It's THIRSTday! Pinned by Sharon G. Flake

I am all about excuses for blogging. I came across Thirst Day on Twitter from @LibraryFanatic. You should follow her! Thirst Day is a meme started by Dave Etkin over at Eat the Book. He's got all kinds of fun stuff over there!

The book is Pinned by Sharon G. Flake. I just started, so I'm just meeting the main characters, Adonis and Autumn. So far, I like the alternating chapters. The drink is regular H2O, but I threw in my Little Miss Chatterbox to liven up the joint.

 

Happy Reading (and sipping)!

Waiting on Wednesday - Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner 1/30/13

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where you highlight one book that you can't wait to hit the bookshelves!

February 12 is the release date of Sally Gardner's Maggot Moon. I have heard some good buzz about this one. And I love this description of the main character from the book's website:

The character of Standish Treadwell, who is at the centre of the story, became almost complete when I found his name. I knew then who he was. I wanted to have a main character who was dyslexic like me, except I wanted to portray him not through bad spelling, as is so often done in literature, but through the way he thinks, and how he sees the world slightly off key. Bad spelling is, after all, only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to being dyslexic. Standish is a character that seemed so natural to write, he almost wrote himself. He is one that I love dearly.
~ Sally Gardner, September 2012

Here's a peek at the book trailer:

Happy Reading!

Treat Tuesday 1/29/13

Image from Ms. Houghton's blog

Who doesn't need a little inspiration to blog? I'm totally elbowing my way into the Treat Tuesday act, started by @nikiohsbarnes. You simply share what you're reading and what you're snacking on!

Enjoying a little afternoon snack of some deliciously juicy Honeycrisp Apples while I get into Hope Larson's graphic novel adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. It jumped out at me from my TBR pile last night, and it's the perfect stormy weather to get into an adventure with Meg and Charles Wallace.

 

Happy Reading! (And snacking!)

 

 

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1/27/13

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. I heard about it from the Teach Mentor Texts blog, which puts a "Picture Books to YA" twist on it. I like to post my MG/YA, adult, and professional reads here!

Last Week I Dived Into...
Being Henry David by Cal Armistead. This book rocks. It transported me to the woods of Walden Pond and I wasn't halfway finished before I was making plans for a day trip to Concord the next time I'm in Boston (my sister lives there; I'm not a cool world traveler or anything). Teens will be sucked into the journey with Hank to discover his identity.

I also finished Anthony Horowitz's The House of Silk, a Sherlock Holmes mystery. It was a great escape read.

 

 

 

 

This Week I'm Diving Into...
See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles. So many tweeps have raved about this, so when I finally found it at Anderson's Bookshop, I snatched it right off that shelf. Plus, it has a blurb from Rebecca Stead on the cover, so I know I'll love it.

Monday Mornings by Dr. Sanjay Gupta for my book club. It is the fictional account of surgeons and the triumphs and failures they face when life and death lay in their hands. I'm looking forward to branching out with this read.

Professionally, I am reading Pathways to the Common Core: Accelerating Achievement by Lucy Calkins. Finishing this one this week for sure!

Happy Reading!

THIRSTDay - Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

I am all about excuses for blogging. I came across Thirst Day on Twitter from a great librarian to follow, @LibraryFanatic. Thirst Day is a meme started by Dave Etkin over at Eat the Book. He's got all kinds of fun stuff over there!

 

Think warm thoughts. Repeat.

 

It's cold here. It's probably cold where you're at too. I get cranky when I'm cold. So I got excited when I remembered it was THIRSTday, and that means a book and a beverage! I'm pumped to start Being Henry David,  a first novel by Cal Armistead. It comes out March 1st, and you can read more about it here. Warming me up is some green tea with a little honey and a slice of lemon. It's heaven.

 

Stay warm and Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday - Out of the Easy 1/23/13

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where you highlight one book that you can't wait to hit the bookshelves!

On February 12, I will be getting my hands on Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys, author of Between Shades of Gray. Beautiful cover aside, this promises to be a magical story. Check out the author's website for the synopsis and video about the book. The husband and I are heading to New Orleans for Spring Break, so this one will be some good prep for me!

Happy Reading!

Treat Tuesday Time!

Image from Ms. Houghton's blog

Who doesn't need a little inspiration to blog? I'm totally elbowing my way into the Treat Tuesday act, started by @nikiohsbarnes. You simply share what you're reading and what you're snacking on!

Laffy Taffy is the perfect snack to go with Neal Shusterman's The Schwa Was Here. My kids LOL when I read this favorite aloud. The Schwa is our One Book One School selection for 2013, and I couldn't be happier. Love Shusterman, love the Schwa, love lit that gets my kids laughing. I can't wait for Shusterman's visit to our building this Spring. It will be SWEET! (See what I did there?)

Happy Reading (with treats!) this week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1/21/13

 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. I heard about it from the Teach Mentor Texts blog, which puts a "Picture Books to YA" twist on it. I like to post my MG/YA, adult, and professional reads here!

Last Week I Dived Into...
Everyday Editing by Jeff Anderson. I have been reading this book bit by bit over the past few months, and each time I get into it, I find something helpful, something that helps answer a question I've been mulling over in the back of my mind. I love this book. I love its practicality. I love the peek inside another classroom where students look at grammar and editing in an interesting way. If you've ever asked yourself, (and who hasn't) "How do I teach grammar?" find a copy of Everyday Editing and its predecessor, Mechanically Inclined, and let the revelations begin!

This Week I'm Diving Into...

I'm still getting into The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz. It's a fast-paced Sherlock Holmes novel from a gifted writer. The writing seems effortless, yet it captures Conan Doyle's style in a way that only deep study could procure. After The House of Silk, I look forward to getting into Being Henry David by Cal Armistead. Our librarian recently took a group of students to have dinner and meet Cal Armistead after receiving and reading ARCs of Being Henry David. That's them on her webpage! I had come across this title on another blog and was drawn to it because one of my students researched Thoreau earlier this year, and I thought I would recommend it to him. I was lucky to get a copy of the ARC from our librarian, so that has moved to the top of my towering TBR pile! It sounds like a great read! And, by the look of the kids' faces...it is!

My book club meets today to talk about Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin. We will discuss it over amazing food at our local tapas restaurant, Meson Sabika. (It doesn't hurt that the owners love teachers, and we receive a 40% discount!) Regardless of the discount, it's a beautiful, old house where wedding receptions are held, and where I had my own bridal shower.

We have already selected our next selection, Monday Mornings by Dr. Sanjay Gupta. It is the fictional account of surgeons and the triumphs and failures they face when life and death lay in their hands. I'm looking forward to branching out with this read.

 

Professionally, I am reading Pathways to the Common Core: Accelerating Achievement by Lucy Calkins. I just ordered several new PD books: Book Love by Penny Kittle, Notebook Connections by Aimee Buckner, and Choice Words by Peter Johnston. I must finish Pathways so I can get to these great reads this week!

 

 

Happy Reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. I heard about it from the Teach Mentor Texts blog, which puts a "Picture Books to YA" twist on it. I like to post my MG/YA, adult, and professional reads here!

This Week I'm Diving Into...

I'm still getting into The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz. I got lost in 19th century London for over an hour on Saturday, even though I was in a crowded Starbucks downtown Naperville. Horowitz is spot-on with his writing, and I have to keep reminding myself this isn't an Arthur Conan Doyle original. I can't wait to finish this one!
 

Professionally, I am reading Pathways to the Common Core: Accelerating Achievement by Lucy Calkins. I am also continuing to work my way through Everyday Editing by Jeff Anderson.

Happy Reading!

Treat Tuesday Time!

Image from Ms. Houghton's blog

Who doesn't need a little inspiration to blog? I'm totally elbowing my way into the Treat Tuesday act, started by @nikiohsbarnes. You simply share what you're reading and what you're snacking on!

 

I love a good kiwi, and I love a good mystery! Today I'm getting into The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz, the only approved Holmes mystery backed by the Conan Doyle Estate. I'm only about 40 pages in, but Horowitz is dead-on in his interpretation. I can't wait to dive back in...to the story AND the kiwi. As Holmes likes to say, "The game's afoot..."

 

 

 

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1/7/13

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. I heard about it from the Teach Mentor Texts blog, which puts a "Picture Books to YA" twist on it. I like to post my MG/YA, adult, and professional reads here!

Last Week I Dived Into...
Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin for our staff book club. It was definitely a step out of my comfort zone. It was told from the viewpoint of the daughter, husband, and son of a mother who disappears one day in Seoul, South Korea. It left my heart very heavy after reading it. I'm not sure I will soon forget it.

Phantom by Jo Nesbo, which was a much-wished for gift for Christmas. You can see my review of it to see just how much I love Jo Nesbo and his main character, Harry Hole.

This Week I'm Diving Into...

The only Conan Doyle Estate approved Sherlock Holmes mystery The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz. I recently discovered the existence of this book, and it pairs two fabulous British men, Horowitz and Holmes, so I couldn't resist!

I also borrowed an ARC of Being Henry David by Cal Armistead, and I can't wait to get into that as well.

Professionally, I am reading Pathways to the Common Core: Accelerating Achievement by Lucy Calkins. I am also continuing to work my way through Everyday Editing by Jeff Anderson.

Happy Reading!

Phantom by Jo Nesbo

 

Jo Nesbo's Phantom was overwhelming, confusing, and pretty raw. But when I closed the book at 1:00 in the morning after reading the final page, I was completely satisfied. I love reading about Nesbo's Harry Hole and the impossible situations he finds himself in (and eventually gets out of).

 

My literary love affair with Harry (the second Harry love of my life, after Mr. Potter) began with Nesbo's The Snowman. I heard about it on my favorite book podcast, Books on the Nightstand. It sounded so dark, twisted, and forbidden compared to my usual reading diet of YA and MG books. Summer was approaching and I was excited to branch out and read adult books for once. I read The Snowman on my honeymoon in, ironically, Cancun, Mexico. It was the gateway drug into Nesbo's other Harry Hole bestsellers (which couldn't be translated into English from the Norwegian fast enough for me!) The Leopard, Nemesis, The Devil's Star, and a non-Harry Hole book, Headhunters. Jo Nesbo is a gifted twisted ending writer. I love the gritty life Harry leads and appreciate the fact that he is the ultimate anti-hero that you hate to love (Harry's exes feel the same way.) Since The Snowman was his first US hit, with his earlier Hole novels translated out of order, my perfectionism aches to reread them in order to follow the overall story line, but since my TBR piles are teetering precariously around me as I type this, we all know that will never happen. I'll have to be satisfied with a little imperfectionism, which I've gotten used to in my relationship with Harry.

 

Although the novels can be read out of order, I definitely recommend starting with The Snowman to see Nesbo at his finest.

 

 



Jo Nesbo is also a musician, songwriter, and
 economist and lives in Oslo (from book jacket).

 

Thirst Day 1/3/13

 

 

 

 

I am all about excuses for blogging. I came across Thirst Day on Twitter from a great librarian to follow, @LibraryFanatic. Thirst Day is a meme started by Dave Etkin over at Eat the Book. He's got all kinds of fun stuff over there!

 

 

Today's book and a drink are Jo Nesbo's Phantom and some hot Zinger tea to ward off an impending cold.

 

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday - Oblivion by Anthony Horowitz 1/2/13

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where you highlight one book that you can't wait to hit the bookshelves!

I can't wait for the finale to the Power of Five series, called Oblivion by Anthony Horowitz! It hits shelves on April 1, 2013!

Anthony Horowitz is a master. I first fell in love with him when he came to town to talk to my students. He was engaging, hilarious, and, best of all, British. As if writing edge-of-your-seat stories wasn't enough, he kept my students on the edge of their seats talking about the writing process. It was magical.

At first glance, it looked like Oblivion was already out, so I was all ready to select another WoW book. However, after researching, it seems that it was released in October in the UK, and you can get copies on Amazon, but the official US release isn't until April 1st.

The Power of Five series tells the story of the 5 Gatekeepers, young teens marked for being protectors. Each Gatekeeper gets their own book (except the twins in book 3), and in this final chapter, all five come together to save the world. The books take readers all over the world, and writing the books took Anthony Horowitz all over the world. Here is a video showing the lengths Anthony Horowitz went to in researching the setting of Oblivion.

Happy Reading!