Category: Books

Shelf #8 Complete, On to Shelf #9

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I was a brat and read The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote last night. To be fair, I love Capote’s writing and vividly remember my first encounters with his works. I had to read Other Voices, Other Rooms my senior year in AP English, and I still remember how the writing made me feel even though I can’t recall exactly what happens in the text. I also vividly remember my teacher judging me because I refused to take a copy with the ugly cover. I told him I wouldn’t read it if he didn’t give me the pretty one. He obliged because he was amazing. He’s also the reason I became an English teacher, mostly because of the books he had us read. Life changing! The Thanksgiving Visitor evoked that feeling again, and I was transported back to those moments.

I should also add that this is a first edition that was discarded from my school’s library. Lower Paxton Junior High School no longer exists, and I’m not finding much about the history of my school district aside from that it was formed in 1954. I’ll have to do some more digging, because this has me curious about the history of my district. I know some people I can ask.

Now for shelf #9!

This shelf has a lot of unread books I could be in the mood for right now. I refuse to read Imaginary Friend because it’s scary. I only bought it because I was at a book signing, and Stephen Chbosky himself said that it wasn’t that bad. People who’ve read it and know me well have warned me not to read it. I’m a big baby and have a hard time with horror, so I’ll just cherish my autographed copy and my dorky picture!

I’ll probably spend the next hour (or three) reading the backs of the books I haven’t read and looking up reviews online. I need to pick something I can finish by the end of the year.

Books I’ve read:

  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
  • Little Bee by Chris Cleave
  • Adultery by Paulo Coelho
  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
  • Aleph by Paulo Coelho
  • Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho
  • The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
  • The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  • Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan
  • A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali by Gil Courtemanche
  • Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham
  • The Hours by Michael Cunningham
  • Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham
  • Trust by Hernan Diaz

Shelf #7 Complete, On to Shelf #8

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I wasn’t expecting to get sucked into March, but I did and spent over two hours reading on Saturday night because I had to finish it. I’m not even sure what compelled me, especially since I’ve never read Little Women. It was probably a combination of the beauty of the writing and the character development. Now I want to read more by Geraldine Brooks.

Now for shelf #8!

I’m tempted to be a brat and pad my 2023 total by reading The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote. There isn’t anything on this shelf that I’m in the mood to read right now. 

Books I’ve Read:

  • The Stranger by Albert Camus
  • Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
  • The Grass Harp by Truman Capote
  • In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
  • Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote
  • My Ántonia by Willa Cather
  • The Survivalists by Kashana Cauley
  • The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
  • Maps & Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands by Michael Chabon
  • The Awakening by Kate Chopin
  • Lilacs and Other Stories by Kate Chopin
  • Winkie by Clifford Chase

Shelf #6 Complete, On to Shelf #7

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A Man for All Seasons was good. I read it quickly and was nostalgic for my obsession with the Tudors. I had no time to indulge or even start my next book, however, because life and work became ridiculously overwhelming. Today was the first day of winter break, and I finally had time to slow down.

On to shelf #7

I had a lot of options on this shelf, and I was drawn to March by Geraldine Brooks. I probably should have done a little more research on it before starting, because it’s a retelling of Little Women from Mr. March’s perspective, and I have not read Little Women. Oops! I know the story well enough, so it hasn’t been a problem. I’ll write more once I finish it.

I’m lucky I picked March because I’m planning next year’s reading challenges, and many of the books I haven’t read on this shelf fit various categories.

Books I’ve read:

  • Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
  • Witness by Jamal Brinkley
  • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  • Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
  • The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
  • The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  • Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs
  • Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
  • This Is the How by Augusten Burroughs
  • Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
  • Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler
  • Possession by A. S. Byatt

Shelf #5 Complete, On to Shelf #6

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The end of November was extremely busy, so I didn’t have time to write a Nonfiction November recap. Because of stress and reading two books with over 500 pages, November wasn’t my best month for reading in terms of total books read (only ten). I was, however, able to read six works of nonfiction including my choice from bookshelf #5, Nobody Knows My Name by James Baldwin.

For the past few days, I’ve been trying to figure out how to articulate my feelings for James Baldwin. There’s just something about the way he writes that I love so much. Plus, I feel like my brain gets a good workout every time I read his work. He holds nothing back, and his ideas and critiques of America are still relevant and necessary. 

Now for shelf #6!

On this shelf I’ve read all of the Nick Bantock books, and Waiting for Godot.

For some reason I’m being drawn to A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt. For a long time, I was fascinated by Tudor England, and I immersed myself in books about Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. When I visited the Tower of London, I stood where Anne Boleyn was beheaded and it was quite surreal. I enjoyed watching The Tudors on HBO, and one of my favorite characters was Sir Thomas More. I’ve only read one play this year, so this will be good for me.

I need to keep reading and finish this year strong!

Nonfiction November Photo Prompt: Dedication

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For some reason, the first thing that came to mind when I saw today’s photo challenge prompt was how much I value the autographed copies of my books, especially those with the dedication, “To Michelle.” Here are the stories behind the encounters with some of my favorite authors.

I had the opportunity to meet Sir Ken Robinson at an extremely difficult time in my life. He was the keynote speaker at the Pennsylvania Educational Technology Conference and Expo (PETE&C), and I would have backed out if I didn’t want to hear him speak so badly. When it was my turn at the autograph table, I thanked him for his work and told him that my students always love his TED Talk, “Schools Kill Creativity.” He treated me like the most important person he’d ever met, had me sit beside him, and picked my brain about how I was using his work in my classes. It was a moment I’ll never forget, and it was exactly what I needed to bring me out of the funk I had been in.

In 2019, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi spoke at the Harrisburg Book Festival, so of course, I HAD to be there. He was speaking with Dr. Imani Perry, whom I had never heard of. I purchased a copy of Breathe: A Letter to My Sons, to familiarize myself with her work, and I was mesmerized by the brilliance of her writing. On the day of their talk, I was set on making myself look like the biggest dork in the world. On my way into The Midtown Scholar, I walked in front of a car and almost got myself run over. I was mortified when Dr. Kendi got out. He was very nice and held the door open for me, so I guess he wasn’t judging me too harshly! Then, when I was in the signing line, I was fangirling over Dr. Perry’s writing. Dr. Kendi laughed and told me that he felt the same way the first time he read her work. They were both so gracious and wonderful to talk to.

Dan Pink and Guy Kawasaki were also keynote speakers at PETE&C. I don’t have a funny story about Dan Pink, because I didn’t have a lot of time to interact with him. Guy Kawasaki was Apple’s Chief Evangelist, and I was trying to hide all my Windows devices from him during the smaller breakout discussion after his keynote. I remember joking with him about the Borg and Star Trek, which led to what he wrote on the cover of his book.

Another highlight of my life was getting to have lunch with an astronaut at Kennedy Space Center. As soon as I told Tom Jones I was a teacher, he treated me like a total rockstar. I kept thinking, “YOU’VE BEEN TO SPACE FOUR TIMES!!!” as we were talking.

It has been a long time since I’ve had the opportunity to see an author speak and then meet them. I need to work on that.  As much as I appreciate interacting with authors on Zoom, I’d love to have more in person experiences. That may be a good reading goal for 2024! 

Book #3 Complete, On to Shelf #5

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The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution, was good. I didn’t love it, but I learned a lot and I’m glad I read it. 

And now for bookshelf #5!

Since it’s Nonfiction November, I’ll read Nobody Knows My Name by James Baldwin. Once again, I’ve read most of the books on this shelf. Apparently I prefer authors whose names place them at the beginning of the alphabet. 

Books I’ve Read:

  • James Baldwin The Fire Next Time
  • James Baldwin Go Tell It on the Mountain
  • James Baldwin Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone
  • Kelly Barnhill When Women Were Dragons
  • Ronald H. Balson The Girl From Berlin
  • Ronald H. Balson Once We Were Brothers
  • Ronald H. Balson Saving Sophie
  • Ronald H. Balson Karolina’s Twins
  • Iain Banks The Wasp Factory

Book Review: Verified by Mike Caulfield & Sam Wineburg

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Today, I finished reading Verified: How to Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions about What to Believe Online by Mike Caulfield and Sam Wineburg for Nonfiction November’s “Web” prompt.

I consider myself a very savvy person when it comes to navigating information online. I’ve been teaching high school English for almost 24 years, and I have master’s degrees in Classroom Technology and Library and Information Science. I love teaching research skills, especially evaluating information for credibility and bias, mostly because I’ve seen so many people I care about get sucked into misinformation and easily debunked conspiracy theories. Because I know the information landscape is constantly changing, I do my best to keep up. When I saw that Mike Caulfield and Sam Wineburg were releasing a book, I knew I had to have it immediately, because I’ve used their work with my students and when preparing professional development for my colleagues. 

I’m familiar with Caulfield’s SIFT method, and Verified provides many examples of how to use it in different contexts. As a longtime fan of the CRAAP test, I appreciated learning why checklists don’t hold up, and why the SIFT method is a faster and more reliable alternative. I may be most grateful for the chapter on Wikipedia because so many of my students and colleagues are not aware of how far it has come or what a valuable tool it can be. As I was reading, I kept marking pages with ideas that could be turned into activities for students (and possibly colleagues), and I see myself sitting with this book as I revise and update my research lessons. I learned a lot from the chapter on advertising because I found out that there’s so much I didn’t know about online advertising, especially native advertising. Caulfield and Wineburg also address AI in the postscript and explain how the SIFT method holds up in the face of AI generated disinformation. 

This book is extremely accessible and would be valuable for anyone who wants to be smarter in how they approach the information they encounter online. For those of us who teach research, it’s a must read.

Nonfiction November

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I’m a sucker for creative reading challenges, so when I saw posts about Nonfiction November on Instagram yesterday, I immediately scrambled to figure out what I wanted to read. I’m not sure I’ll be able to do the daily photo challenge, but I should be able to read four books based on the prompts. I love that the prompts are single words that participants can interpret however they want. Here are my selections.

Fraud — This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving by David J. Silverman

Web — Verified: How to Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions about what to Believe Online by Mike Caulfield & Sam Wineburg

Capital — How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

Display — The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Now I need to finish Underdogs tonight, so I can start Verified tomorrow.

Book #2 Complete, On to Shelves #3 & #4

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Something to Declare is a collection of essays that are responses to questions Alvarez has been asked by readers over the years. She addresses her family’s involvement in the attempted overthrow of Trujillo, balancing being both Dominican and American, the writing of many of her novels, and her journey as a woman and writer. I always love reading Alvarez’s work, so this was fascinating and inspiring for me. I have been collecting writing advice for myself and my students, and I marked many passages as I was reading. In one case, Alvarez challenges what I was told by a favorite professor who always told us to write what we know. For Alvarez, writing is an exploration of what we don’t know and a way of figuring out what we need to know. She also acknowledges that our lives will always show up in our writing and that writers should never censor themselves out of fear of how those close to them will react. 

“One of my theories, which may sound defensive and self-serving, is that there is no such thing as straight-up fiction. There are just levels of distance from our own life experience, the thing that drives us to write in the first place. In spite of our caution and precaution, bits of our lives will get into what we write. . . . I think that if you start censoring yourself as a novelist–this is out of bounds, that is sacrosanct–you will never write anything. My advice is to write it out, and then decide, by whatever process seems fair to you–three-o’clock-in-the-morning insomniac angst sessions with your soul, or a phone call with your best friend, or a long talk with your sister–what you’re going to do about it.”

What holds me back is worry over how those close to me will react. Reading Something to Declare has given me a bit more courage. I can write. I need to write, but what I do with what I’ve written is entirely up to me. I’m under no obligation to share everything, but if I keep all my ideas inside because of fear, I’ll never know what kind of writer I could be.

I highly recommend this for anyone who is or wants to be a writer or is a teacher of writing. 

And now for more bookshelves!

I can skip shelf #3 because I’ve read everything on it. Margaret Atwood has always been among my favorite authors, so no one who knows me should be shocked by this.

Selecting a book from shelf #4 is easy because I don’t have much to choose from. I’m going to read The Underdogs: A Novel of the Mexican Revolution by Mariano Azuela because I need a break from nonfiction, and the only other book on this shelf I haven’t read is Margaret Atwood: The Essential Guide. I know very little about the Mexican revolution, and from what I’ve read, The Underdogs is required reading in Mexican schools. I’m looking forward to getting started.

Book Review: Winter Harvest by Ioanna Papadopoulou

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Winter Harvest is the story of Demeter, from her birth and entrapment in her father’s stomach to the loss of her daughter, Kore (Persephone), and her attempts to find her. Papadopoulou’s writing is compelling and I was immediately drawn into the story, mostly due to Demeter’s first person narration. The characterization of Demeter and how she navigates relationships, especially with Zeus and Hera captures the petty nature of the Greek Gods so well. Papadopoulou deftly navigates the distinction between god and human, and simultaneously had me rooting for Demeter and wondering why she doesn’t see that she’s being her own worst enemy. She’s so desperate to prove that she’s not like her brothers or their sons, and yet she often mirrors their behaviors.

What I focused on most while reading, was wondering why Demeter never considers what Kore (Persephone) wants. She treats Kore like an extension of herself, always referring to her as “my girl.” In a way, Demeter is like her father by keeping her child completely under her control. I found myself wondering if the story would have turned out differently had Demeter given Kore more autonomy. The way Papadopoulou treats this part of the story brings up so many interesting things to consider regarding parent/child relationships. Not to mention the treatment of women in general. 

My only criticism is due to some of the writing and/or editing at the beginning. Some of the word choices seemed a bit too 21st Century, and I had to reread some passages for clarity. This didn’t take too much away from my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of retellings of Greek myths! It will be published on November 21, 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing a copy to review!