Reading – Page 6 – Peaceful Reader

Happy February! Here's my January book list…

I am so good at making lists and checking them off. I learned to make small lists a few years back (3 items about) which is helpful but it also means I make a new list every couple of hours. I looked at my January books on GoodReads and thought it made a pretty good list of interesting titles.

1. I survived the Chicago Fire, 1871 by Lauren Tarshis (2015) This is an early elementary fiction book so pretty easy to read and in fact I read it over my lunch hour one day. It is on the list for our Iowa state awards and I wanted to get it back out there circulating so I just sat down and read it. It was an exciting story and I can see why kids keep coming back to this series created by Tarshis to bring history to young readers. It works; I learned and was captured by the excitement.

2. Girl waits with gun by Amy Stewart (2015) This was our January pick for book club and I really enjoyed this charming mystery. Three eccentric sisters live out in the country and have problems with a rich factory owner who hassles them with a group of thugs. This book has a few interesting twists and is a quick read.

3. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016) I have a love/hate relationship with this book. Most of it is so real, brutally real, make-you-cry-and-put-the-book-down cry. I loved the actual train and train stations created by Whitehead. The characters are vivid and were real to me. It is an incredible read and should be read by many Americans. Especially now. I’d like to send a copy to @potus so he could brush up on some black history.

4. Pax by Sara Pennypacker (2016) This is an amazingly sweet tale by Pennypacker about a boy and his pet fox. Reading the back of the book I didn’t quite know about how the story was going to work but it did-it won my heart. Peter rescues this small kit and the two have been inseparable until bad things begin to happen in his young life. This has an unknown setting with a bit of a dystopian feel to it; a war is happening over water but it is subtle and well-done. This is a wonderful story of friendship on many different levels.

5. Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes (2013) Sugar is a captivating main character born into a life of sugarcane. She hates almost all of her life but she has a sense of simple joy about her. Her mother has passed on and she is left on her own during this time of Reconstruction in the South. She wants her life to be bigger and bolder, she has dreams, and they don’t include working for the man for pennies. One of her dreams is to be friends with the plantation owner’s son Billy. Rhodes created a very spunky character in Sugar; one that can teach us more about ourselves.

Put any of these on your reading list. And then check them off!

December reading

Ah December. I’m almost done Christmas shopping-YES! I’m in the process of decorating; the tree is up but not one ornament hangs on it yet. I’m crazy with homework; this Google advanced class is far more work than I expected. I am learning a lot so that does make it worth it.

With all the homework I’ve still managed to read two books so far this month and both were “thrillers”. I think I have to move away from this genre though for bedtime reading. One of the books gave me pre-sleep jitters…I got so involved with the characters and would continue to think about the situation while I trying to go to sleep.

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley (2016); This is the one. Something about Scott’s character appealed to me because he was someone who was flawed and admitted it. The first scenes of him in the water with the young boy as they attempt to swim to shore were agonizing for me and I had to keep reading even though it should have been time to put the book down and get some sleep. Each section was a little like that. I appreciated Scott’s philosophy throughout the book and felt attuned to the message that we all have a purpose here. So many interesting characters held together by an excited story line and the political commentary fits so well with what we are experiencing now! Chapters are done in alternating POV so you get to hear and understand from a variety of characters.

Zero Day by Jan Gangsei (2016); I picked this out one afternoon with Groovy Girl at our local library. We were there on a mission to find some good books for her to read, not an easy feat, as she is a picky non-reader. Also she has an English teacher right now who is taking the joy out of the written word. But I digress.

Zero Day takes place in Washington DC and Virginia and is focused on the political scene. Addie Webster, the then Virginia governor’s 9-year-old daughter, is kidnapped one day right out of the governor’s mansion. Eight years later she resurfaces. Her DNA checks out and she is reunited with her family in the White House. It’s not an easy transition and it is difficult for Addie to realize that her family moved on even without her. Her kidnapper still has a hold on her though and so while she attempts to fit back into her family she also has to do some weird undercover assignments for her “father/kidnapper” who is the head of an international terrorist group. I like both Jan’s writing style and the main idea but it all got a little far-fetched for me.

My good reads (fall addition)

What I’ve read…

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (2016): Perfectly oddball story of a shipwrecked robot who learns to survive on an island with no humans, assimilating into animal culture and ultimately becoming the kindest being there is on the island. I loved this first chapter book by Brown and hope he has more in the works. I love his picture book The Curious Garden as well! Thinking about holiday gifts…

George by Alex Gino (2015): debut author Alex Gino writes a beautiful tale of a young boy struggling to be the girl she knows she is. The vehicle Gino uses is George’s desire to play Charlotte in their school production of Charlotte’s Web. His best friend Kelly helps to make it happen. This is a quick read and there were tears by the end. Gino has written a near perfect intro to the transgender world for elementary students.

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson (2016): Woodson is one of my favorite authors and Brown Girl Dreaming is one of her best. I felt like this was a continuation of the author’s desire to share stories of what it means to be brown-skinned in America in different eras. I loved the description of the New York time period with the hair and the shoes and the young friends spoke to each other.

Saving Lucas Biggs by Marisa de los Santos (2014): Time traveling plot twists! This book delves into one family’s struggles with being honest about fracking. The issue could be one of many hot bot issues right now and how it’s not healthy for people. Pipelines going under rivers are in my mind right now. Margaret’s father has come out on the wrong end of his former employer about fracking and now has been charged with murder on “trumped” up charges. Margaret has a secret weapon she’s been told not to use but her gut tells her it may just be the only way to save her dad. This book had me cheering for both Margaret and her ancestors.

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (2016): I’ve loved this Raven Cycle series. Blue, her family, Gansey, and Adam and Ronan feel like real people to me as I’ve followed every step of their quest. I know she says this is the last but I would still love to know how the gang is faring in say 2-3 years as they adjust to life with out the forest and their quest. If you haven’t read this fantasy series, you must.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (2012): Book club choice and a quick read. I loved Harold’s journey. Yes it was far-fetched (who leaves home without their mobile or good walking shoes) but he was just headed out to the mailbox not a month long journey. I thought Joyce did a wonderful job of feeding us information a little at a time. Harold, his wife, and many of the people he meets along the way were interesting every day characters and every one has a personal quest; Harold and his wife affected me by how much they’d experienced behind the scenes.

The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister (2015): I picked this one up at a recent book sale because the title and the cover intrigued me. As I paged through it the names Janesville and Waterloo, IA flicked past as chapter headings and I knew I had to read it. We read about Ada Bates’ life in alternating time-period chapters. Through her childhood on a farm with her mom and stepfather she escapes to the famous Biltmore house to be a maid. She is looking for a different life and as soon as someone offers her the chance to head to NYC she takes it. Along the way she is abused and lied to by men she meets. Eventually she meets Adelaide who makes her the star of her illusionist show. Life has a way of circling back on her though and life doesn’t go as planned. Ada’s voice and the hardships she struggles with kept me reading. I had to know more, just one more chapter.

I’ve been a busy reader this fall. Now I’m reading Before the fall by Noah Hawley on my Kindle, All the Answers by Kate Messner at school, and Zero Day by Jan Gangsei from the library. What about you?

Happy Halloween!

{The Princess and the Bee}

We’ve had a busy celebratory weekend that started Friday at school with the traditional Halloween parade all around the school. So many happy faces-kids just filled with the joy of childhood.

{Groovy Girl and her painted pumpkin}

{Cinderella teaches 2nd grade at our school}

Tomorrow will be a crazy day at school as kids anticipate their evening of trick or treating around their neighborhoods. They don’t have to worry about the upcoming election, all the political ads, all the negativity! They can dress up and enjoy. It’s also really nice weather here which is great for festivities. We had our annual Fall Fest at church today and it was comfortable playing games outside with a sweater on.

{Hay ride around the neighborhood}

I finally finished The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami; interesting tale, took me a long time to read, and I’m not sure I get it. My take away was that he did everything he could to bring his wife back to him; a lot of strange stuff in between. If anyone knows more about the book I’d love to know. I’m now reading Another Brooklyn by one of my favorite authors Jacqueline Woodson and a new library book, Saving Lucas Biggs by Marisa de los Santos. My 6th grade book club just started The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson and I’m excited to see what they think because it is just so different from what they would normally pick up.

{Hansen goes all out}

Summer Reading Recap

{image: the Red Fairy Project}

I am filled with gratitude that I have summers to catch up on some extra reading. As a librarian I spend my school day surrounded by books, ordering books, previewing, books, talking about books and yet I don’t always have a lot of spare time to read.

This summer’s reading log has far more adult choices thanks to the new app Litsy on my phone. Do you Litsy? Mostly adult books are discussed and shared and many sound unbelievable good. Thankful I’ve learned to cross check with my public library to request and check out. So now I’m addicted to Litsy and love getting recommendations for more reading. Find me @Peaceful_Reader.

I do still love Goodreads because it’s a great place to keep track of all my reading + my reading journal (I must have a paper copy in case the Internet goes down).

Here are stats so far for this summer and for the year to date.

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Number
of books: summer = 22 / y-t-d = 41

Pages read: summer =
8,000 (nice round number) / y-t-d = 12,850

I read 8 adult
fiction titles, 4 YA books, and 9 elementary
fiction books + 1 graphic novel

All of the elementary
books I read including the graphic novel were for our Iowa Children’s Choice Awards. I have about 7 more books to read this
week/weekend before I score them all and send in my ratings.

My absolute favorite book this summer is A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I’m happy that I read it and I share the love for it with every adult reader that I know. If you haven’t please do. It is pain + joy wrapped together which is just what life is. Jude will forever stay with you.

Other favorites were: Mac Barnett’s The Terrible Two (funny), Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk (great storytelling), Ruta Septys’ Salt to the Sea (amazing historical fiction), The Guest Room by Bohjalian (fiction yet brings the horrible truth of modern day slavery to us), Speed of Light by J.M. Kelly (unique twists) and always Alice Hoffman-her books are magical.

In order I read:

The Doctor’s Wife by Elizabeth Brundage
H2O by Virginia Bergin
Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
Speed of Light by J.M. Kelly
The Marvels by Brian Selznick
Capture the Flag by Kate Messner
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics by Chris G.
The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett
One Second After by William R. Forstchen
A little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper
New Kid by Tim Green
Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
Audacity Jones by Kirby Larson
The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian
Jungle of Bones by Ben Mikaelsen
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamiesen

I have two more books I am set to finish this week; Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam and Odd, Weird and Little by Patrick Jennings. What did you read this summer?

Back-to-Back adult novels

The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (2016):

Four Plumb siblings: Leo, Jack, Beatrice, and Melody fight over “The Nest”, a small fortune left to them by their late father. Repercussions abound as the fortune never recovers after Leo makes a huge error in judgement and borrows money without sibling knowledge or consent. Each Plumb family member deals with this is a variety of ways and the fallout after is monumental.

I can relate to this story without the large inheritance. It seems my three brothers and I can’t get along for 10 minutes anymore so this story hit close to home. This story is better writing than ours with a very unique cast of characters. Read this one if you like someone else’s family drama.

The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian (2016):

This tale revolves around a bachelor party gone extremely wrong from the get-go yet there is so much more to this story. Good guy big brother Richard Chapman agrees to host his brother Philip’s bachelor party without understanding that Philip’s friend Spencer has hired a service providing the entertainment. Richard’s wife and daughter are off spending the night in Manhattan with his mother-in-law. Philip’s friends have Richard’s beautiful house to themselves and are immersed in full enjoyment when the party comes to a crashing halt.

Bohjalian built a truly interesting tale around a timely topic and shows us the harsh reality of the sex slave trade. I enjoyed the alternating point-of-view as Alexandra’s character will move you.

Happy reading!

Weekly Recipes 14

I love to cook in the summertime. The fresh flavors, the amazing produce, the tomatoes plucked right from the vines in my backyard, the craft cocktails to cool you down…it’s all perfect.

(this into that)

I’ve made a few spectacular meals the last few weeks that you might like. I’ve cooked meals and I’ve done some canning. My mother brought me 3 large boxes of tomatoes from her farm and I turned those rosy reds into about 24 jars of salsa. She also brought me two buckets of fresh-scented basil that I churned into pistou (pesto w/out nuts). I will love pulling that fresh green sauce out in the winter to enjoy with crackers or over pasta; bringing summer rushing right back.

One of the meal’s that I had fun planning was a vegan meal for my son’s girlfriend, Heather, who is vegan. On One Green Planet I found a delicious recipe for Stir Fried Brussels Sprouts with Ginger and Curry leaves. I love all those ingredients and luckily I knew Heather like brussels sprouts from a previous meal around our table. I was excited that I even had curry leaves on hand from other Thai meals. I love it when a rare ingredient like that is actually inside my cupboard already. The stir-fry was good and pretty easy to put together. I would add more sauce next time, more tomato to keep it altogether.

Groovy Girl and I experimented to make an interesting vegan dessert: donuts! Never made donuts before-why not give them a try right before a celebratory meal! Yes, yes that’s just what we did and for first-timers it turned out great. Next time we will spray the nonstick pan first. It was a fun recipe to try and they enjoyed eating them even though our second batch stuck mostly in the pan. Thankfully Tristan just poured almond milk over and ate them like cereal or in our family, just like chocolate cake. Here is our donut recipe and the sugar glaze we used for some while others we just sprinkled with a cinnamon mixture. Groovy Girl loved helping me with this meal, especially the donuts, and I think I love that she may move into being a talented sous chef for me.

I had book club last week and we discussed Alice Hoffman’s The Museum of Extraordinary Things, which we loved. I had a large amount of bell-shaped yellow tomatoes from our garden and I used them to make these little mozzarella bites. I laid my tiny skewers on a bed of fresh greens and very peppery arugula and then drizzled a balsamic/olive oil mixture over the top. Getting to book club on time is always a major feat for me so no photo exists. And we ate them all. Love that.

Besides cooking I’ve finished my summer with voracious reading; I finished The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney and Chris Bohjalian’s The Guest Room; both excellent reads.

Where does the summer go?

At this time of the month I begin to wonder what I did all summer? Where did the time go? In just one week I will be back in school. I haven’t blogged nearly enough over the summer. I didn’t finish writing any of the 3-4 stories I’m invested in finishing. I didn’t get enough closets cleaned out. It’s like panic mode. I’m not done with my summer homework…

On the other hand I’ve taken an awesome vacation to Asheville, NC where we floated down the French Broad River, ate at many wonderful places, listened to bluegrass at Isis, toured the Biltmore, and tried many of the local breweries. We accomplished a lot in the short time we were there.

I’ve cleaned out clutter-what feels like a constant life job-and helped Groovy Girl and Best Friend host a garage sale. I’ve helped a friend out by nannying her three children while she works this summer so I’ve been able to take them to the water park, the beach, and the library just to name a few fun days. I have spent some mornings writing but it is few and far between. How do I set up a practice of writing on a real regular basis? This question has plagued me for years. I don’t even get enough blogging done.

I’ve just gotten back into a good rhythm of doing some yoga in the morning and when school begins again I need to be ready to seriously get up out of BED and continue this yoga practice to stay with what I’ve built this summer.

I’ve read a ton which has been an amazing journey. Many summers I just try to keep up with books for school and this year I was introduced to the app @Litsy (thanks to @Librarydady) which has raised my reading to a new level. @Litsy gives me many adult titles to look for and order from our public library. I picked up a few from my own piles at home also and one of them was A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, which is my favorite book this year now. I recommend it to anyone who loves good fiction and isn’t concerned about 720 pages. It flies by.

It’s been a good summer. I may never have a summer where I write every day. I have several stories that are important to me though so I’m going to have to find a way. I did take time to play this summer. I’ve enjoyed time with Groovy Girl -a ninth grader this year. I did spend time in my beloved orange hammock. I’ve spent time exploring nature, eating good summer food, picking tomatoes out of my garden, had frosty summertime drinks on the patio, and basked in the glory that is summer, my favorite season.

And in one week I need to be ready for school.

(Photos: Looking in at Lake Lure, Groovy Girl and me, The Biltmore, Prescott kiddos and me, former student Julia and I, Crosby walking)

August is here…(I wasn't really ready)

July was not a good blogging month for me. We were out of town for a long week, preparations for that trip, it just seemed like a short month with not a lot of free time. We were also in a whirl over my husband’s production of Singin’ in the rain. Let’s just say it ain’t easy making it rain on stage! The play was fantastic and I’m glad it is over.

August, Oh August please be different. I need more days of reading in my lovely orange hammock. More days hanging with my soon-to-start-9th grade student. I need a few more pool days and hanging with friends days…

I did do a lot of reading in July. Vacation helped. Plus I participated in my first ever readathon-#24in48 sponsored by @Litsy. Just by chance I had that weekend free of children and husband so I literally sat around the house and read.

My July books:

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy (2013): Great. Total sci-fi, aliens, and a large space ship. Kept me totally enthralled and a little freaked out.

Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein (2016): So totally fun! I want to figure a way to make a library olympics to start off the new school year. The second book to Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, a series filled with the love of reading.

The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett (2015): Great school humor. Pranksters at the elementary level as only Mac Barnett could create. Loved the two character Miles and Niles! Perfect for 8-12-year-old jokesters, pranksters, or anyone with a funny bone.

One Second After by William R. Forstchen (2009): July book club choice. Very interesting look at how we would handle a major crisis in the US. Centered on Black Mountain and Asheville, NC which was cool because I was right there while reading it. I didn’t agree with his one-sided military viewpoint but definitely lots to think about.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (2015): AMAZING. You will feel many emotions as your read this 720 page book. I wrote more about it here. Cannot get Jude or Willem out of my mind. I want everyone I know to read this so I can discuss it with them.

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper (2015): Good basic story about Stella’s father standing up for his right to vote and how the Klan doesn’t appreciate that kind of thing. I liked the story but was unhappy with the ending. Too quick with no resolution; just another day.

New Kid by Tim Green (2014): This was suspensful but like Stella left me wanting for a much better ending. This kid should have stayed with his coach and stopped running with his dad.

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk (2016): Recently at Dragonfly Books in Decorah the owner talked me into buying this one. She simple said “It’s the best book I’ve read this year.” I thought so too. A simple yet complex story that shows how our prejudice often gets the better of some of us. Timely for today as well. I feel like this is a book I could read again.

I read a lot of elementary fiction this month. I’m trying to make it down my list of titles for Iowa Children’s Choice Award choices for next year so I will be ready to vote. If I added the book cover-it’s one you should pick up and read. Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July

It’s been a quirky day. I made pancakes for Groovy Girl and her amazing sidekick. And then the rest of the day, for real, I cleaned my refrigerator. Well, except for the hour I laid on the sofa and finished reading The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy. It was so good and very alien science fiction. It was extremely popular in my library and I’d heard that it had some b-a-d words; I only counted three. There is a little kissing but who wouldn’t kiss if you think it’s your last day on earth?! I would. I’d find the first cute guy/alien and kiss him. I like kissing. I also like being alive.

I cooked up a nice organic chicken with yellow potatoes while I juggled the contents of my ice box. Now I’m off to a baseball game-the best part of Americana-that and the freedom I cherish. Freedom to say what we want, eat what we want, think the way we want, and elect who we want. It’s’ a VERY important year. Go out there and make American good, happy, free for everyone, and kind. Don’t forget to be kind.