It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s been too long since my last post. I’ve missed you all so much! The baby’s sleep, so let’s see if I can write and post this before she wakes up.

I actually read a book last week! It’s such an amazing feeling when you finish a book after such a long period of doing everything but reading. Last week, I received a copy of William Ritter’s Jackaby and his newest book, Beastly Bones. I dove into Jackaby and finished it in a day. The book has been described as “Sherlock Holmes crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and it kind of fits. I just started Beastly Bones and I plan on finishing it soon.

Now that I’m reading again, I want to be ambitious and make a reading list for the week. Up next, I hope to read The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander with Shannon (River City Reading). If I’m lucky (I probably won’t be), I’m including Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman and X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz.

What are you reading this week?

 

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Time: // 8:08 a.m.

The scene: // It’s MLK Day, so the kids and I have the day off. That means I get to clean up the house, correct school work, celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday, and maybe buy some baby clothes for a little girl.

Even though it doesn’t feel like it, I’ve been on a reading roll lately thanks to my oldest. She started reading Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone series, which I’m now reading with her. I just started a few days ago and I’m now on the last book in the series.

Last week I read:

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom by Lisa Delpit
Days of Blood & Sunlight by Laini Taylor
Sketch!: The Non-Artist’s Guide to Inspiration, Technique, and Drawing Daily Life by France Belleville-Van Stone
Twenty-Two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank by Paula Yoo

This week I’m reading:

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor
Art is Fundamental: Teaching the Elements and Principles of Art in Elementary School by Eileen Prince
Minnie & Moo: Hooves of Fire by Denys Cazet (read-along with my youngest, If you have kids in the lower elementary grades, Minnie and Moo is a hilarious series to check out.)
Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon (continuing)
Drawing With Children: A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too by Mona Brookes (Belle told me about this book last week and I had to grab a copy. I’ve always been interested in learning to draw and Belle swears it’ll teach me.)

What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.

It’s a new year and I am determined to read more! Well every year I’m determined to read more, but this year is different. 2015 started off with me reading children’s books, but after reading Ms. Marvel last night, I feel energized.

This week I’m hoping to read:

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (YA). My daughter read this book a few weeks ago and cried her butt off. She’s been waiting for me to read it ever since.

The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp (YA). I’m on the fence with this one. We’ll see if I end up reading it.

Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity by Andrew Solomon. I bought this book two years ago and never finished reading it! It’s over 700 pages, so I don’t plan on finishing this week but I will get it done.

Children’s books

I’m determined to read more often to the kids. I don’t know what happened, but the kids and I don’t read together as often anymore. I’m hoping to change that with a few picture and chapter books.

• Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh
• Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen
• Twenty-Two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank by Paula Yoo
• Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
• And Two Boys Booed by Judith Viorst

What are you reading this week?

Sunday Salon on a Monday

Time: // 7:12 pm

The scene: // Sitting in my living room, typing this. Spring break for my sisters and I have started. I still have homeschooling but since spraining my neck (didn’t know that was possible) earlier last week, I’m going to be lying down a lot.

Just finished reading: // An Untamed State by Roxane Gay. Shannon and I were discussing it a little via Goodreads. I recommend it to Aarti, Ana, Jill, and Jenny.

Now I’m continuing: // a few books I started earlier last week like A Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons by Sam Kean (nonfiction) and Cress by Marissa Meyer. I like I’m going to DNF Delancey by Molly Wizenberg for now. It’s an okay book but I’m not pulled in to the writing.

Next up: // Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Someone (who?) reviewed this book a few months ago and I had to pick it up.

Promoting: // Though I haven’t been blogging a lot lately, I’m still reading everyone’s posts. On the Read-a-thon blog, Andi wrote why Dewey’s read-a-thon is a lot like a choose your own adventure book.

A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride was recently nominated for a few awards. Heather at Between the Covers recently wrote a review about the book as hard to read but still impressive.

Now I’m off to: // start my day.

What have you been up? What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at BookJourney.

Last week, my reading mojo came back when I read Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee. Now I’m ready to conquer the world read as much as I can. The world looks so much better when you’re able to read.

This week I’m reading:

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter. I’ve read most of the books in this short story collection, but not all of them. The book is one that I’ve been meaning to read for years and it would be nice to have this excellent collection crossed off my tbr list.

The Memory Garden by Mary Rickert. I started this book weeks ago and then ignored it. Maybe this week will be the perfect time to finish it.

Why Don’t Students Like School? by Daniel T. Willingham. I’ve been reading this book for a long time now. It’s the book that I take with me on my Monday errands, but don’t read any other time. I’m halfway through and plan on FINALLY finishing it this week. Why Don’t Students Like School? is one of those books that you need a stack of post-its and a notebook next to you as you read.

For homeschooling:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle. We’ll probably read this over the next two weeks or so.

Love that Dog by Sharon Creech

What are you reading this Monday?

Monday. . .

My nightstand

Time: // 8:10 a.m. Monday

The scene: // my living room in front of my huge bay window. It’s nice and cool out. I wish it was colder. Plus, I feel a migraine coming on.

Eating and drinking: // oatmeal with brown sugar plus I have a cup of coffee

Giving away: // the kids’ Halloween candy. I took my kids along with some older kids from the neighbor trick-or-treating. These kids gave me a workout! I didn’t know it was possible to hit up so many houses in such a short time.  I’ve been slowly but surely giving away the kids’ candy when they’re not looking.

Reading: // Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. It’s a good read though I probably won’t finish it. It’s due back at the library tomorrow. I’m also reading Ingenious: A True Story of Invention, Automotive Daring, and the Race to Revive America by Jason Fagone. I started this a few weeks ago and never finished it. Hopefully, I will this time around.

Realizing: // how hard it is to get back to blogging. I’ve been reading blog posts but writing them is another matter. It doesn’t matter that my reading has drastically slowed down.

Looking forward to: // reading everyone’s posts for Non-fiction November! I learned about it this morning over at Kim’s blog. I’m hoping to participate and add some more non-fiction to my tbr list.

Wondering: // is anyone participating in NaNoWriMo? It seems like the blogisphere has been pretty quiet about this event. I know there are a few bloggers who join every year. Are you one of them?

So:// what have you been up to? What great books have you read? What good things have happened to you lately?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Fall hasn’t reached SoCal but the cold and flu season has arrived. Despite the whole family coming down with colds last week I still managed to get some reading done.

Last week I read:

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrai (read-along with daughter)

The City of Ember: graphic novel adaptation by Dallas Middaugh

Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman and Chip Kidd

Stitches: A Handbook for Meaning, Hope, and Repair by Anne Lamott

 

Reviews to come. Seriously.

I’m still recovering from last week’s cold and virus but I’m hoping to read a few good books. This week’s reading pile includes:

Sula by Toni Morrison

The Color Purple by Alice Walker (for next week’s Banned Books Week)

We Need New Names by Noviolet Bulawayo

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley (re-read)

 

What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.

Good morning! Last week I only read one book:

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I plan on posting my review tomorrow. I just need to reread it today.

I’m also plan on reading:

Lotería by Mario Alberto Zambrano

The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light by Paul Bogard

The Translator by Nina Schuyler

Classic Reading in Cultural Anthropology edited by Gary Ferraro (I’ve already started this one.)

What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday. What are you reading is a fantastic weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.

Thanks to school, kids, and everything else known as life, I haven’t had much time for reading. I didn’t finish one book last week. I’m really not surprised since this is the last month of the semester and I’m being bombarded with paper after paper to write. I’m doing my best to carve out some reading time for myself.

This week I’m reading (and hopefully finishing):

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I’m in a re-reading sort of mood plus the Classics Club is hosting a sync reading (a stress-free read-along) that’s currently going.

Waiting for “Superman”: How We Can Save America’s Failing Public Schools edited by Karl Weber. I’m reading this for my sociology class.

What It Is by Lynda Barry. This is one of my books left over from the read-a-thon.

The kids are reading:

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. My daughter, Piper, is reading this. I hope she ends up enjoying this as much as I did.

Wonder by RJ Palacio. After the lovely Alysia (Little Pocket of Books) suggested that we read this, my son started to. So far, Oliver’s enjoying it.

I’m not the only one in a re-reading mood. My youngest, Avram, loves Zoe B. and R.W. Alley’s There’s a Wolf at the Door. He’s been re-reading it every day. Often times, fairy tale re-tellings are a hit-or-miss. The Alley’s retelling of various stories featuring the Big Bad Wolf are hilarious and a great addition to the genre.

So that’s what we’re reading this week. What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.

Last week I read:

The Crane Wife by Sumiko Yagawa (fairy tale)

Seed by Seed: The Legend and Legacy of John “Appleseed” Chapman by Esmé Raji Codell (children’s non-fiction)

Seven Fathers by Ashley Ramsden (fairy tale)

Little White Duck: A childhood in China by Na Liu and Andrés Vera Martinez (children’s non-fiction)

Cardboard by Doug TenNapel (middle grade graphic novel)

Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas (children’s fiction)

The Three Bully Goats by Leslie Kimmelman (fairy tale retelling)

Fabulous Fishes by Susan Stockdale (children’s fiction)

Zora!: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston by Dennis Brindell (middle grade/YA non-fiction)

Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington by Jabari Asim (children’s non-fiction)

The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child by Linda Dobson (non-fiction)

Usborne the Children’s Book of Art by Rosie Dickins (children’s non-fiction)

 

Favorite Book(s) of the Week:

I was trying to narrow this down to just one book but I couldn’t. Little White Duck, The Crane Wife, and Seed by Seed were my favorite reads of the week.

Since one of my current reads, Far From the Tree, is a tome (900+ pages), last week I decided to read other books at the same time. The next thing I knew, I’m reading four books at a time and that doesn’t include all the children’s books.

I’m currently reading:

Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon (non-fiction)

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis

Mysterious Tales of Japan by Rafe Martin (folklore)

 

Listening to:

The Little Red Guard: A Family Memoir by Wenguang Huang (non-fiction)

What’s next:

It’ll probably be Howling’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I plan on reading it with my daughter soon. After seeing the movie trailers for Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia, I think I’m going to add that to this week’s reading pile too.

What are you reading this week? 

It’s Monday. What are you reading?

Photo courtesy of Blhphotography

It’s countdown to the first day of the semester on the 27^th. I only realized last week that I don’t have many days of freedom left. Since then, I’ve been reading as much as I possibly can.  It’s funny how your reading mojo comes back when you’re determined to have it back!

Last week I read and reviewed American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Gardens and Gardens Across America by Michelle Obama. I also read The Spare Room by Helen Gardner, a present I received last Christmas from Deb (Readerbuzz), Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me by Harvey Pekar, The Hard Questions by Susan Piver, and Ichiro by Ryan Inzana. I enjoyed the whole stack but probably loved Ichiro more than the others since I finished it in the wee hours of this morning.

I’m currently reading The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian which is about the Armenian genocide. It’s an excellent read so far and I think it’s perfect timing after reading Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me and Ichiro, all three are about history and war. I’m about halfway done so now it’s time to start eyeing my stack of library books, ARCs, and books I own to see which ones I should try to squeeze in this week.

This week’s stack of possibilities:

Our Kind of People: A Continent’s Challenge, A Country’s Hope by Uzondinma Iweala is a book I received a few months ago for review. It’s about the AIDS crisis in Nigeria and those that are being affected by the disease.

The Distance between Us by Reyna Grande is the author’s coming-of-age tale about living with various relatives after her parents move to the United States from Mexico.

It by Stephen King. I’m a scaredy cat but I couldn’t help joining the It read-along with Jill (Fizzy Thoughts) and Christina (Reading Thru the Night), which goes on until October 14^th.  Christina has been giving out clown noses to participants but I really think we’re going to need night-lights!

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. Memory (Xicanti) and a few other bloggers have been raving about this book for months now. I have no idea what it’s about except that it’s about dragons.

What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday. What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey. Every week, Sheila asks readers to share what books they’re planning on reading each week.

Last week was a pretty slow reading week. I don’t know why but it seems like it took me forever to finish a book. I’m blaming it on my not-so-smart idea to read six books at one time and not scheduling enough time to read.

I read:

• Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

This week I’m reading:

• The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter (I’m almost finish)
• The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (for the upcoming Chunky Book Club discussion)
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• MWF seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend by Rachel Bertsche

What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a great weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey. Each week bloggers are encouraged to share their reading plans for the week.

Since it’s National Poetry Month, I usually post a video of some sort but I’m having a little blogging emergency. One of my resolutions for 2012 was to post at least 100 reviews this year. I am so behind. It doesn’t help that the longer I stay away from reviewing books, the harder it is to get back to it. So I’m writing this post to state publicly that if I don’t post three reviews this week, I will give away three more books. It’s important to me to write more often, so hopefully this is the push that I need since I really want to read every book I own.

This week I’m reading:

• The Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett (currently reading)
• Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened  by Jason Rodridguez
• The Perils of Morning Coffee by Alexander Mccall Smith
• Food Rules by Michael Pollan
• One book off of my tbr list

Postcards, Morning Coffee, and Food Rules are all less than 100 pages so I should be able to finish them in no time. What are you reading this week? What do you do when you have trouble writing reviews? Any tips?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday. What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.

Last week I read:

• Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka
• Speaking of Art: Colorful Quotes by Famous Painters by Bob Raczka
• Today and Today: Haiku by Kobayashi Issa and G. Brian Karas
• Fresh American Spaces by Annie Selke
• Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson
• East of the Moon, West of the Sun retold by Naomi Lewis
• Forgotten Country by Catherine Chung
• Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs by Willy Claflin
• Same Difference by Derek Kirk Kim
• All Aboard: Elijah McCoy’s Steam Engine by Monica Kulling
• The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
• Listen to my Trumpet! by Mo Willems
• Jazz Age Josephine by Jonah Winter
• Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate) by Amy Thomas
• Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

So far this week I’ve read:

• Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet
• Mrs. McBloom, Clean Up Your Classroom! by Kelly DiPucchio

I’m currently reading:

• 11/22/63 by Stephen King for the Chunky Book Club discussion this month.

On my nightstand:

• The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss by Kathleen Krull
• MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend by Rachel Bertsche
• The Vanishers by Heidi Julavits
• Arcadia by Lauren Groff
• Pie by Sarah Weeks
• Cinderella by Max Eilenberg
• Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleischman
• The Pied Piper of Hamelin by Robert Browning

What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season. One of our trees is already packed up and the big one will be back in its box this afternoon. It seems like it takes forever for Christmas to get here and then it’s gone so fast! Can you believe that this is the last Friday of the year? There are so many things that I want to accomplish in 2012 that I can’t wait for it to get here.

So last week I told you guys of my huge goal to read a book until the end of winter break, which is the second week of January. So far I’m doing great though I haven’t been able to write even one review yet. I read a ton of children’s books plus:

• Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
• The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Scenes from an Impending Marriage: A Prenuptial Memoir by Adrian Tomine

DNF-ed:

• Briefs by John Edgar Wideman
• A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliot

The TBR Dare is right around the corner and I still have a stack of library books to get through. So here’s this week’s stack:

 

• Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World by Sam Sommers
• Witches on the Road Tonight by Sheri Holman
• I Love Yous are for White People: a memoir by Lac Su
• The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges
• The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen (left over from last week)
• The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright (left over from last week)
• A Thousand Saints by Eleanor Henderson

Fingers crossed that I can get through this stack. What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.

I have a confession to make: for the last few weeks I haven’t been participating in this meme because I thought I was organized enough that I didn’t need to list that I wanted to read on a weekly basis. I was so wrong. My reading has trickled, something that I really don’t need it to do since school starts in three weeks. I want to read as much as I can before then. I’ve learned my lesson and now I’m back!

I was thinking that since I have 21 days before the start of the new semester, maybe I could read a book a day. I don’t have any plans for the holiday besides cooking.  So here’s my stack this week:

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer (currently reading)

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

Ten Letters: The Stories Americans Tell Their President by Eli Saslow

Briefs: Stories for the Palm of the Mind by John Edgar Wideman

A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliot

I broke it down and it comes to 293 pages a day. I’m pretty sure that I can do it. I know the non-fiction might slow me down a little bit. Plus I have three short books that I’ve already read but need to review. So that’s what I’m reading. What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a great weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

 Last week I read:

• Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
• Noodle and Lou by Liz Garton Scanlon (children’s book)
• The Taste of Salt by Martha Southgate
• The Blessing of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel
• Red Wagon  by Renata Liwski (children’s book)

Right now I’m reading:

• Havana Real: One Woman Fights to Tell the Truth about Cuba Today by Yoani Sanchez
• Bless Me, Ultima by Reynaldo Anaya
• Season to Taste: How I Lost my Sense of Smell and Found My Heart by Molly Birnbaum
• In This Light: New & Selected Stories by Melanie Rae Thon

I’m hoping to finish everything this week except In This Light since it’s a short story collection. What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday? What are you reading? is an excellent weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Either I’m reading too much or I’m not paying enough attention to what I’m reading, because every week that I participate in this meme, I have to check Goodreads to see what I read the week before.

Last week I read:

• Feynman by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick
• Willpower by Roy F. Braumeister (DNF)
• Fired to Hired by Tory Johnson
• The Girl who Fell From The Sky by Heidi W. Durrow (reviewed)

This week I’m hoping to read:

• Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
• In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood
• Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
• Push Has Come to Shove by Dr. Steve Perry
• Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

It’s a small list but I think it’s doable. What are you reading this week? 

It’s Monday! What are you reading and Bout of Books

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is my favorite meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey. 

Last week went by in such a blur that I can barely remember what I read. Looking at last week’s stack, I see that the only books I read were for the read-a-thon. Here’s what I read:

• Habibi by Craig Thomspon
• Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
• Love as Strong as Ginger by Lenore Look

This week I’m reading:

• The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (already started)
• You are Not So Smart by David McRaney (for an upcoming TLC book tour)
• The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
• Interview with the Vampire (already started)
• Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras

If I can squeeze anything else in this week, I will.

Amanda at On a Book Bender is hosting a week-long read-a-thon called Bout of Books. It starts today and ends this Sunday. I had to participate though I just failed  finished Dewey’s read-a-thon. I’m surrounded by so many great books, why not spend the next week reading?

What are you reading today?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is my favorite meme. It’s hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

I had a good reading week though I didn’t read as much as I wanted to. I don’t know what happened but days went by without me reading a word. This week I’m getting my butt into gear and getting things read. I’m on a mission to cull my tbr shelves but I want to read my books first before letting them go.

 

Last week I read:

Two Old Women by Velma Wallis

Amulet Vols. 2& 3 by Kazu Kibuishi

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

 

 

 

This week I want to read:

Chicken and Egg: A Memoir of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes by Janice Cole (already started)

Amulet Vol. 4 by Kazu Kibuishi

The Immigrant Edge by Claudia Kolker

Make the Bread, buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese (maybe)

Three of my own books (undecided on which ones)

So that’s my reading pile for the week. What book are you looking forward to reading? 

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a great meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.

 

Last week I read:

Hellboy: Wake the Devil by Mike Mignola

Amulet #1 by Kazu Kibuishi

Here by Wislawa Szymborska

Holes by Louis Sachar

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz

Max’s Words by Kate Banks

Green Wilma, Frog in Space by Tedd Arnold

What the World Eats by Faith D’Aluisio and Peter Menzel

 

This week I’m hoping to read:

The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness by Brianna Karp

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teaching to Raise Self-Reliant Children by Wendy Mogel

Amulet #2-4 by Kazu Kibuishi

Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from my Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg (maybe)

Chicken and Egg: A Memoir of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes by Janice Cole (maybe)

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (maybe)

 

So that’s my list. What book are you looking forwarding to this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a great meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.

So I’m starting to think it’s pretty ridiculous how slow my reading has been in the past week. The migraines are still around but not as much. I think my reading has slowed since I’m dedicating more time to studying. Luckily this is my last week of geography class and I’m free from school for at least a month.

Last week I read:

• Three By the Sea by Mini Grey (children’s book)
• The Greatest Music Stories Never Told by Rick Beyer (review coming up)
• Consuming Passions by Michael Lee West (review)
• Lots of Dots by Craig Frazier (children’s book)
• How Did That Get in My Lunch Box?: The Story of Food by Chris Butterworth (children’s book, review coming up soon)

This week I want to read:

•  The Wisdom of the Radish: And Other Lessons Learned on a Small Farm by Lynda Hopkins. (It’s my current read and I’m about 100 pages away from the end.)
• Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (It was due at the library last week so I really need to finish it by Thursday.)
• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. (Project Fill-in-the-Gaps)
• The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield (upcoming TLC tour)
• The Realm of Hungry Spirits by Lorraine Lopez
• Transparency: short stories by Frances Hwang

So that’s what I’m reading. What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.

I’m calling this post my get-my-butt-into-gear edition. I am so behind in almost all aspects of my life since  I was suffering from migraines last week. I was able to read was A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. It was an okay read. I didn’t love it like so many others did.  I have homework, errands, and tons of reading to catch up on. If I stay migraine-free this week, I’m hoping to read:

1. Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt (for my Mock Newbery group)
2. Consuming Passions: A Food Obsessed Life by Michael Lee West
3. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
4. Leaving a Trace by Alexandra Johnson
5. I’m hoping to read at least two more books but I have no idea which ones.

I need to review:

1. Eat: The Effortless Weight Loss Solution by Ian K. Smith
2. 32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter
3. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (I’m not sure. I think I’ll probably re-read it first.)
4. Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie by Lauren Redniss

So that’s what I’m hoping to accomplish. What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you Reading?

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.

I’m in the middle of more than six books. I usually don’t mind but it’s driving me crazy since there’s so many new books that I want to read! I’m determined to finish every book I’ve already started this week so I can move on. I’m going to be offline for most of the week but here’s a few books that I plan on finishing:

War and Watermelon by Rich Wallace (for an upcoming TLC tour)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. (re-read)  I’m listening to it on audio and reading a print copy of it.

Sugar in My Bowl by Erica Jong. This is a pretty interesting book but I keep leaving it on my nightstand so I’m only reading it at night.

The Reading Promise: My Father and the books we shared  by Alice Ozma.

Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self by Danielle Evans. I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve checked this book out this year. It’s getting pretty ridiculous. If I read a short story a day for the next week, this book will be finished by next week.

Red and Me by Bill Russell. I’ve been listening to this short audio book for the past week and haven’t finished it. The story is great but I haven’t made the time to really listen to it.

So that’s my reading stack for the week. What are you reading? 

It’s Monday. What are you reading?

It’s Monday. What are you Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey.  Every week bloggers share the books they’ve read the week before and what they plan on reading this week.

Last week  I read:

• The Chicken Thief by Beatrice Rodriguez
• Akata Witch by Nnede Okorafor
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe (Vol. 5) by Bryan Lee O’Malley
• Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour (Vol. 6) by Bryan Lee O’Malley
• Horoscopes for the Dead: Poems by Billy Collins

I think my favorite book of the week was Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe. I started reading the series a little more than a week ago and finished it within days. It’s a great series that’s full of laughs.  This week I have a ton of books to read because I have several that need to be returned to the library next week. Luckily I have plenty of time to read them all. Here’s this week’s stack:

• Sugar in My Bowl: Real women write about real sex edited by Erica Jong (ARC)
• The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt (ARC)
• Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders by Kevin Sylvester. I rarely read mysteries but once I saw the cover of this, I couldn’t pass it up.
• Exclusive Love: A Memoir by Johanna Adorján
• Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos
• The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey
• The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee
• Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self by Danielle Evans
• The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (read-along)

That’s nine books in nine days. It’s a lot but I think it’s doable if I restrict my online time. We’ll see how it goes. What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday. What are you reading? is a meme hosted by the lovely Sheila over at Book Journey. It’s also a meme that I need to start doing consistently since my reading is almost nonexistent right now. I’m in the middle of a ton of books but rarely finishing any of them in the past few weeks. With the TBR Dare coming to a close Thursday night, I’m still six books away from my goal of 25 books read off my shelves. There’s still time.

Last week I read:

Embroideries by Marjane Strapi

The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds

The Secret River by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Rain School by James Rutford

Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Paula Young Shelton and Raul Colón

Book Lust To Go by Nancy Pearl

Chew Vol. 1: Taster’s Choice by John Layman

So that’s one book of non-fiction, three graphic novels, and three children’s books. That is such a sad amount of books. All three of the graphic novels were my favorite reads of the week. The graphic novel adaptation of The Odyssey is so good that I now want to read the original. Chew is so different from any graphic novel that I’ve read, while Embroideries has a great subject matter: the lives of ordinary women.

This week I’m hoping to read/finish:

Drive by Daniel Pink (re-read)

The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas

Some Friend by Marie Bradby

The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson

Keeper by Kathi Appelt

Here at the End of the World We Learn to Dance by Lloyd Jones

The Grimm Reader: The Classic Tales of the Brothers Grimm by Maria Tatar

Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candance Fleming

Listening to:

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I don’t plan on finishing The Grimm Reader or A Game of Thrones this week because of their length. I expect Amelia Lost, Keeper, and Some Friend to be short reads so I think I can manage all of this.

What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you Reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

I love this meme. I’m a moody reader but it helps to put a stack of books together every week or month that I would really like to read. I notice when I don’t make a weekly lists of books, I can forget about the books that I need to read because of obligations. Another bonus is that when I compile this list, I always look around at my library books, review copies, e- and audio books to see what would be nice to finally read. I usually find a book or two that I forgot about.

 

Last week I read:

Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl by Virgina Hamilton

Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill

Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

 

So far this week I’ve read:

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French

I’m also hoping to read:

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

Nox by Anne Carson (started but need to finish)

Making the Match: The Right Book for the Right Reader at the Right Time by Teri S. Lesesne

The Girl who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow (upcoming book signing)

The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen

Views from the Loft: A Portable Writer’s Workshop edited by Daniel Slager

French Milk by Lucy Kinsley

A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

“Ponies” by Kij Johnson

Most of the books on this list are pretty short so I should be able to get this all read. What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by the lovely Sheila over at Book Journey.

 

Last week I read:

• Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri
• The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
• Foster by Claire Keegan
• Not pictured: Here by Wislawa Szymborska

 

This week’s stack:

• Changing my Mind: Occasional Essays by Zadie Smith
• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
• The Best 100 African American Poems by Nikki Giovanni

• This Book is Overdue by Marilyn Johnson
• Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein

• The Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier
• Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire
• Your Presence is Requested at Suvanto by Maile Chapman

It’s a pretty ambitious stack but I think I can handle it. What are you reading today?

 

 

It’s Monday. What are you reading?

Last week was a pretty good reading week.  I read:

1. Nat Turner by Kyle Baker
2. Bookhunter by Jason Shiga
3. The Song of the Whales by Uri Orlev
4. Bayou by Jeremy Love
5. The Book-Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers
6. The Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey and Peter Gross

This week I’m hoping to read:

1. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy
2. The Undertaking: Life Studies in a Dismal Trade by Thomas Lynch
3. The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan
4. My Havana: Memories of a Cuban Boyhood by Rosemary Wells
5. The Amazing “True” Story of a Teenage Single Mom by Katherine Arnoldi

So that’s what I’m reading. What are you reading this week?

It’s Monday. What are you Reading?

I decided to call this week “Read-a-thon Week”. I have so much to read this week for school including a chunkster and a play. I also have a ton of great-looking books on my shelves that I wanted to get to for the read-a-thon but wasn’t able to.

Last week I read:

Too Late by Clem Martini
Amulet 1: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
Amulet 2: The Stonekeeper’s Curse by Kazu Kibuishi
Amulet 3: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi
And the Pursuit of Happiness by Maira Kalman
City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems and Jon. J. Muth
How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
I Spy A to Z by Jean Marzollo (read with the kids)
Celebrate Halloween by Deborah Heiligman
Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss

This week I’m hoping to read:

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (re-read for school)
Notes From No Man’s Land: American Essays by Eula Biss
The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork
Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz
Collapse by Jared Diamond (school)
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

It’s a lot to read but I think I can do it. What are your reading plans for the week?