Okay, okay. So it's not Monday anymore. I just had to catch up with these posts because if I wait until next week I will have way too many books to talk about.
Coming to Spain is always a surreal experience. I love the culture here and I love my in-laws, but it always feels like we are in a completely different universe while we are here. I do love the way that I disconnect and hardly think about work while I am here. The incredibly long trip is very good for reading. Although, this has changed because they finally have individual video screens on the plane. Watching a couple movies makes the 8 hours on the plane go by a little faster. This time we were flying over the big storm Genesis so we had about three hours of turbulence. I could not concentrate on my book so I watched movies. That did not keep me from finishing a book in the airport though.
Since I had just arrived here last Monday, I was unable to post. Therefore, I have two weeks worth of books to talk about. These are some fabulous books!
Books I Read in the Last Two Weeks:
Ripper by Stephan Petrucha is a fun mystery set in the early 1900s. I enjoyed reading this book and I particularly liked the author's note at the end that explained what was historically accurate and what was not. I am sure any student who is really interested in mysteries would like this book.
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi is another excellent second book in a trilogy. I cannot wait to find out what will happen to Juliette in the last installment. There were some crazy twists in this one and I will now be waiting on the edge of my seat for the third book. I highly recommend this series to fans of dystopian series and fantasy.
Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg is an ARC that I received at a fun literary luncheon at Liza Weimer's house. I had not read any of Eulberg's books before, but I will definitely look for them now. This one is a sweet book about friendship and romance. It is set near Milwaukee and I love all the references to Wisconsin. This book alternates narration between two friends with a little additional banter between chapters. I loved that. Once we are closer to the release date I will be reviewing this one.
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta is a fabulous book. I will say that this book was slow to start for me because I was confused at first. This is the third time I started the book but I was determined to finish it this time. I am so glad I stuck with it. What a heartbreaking but beautiful story. I love how the characters are healed through the relationships and support that they have. I definitely can see how this one won the Printz award. I highly recommend it.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith is another sweet romance with some really complex characters. I love that these two characters met on a transatlantic flight. I also love how complex the issues are. I think most teenagers will be able to identify with the characters. I sped through this one in no time and I appreciate the fact that it is easy to read but still tugged on my heart. I will definitely be pushing this book in my classroom when we get back. My girls will love it!
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is another awesome romance. Cath is the ultimate introverted nerd who is very self-conscious. I love that the protagonist of this book is such a nerd. I could absolutely relate to how she was feeling in college. I also thought the complex issues of dealing with one parent who left and another with bipolar disorder made the story and the character much more interesting. I LOVED both
Fangirl and
Eleanor & Park. I can't wait for more from this author.
The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner is awesome. I am not going to go into much detail because I will review it closer to the release date, but suffice into say that you will need to read this book! Pre-order a copy now.
Books I am Currently Reading:
I started The Forsaken and will be continuing with this one in the next couple days. I am also still listening to The Clockwork Prince.
What's Next?
I want to read The Silver Linings Playbook and Flight Behavior as well as Finding the Heart of Nonfiction
I have a bunch of other books on my Kindle and I will choose from there if I have time for more.
So many great books here!!
ReplyDeleteUnravel Me -- so many things happen here. I can't wait to see how this series ends.
I saw Elizabeth Eulberg in a session at NCTE, and she is THE. CUTEST. I got Better Off Friends and Take A Bow, but they were both snatched up by students.
On Jellicoe Road -- I felt the same way when I read it. I actually JUST talked about this book today, and warned my friend to stick with it even when it's not making sense. At first I couldn't tell exactly what the setting/world was...it didn't seem REAL.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight -- Such a cute book, but next to impossible to spell lol. I got This Is What Happy Looks Like for Christmas, and I can't wait to read it.
Fangirl -- I was planning to read this this week, but I might pass it to my mom because she's stuck on the couch post-ACL surgery.
The Summer of Letting Go -- Another NCTE book that's been snatched up and passed around! I haven't even had a chance to read it :(