2015 Reading Goals and My Must Reads

2015 Reading Goals and My Must Reads

This year on Goodreads I bumped up my Reading Challenge goal from 75 books to 80 books.  Ideally I want to read more, but knowing what my schedule is like and that I would rather be realistic and not disappointed in December, I pushed myself just a bit.  That being said, I also don't want to just read anything.  I decided to set some other reading goals for myself:

1. Stretch myself as a reader

I tend to read to fall into the rut where I read the same type of books.  I am a YA chick lit junkie.  I am not sure why, but I have always loved this genre.  Give me a book by Gayle Forman, Colleen Hoover, or Simon Elkeles and I will devour it.  In 2015, I want to stretch myself in a few ways:

• I want to read more "boy" books.  I have two boys of my own - one that really dislikes reading and one that loves reading.  I need to find books that I can put in my own children's hands that will engage them and continue to spark a passion for reading.  I don't want them to fall into the same rut that many of the high school students I work with fall into where they fake read to get through school.  I am attempting to book talk in more classes and I'd like to offer choices that will appeal to everyone.
• I want to read more books that teach me about the world around me.  I started to stretch myself a little bit into this realm a while back reading The Kite Runner and then again this fall reading If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan, The Secret Sky by Atai Abawi, and The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar.  These books, while hard to get through, taught me about life outside my small suburb in northern Illinois.  
• I want to read "adult" books too.  I spend a lot of time reading young adult and middle grade books because of my job and my family.  I think it is important for me to take breaks from these and read a New York Times Bestseller or two.

2. Read more nonfiction

When I come across a memoir that looks promising, I will read it.  But I am the type of reader that finds nonfiction difficult to get through if it isn't told in a story format.  Last spring I attended Penny Kittle's Book Love workshop and she shared with us several nonfiction titles.  I added them to my to-read list and sadly, they are still there.  This year I am going to change that.

3. Read more ARCs and write more reviews

I need to put more effort into reading the ARCs that I receive from Netgalley.  I will be forever grateful that publishing companies have been willing to share these ebooks with me before they are published so I need to put time into reading them and reviewing them properly.

A Few of my "Must Reads" for 2015

1. Boy Books:

The Maze Runner by James Dashner - I had added this to my to-read list when it originally was on the Abe Lincoln nominee list a few years ago and just never got around to reading it.  Now that it is a movie and my son actually read it, I need to find out what he liked about it.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander - I have not heard a bad review of this story told in verse and I am intrigued.  Boys, basketball, and poetry?!?!?!

100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith - I fell in love with Winger last year and am so excited to read his latest novel.  Smith always does a phenomenal job of connecting to teens and getting them hooked into his coming of age stories.

365 Days of Wonder:  Mr. Brown's Book of Precepts by R.J. Palacio - I loved Wonder and want to read this book to my own children.  

2. "Worldly" Books:

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin - When I originally nabbed this book from Netgalley, I thought it was a dystopian story.  As I researched a bit further about it, I found out that the The Walled City is a place that used to exist in Hong Kong where criminals, fugitives, prostitutes, gangsters, and homeless children lived.  

Here, Bullet by Brian Turner - I just recently learned about this book of war poetry from Three Teachers Talk. This one seems like it may be attractive to my students who love reading about war.  Since it is in verse, it would be a great stretch for them to read too.

3.  Adult Books:

           

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd and The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro - My mom read both these books when they came out and gave me her copies. They have been sitting on my to-read pile waiting for me to pick them up.  Both books have received positive reviews (beyond my mother) so I am committed to reading them this year.

New Money and Independently Wealthy by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal - I came across this series on Goodreads. When Kristen Hannah said, "This book is the perfect summer beach read," I added them to my to-read list. 

4. Nonfiction:

 

The Warrior's Heart:  Becoming a Man of Compassion and Courage by Eric Greitens - The preview on Goodread's inspired me to add this to my list: "Readers will share in Eric’s evolution from average kid to globe-traveling humanitarian to warrior, training and serving with the most elite military outfit in the world: the Navy SEALs. Along the way, they’ll be asked to consider the power of choices, of making the decision each and every day to act with courage and compassion so that they grow to be tomorrow’s heroes." 

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore - Penny Kittle shared this book at a workshop last spring and now there is an young adult adaptation out as well.  This is the story of two boys with the same name trying to make their way in a hostile world.

Crafting Digital Writing by Troy Hicks and Read Write Teach:  Choice and Challenge in a Reading-Writing Workshop by Linda Rief - I had planned to read both of these over the summer last year and ended up reading Penny Kittle's books, Book Love, and part of Write Beside Them.  I am a firm believer that student choice makes a huge difference in the English classroom and have seen it first hand.  The more I can read about the topic, the better I can help our English department as they move in this direction.  I also know my weakness as an English teacher is in writing.  My hope is that reading Crafting Digital Writing will help me continue to grow as a writing teacher and offer ideas on how I can help my students improve their own writing.

4. Advanced Reader Copies:

I'll Meet you There by Heather Demetrios - Skylar and Josh meet while working at Paradise Hotel.  Both feel isolated in their own lives, but as their friendship grows things began to change.  This is definitely a YA chick lit book and I can't wait to read it.

Biggie by Derek E. Sullivan - Another boy meets girl book, but I think this one will appeal to my boys who love baseball.  

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally - This is a story about a girl who finds herself and learns to love again after a tragic loss.  

The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver - Ella and Maddy are identical twins.  A car accident leaves Maddy dead, and Ella in a hospital bed surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy.  Ella decides to pretend to be Maddy and soon realizes that Maddy's life was not what Ella imagined.