TeacherZee
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Posts posted by TeacherZee
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The War that Saved My Life has been on my TBR pile for a while and the others look really interesting. I haven't read any of them but they do all look good and I'll be picking up several of them for my nieces.
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Given our recent discussions, an event in North Carolina history (well, American history) should be mentioned.
Prior to 1898, Wilmington, NC, was the largest city in the state and in fact had a black majority. It was home to many professional and middle class African Americans until the coup d'etat. In 1898, a group of white supremacists formed a militia, destroying a black owned newspaper and driving thousands of African Americans from the town without their possessions. A mix raced city council that had been legally elected was tossed from office and in their place a group of white supremacists assumed their roles. Because of the lack of record keeping, we are unsure how many died that day.
In the following year, a poll tax was instituted in NC.
On the one hand, we have people today who say that these events are of the past and those of us alive today cannot be responsible. But my heart bleeds because I have met members of families who boasted artisans and professionals, who were reduced not only to penury but enslavement via Jim Crow after the events of 1898.
I don't have answers. But I do think that the episodes in history--our shared history--should not be buried because they make us squirm in discomfort. Silence does not help this situation.
And to bring this to books... The Wilmington coup d'etat enters into the storyline of John Sayles' novel A Moment in the Sun. I believe Stacia has read it. Cape Fear Rising is another novel which tells the tale.
In the summer of 2008 I registered voters in NC. The one individual I will never forget was an older deaf African American woman who had never been registered before. She was so excited to finally vote.
Thank you for that post Eliana. It inspired me to find something MLK for the firsties dictation this week.
I'll have to check what I read this week, which probably tells you a great deal about the reading :D. I'm running away to a spa this weekend and bringing Utvandrarna by Vilhelm Moberg to try again.
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And as I pressed post I remembered
Mio, my son by Astrid Lindgren. I can't read that book it is so sad.
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The Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren
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Confession time:
1. The only Narnia books I really like are the ones that feature Lucy.
2. I like my Tuesday morning class because I can read in it. A quick 15-30 minute lecture on whatever sub-unit we are doing and then let them work on problems in the book and I can read my book, or come and read here. Perfection...except it makes me feel like a lousy teacher at times
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I've always disliked Curious George, even as a child. He is kidnapped by the man in the yellow hat. And don't get me started on Babar.
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I lurked through last year's wrap-up threads. The descriptions of Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane caught my eye, so I requested it through the library. I checked it out on Sat. and sat down and read through the whole thing before doing what I actually came to town to do (buy groceries :) ). Thank you to everyone who mentioned it. I enjoyed it on the whole (even though it disturbed me a bit, too).
One of my goals for this year is to commonplace more (in an attempt to slow down a bit and not just read to see what happens, but to savor a bit more of the prose...another reason for re-reading as a habit). There were so many beautiful paragraphs, that I think I'm going to read through again to find some of my favorites and write them by hand before I have to take it back.
I also requested Neverwhere, so I'm looking forward to that sometime soon. And, a Tommy and Tuppence Agatha Christie (I've only read the first one, the second looks like a collection of short stories with a loose arc).
I don't know why New Years always calls to me for a bit of mystery reading, but it does. I finished up the audible version of Laurie R. King's The Beekeeper's Apprentice (reread, I don't know how many times anymore). It's almost like fan-fic in that it adds to the end of the Sherlock timeline and includes a brainy female protagonist side-kick.
And, Dorothy Gilman's The Unexpected Mrs. Polifax (another I don't know how many times reread) makes me smile. A widowed lady gets tired of Garden Club and applies at the CIA to become a spy. It's the first in the series. My favorite, too, I think.
I hadn't heard the term "cozy" before, but that's definitely the kind of mystery I like.
BaW is so fun! :)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is one of my favourite October books
Here is David Bowie's 100 favourite books http://electricliterature.com/david-bowies-100-favorite-books/
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I love this series! I didn't like the most recent book in the series as much, mostly because I didn't like the ending.
Another "churchy" mystery series that I enjoyed (from a Unitarian perspective) was Emilie Richards' Ministry is Murder series. Laugh out loud funny in parts.
I've finished 5 books so far this year and am now working on Eric Metaxas' Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy; so far, it is a very inspiring read and I am learning a great deal about the World War II era. I'm also reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, and Miracle; R. Stevenson's Treasure Island (along with DS); and am beginning SWB's The Revolt.
Thanks for the tip and I totally agree with you about the last book in the Clare series, I didn't like the ending either
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So far this year I've read:
1. Bear, Otter and the Kid by TJ Klune
2. Who We Are by TJ Klune
3. Helping Hand by Jay Northcote
4. The Art of Breathing by TJ Klune
5. Tied to Trouble by Megan Erickson
6. Let Love Live by Melissa Collins
7. At War by Andria Large
8. War Torn by Andria Large
All of them are m/m romances. Numbers 1, 2,4,7 and 8 all deal with mental illness (Anxiety, Panic attacks/disorder, PTSD and Depression). The last three I read yesterday and today, and I am almost done the final book in the War trilogy. Then I am going to read The Score by Elle Kennedy and then I am going to get to January's classic/non-fiction. I think it will be a non-fiction. I am feeling non-fictiony
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My first two books of the year were ones I started in 2015.
Welcome to the Episcopal Church is a brief intro to (obviously) the Episcopal Church. We've been attending one for almost two years, and the priest recommended this book to the newcomers in the congregation. I found the history of the Episcopal Church in America to be more interesting than I expected, especially the discussion of the differences that arose from being a state church (as it was in Virginia) or a church that was planted by congregations in England (as it was in New England), and how they had to reconcile those differences to create a national Episcopal Church. I also found that the author articulated some of things I love about the church but had been unable to express clearly, specifically the attraction to "both/and" theology instead of "either/or."
It did not, however, answer some of the questions I was hoping it would. I think I need to read the author's volume specifically on worship to get those answers. Possible bingo category: Nonfiction
No idea if you like mysteries but I have to recommend Julia Spencer Flemmings Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series to anyone who talks about the Episcopal Church (Clare is an Episcopal priest).
In bookish news ~
Some of the British coins to be released in 2016 have bookish themes.
Whimsical 2016 British Coins Feature Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and Homages to Shakespeare**
One of my father's favorite authors was Heman Wouk. Wouk is now 100 and has published an autobiography ~
'Sailor And Fiddler' Is A Lovely Coda To A Literary CareerRegards,
Kareni
We have literary people on our money too. The out going 20SEK note had Selma Lagerlöf and the incoming one has Astrid Lindgren (we are currently changing over)
:lol: What order are you doing them in? Have you done Boy and His Horse yet? My son was all good til he got to that one, but he FLATLY REFUSED to go on once he got to that one.
Your son is a very smart boy. The Boy and His Horse was always one I skipped.
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Happy Birthday Rosie!
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The discussion of the Childhood of Young Americans series is making me feel guilty about where I get my books. (1) My city has multiple Half Price stores, and I live minutes from the main one. It's huge and stocked with everything under the sun. Just the clearance section has hundreds and hundreds of books, and always a few I'm interested in. (2) Even closer is the also well-stocked library discard store, where every children's book is fifty cents and other books are one or two dollars. All donations, as well as books the library doesn't want anymore, go there. (3) Dh has infinite-checkout privileges at one of the country's largest university libraries. On the rare occasion that a book I especially want isn't there, he's gotten it through university intralibrary loan. (4) I regularly get to browse at COAS bookstore in Las Cruces, and the secondhand bookshops in Edinburgh, for those UK-only books.
Besides having far too many books, as a result the girls have a shelf full of the CoYA series: both the old orange cloth-covered ones and the newer blue softcovers. I especially like the one on LBJ. And Mad Anthony Wayne.
One of many things I miss with Edinburgh is all the secondhand bookshops. Both for buying books but also for getting rid of books when I moved.
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Sounds like a plan. Anyone else interested in sparse Scandinavian fiction?
No. :D 12 years of Swedish education has left me with an allergy to sparse Scandinavian fiction. It is reason number 2 as to why I am resisting getting certified to teach Swedish (reason number 1 is because the world lit course I would have to take would put me up against my literary nemesis Heart of Darkness again (3rd time the charm? I think not))
Two chapters into Michelle Alexander's New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. Sure do wish I'd done it last fall when y'all were talking about it... :huh:
That's one I wanted to read a couple of months ago (& even had out from the library) but didn't get to it in time before returning it.
Would like to get to it, so maybe we can discuss it down the road....
I've been wanting to read that as well so I might be up for a discussion
As to where I get my books, I participate in Amazon Smiles so I consider each purchase my charitable donation for the...month (possibly day but I try not to think about it, someone evil on this board made me look at how many orderes I had made last year...it wasn't pretty). Also my dad and I share an Amazon family thingy so I have access to the books he buys
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I couldn't get the bullet journal to work for me so I am using an EC and a Kikki-K (yes I go back and forth :))
I do use a lot of what I learned from the bullet journal in my planning though, especially at work. I started a separate Moleskin squared notebook for student matters. I keep attendance in it and results. I also make notes in it about conversations with students and disciplinary actions. When I have made 3 notes about students I move them to a page of their own. I also keep a page about funny things students say. And of course it has an index.
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I stayed up until 5am reading Who We Are by TJ Klune (Book 2 about Bear, Otter and the Kid) with tears running down my cheeks. Although I slept late I still have a head ache. Now I'm reading book three and crying. Man books about mental illness get me every time.
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Hello everyone!
I ended 2015 on 122 books as I didn't read on the train. Instead I ended up having a very enjoyable conversation with a former student who was travelling back to school after the Christmas holidays.
My goal for 2016 is 100 books, with one each month being either a classic or a non-fiction. I started out last year reading quite a few books like that but then SOMEONE recommended The Understatement of the Year and I went on a rabbit trail and fell down the hole. Then my job change and move happened and well...I am still in the rabbit hole. The first three books I am going to tackle are Gösta Berlings Saga by Selma Lagerlöf (classic), Anzac Girls by Peter Reese (non-fiction, started last year but then the rabbit hole) and The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan (same story as Anzac Girls). I also started Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans on the bit of the train journey that I didn't have company. So I will need to read that.
I will also need to read something with my firsties, but I haven't decided what yet, although I am leaning towards Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri after the discussion here. I could assign them different stories, many of them are immigrants, have parents who are immigrants or have lived as expats around the world, I think they would like the stories and be able to see them in a larger perspective.
Right now I am reading a very angsty m/m romance called Bear, Otter and the Kid by TJ Klune. There are two more books in the series and I will be reading them as well. Then I will need to tackle this months non-fiction/classic.
My Good Reads Profile. I've gotten loads better at using it since I got my new Kindle since it prompts me to add the books to my reading shelf when I start a new book, and prompts me to mark it as read when I am done. I mostly use it for that, and to stalk my favourite authors for new books :lol:
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Hello everyone!
I ended 2015 on 122 books as I didn't read on the train. Instead I ended up having a very enjoyable conversation with a former student who was travelling back to school after the Christmas holidays.
My goal for 2016 is 100 books, with one each month being either a classic or a non-fiction. I started out last year reading quite a few books like that but then SOMEONE recommended The Understatement of the Year and I went on a rabbit trail and fell down the hole. Then my job change and move happened and well...I am still in the rabbit hole. The first three books I am going to tackle are Gösta Berlings Saga by Selma Lagerlöf (classic), Anzac Girls by Peter Reese (non-fiction, started last year but then the rabbit hole) and The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan (same story as Anzac Girls). I also started Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans on the bit of the train journey that I didn't have company. So I will need to read that.
I will also need to read something with my firsties, but I haven't decided what yet, although I am leaning towards Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri after the discussion here. I could assign them different stories, many of them are immigrants, have parents who are immigrants or have lived as expats around the world, I think they would like the stories and be able to see them in a larger perspective.
Right now I am reading a very angsty m/m romance called Bear, Otter and the Kid by TJ Klune. There are two more books in the series and I will be reading them as well. Then I will need to tackle this months non-fiction/classic.
My Good Reads Profile. I've gotten loads better at using it since I got my new Kindle since it prompts me to add the books to my reading shelf when I start a new book, and prompts me to mark it as read when I am done. I mostly use it for that, and to stalk my favourite authors for new books :lol:
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I use my iphone camera. I read something on pintrest months ago about the best camera being the one you have with you, and although I have an awesome Nikon (in a moving box somewhere in my grandparents house) my iphone is always with me, so it really stuck with me. I then use Instacollage and Instagram to edit.
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Here is my first picture. Houses come in all shapes and sizes
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I might give it a go
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At the library I picked up and then put down the book on Anders Breivik. I was very interested but it's pretty hefty and I have a lot going on right now. I'd love to hear what you think of it when you finish!
The Breivik book is hefty but worth the read. Although it didn't make my best reads in 2015 it was well worth reading. Well written and made me think.
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Oh, since I know so many of you like Terry Pratchett I got this beautiful Discworld Atlas for Christmas
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Book a Week 2016 - BW7: be my valentine!
in The Chat Board
Posted
Hello everyone
Kareni I'll have to add some of those titles to my TBR. :)
I am off this week and planning on doing loads of reading.
I just finished Brotherhood in Death. A series I read for the relationships.
I am now reading Strong Signal by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell
I am also starting to plan lit history for next year. We are thinking of focusing on migration/diaspora stories.