Books

This project completely derailed, and I didn’t start Who Fears Death until January 1st. Like I wrote earlier, 2024 never gave me a break, and I’ll own that I didn’t manage the stress well. I’m working on setting things right, because 2025 has been giving me signs that I need to make major changes. It’s […]

Inspired by a conversation among brilliant educators I follow on BlueSky, I decided to use a “chapter a day” strategy to read books that are long, challenging, or intimidating to me. I went through my bookshelves and selected books and authors that I want to read, but haven’t for the above reasons. Here are my […]

2024 was hard. Extremely hard. I don’t want another year like that, and I know I need to be proactive so 2025 is better. I’ve learned that life can be extremely unpredictable and unforgiving, and I’m looking back over this year to fortify myself for what’s to come. One thing that’s clear is that I […]

I eagerly requested an ARC of Stag Dance because of how much I loved Detransition, Baby. As I usually do with books I intend to review, I purposefully avoided reading anything about it. In this case, knowing nothing forced me to think very critically, because from the very beginning it was clear that this was […]

I’ve been reading Margaret Atwood since I discovered The Handmaid’s Tale on a friend’s mother’s bookshelf when I was in 8th grade. She is one of my favorite authors, and I was excited to read Paper Boat: New and Selected Poems: 1961-2023. The collection is organized chronologically, allowing readers to witness the evolution of Atwood’s […]

I decided to read The Origin of Others by Toni Morrison because I needed wisdom to ground me in this time of chaos. Morrison’s nonfiction is always relevant and it pushes me into deeper understandings of the world around me. Playing in the Dark is one of the most important books I’ve read, and The […]

I was a little disappointed in Trapeze. Maybe I should hold off judgment and just read the sequel, since the ending is what I had a problem with, and the reviews for that are better. While I enjoy Mawer’s writing, I thought the main character, Marian, was a little flat and I found myself asking […]

I’m reading faster than I can post, and I’m not going to complain about that. The Association of Small Bombs was good, and I see why it was nominated for and won so many awards. The writing was brilliant and the content was thought provoking. I probably should have spent more time with it, but […]

I ended up being disappointed in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. As I was reading, I kept feeling that something wasn’t right, and because it was based on a person’s life, I felt wrong for not liking it and questioning its veracity. I did some research, read some reviews, and found that I wasn’t alone.  The […]

I read the majority of the stories in Sinking Bell in one night. They were excellent, but I probably should have taken more time to think and process them, especially since the endings of the stories were ambiguous. I was too immersed in Bojan Louis’s writing, and I didn’t feel like slowing down. What stood […]

Babel was amazing, but it took forever to read. Have I mentioned that this school year has been extra chaotic? My brain is barely functioning, so I won’t be able to give Babel the review it deserves. I’m looking forward to summer, because I plan to give myself a break. No book clubs. No PD. […]

I wrote this on April 6th, but never published it. Go me! This is probably not going to be a great year for reading. I’ve been in a funk, and it’s probably because I’m being pulled in too many directions. This has also been a very difficult school year, and burnout started much earlier than […]