My Monday Reading List

The beautiful thing about this class is that every Monday I seem to have a new book that has mysteriously added itself onto my current reading list. Looking back over the semester, I used to read only one, maaaybe two books at a time. At this point in the semester, I happen to have FOUR different books on my reading list! Having this many books started at once is definitely outside of my comfort zone; I typically prefer to enjoy one book at a time and try to focus all my attention on that story. My current, eclectic reading style has some perks though! I’m really enjoying being able to bounce between different stories; if I’m not enjoying my rather serious memoir I can just put that down and pick up a graphic novel or light-hearted romance. I think this new reading style has definitely been influenced by my students. When I check their independent reading logs, I’ve noticed many of my students putting down a book, starting a new one, and then eventually coming back to finish their first novel. I’ve been learning a lot (and I mean A LOT) from my students during this first year of teaching; but the ability to be flexible and fluid in my reading is definitely a life skill that I will cherish throughout my own life.

Here’s an update on what I’m reading at the moment, as well as short reviews of novels that I’ve finished:

• Before I Fall
• Lauren Oliver
• Young Adult
• 3/4 stars so far. I’m really invested in this book. Essentially the book is “Mean Girls” meets “Groundhog Day.” Popular, high-school senior, Sam Kingston, narrates the story of how her everyday high-school world was flipped upside down by a tragic car crash. Rather than dying, Sam appears to be reliving the day of her death over and over again. Each day brings new opportunities for her habitual life or opportunities for new beginnings. This book captures the teenage voice really well- maybe it helps that I’m listening to this one via audiobook, but the dialogue is very convincing, as well as the interpersonal conflicts between the characters. I believe the story is eventually going to lead to a moment where Sam Kingston has to rectify her death by making a sacrifice for someone she may have bullied in high school.

• Matched
• Ally Condie
• YA Dystopian/Romance
• No stars yet- just getting started. This series has been on my radar for awhile. Both of my younger sisters devoured this series, and I’ve always found the dystopian concept of orchestrated “soul-mates” to be quite interesting (honestly not all that different from the social media run dating world of today!) I love The Giver and have taught that book to four different groups of students this year; Matched seems similar in concept, so this may be a great book to recommend to my own students who enjoyed Lois Lowry’s classic dystopian so much.

• Pashmina
• Nidhi Chanani
• YA Graphic Novel
• No stars yet- just getting started. I’m mostly intrigued by the beautiful artwork in this graphic novel, the Indian setting in a culture so different from my own, and the mystery of the story. Where does Priyanka come from? How will she navigate two different cultures from two different worlds?

 

 

• I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World
• Malala Yousafzai
• YA Autobiography/Memoir
• 4/4 stars- EVERYONE STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND READ THIS BOOK. Okay- maybe the all-caps was dramatic, but seriously this is one of the most meaningful, powerful, and enlightening books I’ve ever read. I really enjoyed Malala’s narrative voice, and learning about a culture so different from my own. It made me really appreciate all the educational opportunities I’ve had in my life. I’ve always been passionate about education, and this book made me even more passionate! This would be a great book to incorporate into the classroom, and one that I’m definitely considering adding to my World Literature course next year.

And last and maybe the least (that’s how the phrase goes, right?)…..

• Paper Towns
• John Green
• Young Adult
• 2/4 stars so far. I’m about ready to drop this book off of my reading list. I’ve found the characters to be rather unconvincing and unbelievable (which I feel like is saying something for a young adult novel). This may have to be a book that I finish at a later date when I have time to read it by itself. It just hasn’t captivated my attention enough to motivate me to want to finish it. I’m doing my best to remind myself that “IT’S OKAY TO NOT FINISH A BOOK!” (Wow that felt good to yell! Sorry, John Green. Maybe next time.)