Category: Books

Shelf #24 Complete, On to Shelf #25

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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 what Mawer was getting at with some of her decisions. Considering that Mawer wrote one of my favorite books ever (The Fall), I may be holding him to a ridiculously high standard.

Moving on to shelf #25!

Arthur Miller. I had him up on a pedestal until I learned more about his personal life and how he treated his son Daniel. I used to teach The Crucible, and I used Miller as an example to discuss the idea of separating the art from the artist, which I have a hard time doing. When I find out an author has done reprehensible things or made dehumanizing comments, I’m unable to put that out of mind as I’m reading, and I’ll often remove the books from my shelves so I’m not forced to think about how disappointed and/or angry I am. I’m faced with this again since one of my favorite authors has been accused of sexual assault. I take comfort in that there are so many other authors out there, and if I have to move on, I have options. It’s a lot to process.

That said, I’ll probably read The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monáe or something by Toni Morrison, even though that will put me closer to reading everything she’s written. 

Books I’ve read:

  • Arthur Miller After the Fall
  • Arthur Miller All My Sons
  • Arthur Miller The Crucible
  • Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman
  • Arthur Miller On Politics and the Art of Acting
  • Sue Miller Inventing the Abbots and Other Stories
  • Sue Miller The Distinguished Guest
  • Sue Miller For Love
  • Sue Miller While I Was Gone
  • Dantiel W. Moniz Milk Blood Heat
  • Toni Morrison Beloved
  • Toni Morrison The Bluest Eye
  • Toni Morrison A Mercy
  • Toni Morrison Song of Solomon
  • Toni Morrison Tar Baby
  • Toni Morrison The Source of Self-Regard

Book Review: Letting Go of Literary Whiteness: Antiracist Literature Instruction for White Students

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Discussions of race and racism can be unpredictable and difficult to navigate, but that doesn’t mean that we can shy away from them or shut them down. Letting Go of Literary Whiteness: Antiracist Literature Instruction for White Students by Carlin Borsheim-Black and Sophia Tatiana Sarigianides addresses the fears and concerns teachers may have and provides concrete methods for navigating discussion of race in the classroom. One of the strengths of this text is that the authors provide examples of real classroom discussions that they then unpack to see where the teacher could have navigated the situation more effectively or point out where the teacher was successful when students became heated. They also provide a framework utilizing backward design to develop units for students to increase racial literacy, because in some texts, it’s difficult to know where to start. Using commonly taught works, like A Raisin in the Sun, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Crossover, and One Crazy Summer, Borsheim-Black and Sarigianides explain how to use a Critical Race Theory lens for literary analysis, planning for discussions involving race, exposing Whiteness and White supremacy, and designing assignments to build racial literacy. 

I also think it’s important to acknowledge that while this text focuses on instruction for White students, the authors also address the reality that most teachers do not have homogeneous racial groupings in their classes and that they need to think about how their curriculum and instructional choices impact BIPOC students. The authors offer concrete ways to address this, as well. 

With the courses I’m teaching, I can’t shy away from discussions of race, and I wish I had read this book earlier in my career. I’ve had moments in my classroom where I’ve struggled and situations that I didn’t feel equipped to handle. While I know I’ll never be able to predict the way a discussion will go, after reading this, I feel like I have a more concrete way to plan units, analyze the texts I teach, design assignments, and prepare for discussions. 

Shelves #22 & #23 Complete, On to Shelf #24

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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 June was a bit chaotic.

When I got to shelf #23, I decided to read The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel. I include “We Ate the Children Last” as an option for students to read for the literary analysis essay, so I had an idea of what I might be getting myself into with this collection of early short stories. I felt like I was reading art. Martel is a brilliant writer, and now I want to read Life of Pi again.

Books I’ve read:

  • David Mamet Jafsie and John Henry: Essays
  • Yann Martel Life of Pi
  • George R. R. Martin A Game of Thrones
  • George R. R. Martin A Feast for Crows
  • George R. R. Martin A Storm of Swords
  • George R. R. Martin A Clash of Kings
  • George R. R. Martin A Dance of Dragons

Now for shelf #24!

The Fall by Simon Mawer is one of my favorite books of all time, so choosing a book from this shelf was easy. I started reading Trapeze today.

Books I’ve read:

  • Simon Mawer The Fall
  • Simon Mawer Mendel’s Dwarf
  • Robin Maxwell The Secret Diary of Anne Boelyn
  • Robin Maxwell The Queen’s Bastard
  • Robin Maxwell Virgin

Book Review: Identity Affirming Classrooms: Spaces that Center Humanity

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My second summer PD book was Identity Affirming Classrooms: Spaces that Center Humanity by Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera, which made me think critically about my classroom space. While I generally receive positive feedback from students about my classroom environment and teaching, I know there are areas where I can improve and challenges I need to overcome that may not be obvious to my students. What I learned while reading this book will help me in many ways. Dr. Buchanan-Rivera provides extensive background information on why identity affirming spaces are important and she includes concrete methods for developing them. I was especially grateful for more resources to refine and improve the materials I use when discussing identity with my students and elements to take into account when organizing my classroom’s physical space. 

I wonder if some of the issues I had with classroom discussion and student engagement could stem from the physical arrangement of my room. I need to figure out creative ways to incorporate conferencing with students and carve out time for community building. This book reminded me how important those things are. My biggest barrier is the combination of large classes and forty minute class periods. When I had smaller classes, conferences and community building were much easier, but I can’t allow them to fall by the wayside just because I sometimes have almost thirty students in my room. 

This is another text I would highly recommend to any teacher regardless of the subject or grade level. We all need to design spaces where students feel valued and safe, and Dr. Buchanan-Rivera addresses every element we need to consider including physical space, classroom materials, and ensuring students feel safe, valued, and supported.

Book Review: Literacy for All: A Framework for Anti-Oppressive Teaching

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My mind works best in the early morning, so an important part of my summer routine is morning reading, planning, and writing. I usually start off by reading a chapter in a professional development text and then think about what I can incorporate into my plans for the next year. Sometimes this leads to bursts of creative lesson planning genius, like this morning as I was finishing Literacy for All: A Framework for Anti-Oppressive Teaching, by Shawna Coppola. While the entire text was beneficial to me, a few ideas provided serious nudges. I found myself completely revamping the way I approach identity and identity webs, thinking about how and where I can incorporate multimodality, and asking myself how I can conceptualize literacy as both a tool for liberation and for oppression. I’ve been working on updating my unit on Things Fall Apart, so the timing of reading this book was perfect. One thing I loved about this Literacy for All was how Coppola cited works that I know well, but made me think about them and how I can apply the knowledge contained within them in new ways. And then there were all the new resources combined with Coppola’s own experience and wisdom that made me want to learn more and continue to revise my units and lessons.

This book set the bar extremely high for my summer professional reading, and I HIGHLY recommend it for any educator.

Shelves #20 & #21 Complete, On to Shelf #22

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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. 

It’s disappointing to me when authors take on topics like this and miss the mark. Diving into the critical reviews did give me a deeper understanding of life in the concentration camps and various roles prisoners played to ensure their survival, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Now for shelf #21!

I’ve read all these. Multiple times. Since I needed a brain break (it was the last week of school), I decided to read the Crescent City series. I bought the ebooks as a bundle because there was crossover to ACOTAR in the last book. Otherwise, I probably would have skipped them. I read the first book when it came out, and didn’t love it enough to invest the time. Plus, there’s the fact that they are ridiculously long. Somehow I read all three (2,443 pages) in 23 days. The third book was slow at times, but I enjoyed the series overall.

Shelf #22 (Finally)!

I’m trying to remember why I felt the need to own every book by Bernard Malamud. Maybe I should have picked one to read, but I grabbed The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan instead. 

Books I’ve read:

  • Gregory Maguire Wicked
  • Bernard Malamud The Fixer

I need to finish my bookshelf challenge by the end of the summer!

Shelf #19 Complete, On to Shelf #20

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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 out to me was how distinct each story and character was. Yes, the style of writing in each story was similarly captivating, and there were common threads running through the collection, but each character had a clear persona and voice. I’ve read a couple books recently where the authors didn’t do the best job of making characters not seem like nearly the same person, which is why this stood out to me the most. It didn’t surprise me to learn that Louis teaches creative writing. 

Now for shelf #20!

Ah, Cormac McCarthy. A student just finished reading Blood Meridian, and I told her to read No Country for Old Men so we can discuss The Judge, Anton Chigurh, and what it means to be evil. She thought that was a great idea. Yes, you should probably worry about us. That said, the only book by McCarthy I have not read is Cities of the Plain, the third book in the Border Trilogy, and since I didn’t love the first two, I will not be reading that now. Instead, I have decided to read The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I’m halfway through, and it’s good, so far. I’ll save my thoughts for when I finish the book, because I’m sure I’ll have plenty.

Books I’ve Read:

  • James McBride Deacon King Kong
  • Cormac McCarthy All the Pretty Horses
  • Cormac McCarthy Blood Meridian
  • Cormac McCarthy The Crossing
  • Cormac McCarthy No Country for Old Men
  • Cormac McCarthy The Road
  • Larry McMurtry The Last Picture Show
  • Mary McGarry Morris A Dangerous Woman

Shelf #18 Complete, On to Shelf #19

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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’m going to do whatever I feel like doing and try not to feel pressure to sign up for ALL THE THINGS. 

Now for shelf #19: 

It may be a while until I get to the next book on this adventure because I have a pile of books friends lent me and three for book clubs this month. When I have time, I’ll probably read either Lost Children Archive by Valeria Lusielli or Sinking Bell by Bojan Louis.

Books I’ve read:

  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  • The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

I read some of The Essential Tales of H. P. Lovecraft because a student was creating an activity for a presentation he was giving on Lovecraft. His game was called “Ms. Kraft or Lovecraft.” Apparently, I did too good of a job of emulating Lovecraft’s style because no one could tell any of the pairings apart. I win!

Shelf #17 Complete, On to Shelf #18

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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 usual. I absolutely loved The City We Became and The World We Make, but it took me a long time to read them. I think I started The City We Became three times before I had time to keep going. Once I get the fourth marking period mapped out and organized, I will be able to focus on reading again. 

As for a review . . . I have to say that I was surprised at how different these books seemed from The Broken Earth trilogy. They weren’t what I expected, but that’s not a bad thing. The novels center around the avatars of New York City, which has just been awakened, and the battle that ensues with an entity trying to destroy it. I’d say more about the general plot, but I don’t want to spoil anything. The avatars are the embodiments of each of New York City’s boroughs, Jersey City (in an interesting twist), and the city as a whole. What I loved most was the character development of each avatar and the dynamics between them. I read the bulk of each novel in one sitting because I was so invested in the world building and the characters. I’m sad that it ended up being a duology instead of a trilogy because I’d love more (but I totally understand why the trilogy didn’t happen). Highly recommend these!

Now for shelf #18!

This decision is easy. I will be reading Babel by R. F. Kuang. 

Books I’ve read:

  • The Stand by Stephen King
  • The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
  • The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
  • Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
  • Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler
  • Lightning by Dean Koontz
  • The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
  • Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov
  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle 
  • Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence

March Reads

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I read more books in March than I did in February, but these are the ones worth sharing. I read a bunch of picture books and Little Golden Books while shopping for my nephew’s 6th birthday present, but I’m only sharing the two picture books I bought him. I also read some problematic romance novels, that I refuse to share because they have over four stars on both Goodreads and Amazon, and I don’t want to have to argue with people.

I can’t really pick a favorite for the month because I loved all of the books I read for different reasons, and I won’t be surprised if all of them make my list of year-end favorites.

I predict that my reading will pick up in April once I get the end of the school year mapped out and the dust settles from the end of the third marking period!