It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1/6

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? --From Picture Books to YA is a weekly meme started by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their week of reading and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating in this meme and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

I had a great two weeks off of school.  Being in Spain made me feel so disconnected and I was able to have some time to truly relax and enjoy time with my husband.  I did not have an easy internet connection until Tuesday of last week, so I had a hard time keeping up with Monday posts.  I didn't get to link up last week, but I did post.  If you are curious about the books I read in the previous two weeks please click here.

Books I Finished This Week:

I really liked The Forsaken by Lisa Stasse.  It is an adventure and a good start to a dystopian series.  This is a good one for fans of The Hunger Games.  I would definitely recommend it.  

I absolutely love Matthew Quick.  I was really looking forward to this one and he did not disappoint.  This story of a boy who plans to kill a classmate and then commit suicide is tragic and desperate.  The story was realistic and it is a good reminder for people of how much a small gesture can really mean to someone.  As a teacher, the book reminded me that those personal connections I forge with students are incredibly important.  I highly recommend this book to high school students and adults.  I do not think I will take it into my classroom.  The subject matter is a little too much for my 8th graders to handle, in my opinion.  

Dead Connection by Alafair Burke is an adult murder mystery.  I am working on reading more books by the authors I will see in Key West this month.  I definitely enjoyed this book and will continue to look for more by this author.  

Books I am Currently Reading:

I am still listening to The Clockwork Prince. I should be able to finish this week, because I will be back in my workout routine.  I am reading Crank by Ellen Hopkins and The Great and Only Barnum.  I also started Finding the Heart of Nonfiction and will have a chance to read more today as I am working at home in the cold, cold weather.  School was cancelled for today and possibly will be tomorrow because of dangerous wind chills.  Feliz Dia de Los Reyes to me (and my husband).

What's Next?

I am planning to read The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick and Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.  I also have a pile of amazing books that I am anxious to read such as: Everybody Sees the Ants, Reality Boy, Counting by Sevens, The Monstrumologist, The Lord of Opium.  I will grab from this pile and see what I end up with this week.  I also want to read a few more mysteries before I go to Key West Literary Seminar in a couple weeks.

Have a great reading week!