Tag: reflection

Shelf #14 Complete, On to Shelf #15

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I’m flying through these books, which isn’t surprising because I bought most of them because I really wanted to read them at the time. Woe from Wit was great, but because it’s humorous, I know it would be better to see it performed. I looked online, but all the performances I could find were in Russian. I can see why my former student recommended it to me.

I didn’t know much about Transcendent Kingdom before I started it. I bought it because Homegoing was brilliant. I read it in a little over a day because so much of it hit close to home. Like the main character, I’ve struggled with faith and I’ve had loved ones battle opioid addiction. What resonated with me the most was how the main character, Gifty, struggles with her relationship with her mother and recognizing her as a whole person. Gifty also grapples with racism, being an immigrant, and abandonment from her father. I always begin the year with “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, and for me, this novel was all three. Every element of this novel was so well developed, and I couldn’t stop reading even when it was hard. Gyasi is now on my list of writers whose books I’ll buy immediately without question.

Finding out that my copy is autographed was a nice surprise!

Now for shelf #15!

I’ll be spending some time on this shelf because there are a few books that will take care of challenge categories, and I have too many bookshelves to trust that I’ll be able to circle back around before the year ends. I need to read Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg because it’s a thriller or crime novel in translation (The Story Graph’s Genre Challenge), and Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson because she’s Jamaican and it’s a work of science fiction written by a woman (The Story Graph’s Genre and Read the World Challenges). I like how the challenge categories are making decisions easy for me!

Books I’ve read:

  • A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
  • Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
  • The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
  • Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness
  • The Kiss by Katherine Harrison
  • Hiroshima by John Hersey
  • Lady Sings the Blues by Billie Holiday with William Duffy
  • The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
  • A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Shelf #13 Complete, On to Shelf #14

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Beowulf: The Script Book contains the original script for the Beowulf movie and the script that eventually made it to the screen with commentary by Roger Avary. For a variety of reasons, I was not expecting to stay up all night reading Beowulf: The Script Book, but that’s what happened. I love it when writers discuss their process, and I was fascinated by the differences between the two scripts and what Roger Avary went through to bring Beowulf  to the screen. I expected that reading two versions would be repetitive and possibly tedious, but I was quite wrong. Now I want to reread the original Beowulf and watch the movie. Maybe we’ll get more snow, and I’ll have extra free time!

Now for shelf #14

Because I’m indecisive, I plan to read two from this shelf: Woe from Wit by Alexander Griboedov and Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. Woe from Wit was recommended by a former student and Transcendent Kingdom will take care of some reading challenge categories. 

Books I’ve read:

  • The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
  • The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
  • The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass
  • Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer
  • The Firm by John Grisham
  • A Time to Kill by John Grisham
  • The Last Great Dance on Earth by Sandra Gulland
  • The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland
  • Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe by Sandra Gulland
  • Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
  • Miss Kraft Is Daft by Dan Gutman
  • Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

Shelf #12 Complete, On to Shelf #13

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I’m a morning person, so even though we have a two hour delay, I was up at the usual time. I love having time to read and reflect in the morning, and I hate feeling rushed, so I’m enjoying every minute of this time. I finished Howards End yesterday morning, and I liked it more than I thought I would. It had a “rich people are horrible and ruin everything” vibe that made me think of The Great Gatsby, and Forster’s writing wasn’t quite as dense as other literature from that time period. Howards End was published in 1910, so it’s a bit past the Victorian era. For some reason, anything written in that time period has either been a massive struggle for me or a DNF. Even contemporary works set in that time period irritate me. I’m not sure why because I know there’s a lot of brilliant Victorian writing. It’s just not my thing. Howards End satisfies “published 100+ years ago,” “on your TBR 5+ years,” and “an unexpected inheritance” on the Beat the Backlist Challenge.

Now for shelf #13!

I’m sure people who know me well will be shocked that I haven’t read everything I own by Neil Gaiman, so I’ll get to work on that. I’m reading Beowulf: The Script Book because I’m in the mood for some classic fantasy, and I’ve always been curious about this adaptation. I’ve not seen the movie, so that will have to happen. This also satisfies a bunch of challenge categories!

Books I’ve read:

  • American Gods 
  • Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
  • Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman
  • Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
  • The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  • Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves
  • Neil Gaiman’s Make Good Art Speech
  • Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
  • Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
  • Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
  • Stardust by Neil Gaiman
  • Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman
  • The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman
  • The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman
  • Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
  • Grendel by John Gardner

Shelf #11 Complete, On to Shelf #12

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Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe was entertaining but definitely a product of the 80s. I must have seen the movie because as soon as I started reading, I remembered the basics of the plot. What I found most engaging was the structure and how the multiple points of view across different time periods pieced the main elements of the plot together. For my reading challenges, this will count as a book with a door on the cover, on my TBR 5+ years, between 300 and 400 pages, and 3+ points of view, so it was definitely a good choice in that sense.

Now for shelf #12

I’m  not sure why I started reading Howard’s End by E. M. Forster, because I had a lot of options on this shelf. It checks off most of the boxes for a book that usually ends up as a DNF, but I’m over 100 pages in, and I’m completely invested in some of these characters. There are exceptions to every rule, right? 

Books I’ve read:

  • Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  • Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
  • Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
  • Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
  • The Autobiography of Ben Franklin by Ben Franklin
  • All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum
  • It Was on Fire When I Laid Down on It by Robert Fulghum
  • Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
  • An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
  • Written in My Heart’s Own Blood by Diana Gabaldon

When I have time to reorganize my shelves, I’ll probably make a separate section for autobiography/memoir. I don’t like that they are mixed in with fiction. I have no idea why I did that.

2023 (Reading) Year in Review

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This was a fantastic year for reading! I read 265 books, which is more than I’ve ever read in a year. I can’t get too excited because around forty of the books I read were picture books I checked out of the library for a banned books activity. My overall page count was less than 2021 and 2022, so while I read more books, my total reading volume was less. 

My main goal for 2023 was to write more reviews. I wrote three, which is three more than I’ve written in the past, so I suppose I met the goal. My intent, however, was to review all of the books I received as part of the Graywolf Galley Club, but that didn’t happen. I reviewed one Graywolf Galley Club book (I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel), one I found on Netgalley (Winter Harvest by Ioanna Papadopoulou), and another (Verified by Mike Caulfield and Sam Wineburg) because it was amazing and I ended up receiving it pre-release. My goal for 2024 is to review more, especially the Graywolf Galley Club picks. I’ll start the first one of the year tomorrow.

My other goal was to read more of the books I own, and I did work on that. My bookshelf challenge is helping. Fifty-three of the books I read this year are ones from my shelves, but I need to do better. I’ve joined a number of reading challenges and I plan to prioritize the books I already own. This will help guide my bookshelf challenge pics, and shift my focus to the books that have been languishing on my shelves. There are so many books I bought because I was excited to read them, but had to put them aside because life and/or other reading obligations got in the way. There’s no reason why there are unread Nnedi Okorafor and N. K. Jemisin books on my shelves!

In general, my goal for 2024 is to do what I want, so I’ll be focusing on reading what I want. Obviously, I bought all these books because I wanted to read them, so I will make what’s on my shelves my top priority. I also want to write more, so I plan to read more critically and deliberately if it’s a book I want to review. I have no desire to push myself to read more books in 2024. I just want to read well.

I’ll close with my favorite books of 2023! Happy New Year!

Shelf #9 Complete, On to Shelf #10

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Disgrace was a lot. It had everything that usually makes me love a book: masterful writing, a messy main character (who I wanted to punch in the face), and many angles for critical analysis. I wish I had more time to sit with it and dig deeper into the characters and the social commentary, especially the significance of the title, but I wanted to finish it before the year ended. (One of my goals for next year is to read slowly and deliberately instead of rushing to see how many books I can finish.)

Now for shelf #10!

I haven’t read many of the books on this shelf, but my choice will be Sweet Land Stories by E. L. Doctorow because it meets at least one of the categories in the book challenges I’m hoping to complete in 2024. More on that later (tonight maybe).

Books I’ve read:

  • Day After Night by Anita Diamant
  • Good Harbor by Anita Diamant
  • Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 

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 #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!