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!

Last Week I Dived Into...
East of Eden by John Steinbeck for my teacher book club. A 600-page book might not have been the best choice for the beginning of the school year, but I'm halfway there, and we are having our "Halfway Meeting" in two weeks, so I'm not stressing.

This Week I'm Diving Into...

Guitar Notes by Mary Amato, a new YA read about two musicians, one a guitar-playing guy, the other a classically trained cellist who share a practice room. The story is told mostly through the notes passed between the two musicians as they help each other through hard times in their life.

 

I'm also reading Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry, in preparation for her upcoming Giver title, Son. We are also studying The Giver in our Communities unit, and my 7th graders are loving it!

 

For adult reads, I'm obviously still reading East of Eden, but hope to get to Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects next!

Professionally, I am reading Everyday Editing by Jeff Anderson for my own professional growth. I am also reading With Rigor for All by Carol Jago for an online book study group through my school district. They are both great reads!

 

Happy Reading!

I'm Back!

I haven't been posting as much since getting some work done in my classroom. Just wanted to share a few pictures of what I've been working on!



"iRead...Do U?"
Got this idea from Pinterest.
 I plan on rotating out the books as the year goes on!



"Shoot for the moon" quote.
Another Pinterest inspiration.



"Reading Gives You Power"
Bought old comic books with these superheroes on the front, cut them out, and put this together!

I'm working on some other stuff, but had to leave some projects unfinished on account of me melting from lack of A/C.

Only 7 days left until I meet my new 7th graders to start my 7th year of teaching! I am lucky indeed!

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!

Last Week I Dived Into...
Fever by Lauren Destefano, a YA dystopian set in a world where women only live to 20 and men, 25. I enjoyed the first book in this planned trilogy, Wither. The cover was beautiful and the premise was intriguing. Destafano weaves some beautiful writing into these books.

Dark Life by Kat Falls had another intriguing premise: in the future, civilization is being forced from land due to land loss and overcrowding. Experimental communities underwater challenge humans to think about new ways to live, farm, and survive. With all the challenges that accompany a life underwater also comes the threat of corrupt government officials and vigilante groups. The sequel, Rip Tide is out, and I hope to pick up a copy from the library today!

This Week I'm Diving Into...

Bounce by Natasha Friend, which I wanted to read last week, but got caught up in surprising finds at the library. I'm trying to read every book on this year's Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (Illinois' Children's Choice Award 4-8).

I have one more impulse library read from last week, Going Bovine by Libba Bray. The impulse was fueled by this post from the Nerdy Book Club blog, and after seeing Libba in person at an Anderson's event, I couldn't wait to read some of her books! I follow and am entertained by her on Twitter, so it's a sacrilege that I haven't read anything by her yet, really. I will fix this.

For adult reads, I was on a waiting list for Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, author of the twisted Gone Girl bestseller, and it just arrived, so I'll be getting in to that! Looking forward to another dark read this summer. Mwahaha.

Professionally, I am finishing Simplifying Response to Intervention: Four Essential Guiding Principals as part of an RTI focus group in my building.

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!

Last Week I Dived Into...
Dragonwings by Laurence Yep, a middle grade book about a young Chinese immigrant who joins his father in America. I appreciated the look into the life of the Chinese immigrants. The writing was unique and humorous.

I pretty much devoured Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan. Wow. It was simply breathtaking. I was surprised by this book in so many ways, though I had heard nothing but brilliant things about it. Ivan's voice came through loud and clear. It's impossible not to fall in love with him and the story.
On a much darker side, I am halfway through We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. It starts out dark, gets darker, and, well, you can imagine. I'm halfway through, but this book is already haunting me. If you haven't heard of it, this book is told in letters from a wife to her husband, and it outlines the story of their life and raising their son, Kevin, who we know early on killed several classmates in a school shooting.

This Week I'm Diving Into...

Bounce by Natasha Friend. I'm trying to read every book on this year's Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (Illinois' Children's Choice Award 4-8).

A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis.

Professionally, reading Simplifying Response to Intervention: Four Essential Guiding Principals as part of an RTI focus group in my building.

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Perfect Scoundrels

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!

My FIRST EVER pick is Ally Carter's Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3). Pub Date: Feb 2013

From goodreads:

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting—or stealing—whatever they want.

No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir—this time, Hale might be the mark.

Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy.


I can't wait to get my hands on this book! I love the premise of this series. My heist-loving husband even read Book #1 and wants to read Book #2 to get ready for Perfect Scoundrels! Love it!