question:
Do you keep all your unread books together, like books in a waiting room? Or are they scattered throughout your shelves, mingling like party-goers waiting for the host to come along?

I keep my TBR books in several locations and each has it's own purpose...

The books I am planning to read next are stacked up on the table beside my bed - usually no more than 5 or 6, if it is more, I feel like they are going to topple over on me while I sleep.
Books I need to read for research for the classes I teach are on a shelf in my office.
There is a basket of books in my bedroom that I should read, but I am just not in the mood and may never be...
There are also some in my closet, can't remember why they are there and not with the others????
All others, and there are many, are on the book shelves in my great room. This is where I go to pull books for my stack by my bed when it is getting low.

How about you, where do you keep your TBR books? For more interesting answers, go to Booking Through Thursday.

Wordless Wednesday - Farmer in Training

2009-07-15T04:51:00.001-07:00

In the Wake of the Plague

2009-07-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

By Norman Cantor

I selected this book to read for background on the plague in Europe in the 14th century. The European History course I will teach in the fall begins with this catastrophic event. It was not quite what I expected. Norman Cantor is a respected medieval historian and I expected a detailed historiography of the events and the consequences of the plague on Western Europe. There was some of this, but also so detailed stories of individuals and how their deaths may have changed history. One of my favorite theories discussed in the book is that the death of Princess Joan before her marriage to the Prince of Castile was the beginning of the end of the Plantagenet rule of England. His arguments are strong and he makes an excellent case. Overall I learned a great deal about Europe after the plague and how politically and religiously it had changed. Although it dragged in some parts and I felt he repeated himself a great deal, I have some great information to share with my students in the fall.

Rating - B

The Sunday Salon

2009-07-13T06:47:00.001-07:00

My book club met on Sunday. As usual it was a great get together on a typical southern summer night - great food, inexpensive wine (and lots of it), singing tree frogs and one HUGE thunderstorm. As we sat on my back porch eating way too much and watching the rain come down, we discussed Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. (You can read my review here.)

I spent time reading In the Wake of the Plague – the Black Death and the World It Made by Norman Cantor to prepare for the European History class I will be teaching in the fall. I am also reading Freefall by Anna Levine. My big project for this week is to collect books to take with me for our beach vacation next week. I wonder how many books I can read sitting by the pool for 4 days?

Reading Lolita in Tehran

2009-07-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

by Azar Nafisi

Azar Nafisi conducted a class in her home in Tehran, Iran for 2 years. During this class, Nafisi and seven of her former female students studied forbidden western classic literature. Nafisi writes her memoir through a series of four books they read, each paralleling a particular time in the turbulent uprisings in Iran during this time period. She also flashes back to her time as a student in the US, her return to Iran and the time of the Iran Hostage Crisis. She laments the loss of freedoms for women, especially the loss of university education. She details her part in student protests as well as her own refusal to change her teaching or to wear the veil. She explains the events of the revolutions in Iran from a personal perspective, but without a fanatical approach. It is a very believable story.

I felt one of the most effective ways she portrayed the different views on the revolution was through her discussions on the different perspectives of her students regarding the wearing of the veil. One of the ladies wore the veil before the laws requiring it. She and all the women in her family had worn it as a symbol of their religious beliefs. She felt the laws requiring all women to wear the veil were belittling to her religious beliefs, it not longer had significance to her. While, at the other end of the spectrum, you have Nafisi, refusing to wear it while she taught and always being reprimanded for wearing it incorrectly.
The best part of reading this book for me what the timely manner in which my book club chose to read it. I finished the last chapters in the book just as the protests against Ahmadinejad’s election began. At the end of Reading Lolita in Tehran, Nafisi comments that the younger generation in Iran is ripe for change. Maybe this is the beginning.

Rating - B+

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-07-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

1. The last thing I ate was Zaxby's Zensation Chicken Salad and a Coke.

2. Two pairs of Cole Hann shoes is something I recently bought.

3. When it rains, it is cause for celebration!

4. My husband was the first person I talked to today.

5. Hugs are best when they come from your kids.

6. A homemade quilt is extra comfort.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Bunco, tomorrow my plans include not much of anything and Sunday, I want to enjoy my book club meeting!

For more great answers, visit Friday Fill Ins.

Salt - A World History

2009-07-10T04:59:00.000-07:00

By Mark Kurlansky

Salt – A World History traces the production of salt through history, from the first recorded salt production in China in 800 B.C. to 1997, when Morton Salt officially becomes the largest salt company in the world. Kurlansky addresses salt production on all continents (except Antarctica) paying particular attention to the ways salt is mined, evaporated, transported, taxed and used both in cooking, medicine and chemical production. But, the best parts of the book deal with how history has been shaped by salt. For example, when the Greeks and Romans conquered a territory the first thing they did was either take over or build a saltworks. The medieval trading superpower, Venice was built first on the trade of salt, then on other spices, fabrics and exotic goods. The first revolts of the French Revolution were over the taxation of salt. Gandhi started his campaign against the British rule of India by purposefully breaking the British salt laws. These are just some of the interesting historical facts the are based in the trade and production of salt.

This is the second book of this type I have read. The first was And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails by Wayne Curtis. It is one of my favorite books of all time. The author is in fact one of my Facebook friends. I enjoyed this one almost as much. It is interspersed with OLD recipes using salt, such as how to make salt cod and herring, proscuitto de Parmi, parmesano reggiano and even soy sauce. In a sea of boring world history books, this one is unique, offering a very interesting perspective on what might have caused history to take some of the turns it has.

This is the third book I have finished for My Cozy Book Nook's Summer Vacation Challenge. Read my list of books and other reviews here.

Rating - B+

Booking Through Thursday 7/9

2009-07-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

From Booking Through Thursday

An idea I got from The Toddled Dredge (via K for Kat). Here’s what she said:
“So here today I present to you an Unread Books Challenge. Give me the list or take a picture of all the books you have stacked on your bedside table, hidden under the bed or standing in your shelf – the books you have not read, but keep meaning to. The books that begin to weigh on your mind. The books that make you cover your ears in conversation and say, ‘No! Don’t give me another book to read! I can’t finish the ones I have!’

I am almost embarrassed to post this list (almost). There are 27 book on my immediate must read list. This does not include at least 30 others sitting on my shelves that I have no idea when I will get around to reading. This quite an eclectic list, I teach geography which explains all the geography related books. I am also teaching Advanced Placement European History for the first time this year, so there are several books to help me research different time periods I will be teaching. Others are just a random selection of recommended books as well as those that were just too good to pass up at the book store. And, the one sci-fi-ish book, Fahrenheit 451 is my book clubs pick for August. Now, I need several days (weeks) to just read!

Why Geography Matters by Harm de Blij
The Sea Monsters by Rick Riordan
In the Wake of the Plague by Norman Cantor
Vive la Revolution by Mark Steel
Freefall by Anna Levine
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario
What to Read When by Pam Allyn
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Sisters by Mary Lovell
Land of a Thousand Hills by Rosamond Carr
The Diplomat’s Wife by Pan Jenoff
Delivered from Distraction by Dr. Edward Hallowell and Dr. John Ratey
The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman
The Romanov’s – The Final Chapter by Robert K. Massie
The Essential 55 by Ron Clark
Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman
The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman
Naked Economics by Charles Wheelan
Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund
Teaching Geography by Phil Gersmehl
The Annotated Mona Lisa by Carol Strickland

Snow Falling on Cedars

2009-07-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

by David Guterson

I read this book as part of My Cozy Book Nook's Summer Vacation Reading Challenge. Here is my original list and other reviews for this challenge.

In 1954, on San Piedro Island, north of Puget Sound, a Japanese American is on trial for the murder of a local fisherman. Coming so soon after the events of World War II, specifically, the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the evacuation of the island’s Japanese descendants to interment camps, the proceedings are just a little twisted. Add to this a long ago romantic connection between two people closely related to the case and you have a story.

The story jumps from the trial to the investigation to events occurring before and during the war. This is the only thing that keeps the story interesting. I could not get into the story at all, probably because I did not like the characters very much. In fact, I really didn’t care what happened to them in the end. They seemed lifeless and passionless for such important events to be taking place. One of the reasons I kept reading was because I knew something dramatic just had to happen, but it never did.

The writing however was excellent. I enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery of the Pacific Northwest. I specifically enjoyed how the author set the stage for the snow storm that takes place during the trial. The flashback scenes were some of the best in the book. From the Manzanar interment camp to the island battlefields of the war, the descriptions and writing were what kept me reading the book.

Rating - C+

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-08T06:56:00.000-07:00