Sunday, February 28, 2016

Even a Raging Cold Can't Stop This Reader




What I Read Last Week


I came down with a whopper of a cold last week. Congestion. Coughing. Sneezing. But I forged on, and made it through the work week, and slept fourteen hours Friday night. I'm feeling a little better today. I hope I'll be good for Read Across America next week.

I had a wonderful reading week, and started and finished The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients' Lives; Pax; and Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World. I haven't had time to write up reviews yet, but for now I'll just say that all three were excellent.



Annie: More and More Adorable


I bet you have been wishing I'd post a new picture of my adorable granddaughter, Annie, haven't you? Well, here's a photo my daughter-in-law took for Annie's four-month birthday today. She's the cutest baby you have ever seen, right? And such a happy baby.

What Arrived Last Week

  

Can't wait to start these. Don't they look interesting?!



What I'm Reading Now


Whew. I'm halfway finished with Evicted. What a difficult read it is. All the people in this nonfiction story are poor and struggling to keep a roof over the heads of their families. It's not a cheerful tale. As I was reading along, I started wondering which of the presidential candidates might pick up this book. I sure wish they all would.


           




What are you reading today?!





What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week. 
 It is now being hosted here.


Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is now being hosted at The Book Date.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

87-Year-Old Pool Shark




For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy ReadsTo participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at West Metro Mommy Reads.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Books I Love...and Hate

It's paradoxical (but isn't most truth?) but some of the books I loved the most were the ones that I also hated the most. Odd.

The Things They Carried
Loved the beauty of the words; hated painful parts of the story.

We Need to Talk About Kevin
Loved the writing; hated the relationship between the son and the mother.

The Pillars of the Earth
Loved the plot; hated the length of the novel.

The Road
Loved the relationship of son and dad; hated the graphic violence.

The Glass Castle
Loved the characters; hated the characters.

The Good Earth
Loved the story; hated the suffering of the wife.

Maus
Loved the brilliant story; hated the bleakness of the story.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Loved the family in the story; hated the way they were treated by others.

The Bell Jar
Loved the writing; hated the depression of the main character.

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Loved the friendship of the girls; hated how they had to stay apart.



Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Catching Up: What I've Read, What I'm Reading, What I'm Gonna Read





Here's what I've finished lately:

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz

What an incredible ride of a book.

I’d tell you about the main character but which identity should I share with you? Our main character takes on and drops off identities like most of us change apartments. Every change is in reaction to her pursuit by unknown people. People die. People appear from nowhere and shoot to kill. People flee. More mysteries.

What a ride!



The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese of Lisieux is one of the most beloved Catholic saints. So what is her story? And why are so many devoted to her?

St. Therese was born to parents who deeply loved the church. Their children were raised in that atmosphere, so it is no surprise that several became nuns, including Therese.

Therese wrote down the story of her life in this little book. In it, the reader gets a feel for the astonishing character that was Therese. She seemed to live her faith every minute of the day. Simply. Devoutly. She was completely devoted to God.

Beautiful and inspiring story.



This Moment is Full of Wonders by Thich Nhat Hanh

Thich Nhat Hanh takes simple meditative thoughts and uses calligraphy to express them in this beautiful gift book. Every stroke is both purposeless and purposeful. The thoughts are there to read and reread in all their complex simplicity. Lovely.







Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books edited by Leah Price

What books do writers have in their libraries and why do they keep the books they have on their shelves? That is the subject of this little book.





My Name is Lucy Barton
This is what happens when you love a book an author has written: None of her subsequent books measure up. I adored Olive Kitteridge. I liked Burgess Boys. I tolerated this latest book.

I'll just go ahead and say it: This book read like a first draft. I had glimmers of happy reading this book. But it needed work and somebody decided it was finished. Big mistake.

If you want to know more, here's a little plot summary: Lucy Barton grew up poor, without good relationships with her parents. She gets an opportunity to connect with her mother when Lucy ends up in the hospital.

Nice idea for a plot, I thought, but the book needed more work to really touch me. Perhaps I need to start a new category of books: Books that Need Revision.



The Cure by Jo Marchant

Most books about the mind-body connection seem to be wildly leaning one way or the other: it's nonsense or it's gospel. Cure by Jo Marchant is different. Marchant cautiously approaches each claim in a deeply scientific way, remaining both open and skeptical to results.

I loved this read and I highly recommend it. It's a readable book, with both stories and science, to investigate all the many ways mind and body are connected. If you have interest in this topic, without permanently aligning yourself to one end of the spectrum or the other, I think you will find this book to be fascinating.



What am I reading now?



What arrived this week?



What are you reading this week??
              


What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.


Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week. 
 It is now being hosted here.


Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is now being hosted at The Book Date.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

16 Stress Balls and (Gasp!) 0 Books



We librarians pride ourselves on our ability to visit booths at conferences with great speed and dexterity and obtain desired items for the students and teachers at our schools.


Here's my list of items procured at the 2013 TCEA conference for our students and teachers:

8 t-shirts
16 stress balls
3 jump drives
2 mouse pads
1 baseball cap
3 lanyards
2 superhero capes
65 pens
1 mini-mister
16 pieces of candy
7 tote bags
17 sticky note pads
and...no books.

Yes, 0 books. And 16 stress balls.

This year, I just managed to squeeze in two visits to the vendor area during lunch. Nevertheless, I did well, I think:


The pens this year were particularly interesting. Vendors seem to outdo themselves finding innovative pens:

P.S. If you were wondering, I donated the sixteen stress balls to the blood center. Somewhere, someone out there is squeezing a TCEA stress ball as she gives her 50th pint of blood.


Best Music to Read to

What do I listen to while I read?

Here are some of my favorite musical genres for reading.

In order, starting with liveliest, with links to my Pandora stations, are:










And, of course, there is always the best musical accompaniment:   silence.   No link needed.





What do you listen to while you read?






Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

100 Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

There is, of course, the wonderful 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up,
and this is my primary school abridged version of the list.


For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy ReadsTo participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at West Metro Mommy Reads.

Love Stories for People Who Gag on Romance Novels

I can read anything. Well, almost.

I draw the line at romance novels. There's something about romance novels that makes me reflexively gag.

But I can take certain kinds of romance novels. Short stories about love seem to go down more easily than an entire novel about love. I'm especially fond of short story collections that include some bitter love stories. Here are some of those short story collections I like:


Ties that Bind: Stories of Love and Gratitude from the First Ten Years of StoryCorps


My Mistress's Sparrow is Dead: Great Love Stories from Chekhov to Munro

Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak

The Lover's Dictionary

Paris, you say? France? Yes, we can read love stories set in France. We can read anything set in France.

Paris in Love

LeRoad Trip: A Traveler's Journal of Love and France

We seem to be able to bear love stories about our animals.


Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worse Dog


The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: A Love Story...with Wings

And, finally, we can usually tolerate children's picture books about love:

There's No One I Love Like You

How Far Do You Love Me?


Sunday, February 7, 2016

A Tech of a Week! The Technology Conference in Austin*





What are you reading today?!



What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week.  It is now being hosted here.

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme Book Date loves to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. 

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Penny Parker Klostermann: There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight


Author Penny Parker Klostermann oh-so-kindly visited our school last fall.
I spent the week before her visit reading her book to my students and talking about the story.










It took her quite a while to autograph the books.


Then she spoke to a rapt group of 700 PreK-2nd grade students.


She brought lots of props.


A group of students acted out the story.


Klostermann shared what might happen if the dragon visited our school.


Two second graders were selected to ask questions.


Klostermann, my library assistant, and me


For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy ReadsTo participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at West Metro Mommy Reads.