It’s Monday! What are you Reading? 6/28/2021

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly link up hosted by Kathryn at Book Date . Then, Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers decided to give it a focus on kid’s literature. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their weeks of reading great books and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

Books I Finished:

The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #1) was a fantastic book. I really enjoyed losing myself in Nevermoor. The trials and the mysteries of what all was happening to Morrigan were fascinating and imaginative. I will definitely be looking for the other books in this series sooner rather than later.

Starfish was a phenomenal read. I enjoyed that it was a very quick read because it is told in verse. This one pulled on my heartstrings very much. I was so angry at the mother in this book for the way that she acted and the way she permitted her other children to act toward the protagonist. The story is such a real and raw story of the feelings that the protagonist has about being fat and the ways that people around her act and the very hurtful things they say. Ultimately, it is also a story that promotes body positivity and feeling good in your own skin. I highly recommend this one and would have immediately snatched up a copy for my class library if I still had a classroom.

Books I’m Reading:

I am listening to Salty, Bitter, Sweet by Mayra Cuevas. It was one of the free audiobook selections offered on SYNC audiobooks this year. So far, I am enjoying the story, but I am also a little annoyed at the YA romance angle of the protagonist that does not have a clue that she actually likes the boy she thinks she hates.

I really like this story so far. I had read a blog or an article somewhere about this one and added it to my hold list on Libby without really knowing anything about it. So far, I am glad I had that impulse…except it is kind of a long book so might take a while.

This one came off my TBR shelf. I have loved every novel by Katherine Center that I have read. I adored her talk at Savannah Book Festival a couple years ago and it really turned me on to her books. At that point, I had only read Things You Save in a Fire. I picked this one up because I know it will be a quick read for me and I want to finish another book in June.

I am also still plugging away at Les Miserables a few chapters at a time. It will take me a while, but I think I will get through it. I am enjoying the book so far.

What’s Next:

If I get through the current reads, I will probably pick up another book off my TBR shelf.

I also have some books waiting for me on Kindle that I have purchased lately and I just got a new Kindle Paperwhite on Prime Day and I love it! Until this week I have still been using a Kindle Keyboard that is at least ten years old I think. I also signed up for the free trial of Kindle Unlimited, so I will be searching those archives for some books to read as well.

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? 6/21/2021

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly link up hosted by Kathryn at Book Date . Then, Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers decided to give it a focus on kid’s literature. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their weeks of reading great books and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

Books I Finished:

The Girl Who Drank the Moon was a fantastic book. I really enjoyed traveling to that world and learning about the magic. It was such a complicated story and I enjoyed the mysteries unfolding throughout the story of what had happened years ago. I really like the hopeful ending and would definitely recommend this one.

A Burning was a very different book from what I usually would pick up. In a book club that I am in, we are reading our way through a list of quick reads. I find it interesting to just be following the list because it makes me diversify my reading choices. This one was set in India and tells the story of a girl who is falsely accused of being a terrorist and starting a train fire. You hear the perspective of the girl in prison, her PE teacher from school, and the neighbor who she had been tutoring. It is ultimately a story of selfish acts and betrayal. I had to sit and just pause for a few minutes after finishing this book. It is very thought provoking. I don’t know if I would say I liked the book, but I definitely think it is well written and a good story.

I saw this title in the book stack of someone in one of my FB groups. I immediately looked for it and was able to borrow the ebook from the library. Camilla Lackberg’s Fjallbacka mystery series is a favorite series of mine. I think it is partly because I was able to read those books before they were available in the USA. I bought the first few books while in Spain visiting family. It became a fun book hunt each time we visited. So I have read the entire series in Spanish. Since she is a particular favorite of mine, I was excited to see a recently published thriller from her. This one was fast-paced and an interesting thriller with a twist at the end, but I didn’t like it as much as I love her other series. If you like books like Gone Girl, you would probably like this one.

Books I’m Reading:

I am listening to Salty, Bitter, Sweet by Mayra Cuevas. It was one of the free audiobook selections offered on SYNC audiobooks this year. So far, I am enjoying the story.

I am enjoying this book also. I really love the characters and the world-building so far. I have seen many very good reviews of this series, so I am excited for it.

I am also still plugging away at Les Miserables a few chapters at a time. It will take me a while, but I think I will get through it. I am enjoying the book so far.

What’s Next:

I have too many titles from the library as well as a very full TBR bookshelf. I will probably try to knock out a few more middle grade titles and faster paced novels so I can get caught up. I have found myself distracted lately and not really spending as much time reading as usual. Maybe I will get back on track this week. I guess I will see how it goes.

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? 6/7/2021

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly link up hosted by Kathryn at Book Date . Then, Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers decided to give it a focus on kid’s literature. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their weeks of reading great books and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

Books I Finished:

Firekeeper’s Daughter has earned a spot on my all-time favorites shelf, which is not easy to do. I love mysteries, so that helped me love this book. The writing style is beautiful and I was pulled into this story so quickly. There is heartbreak and love and human suffering but it is balanced with hope. I absolutely love how this book provided a glimpse into a modern day reservation and the challenges that this particular indigenous community was facing. It is SO GOOD! I highly recommend this book for people in their late teens and adults.

Longitude was interesting. I appreciated the more narrative style of this nonfiction book. I don’t read much nonfiction but I enjoy learning about things. This was a very fascinating book.

I have not read anything else by Fredrik Backman. I know he has other books that are very popular and if they are anything like this one, I will have to check them out. I found his writing style to be very engaging. I laughed all the way through this book. The observations about the way people think are spot on and hilarious, yet there is a serious and hopeful thread to the story as well. I definitely recommend this one, with a trigger warning that there is some talk of suicide, depression, and anxiety in the book.

This is the 3rd installment in the Charlotte Holmes series. I was angry at the end of the second book and did not know how I would like this one. I took a little break from the series because I was mad. This book did a good job of bringing me back into the story and resolving some of the feelings that I had about the way the second book turned out. I am looking forward to the fourth book.

Books I’m Reading:

The Girl Who Drank the Moon is fascinating so far. That is the best thing about resolving to read award winning books. You know you can expect a great read!

I am also plugging away at Les Miserables a few chapters at a time. It will take me a while, but I think I will get through it. I am enjoying the book so far.

What’s Next:

I have an ambitious TBR for this summer. I will probably start with A Burning by Megha Mahumdar and Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina. I then have another four or five library titles and four or five Book of the Month titles to read. I will see where the week takes me!

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? 5/17/2021

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly link up hosted by Kathryn at Book Date . Then, Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers decided to give it a focus on kid’s literature. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their weeks of reading great books and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

Books I Finished:

The Wife Upstairs was a fun read. I liked the way the author played with the Jane Eyre story and gave a modern twist to it. There were actually a few twists at the end that really surprised me. It was pretty great for this murder mystery fan who was also an English major.

The Family Upstairs was interesting. I went into it thinking it would be more of a thriller. It was not so much a thriller as a complicated look at a very unique set of people and a tragic story that happened as a result of their circumstances. I am not sure I liked the ending of this book, but it was an imaginative story and I enjoyed reading it.

I am continuing with reading through the list of Newbery Award titles from the last several years. I absolutely LOVED this one. I can see why it won the Newbery medal. The magic of the tiger stories was such a critical element in this book. The story of the family relationships and their different ways of coping with illness was heartbreaking but so real. I couldn’t help but draw some parallels in my mind to another favorite book, A Monster Calls. This book is now in my all-time favorite list also. So powerful. I highly recommend it.

I got this title in my Book of the Month subscription box. It is a fun cozy mystery that also explores the Filipino-American roots of the author. It was a fun and quick read.

Books I’m Reading:

I’ve heard great things about this book. I am excited to dive into it more. I just barely started it last night before bed.

In between books, I sometimes find that I need a little reading material for right before bed, but don’t always want to start a new book at that time. This has been a good book for those moments. It is actually quite an interesting story.

I am also plugging away at Les Miserables a few chapters at a time. It will take me a while, but I think I will get through it. I am enjoying the book so far.

What’s Next:

I will probably continue with the next Charlotte Holmes book and with the two other Newbery books I have waiting for me on my Kindle. I also will probably try to pick up another of the books from my Book of the Month pile.

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

It’s the Little Things

Do you have rituals or small things that you do that always brighten your mood? What about things that bring out a memory every time? For me, it’s opening the sunroof in my car.

Maybe it is partly to do with living in a place in which I actually know what it feels like when your nose hairs freeze. It feels like I do not get outside during daylight for at least three months every winter. So, when temperatures start to rise and the sun is shining, it lifts everyone’s mood. And it is the perfect time to get the sunroof open.

Getting in the car on a sunny day, rolling down the windows, and cranking open that sunroof is not just about the weather. For me, it is a visceral memory. Every single time I do this, I think about my dad.

My father dreamed for years of owning a Mercedes Benz. The song by Janis Joplin still rings in my head. “Oh, lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz…” It was an anthem in our house.

Then, one day about six months before he died, my father got his Mercedes. He loved the sunroof on his new car. Some of my strongest memories of my dad are in the car with the windows down and the sunroof open and music blaring on the speakers.

Now, thirty years later, both cars that my husband and I own have sunroofs. I could tell you that was a coincidence, but that would be a lie. Having a sunroof in my car gives me a powerful feeling of being loved and watched over.

So today, when I got in my car and opened that sunroof, I sat for a moment and remembered.

Bring on the sunny days so I can open up that sunroof and let the rays of sunshine and love fill me up.

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? 5/3/2021

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly link up hosted by Kathryn at Book Date . Then, Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers decided to give it a focus on kid’s literature. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their weeks of reading and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

These are books from the last few weeks, since I didn’t get around to posting for a couple weeks. Going back into the school building for work really changed up my schedule and has been a tough adjustment. I am starting to figure out my routines again now though.

Books I Finished:

The Last of August was an enjoyable read. I quite like the characters in this Charlotte Holmes series. I am not sure I liked the ending of this book though. It will be interesting to see how the story flows from there in the next book.

The Glass Hotel was an intriguing book. The author really created a fascinating look at the characters and the ways they were connected. It was interesting to think about what it might feel like to be a victim of a Ponzi scheme, but this novel was much more than that. Perhaps this one would not really appeal to everyone, but I appreciated the lyrical language and the complicated characters.

This book is one from my #Mustreadin2021 list. My sister started an online book club and we are reading through a list of short, quick reads. I don’t think I would’ve ever picked this book up on my own, but I am glad I did. I was very intrigued by the glimpse of Korean culture that is shared here. It really piqued my curiosity, I am especially curious if the women really do such extreme plastic surgery as the characters in this book do. I enjoyed reading this book and was disappointed when it ended.

I decided to go back and look at Newbery award titles from the last several years in order to have a place to start when it comes to middle grade books. Paperboy was phenomenal. I had a very hard time putting this one down. I highly recommend it.

Books I’m Reading:

I am a sucker for a good Gothic novel. This modern day Jane Eyre tale has me on the edge of my seat.

In between books, I sometimes find that I need a little reading material for right before bed, but don’t always want to start a new book at that time. This has been a good book for those moments. It is actually quite an interesting story.

I am also plugging away at Les Miserables a few chapters at a time. It will take me a while, but I think I will get through it. I am enjoying the book so far.

What’s Next:

There are so many possibilities for what might come next. I had one of those days happen where all your holds come in at once in the library, so I have quite the stack. There are also some Book of the Month books piling up. I will have to see where the mood takes me this week.

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? 4/12/2021

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly link up hosted by Kathryn at Book Date . Then, Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers decided to give it a focus on kid’s literature. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their weeks of reading and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

These are books from the last two weeks, since I didn’t get around to posting last week. I was on Spring Break this last week, so more books got finished than usual.

Today we are going to the school building for work for the first time since last Spring. We have been working remotely from home. It’s a big adjustment, but here we go. Students are coming next week.

Books I Finished:

I listened to the audio of this mystery book. It has been quite some time since I listened to an audiobook. It definitely helped me get some of the chores done that I was wanting to get done over break. This was another great murder mystery in the Harper McClain series. I enjoyed the book. If you are a mystery fan, you should check out this series by Christ Daugherty.

The Lost Apothecary was a fantastic book. I flew through it. The book alternated between a modern day story of a woman who had just found out her husband was cheating, and an historical account of an apothecary who sold poisons to women scorned. I really enjoyed the story (both stories) and appreciated also how there was a focus on independent and strong women in the book.

The Body at the Tower is the second book in The Agency series. In this book, Mary dresses up as a boy and gets hired to work at a construction site. She is there to investigate and figure out if the recent death that happened on site was an accident or something more malicious. I quite enjoyed this mystery.

This was a really good mystery. For me, it was reminiscent of Agatha Christie, in that it was not gory or overly graphic. I really appreciated the nod to the mystery genre and bookshops and the love of books. There were a couple twists that I did not see coming. If you like murder mysteries, go pick this one up and be ready to add at least 8 more books to your TBR list while reading.

Books I’m Reading:

I am enjoying this 2nd book in the Charlotte Holmes series. It is definitely a Young Adult series-some adult issues and language, but I am enjoying the characters.

What’s Next:

I have two books from the library. If I Had Your Face and A Curious Beginning are their titles. I also have a couple books from the Book of the Month subscription that I started a couple months ago. I will probably also look for a middle grade title or two for some quicker reads.

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

Slice of Life: Perfectionism and Slicing

Hello, my name is Andrea, and I am a recovering perfectionist.

I used to be the student that cried when she got a 98% on a test. I had to make everything look great. Following every rule to the letter was important. My drawers had to be just so.

My parents rarely had to punish me. When I did something wrong, I felt so bad that I punished myself. Their job was calming me down and talking me through the mistake and what I should have done instead.

Then, I had some years in which I was not the only one telling me that I was an awful human being when I made a mistake. The verbal abuse that catalogued everything I had done wrong in the last few weeks and threw it in my face did not help things.

Mind you, I was an obliger of the highest order at this point in my life. There weren’t many things I did wrong. Most of them were small mistakes that should not have come back to haunt me, but the person doling out the verbal abuse needed an outlet and I was the easiest target.

You should have heard the thoughts in my head after that.

So this is where I was as I walked into young adulthood. I felt like I needed to be perfect in order to be seen and heard and loved and understood. You can imagine how that worked out for me. Luckily, I have a good support system and a thick skin.

Then, I went to live in a country where I thought I spoke the language. However, it turns out that taking Spanish in school for a bunch of years gets you close to understanding native speakers, but not at all fluent.

I had to let go of perfect and settle for good enough.

Perfect has come knocking on my door from time to time. I certainly had quite the love affair with perfectionism in the early part of my teaching career.

But, perfectionism has such an ugly side. It can stop you in your tracks. It can fill you with overwhelm and make you give up because you feel that you will never get it done correctly so why do it at all.

I have systematically worked to counteract those thought patterns and get myself into a healthy place.

Enter challenges.

Yes, the 30-day challenge is motivating and it makes me make a commitment to myself. No, I don’t make myself worry about being perfect. Does this mean that I don’t win some prizes? Of course. But it is the only way I have found to still participate and shed some light on something important to me without drowning in overwhelm.

I am in some different challenge groups and I just marvel and get slightly annoyed at all the people asking if something “counts.” Especially in challenges like book challenges where there really aren’t prizes.

So here is my reflection on this Slice of Life challenge: I did not do it perfectly, but I did it. And going from not writing on my blog in at least 3 years to writing on my blog ALMOST every day of the month (28 days) sounds like a win to me.

This post is a part of the 14th annual Slice of Life Story Challenge. After a few years away, I am challenging myself to write every day in March this year, along with an amazing community of other bloggers. You can find our writing linked up on the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Slice of Life: The Music in Me

When I was in Kindergarten, I begged my mom for piano lessons. We had a really amazing player piano in our living room, and I wanted to play music. My mom made me promise that I would take lessons all the way through elementary school. It may seem an odd commitment to get from a young girl, but that was probably the best thing she could have done for yours truly, the people pleaser. I never questioned the obligation that I had to get to piano classes or practice my piano.

Growing up, I lived in a planned subdivision, on a cul-de-sac. My piano teacher lived two houses down, after turning left at the bottom of the circle drive. I walked there by myself every Wednesday at 4pm like clockwork.

Throughout the years I trudged down to that house. Some weeks I sheepishly meandered, dragging my feet along the way, ashamed of my lack of practice time. Some weeks, I galloped and burst into her foyer with enthusiasm and pride, ready to show off my new skills. But every week, no matter the emotions involved, I got there ready to learn.

Sometimes it was a stern lesson, with yet another reminder that I would not get very far without practicing. Others, it was a feverish work time getting me ready to perform at the next recital. And some days we just had fun.

I learned a whole skill set that I took completely for granted. It wasn’t until I was in college in a choir and a director was excited that I could sight read the melody that I realized how awesome that skill was.

Music played such a big role in my life as a kid as I learned to use art as a channel for my emotions. I sang in choirs in high school and college and church. Musical theater was part of my life from childhood through college. I even sang at my cousin’s wedding and my grandma’s funeral.

And then the music stopped.

It wasn’t on purpose. When I went to study abroad, there wasn’t really an opportunity for singing in a choir or at least not an easy opportunity. Then, I met my husband and he just never got to know that music part of me. It is really weird how I let that part of me become dormant.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. My mother is selling her condo and needed to get rid of a bunch of things. So, I jumped at the chance to get her digital piano. (Not quite as cool as the player piano I had growing up, but definitely a great option in my apartment)

We brought that piano into the apartment and my husband has been starting to learn also. I have been sitting down to play music every day and it is such a balm to soothe my frazzled soul.

This post is a part of the 14th annual Slice of Life Story Challenge. After a few years away, I am challenging myself to write every day in March this year, along with an amazing community of other bloggers. You can find our writing linked up on the Two Writing Teachers blog.

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? 3/29/2021

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly link up hosted by Kathryn at Book Date . Then, Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers decided to give it a focus on kid’s literature. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their weeks of reading and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

I have been plugging along with the Slice of Life challenge. I missed one day last week, but am proud of my progress nonetheless. Life has been hectic and messy for me in the last few weeks. Nothing terrible, just some extra stressors that have kept me on my toes. I am very much looking forward to my Spring Break, which starts on Friday.

These are books from the last two weeks, since I didn’t get around to posting last week.

Books I Finished:

A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee was a fun read. It is a mystery set in Victorian England with a girl who is a spy. The protagonist did silly things and made some pretty crazy decisions, but I will forgive the book since it is written for YA. It was entertaining and I will look for the other books in The Agency series.

A Study in Charlotte was another really fun mystery read. It is the first book in the Charlotte Holmes series. In the book Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are descended from Sherlock and Dr. Watson. Through a set of circumstances, starting with a murder, the two become friends and work to try to figure out who is framing them for the crime. It is a fun mystery with some interesting twists and turns. It is YA, but deals with a couple more mature themes and has some language in it that would make it more appropriate for older teens.

I LOVED this graphic novel about life in a refugee camp. It made me really think about all the students I have had in the last few years who have been refugees. It is such an important book! The fact that it is a memoir makes it that much more powerful. I would absolutely be purchasing multiple copies of this one to share with my students if I still had a classroom.

Books I’m Reading:

I just started listening to Revolver Road by Christi Daugherty. It has been a long time since the last time I listened to an audiobook, but I really enjoyed the first few chapters while I was doing meal prep this weekend. I liked the first two books in this murder mystery series and I’m sure I will like this one too.

What’s Next:

I will probably read The Lost Apothecary next and maybe the second book in The Agency series. I guess we will see where the week takes me. Have a great reading week!

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!