It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 4/6

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 was again not feeling all that well this week so I spent a lot of time watching HGTV shows on Netflix. I don't know why I tend to want to see this type of show when not feeling well, but I do. Since I was in some pain, I have been taking some medication that makes me feel completely out of it, so brain work did not really fit in. I am seeing my neurologist today and I hope that he will have some solutions for me. That being said, I am officially on Spring Break this week! Woo-Hoo!!!

Books I Finished This Week:

The Red Pencil is a novel-in-verse by Andrea Davis Pinkney. It tells the story of Amira, a young girl who craves learning to read and write, but lives too far away from the nearest school. Then, when war arrives at her village, she and her family find themselves walking to the refugee camp. The story is told from Amira's perspective and would be a good way for middle grade students to understand what happens in other places in the world. I think it would be good to have a literature circle read this one while other groups read Home of the Brave and The Long Walk to Water. There could be some great discussions about how people in Africa work to survive.  

I loved Fish in a Tree. I had read a lot about it from other teachers and librarians and I am just as much in love with this book as others.  I think it would be an excellent read aloud to pair with Thank You, Mr. Faulkner at the beginning of the year, while discussing perseverance and a growth mindset. I hope I am a teacher like Mr. Daniels, who helps the students to see their own strengths. 

Books I am Currently Reading:

I am still listening to/reading Outlander. It is a fun read. I have also been reading some magazines this week. 

What's Next?

I have Ensnared and The Mime Order from the library. I also have 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea which I got interested in while I was reading All the Light We Cannot See. It is a classic that I have never read, so I am curious to see if I will like it. I also have a stack of middle grade titles that I would like to get through. Unfortunately, I had to leave school in the middle of the day on Wednesday, and I was super medicated and unable to drive on Thursday, so I really didn't get to pack up my things to bring home for break. I am hoping I can get into my classroom at some point this week to be able to grab some of the books I want to have here. 

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear form you in the comments!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 3/30

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.

Books I Finished This Week:

I really enjoyed reading The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff. The main character in this book is a little person and he has challenges that he faces every day because of this. When his mother tells him she is pregnant, he really struggles with thinking that maybe his mom and dad will love the new baby more because he/she is normal. I think this is another important book to introduce to students. It would be a really good read aloud because it would definitely start some really interesting and important discussions. 

I love Jane Austen and I love the really fun many versions of her stories. Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg is such a fun book! This adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is set at a prestigious private school in which every girl hopes to be asked to prom, the event of the year for girls there. I love how fun this story was. It really reminded me of the movie Clueless and the way that was an adaptation of Emma. 

Books I am Currently Reading:

I am reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I am alternating listening to the audiobook and reading on my Kindle. It is such a fun story and I am really enjoying the characters. I also started reading The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay for my book club. 

What's Next?

I have a stack that is waiting patiently for Spring Break next week. I will probably continue to look for some shorter reads to read while I am plugging my way through Outlander. It will really depend on what I feel like reading at the time. I think I will try to do a spring book-a-day challenge. 

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments! 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 3/23

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.

Books I Finished This Week:

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a breathtakingly beautiful book. I loved this historical fiction book. The language in this book was gorgeous and the characters were so intriguing. What I liked the most is that the author really brought out the fact that the characters were who they were doing what they were because of circumstances of where they lived when the war started. This is a beautiful story and heartbreaking read, but so worth it. 

La mirada de los angeles by Camilla Lackberg is the 8th book in her Fjallbacka series. It is another great murder mystery featuring Patrick Hedstrom and the crew in the Tanumshed police squad. The first three mysteries in this series are available in the USA in English and I would highly recommend them. 

I was lucky enough to have a school author visit last week from Tina and Carson Kugler, authors of In Mary's Garden. I highly recommend this great picture book about a real-life Milwaukee artist. For more information visit my Slice of Life post from Friday here.

Books I am Currently Reading:

I just started listening to Outlander by Diane Gabaldon. I have both the Kindle book and the Audible audiobook so I will probably switch back and forth between listening and reading this one. I also am reading a nonfiction book from Netgalley about Chocolate and its history. So far it is a very interesting glimpse into ancient cultures of South America.

What's Next?

I am probably going to pick up some of the middle grade titles that I have sitting on my shelves. I want to be able to cross a number of titles off my TBR list and I have been reading long books lately so it will be nice to read some shorter selections. 

Celebrate 3/21

It's Saturday morning and that means it is time to reflect on the week and celebrate things both big and small. Join our community and celebrate this week by linking up or just stopping by the host Ruth Ayres' blog to read others' celebrations.

I haven't done a Celebrate post in a while, but I do take time to reflect on my celebrations each week. I am so thankful for this community because it really makes a difference when I focus on the positive and celebrate little successes as well as big ones.

This list includes things from the last two weeks. I am experimenting with Canva today as well. I have had an account there for a long time but haven't really tried using it for designs yet.

If you want to find out more about the picture book In Mary's Garden, please visit yesterday's Slice of Life post here

Last, but not least, I want to celebrate the fun of using a new digital tool. I think I will continue to experiment with Canva in many future blog posts.

What are you celebrating this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 3/16

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.


So, I did it to myself again. I have too many books going so I did not finish a single one of them this week. Also, I was back at work after missing a week because I was sick. Suffice it to say, there were a lot of things to catch up on. Plus, I was still not feeling better so I was exhausted every night. I came home and fell asleep on the couch and took a nap every day last week.


Books I am Currently Reading:

I am more than halfway through All the Light We Cannot See, which I am loving so far.  I also am reading La mirada de los angeles, which is another mystery thriller from Camilla Lackberg. I love this series. I am still also reading a nonfiction book about the history of chocolate.

What's Next?
I honestly have no idea what I will read next. I think I will probably pick up a number of middle grade titles so that I can get quickly through some of my pile. It will depend on my work load this week and how I am feeling.

What are you reading? Have any recommendations for me? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 3/9

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.

Books I Finished This Week:

Patient Zero: Solving the Mysteries of Deadly Epidemics by Marilee Peters was a fascinating read about how epidemiologists solve the mysteries behind how epidemics started. I highly recommend this very intriguing nonfiction title.

The Forgotten Sisters (Princess Academy, #3) by Shannon Hale is another great read. I really enjoyed going back to Miri's world for another adventure. I recommend this one for fans of the other Princess Academy books. And if you haven't read this series, you should!

Duke by Kirby Larson is a good historical fiction novel. I did not know anything about the movement during World War II of donating family pets for service with the military. I enjoyed the story and was able to identify with the protagonist, as I think all kids who own dogs would. I can't wait to share this title with my fourth graders.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge was an interesting book. It is a fractured retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I thought it was an interesting premise, but not really my cup of tea. If you like science fiction, you will probably like this book. I might have enjoyed the book more in print. I may have lost some of the details while listening to the audio.


Books I am Currently Reading:

I started All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and La mirada de los angeles by Camilla Lackberg. I also am reading a Netgalley of Chocolate: Sweet Science and Dark Secrets of the World's Favorite Treat. This will be another good nonfiction book to add to my classroom library. I am learning a lot about history as well as about cacao trees and cocoa. I also picked up The Right to Write last week.

What's Next?

I probably won't have much time to read anything besides the books I have already started. If I do get finished or decide to pick up another book, I will be choosing from my TBR pile.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 3/2

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 have had a few weeks of not finishing many books. I was so busy and I also made the mistake of starting to read a bunch of books at once. This week, I have been sick and unable to get into work. This means, of course, that I have had more reading time. I do not at all relish the fact that I am sick, but I do appreciate the fact that I am not too sick to read and can at least accomplish something while I am home or at the doctor's office waiting for my appointments.

Books I Finished This Week:

I just have to say that I have been reading some amazing things! I would highly recommend them all.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor is the conclusion to the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. I cannot say enough about these hauntingly beautiful books. I would highly recommend listening to the audiobooks of this series. I listened to the first two books and really missed the audiobook narrator when reading the third book. Her voices really brought the characters alive for me. This story is so full of interesting characters who break your heart and give you joy. And the language that this author uses. I couldn't help but grab a couple quotes to demonstrate the beauty of the language in this book. Highly, highly recommended for high school and adult readers.

"He was angles and darkness, her opposite--a moon-creature to her sun, a slicing shadow to her glow. But that was all silhouette. It was in his smile, and in his eyes, and in his waiting--he was still waiting--that she saw him, and knew him. Strength and grace and loneliness and longing.
     And Hope.
     And Hesitation.
    He was standing still to let himself be judged, and it shamed her. She saw it in his stillness. He was afraid that she would think him a beast, and how could she assure him of what she herself, five seconds before, had been uncertain? How could she tell him that he was magnificent, and she was humbled--speechless not with distaste but with awe."

"The smile that she had never seen yet with these eyes....Warm with wonderment, a smile so beautiful it ached. It crinkled his eyes, and shaped his beauty into another kind of astonishing, a better kind, because it was the astonishment of happiness, and that reshapes everything. It makes hearts whole and lives worth living."

I got Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman from NetGalley. I was super excited to be able to read this one and get the word out that everyone should order it.  The book release date is March 10th so it is perfect timing to preorder the book and have it waiting on your doorstep next Tuesday. I loved this story every bit as much as I loved Seraphina. It is such an interesting story world and I really loved the adventures in this book. Highly recommended for teens and adults.

 When I picked up The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, I knew I would have a quick read and I knew it would be one that I liked. I loved how the rhythms of the poems sang to me and I could imagine how reading this one aloud could be so much fun! What I didn't know is that there would be a very raw personal connection that I would make to the main character. My father had heart issues when I was younger and I found that I could relate to some of the more worried tones in some of the poems.

I loved Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers, just as I loved Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph. Fantasy, romance, political intrigue, and assassins fill the pages of this book and the others in the series. What more could you ask for? I liked the way this book wrapped up the story from the trilogy and brought the stories of all three assassins to satisfying conclusions.



Books I am Currently Reading:

I started reading another book from NetGalley entitled Patient Zero: Solving the Mysteries of Deadly Epidemics. I am really learning a lot from this nonfiction book. It would be a great mentor text for middle school. I also started reading the most recent Camilla Lackberg mystery. I really enjoy her mysteries and I always read the Spanish versions because they are released first in Spain.


What's Next?

I will be starting All the Light You Cannot See for my staff book club. I also have The Marshmallow Test on my shelf and would like to get to the most recent Princess Academy book as well. The formatting was off in my NetGalley copy of Read Between the Lines but if I can figure that out, I would love to be able to read that one too. Jo Knowles rocks!


What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!