by John Grogan
After reading The Longest Trip Home, I decided to pick up Marley & Me. This is a great book. It's a fun and funny read, sad at the end, but not overwhelmingly so. Now I want to see the movie.
When Dreams End
1 year ago
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Bloodstream
by Tess Gerritsen
I like Tess Gerritsen and enjoyed Bloodstream. The book is about a doctor who moves to a small town in Maine that experiences an outbreak of violence. She learns that something similar happened 52 years earlier and sets out to find the cause. The ending was a little abrupt. It seemed to wrap up a little too quickly. But the characters were well developed and the plot moved a lot quite nicely. A good suspense book.
I like Tess Gerritsen and enjoyed Bloodstream. The book is about a doctor who moves to a small town in Maine that experiences an outbreak of violence. She learns that something similar happened 52 years earlier and sets out to find the cause. The ending was a little abrupt. It seemed to wrap up a little too quickly. But the characters were well developed and the plot moved a lot quite nicely. A good suspense book.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is another book I'm rereading for school. I read it at the beginning of the school year and fell in love with it. In fact, this book is the reason I decided to expand my literature circles project. As soon as I read it, I knew I had to teach it somehow. But I also knew it wouldn't appeal to everyone, so literature circles are the answer. The book is told by Arnold (Junior) Spirit who decides (after he is given the same math book his mother used) to go to school at a white school 20 miles away instead of on the reservation. Here's what I love about the book.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is another book I'm rereading for school. I read it at the beginning of the school year and fell in love with it. In fact, this book is the reason I decided to expand my literature circles project. As soon as I read it, I knew I had to teach it somehow. But I also knew it wouldn't appeal to everyone, so literature circles are the answer. The book is told by Arnold (Junior) Spirit who decides (after he is given the same math book his mother used) to go to school at a white school 20 miles away instead of on the reservation. Here's what I love about the book.
- It is absolutely hilarious. Laugh out loud while you're reading silently in class so that all your kids stare at you hilarious.
- It's illustrated.
- It is completely irreverent. (And occasionally inappropriate.) Arnold makes fun of himself, his friends, his family, Indians, white folk, everyone.
- It provides great commentary on race relations.
- It's heart-warming (in an irreverent way).
- It doesn't take itself too seriously.
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Longest Trip Home
by John Grogan
The Longest Trip Home is a memoir written by John Grogan, the author of Marley & Me. I haven't read or seen Marley & Me, but after reading Grogan's memoir, I want to. I actually heard bits and pieces of The Longest Trip Home when it was on Radio Reader; I enjoyed reading the book much more than I did listening to it. No surprise there, though. I'm not a huge fan of Radio Reader or audio books.
The Longest Trip Home tells about Grogan's childhood growing up in a fervently Catholic family in the 1960s, his drifting away from the church, the distance he felt from his parents when he married a non-Catholic, and (as the title suggests), their eventual reconciliation. The book is laugh-out-loud funny but poignant (I got teary-eyed at the end.) It's a good read.
The Longest Trip Home is a memoir written by John Grogan, the author of Marley & Me. I haven't read or seen Marley & Me, but after reading Grogan's memoir, I want to. I actually heard bits and pieces of The Longest Trip Home when it was on Radio Reader; I enjoyed reading the book much more than I did listening to it. No surprise there, though. I'm not a huge fan of Radio Reader or audio books.
The Longest Trip Home tells about Grogan's childhood growing up in a fervently Catholic family in the 1960s, his drifting away from the church, the distance he felt from his parents when he married a non-Catholic, and (as the title suggests), their eventual reconciliation. The book is laugh-out-loud funny but poignant (I got teary-eyed at the end.) It's a good read.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Stotan!
by Chris Crutcher
This is not the first time I've read Stotan! I'm using it for the first time this year in my classroom, so I reread it so I can write a test, create projects, blah, blah, blah. When I decided to use Stotan! with some of my juniors, I was just thinking that it's a good boy book, Chris Crutcher is an awesome writer, I've always wanted to use a Chris Crutcher book with my kids, and this seemed like a good enough time. (I got to meet Crutcher once at the FHSU Fall English Workshop, and he's not only an incredible writer, he's also a really cool guy.) After rereading Stotan!, I'm glad I picked it. It contains more social commentary than I remembered it did, which is really good for the projects the kids will do. Here's what I like about it:
Anyway, I liked Stotan! the first time I read it, and I still like it today. I hope my kiddos like it, too.
This is not the first time I've read Stotan! I'm using it for the first time this year in my classroom, so I reread it so I can write a test, create projects, blah, blah, blah. When I decided to use Stotan! with some of my juniors, I was just thinking that it's a good boy book, Chris Crutcher is an awesome writer, I've always wanted to use a Chris Crutcher book with my kids, and this seemed like a good enough time. (I got to meet Crutcher once at the FHSU Fall English Workshop, and he's not only an incredible writer, he's also a really cool guy.) After rereading Stotan!, I'm glad I picked it. It contains more social commentary than I remembered it did, which is really good for the projects the kids will do. Here's what I like about it:
- It's a sports book that's not dumb. It makes me wish I were athletic. It makes me wish I were disciplined.
- The characters are interesting. If they were real, I probably wouldn't want to hang with all of them, but this book lets me see where they're coming from. I like that in a book.
- There's closure at the ending but still room for the characters to grow.
- It's a good read. Chris Crutcher books are always hard to put down.
Anyway, I liked Stotan! the first time I read it, and I still like it today. I hope my kiddos like it, too.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Noah's Compass
by Anne Tyler
I am a huge Anne Tyler fan. She is one of my absolute favorite authors. I love how she writes about the mundane things of life. She develops such real, such flawed, such utterly un-spectacular (is that a word?) characters. Reading her books is like stepping into someone else's life for a few hours.
Noah's Compass, her latest book, doesn't disappoint. It's about a 60 year old 5th grade teacher who gets downsized out of the job he stumbled into after never finishing his dissertation in philosophy. He moves into a new apartment to save money. He goes to bed the first night in his new apartment and wakes up in the hospital, having been attacked. He remembers nothing about the attack, which he finds troubling, despite everyone's assurances that it's for the best.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but it wasn't one of my favorite Anne Tyler books. Digging to America, Saint Maybe, and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant spoke to me a little more.
I am a huge Anne Tyler fan. She is one of my absolute favorite authors. I love how she writes about the mundane things of life. She develops such real, such flawed, such utterly un-spectacular (is that a word?) characters. Reading her books is like stepping into someone else's life for a few hours.
Noah's Compass, her latest book, doesn't disappoint. It's about a 60 year old 5th grade teacher who gets downsized out of the job he stumbled into after never finishing his dissertation in philosophy. He moves into a new apartment to save money. He goes to bed the first night in his new apartment and wakes up in the hospital, having been attacked. He remembers nothing about the attack, which he finds troubling, despite everyone's assurances that it's for the best.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but it wasn't one of my favorite Anne Tyler books. Digging to America, Saint Maybe, and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant spoke to me a little more.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney
by Suzanne Harper
I picked up The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney from our school library, and I think it is my favorite book of 2010 so far. I guess I like young adult lit better than stuff written for grown-ups. Anyway, the book is told from the perspective of Sparrow Delaney, the 7th daughter of a 7th daughter in a family of psychics. She is expected to have tremendous psychic powers...which she does, but she keeps a secret, even from her family (hence the title), because she wants a "normal" life that does not involve seeing dead people. Of course, this all changes when she meets a new boy and a new ghost.
The characters are engaging, well developed, and compelling. The plot is suspenseful and well constructed. It's quirky yet poignant. And best of all, it takes the reader (or at least it took me) into an another world for at least a few hours. Go read it.
I picked up The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney from our school library, and I think it is my favorite book of 2010 so far. I guess I like young adult lit better than stuff written for grown-ups. Anyway, the book is told from the perspective of Sparrow Delaney, the 7th daughter of a 7th daughter in a family of psychics. She is expected to have tremendous psychic powers...which she does, but she keeps a secret, even from her family (hence the title), because she wants a "normal" life that does not involve seeing dead people. Of course, this all changes when she meets a new boy and a new ghost.
The characters are engaging, well developed, and compelling. The plot is suspenseful and well constructed. It's quirky yet poignant. And best of all, it takes the reader (or at least it took me) into an another world for at least a few hours. Go read it.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
All Things at Once
by Mika Brzezinski
I'm a big fan of Mika Brzezinski on MSNBC's Morning Joe, so I ordered her biography All Things at Once as soon as it was released. It was a quick read, and I learned quite a bit about the politics of network news.
I'd have to give this book a mixed review. Some sections were pretty strong while others didn't hold my interest as well. I felt like the kind of snarky voice Mika sometimes has on Morning Joe was missing from the book. Maybe I've been corrupted by the spunkiness of the young adult lit and blogs I read, but the writing felt kind of flat and impersonal. She was incredibly honest and up front about her career (even the painful and embarrassing moments), but the writing about her personal life seemed a little distant.
I am a stickler for organization, and this book was a little disappointing on that end. A few anecdotes seemed out of place; she skipped around in the chronology of events in a way that I felt was unnecessary and awkward. It seemed as if the book was maybe thrown together a little too quickly. It was a good read, and it was interesting, but I expected something with more pizazz.
I'm a big fan of Mika Brzezinski on MSNBC's Morning Joe, so I ordered her biography All Things at Once as soon as it was released. It was a quick read, and I learned quite a bit about the politics of network news.
I'd have to give this book a mixed review. Some sections were pretty strong while others didn't hold my interest as well. I felt like the kind of snarky voice Mika sometimes has on Morning Joe was missing from the book. Maybe I've been corrupted by the spunkiness of the young adult lit and blogs I read, but the writing felt kind of flat and impersonal. She was incredibly honest and up front about her career (even the painful and embarrassing moments), but the writing about her personal life seemed a little distant.
I am a stickler for organization, and this book was a little disappointing on that end. A few anecdotes seemed out of place; she skipped around in the chronology of events in a way that I felt was unnecessary and awkward. It seemed as if the book was maybe thrown together a little too quickly. It was a good read, and it was interesting, but I expected something with more pizazz.
Looks
by Madeline George
Looks (the story of a fat girl and anorexic girl, both school outcasts, who team up to bring down the "perfect girl") had a lot of potential, but was ultimately disappointing. The characters were interesting but not fully developed and the ending left a lot of questions unanswered. There was really no sense of resolution. It seemed like the author lost control of the narrative, realized she'd written about 200 pages, and just stopped writing when the story was just beginning.
Looks (the story of a fat girl and anorexic girl, both school outcasts, who team up to bring down the "perfect girl") had a lot of potential, but was ultimately disappointing. The characters were interesting but not fully developed and the ending left a lot of questions unanswered. There was really no sense of resolution. It seemed like the author lost control of the narrative, realized she'd written about 200 pages, and just stopped writing when the story was just beginning.
In the Woods
by Robin Stevenson
In the Woods, the story of a boy who finds a newborn abandoned in the woods, is really more of a novella than a novel. It's a quick read (it took me about 25 minutes), and it's interesting, but there's very little character development. The characters are essentially just stereotypes. I think kids might enjoy it because it's so short and because the topic is engaging, but it's not particularly memorable.
In the Woods, the story of a boy who finds a newborn abandoned in the woods, is really more of a novella than a novel. It's a quick read (it took me about 25 minutes), and it's interesting, but there's very little character development. The characters are essentially just stereotypes. I think kids might enjoy it because it's so short and because the topic is engaging, but it's not particularly memorable.
A Little Friendly Advice
by Siobhan Vivian
I read Siobhan Vivian's novel Same Difference last semester and absolutely loved it, so when our school got A Little Friendly Advice, I checked it out immediately. A Little Friendly Advice is about a girl whose long-absent father shows up unexpectedly on her birthday. Her friends and new love interest all offer different advice on dealing with the situation, and she winds up uncovering the secret behind her parent's divorce.
This book had appealing characters, but it seemed a little immature in terms of the writing. Some of the dialogue was artificial, and I didn't think the characters' motives were developed as well as they could have been. It was an okay book, but not as good as Same Difference.
I read Siobhan Vivian's novel Same Difference last semester and absolutely loved it, so when our school got A Little Friendly Advice, I checked it out immediately. A Little Friendly Advice is about a girl whose long-absent father shows up unexpectedly on her birthday. Her friends and new love interest all offer different advice on dealing with the situation, and she winds up uncovering the secret behind her parent's divorce.
This book had appealing characters, but it seemed a little immature in terms of the writing. Some of the dialogue was artificial, and I didn't think the characters' motives were developed as well as they could have been. It was an okay book, but not as good as Same Difference.
I Love You, Beth Cooper
by Larry Doyle
I bought I Love You, Beth Cooper in a bookstore in Berkeley when we were on vacation in 2008, but I never could get into it. I realized this fall that it had been made into a movie and kept meaning to pick it back up, but I never got around to it until this Christmas break.
This book is absolutely hilarious and was totally meant to be made into a movie. It's about a nerdy boy who professes his love of a beautiful cheerleader in his high school valedictory address, and then winds up spending a wild evening with her, trying to escape from her jealous, homicidal boyfriend. There's no deep meaning here, but it's a fun romp.
I bought I Love You, Beth Cooper in a bookstore in Berkeley when we were on vacation in 2008, but I never could get into it. I realized this fall that it had been made into a movie and kept meaning to pick it back up, but I never got around to it until this Christmas break.
This book is absolutely hilarious and was totally meant to be made into a movie. It's about a nerdy boy who professes his love of a beautiful cheerleader in his high school valedictory address, and then winds up spending a wild evening with her, trying to escape from her jealous, homicidal boyfriend. There's no deep meaning here, but it's a fun romp.
The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Diaz
I ordered The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao (which won a Pulitzer in 09) last fall after hearing an interview with the author on NPR. When I got the book and realized it contained things like footnotes (a lot of them), I decided it was far too deep for my sleep-deprived mommy to a newborn brain. I set the book aside until I was looking for something to read this past Christmas break.
I love the voice of this book, which is about a fat, nerdy Dominican boy living in New Jersey. There are a lot of Dominican Spanish phrases sprinkled liberally throughout the book, which I think kept me from getting everything out of the book. (I know, I could have looked them up...but that was too much work for me.) Even so, the book is both touching and funny, and I learned quite a bit about the history of the Dominican Republic.
I ordered The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao (which won a Pulitzer in 09) last fall after hearing an interview with the author on NPR. When I got the book and realized it contained things like footnotes (a lot of them), I decided it was far too deep for my sleep-deprived mommy to a newborn brain. I set the book aside until I was looking for something to read this past Christmas break.
I love the voice of this book, which is about a fat, nerdy Dominican boy living in New Jersey. There are a lot of Dominican Spanish phrases sprinkled liberally throughout the book, which I think kept me from getting everything out of the book. (I know, I could have looked them up...but that was too much work for me.) Even so, the book is both touching and funny, and I learned quite a bit about the history of the Dominican Republic.
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