2014 Review

Woof! I’ve been clearly slacking on booking it, but with the New Year fast approaching, it’s time to do what all other bloggers around the world do and look back on the year past and the year to come. It’s time for an end of year review, y’all!

I read 57 books this past year! WOOHOO! Here’s a breakdown:

Non-Fiction: 32

Fiction: 25

Audiobooks: 13

I’m proud of myself for trying audiobooks for the first time and for trying to branch out from reading only memoirs and non-fiction (which, to be fair, I did a lot of). Here are my top ten favorites, in no particular order.

Top 10:

1. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
2. Yes Please by Amy Poehler
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
6. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
7. Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller
8. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
10. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

If you haven't read these yet, go to the library and pick them up! You will not regret it. 

Looking back to my cheesy and overly dramatic first post, my sole goal for 2014 was to find time to book it a little more than I had the year before. Being able to read 57 books this year was so awesome!

On Pinterest and Facebook recently, there have been a lot of reading challenges going around: “read a book a month” or “read a book a week” or “read a book more than 500 pages” or “read a book by a female author!” While everyone knows I love me some goals, let’s not get bogged down in weird details or making reading a chore more than a pastime. How about this for a challenge to you all: Make time to read. Read something old and something new. Read a book on your own and with friends. Enjoy booking it this year.

Happy 2015!

Fall Recap

With daylight savings time falling us back this weekend, and Target quickly shoving away their Halloween decorations to make room for fake Christmas trees, stockings, and candy canes, it’s clear that fall is on its way out the door and winter is moving in.

With only a couple of months left before 2015, I’m proud to say that I reached a fifty book milestone on Friday. That’s over twice as many books as last year! But of course, this journey for me this year has been less about quantity and more about time and reading quality books, and although I'm sure I'll talk about this as the year comes to a close, it's awesome to know that I'm making time for something I love.

Here are the books I read this fall:

August:

·         Escape from Prison 14 by Blaine Harden

·         Miss Peregrine’s School of Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

September (2):

·         Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

·         Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell à favorite fiction!

October (4):

·         Wild by Cheryl Strayed

·         Panic by Lauren Oliver

·         Unbroken by Laura Hillebrand à favorite non-fiction!

·         Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

Still leaning heavy toward non-fiction, but the teen fiction I’ve read the last few months have been decidingly disappointing (besides Miss Peregrine’s School of Peculiar Children, which was quirky and unique and excellent). Looking for something to rejuvenate that trend if anyone has suggestions!

Otherwise, I have lots of excellent books I’m hoping to conquer before the end of the year, including Everything that Remains by The Minimalists (almost done!), Amy Poehler’s new memoir Yes Please, and a classic I’ve been recommended for ages- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Here’s to embracing the cold, snuggling up with hot chocolate, popcorn, and a good book, and trying not to turn into an icicle!

From Book to Movie: 3 Adaptations

One of my favorite bits from the comedian Jim Gaffigan is about books:

“You ever talk about a movie with someone that read the book? They're always so condescending. 'Ah, the book was much better than the movie.' Oh really? What I enjoyed about the movie: no reading.”

So so true. But alas, while watching the movie requires no reading, I love having read a book and knowing that it is being made into a movie. Although I am sometimes disappointed (seriously, how could they take Peeta's leg injury totally out of the Hunger Games??), it’s exciting to see your favorite characters on the big screen and discover what interpretations directors have decided to make on setting, characters, and often, plot.

With that, here are three books I have read recently that are being made into movies still this year:

1.      Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

If you haven’t heard the hype around Gone Girl, you may be living, as the saying goes, under a rock. I read Gillian Flynn’s novel back in April, and was hooked on it for the 48 hours it took me to finish it. I literally gasped out loud every fifty pages, and at one point, I think I threw my book across the room. It’s a thrilling book with lots of twists and while I’m usually a terrible reader in the sense that I love reading the last page before I should, I did not see the ending coming.

The film adaptation of Gone Girl stars most notably Ben Affleck as Nick Dunne, whose wife Amy is discovered missing. The best performance, in my opinion, is Tyler Perry as Affleck’s lawyer, when people inevitably start to suspect that perhaps Nick is responsible for his missing wife.

The book and movie are both intense, and overall I was not disappointed (although admittedly I was disappointed by Amy's character and totally agree with this article about that same topic). See the trailer here, and know that the movie, which came out a few weeks ago, probably only has a little bit more time left in the theater.

2.      Wild by Cheryl Strayed

When Cheryl Strayed loses her mom and divorces her husband in the early twenties, she feels lost, confused, and meaningless. In order to “find herself” and figure out the purpose of her life, or at least escape from the life she has left behind, Strayed decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), a national trail stretching the West Coast from California to Washington.

I read this book just a couple of weeks ago, unaware that it was also being made into a movie produced by and starring one of my favorite people, Reese Witherspoon. Wild comes out on December 5, so you have plenty of time to read the book before it hits theaters! See the trailer here.

3.       Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

 If you have read earlier blog posts, you might remember that I started reading Unbroken a few months ago, but wasn’t hooked. After hearing over and over how awesome the story was, I bought the book on Amazon and went at it again. Everyone else was right and I'm glad they pushed me to pick it up again, because it was totally worth it.

Unbroken follows the truly unbelievable story of Louis Zamperini, a troubled teen turned Olympic runner turned WWII airman turned POW. His story is literally one in a billion and gives some serious perspective to the kind of problems you think may be important in your life. Zamperini demonstrates real smarts, resilience, and courage in order to overcome the many obstacles he faces during the war (which are innumerable).

The movie, starring a bunch of people that my non-movie self has never heard of, comes out on Christmas and is probably going to be awesome. See the trailer here!

Even though I’m not always a huge movie person, I love when movie adaptation are made from books I love. Be sure to check these books out- even if you have already seen the movie! They should be pretty darn good.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I think we all need to have a heart to heart. Let’s all clasp our hands together, look each other in the eyes, take a deep breath, and admit that Rainbow Rowell is one of the best writers of our generation. Can we all agree on that?

I just finished the audio version of Fangirl, the third book I’ve read by Rowell, and it so did not disappoint. (The first book I read was Eleanor and Park- see my post here about how I cried through the last twenty pages- and the second was Attachments, which was adorable).

Cath is our awkward, depressed and nerdy heroine, and her freshman year of college is not going well. Her twin sister, Wren (Cath and Wren- get it??), chose not to room with her, her dad is loveable but manic, and her roommate is a sullen yet in-your-face junior. Her sole love and comfort in life is Simon Snow, a Harry Potter-like character from a fantasy/wizard/vampire/basically Harry Potter series. She even writes an incredibly popular fan fiction blog about Simon and his mortal enemy Baz.

So basically, Cath is the perfect kind of character to groan about, roll your eyes at, yell at and cheer for throughout her first year of college. Will she remain miserable and terrified for all nine months, or will she finally figure out who she is and what she needs to become?

Why you might like this book: Rainbow Rowell is a beautiful writer. She’s the kind of writer that makes me wish I could write. Her characters are perfectly imperfect and you will love them. One stylistic choice I also love about this book is that it alternates between Cath’s life at school and snippets from the Simon Snow series-  a nice change of pace (plus in the audio book, a man with a gorgeous British accent reads the Simon Snow parts- the best!)

Why you might not like this book: Let’s be honest, you probably will though.

Similar Titles: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, Harry Potter by JK Rowling, The Magicians by Lev Grossman (maybe?). Honestly, Rowell has such a refreshing take on real life situations that I just can't compare to anyone but herself!

I would recommend this book to: females, people who have had obsessions with a series like Harry Potter or Hunger Games, anyone who has lost their way at some point or another

If you don’t read Fangirl, pick up SOMETHING by Rainbow Rowell. You won’t regret it! At this point, Landline is the only Rowell book I have yet to read, and I’ll probably add it to my list before the end of the year.

P.S. I absolutely realize I have been AWOL these last two months, and I have no excuse. August and September Review (a two-for-one deal) coming soon!

July Recap

Um, is it seriously August already?

While I'm sad that I didn't get to blog about any of the books I read in July, when I look back at my July calendar, I'm ecstatic that I read as much as I did when I could. Farming season is in full swing, and I haven't read a single book since sweet corn started. Here's a look at the books I DID get to read in July:

1. Drop Dead Healthy by AJ Jacobs
2. A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer
3. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson
4. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
5. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
6. Panic by Sharon Draper

I also got halfway through Unbroken by Laura Hillebrand before I had to take it back to the library, as well as Paddle Your Own Canoe by Nick Offermann, which I haven't gotten to finish yet but really like so far.

Best Non-Fiction: Thunderstruck by Erik Larson, because Larson is awesome and always teaches me about science and history and other things I know nothing about. This book is about a murder at the turn of the century and Guglielmo Marconi, who essentially invented wireless radio transmitters. Erik Larson is basically the epitome of who I imagine a real historian is; if you like history,  I would also recommend In the Garden of Beasts about the US ambassador to Germany during the rise of Hitler, and Devil in the White City about the Chicago World Fair and a serial killer. Really enthralling stuff, I swear!

Best Fiction: Has to be a tie between Sharp Objects and Before I Fall. Sharp Objects is a great thriller about a journalist investigating a series of murders in her hometown (not as good at Flynn's other masterpiece Gone Girl, but still really good adult fiction). Before I Fall is by Lauren Oliver, a super well-known YAL author specifically for teenaged girls, and her book was surprisingly complex for me. It's about a girl who dies in a car accident (happens in the prologue- not a spoiler!) and then has to relive that same day to see if she can change the course of history. Wasn't expecting to be so into it, but I actually loved it! Cheers to you, Lauren Oliver!

My goal of reading thirty books this summer seems a little farfetched at this point, since I've only read twelve to date. Even so, I'm glad I set a lofty goal and am hoping for more reading in August (it's not like any of us are busy or anything, right?)

Happy August!

June Recap

My oh my, is summer flying by! During June, I read six books:

1. What Teachers Make by Taylor Mali
2. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
3. Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
4. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
5. Prodigy by Marie Lu
6. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Best Non-Fiction Book: Orange is the New Black. I’m sure you are alllllll familiar with the Netflix Series by the same name- the series is actually based on the memoir of Piper Kerman, who went to federal prison for fifteen months because of illicit activities she was involved in ten years prior. Matt and I just started watching the series, and I, of course, like the book a little bit better because I felt like she presented herself as more self-aware and less self-pitying. Either way, if you love the show and/or love memoirs, you should definitely check it out. It’s a quick read!

Best Fiction: I’ve already talked about Cinder, but I also thought Out of the Easy was a really interesting historical fiction read this month. Like Orange is the New Black, it was recommended to me by a friend. Josie is an eighteen-year-old who desperately wants to get away from her life in 1950s New Orleans. Her biggest problem is her mother, a prostitute. Although I thought author Ruta Sepetys wrapped up the loose ends a little too neatly and abruptly, this book really hooked me. I don’t always read historical fiction, but I love how Sepetys wove New Orleans culture into the story.

A good variety of books this month: 2 non-fiction, 1 historical fiction, 1 dystopian fiction, 2 fantasy/science-fiction. Hooray! I have some great titles coming up for this month- can't wait!

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

In my effort to read outside my comfort zone, and in celebration of going to Disneyworld, last week I read Cinder by Marissa Meyer for my “being lazy by the pool” read, and I was pleasantly surprised!

 

Cinder is a science-fiction take on Cinderella. So in other words, Cinder is a cyborg mechanic (duh). She meets Prince Kai when he needs his personal android fixed, and together they do their best to fight against Queen Levana, the cruel ruler of the Lunar Colony on the moon. There's a lot more complexity than what I just explained of course, and similar to the popular dystopian books these days, this book deals with themes of injustice, discrimination, loyalties, and so forth. I have to admit I was pretty skeptical about this type of remake, but when I continuously heard the title from kids, at conferences, and on-line, I figured I should jump on the bandwagon, and I'm happy to have read it.

Why you might like this book: Even though we all know futuristic books are so not my forte, and despite the fact I had to figure out the difference between a cyborg and an android (still a little fuzzy on that one), I really liked this take on a traditional fairytale. Growing up, I loved twists on old stories, like Ella Enchanted and Just Ella. I think Marissa Meyer did a nice job of leaving some of the traditional elements- the shoe, the ball, the wicked stepmother, etc- and still transporting me into a whole new world where I had no idea what might happen next. 

Why you might not like this book: Although I guess this is also in step with the original Cinderella story, I thought that the relationship between Cinder and Prince Kai progressed a little too quickly. Cinder’s certainly an awesome person –er, cyborg- but all of the sudden Prince Kai met her and started telling her his deepest fears and I thought that was a little much.

Similar Titles I’ve Read: Just Ella, Ella Enchanted, and Wicked

I would recommend this book to: All of the reviews on the cover of Cinder recommend this book to people who love fairy tales as well as Star Wars; in other words, everybody should like this book (right?)!

And of course, since this is Young Adult Lit, Cinder is a part of the Lunar Chronicles Series. Each story in the series focuses on a different fairytale protagonist. The first three- Cinder, Scarlet (Red Riding Hood), and Cress (Rapunzel)- are already out, but the final book Winter (Snow White) won’t be out until November 2015. Lots of time to read the first three books before then!

May Recap and Summer Goals

During May, I read five books:

1. When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmerelda Santiago
2.  A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
3.  Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller
4.  Stiff by Mary Roach
5.  The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric

Looking at this list, these books have one huge theme in common: they are ALL non-fiction. I am just realizing this year, really, that non-fiction intrigues me so much and captivates me more than any other genre. However, as Reading in the Wild points out, while it’s really important to cultivate your favorite genre, it’s also necessary to get outside your comfort zone and learn from challenges that you set for yourself too.

Two events in May have convinced me of a need to have a few reading challenges for summer. First of all, I was lucky to attend a wonderful Young Adult Literature Conference in Appleton, WI and got practically millions of new book titles that my high schoolers and myself will love.

Secondly, I created a list in my classroom. A pretty simple one actually, that began like this: “What should Mrs. Droese read this summer?” I wasn’t sure how many responses I would get, or how serious my students would respond, but after just a few days, I am thrilled and intrigued with their suggestions. See the picture to the right for the full list thus far.

The biggest deficit I see in my reading is that I read practically no science fiction or fantasy. Looking at the list my students created, it’s pretty clear that a lot of them LOVE these genres. The closest I come is with dystopian fiction, and usually I only get to the first book of the trilogy.

So with that in mind, here are my summer goals:

• Read 30 books! So far this year, I have read 30 total, so I’m hoping with no school I will be able to have more time to read during my three months off.
•  Read a greater variety of genres. I have at least six fantasy books on my list and a couple of dystopian sequels too. Although I love non-fiction, I want a more even ratio of fiction to non-fiction.

To kick off summer reading, I have already starting working my way through The Magicians by Lev Grossman, a fantasy book that has been described to me as “the adult Harry Potter.” That’s a tall order for a book, but so far, so good!

Two more weeks of school, but I say to you this: Let the summer reading begin!!!

Do you have any summer reading goals or wish lists?

Book Reviews: A Long Way Gone and When I Was Puerto Rican

Here's a hopeless romantic quote that all librarians and teachers seem to love: “The man who reads lives a thousand lives before he dies; the man who never reads lives but one.” Ahhh, beautiful.

To be totally and completely cliché in such an English teacher kind of way, the last two books I have read have done just that by allowing me to step into two very different pairs of shoes than my own. But they gave me two other important lessons:

1. These books made me realize how incredibly ignorant I am about the “thousand lives” of people in my world, and
2.  In some way, made me incredibly grateful for the one life I actually do have.

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah is a memoir from a former child soldier during the Sierra Leone Civil War. Do you know where Sierra Leone is? Africa is as close as I could pinpoint it before reading this book.

Like many civil conflicts, the Sierra Leone War was incredibly violent with innocent civilians unfortunately receiving much of the brutality. Ishmael Beah is one of those civilians, and this book chronicles his journey from his hometown in Sierra Leone to his wandering of the countryside after losing touch with his family, to his being picked up as a child soldier for the national army, and finally to his rehabilitation through UNICEF. A traumatic and sometimes grisly story, I’m thankful to this story for giving me a glimpse into a world and culture I knew nothing about.

When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmerelda Santiago made me realize how incredibly ignorant I am of an area of the world that is relatively close to the United States and is, in fact, a territory of the U.S.A. This memoir follows the life of Esmerelda and her family, particularly her mother, as they move from country to city to back again in Puerto Rico; eventually, they make their way to New York City. I would not have picked up this book on my own, but am grateful to my colleague Betsy for putting this read into my hands!

Why you might like these books: Although both books at times are incredibly depressing and nerve wracking, they give you such a perspective of the world around you. So when I get mad that a student left his homework on his desk, or that I forgot to rinse out my oatmeal bowl in the morning, these stories offer me a reality check of what real problems and situations are like. Voila! – instant perspective.

But stories like these were NOT written to make me feel better about my first world problems. Rather, they are told to raise awareness about parts of the globe that are sometimes ignored. More people need to read books like these in order to become more culturally aware and more sensitive to the world’s problems. After all, our community no longer extends to our city, state, or even country; the whole world is our community and we need to be aware of its trials, transformations, and triumphs.

Why you might not like these books: As recounted in a previous post, I started A Long Way Gone as an audiobook. I would not recommend this, as it is a pretty depressing and violent story and made me sad as I drove from place to place.

Truthfully, I liked A Long Way Gone more than When I Was Puerto Rican because there is more of a plot. At times during Puerto Rican, I wanted to throw down the book and scream at Esmerelda’s parents for putting her in such dangerous and unfair situations. Both of these books were hard to read at times, but I’m thankful to have read them.

Similar Titles I’ve Read: Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick, Night by Elie Wiesel, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, Sold by Patricia McCormick, The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

I would recommend these books to: People who care about our global community; history buffs; and my dear friend Kirsten.

Thoughts on a Reading Slump and Book Abandonment

For whatever reason, in the month of April my reading hit a slump. I read four books, one of them a reread (In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan- see my last post!). While this is impressive by my 2013 standards, it’s the least amount of books I’ve read in a month in 2014, and I completely ditched audiobooks. Here are some possible causes:

1. The weather has been unusually awful for April and the TV has been calling my name
2. I bought a road bike and have been dedicating some time to a new hobby
3. Grading and school has been getting the better of me

Most likely though, I think I’ve hit a wall because I haven’t been EXCITED about the books I’ve chosen to read. At the beginning of the year, I made a list of all the books I have been recommended or wanted to read and I have been steadily making my way through them. However, my most recent books have just not been making the cut. Here are some books I have abandoned  in recent weeks:

• The Group by Mary McCarthy: this is the book club choice from my college book club (hi guys!). I didn’t get too far into it when I heard many people were either a) not reading it or b) hating it, so I promptly decided not to make it a priority. The incredibly tiny font didn’t help either!

• Cooked by Michael Pollan: I love Michael Pollan and I love food, but I just wasn’t in the mood for this book. I’m much more interested in the process of growing food and eating food (thus, my recent Michael Pollan read), but over 500 pages of how cooking works just was not doing it for me.

• Endurance by Alfred Lansing: I actually do want to read this book still, reading about a ship crew trudging through snow and ice in Antarctica and it was snowing in April this year just made me angry! When I’m sweltering hot and baling hay in July, I think this book will be a much better fit.

• A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah: This memoir of Ishmael Beah, who was a boy soldier during the civil war of Sierra Leone, is extremely powerful and fascinating, and I would like to finish reading it. However, I had checked it out from the library as an audiobook. Although the narrator has a strong, calm voice, the contents of the book were so depressing that I hated listening to it in the car. I want to read this book, but I think this is better suited as a “read this and be depressed for one week,” not a “read in short spurts and be reminded how awful the world is all over again for weeks” selection.

So what’s a girl to do with all of this book abandonment and indecisiveness? I feel incredibly guilty when I abandon books, but as I’ve learned from Donalyn Miller, reader and teacher extraordinaire and author of my teaching bible The Book Whisperer, there are too many wonderful books in the world to read ones that don’t interest you. Reading should be fun, engaging, and an escape from your current world; the real world should not be an escape from books you are dreading to read.

So with that, I am picking myself up from April and setting out to salvage my reading in May. Luckily, I have wonderful friends who make my life so much better and have given me books and recommendations. Here are some books and ideas that are spurring me forward:

• What Teachers Make by Taylor Mali: Given to me by a dear childhood friend who also teaches, I have been reading a little of this each night and especially when teaching has been rough recently. A nice little reminder of why we teach.

• Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller: Another gift from a lovely colleague. As previously admitted, Donalyn Miller is my idol in a totally dorky reader and teacher sort of way. Can’t wait to get some ideas for next year from this book!

• Other things I have done: Without too much guilt, I cleaned out books from my list that I do not really want to read and have added in new recommendations after browsing my library website and GoodReads. Hopefully, six new books and two audiobooks will await me at the library soon! On May 22, I will also be attending a Young Adult Literature Conference with some of my buddies from school. Always a fantastic way to get the latest YAL titles and give me a huge summer booklist!

Spring is here and I can’t wait to share with you some of my newest book finds of May soon J

The Power of Rereading

When I look over my list of books to read and browse my “Books Worth Reading” board on Pinterest, it’s almost overwhelming to think about all the books there are in the world and what a small percentage I will actually get to read in my lifetime. (For reference, in the United States in 2011, nearly 300,000 books were published!!!) So far this year, I’ve put a concerted effort to focus on those awesome yet-to-be-read books that will make my world come alive.

But in the last week, it’s been books I’ve already read that have gotten my attention. These two books have come in very different forms, but it’s been refreshing to reflect on the power of rereading stories and the importance of taking a second look.

1. Macbeth by William Shakespeare

This is my third year reading Macbeth with my 10th graders, and each year I look at this play in a different light. The conversations and opinions of my students certainly influence me to look at characters in different ways, and ultimately, I come to the end of the unit with a completely new outlook on Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and even Banquo than when I began. It’s also amazing to me how much more I understand with each rereading. I also love being able to quote lines without having to check the book. In other word, rereading continues to make me into an expert!

2. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

My good buddy Fran gave me this book way back in the good old days when we were college roommates. Having read Omnivore’s Dilemma, I devoured (haha- get it?) this book by local food expert Michael Pollan. In Defense of Food argues that what most of us eat on a regular basis is not, in fact, food, but “edible foodlike substances.” What follows is a well-crafted, fascinating argument for all of us to get back to eating real food in order to be healthier and happier people.

I’m still not done rereading this book, but it has given me a refreshing reminder of what it means to be a healthy eater. It has also inspired me to dive headfirst into making our vegetable garden the best it’s ever been- which is not a high bar, for the record. Taking a second look has been an inspiring start to spring, and it makes me excited for eating healthy summer food- not just foodlike substances!

Admittedly, I have not been the best reader lately, but rereading these two books, although for very different purposes, has reenergized me and made me feel excited for other books that I may read for the first of many times.

What books will you take a second look at this week to inspire and energize you?

March Recap

It’s finally spring, right? Sitting comfy cozy on my bed during a much-needed Spring Break, I feel so pleased when I look over the eight books I was able to make time to read this month.

Here’s a recap of the books I read this month:

1. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
2. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
3. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
4. Self Help by Lorrie Moore
5. America Again by Stephen Colbert
6. Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink
7. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
8. The Fault in our Stars by John Green

Favorite Fiction: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. I read this as a recommendation of my friend Kirsten, and it was lovely. A great, quick read told from the perspective of a boy with autism and a mystery that changes his life forever. Fantastic!

Least Favorite Fiction: Self Help by Lorrie Moore. It was a little bit too “woe is me I’m a twenty-something living in NYC” for me. However, the reason I read the book in the first place fills my heart to the top: my college friends and I started an online book club and this was our second read. So fun to be able to connect through books, even when we all live in five different states and two different countries!

Favorite Non-Fiction: Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink. I hope I get a chance to blog about this book, because it really helped me think about eating in a different way. Everyone struggles with mindless eating- snacking even though you’re not hungry, eating just because food is there, munching because everyone else is. This book put a great perspective on how to use mindless eating to your advantage.

Least Favorite Non-Fiction: America Again by Stephen Colbert. This was a quick read, and a fun audiobook, but didn’t have a lot of meat to it. As could be expected from Colbert, this was more about cracking jokes than anything else.

Looking back on these reads, what’s most enjoyable for me is thinking about when I read them and who I got to read them with. I loved discussing Curious Incident with my tenth graders, who read it in ninth grade. I looked so forward to hanging out on Google+ with my book club buddies to discuss Self Help. I snuggled in on my airplane home from Florida to read Insurgent. I laughed, cried, and pondered about my audiobooks on my way to visit friends, drive home from work, and run errands.

Reading always seems to make life more enjoyable.

Audio Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Admittedly, I have not been the best blogger lately. However, I’m hoping the multitudes of books- audio and traditional- that I have been reading lately make up for it. Stay tuned for a March Recap in a day or two!

I was lucky enough to attend a rockin’ bachelorette party in Minneapolis a couple of weekends ago (yay Kaitlyn!). During the 9 hour round trip, I listened to two very different books- Mindless Eating, a non-fiction book by Mark Wasink and The Fault in Our Stars by the beloved Young Adult Lit author John Green.

I say beloved because teens seem to thrive over his books, most notably The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns. Admittedly, I did not LOVE Paper Towns, but when my students said “YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK NOW,” I, per usual, gave in and checked it out.

Hazel is a teenager with limited days. Barely escaping death from lung cancer thanks to a new experimental drug, she is a grenade waiting for her time to run out. At a somewhat lame but nonetheless supportive cancer group at a local church, Hazel meets the dreamy Augustus Waters. Gus lost his leg to cancer and, now healthy, is at the support group to support another cancer-friend Isaac. Hazel and Gus fall into a whirlwind romance and through each other, are able to truly live while awaiting what they can only assume are going to be untimely deaths.

As you might guess, this story will have some major sad moments. And yes, I did cry by myself in the car toward the end of the book, and I am not at all ashamed. In fact, if you don’t cry, I will question you are probably a tin man.

Why you might like this book: Although I’ve been fortunate not to have anything close to a life-threatening illness, it sure seems like John Green offers a realistic, though not totally cynical, view of how it feels to have cancer. In this way, I felt like the characters’ feelings are pretty believable. Secondly, this novel offered a couple of twists that surprised me, which I always appreciate.

Why you might not like this book: The characters in this book talk like they are on Gilmore Girls; super witty and not at all realistic. In fact, this is a huge reason why I never got into Gilmore Girls. It’s especially obvious on the audio version of the book, but it’s something you get used to.

Similar Titles I’ve Read: Paper Towns by John Green, My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

I would recommend this book to: mostly teens, people who like having feelings, anyone planning on seeing the movie

The movie version of this book comes out on June 6. Although Shailene Woodley, one of my archnemeses, is in it, rest assured I will probably still see it at some point. See the trailer here!