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.  

   

Book Review: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Book Review:  All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

The librarian at my school received this ARC and loved it so she passed it on to our English department to read.  I immediately grabbed it from her and began reading.

Summary from Goodreads:

Goodreads.com

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

My Thoughts:

When a book starts out with the line, "Is today a good day to die?", I want to know what is going to happen. I will be honest.  This isn't a happy book.  The theme of suicide runs deeply through this story and the characters definitely are dealing with some difficult issues.  When I was first introduced to Violet, I understood her struggles.  I felt for her. How does anyone move forward after watching a sibling die in a car crash? I have dealt with the death of two close friends from car accidents and always asked "Why?"  The guilt Violet feels for asking her sister to drive her home from a party never goes away.  

Then there is Finch.  Finch intrigued me because I never felt like I had a handle on exactly why he was so depressed and wanted to kill himself.  When he fell in love with Violet, I felt hope that he would be okay and get better. He pushes Violet to see the positive in the world around her and helps her begin to feel better about her life. Then BAMMMMM... life changed!

I fell in love with Violet and Finch right from the beginning of the book and I cried for both of them in the end.  This is one of those books that students will gravitate to, fall in love with, and want to talk about it with someone when they are done.  Definitely worth reading. 

Magisto Video Creation Tool

Magisto Video Creation Tool

This past week I ran a workshop for our staff on video creation and editing tools.  Magisto is one of the easiest video creation tools to use.  Within two minutes of signing up for a free account, I had uploaded ten pictures of books I have read, picked a theme and a song, and created a short video.

Description (directly from Free Technology for Teachers):

Magisto is a video creation tool that allows you to quickly drag videos and images from your desktop and or Google Drive account to your Magisto account. From the videos you upload, Magisto will select the best portions to remix and blend with images. After you've uploaded the media that you want mixed, select a theme and music for your video. Magisto creates your video after you've completed the steps of uploading media, selecting a theme, and choosing music. The final video is emailed to you. In addition to the web-based service Magisto offers a Chrome app, an Android app, and an iPad app.

My Thoughts:

If you are looking for a simple tool to use with your students to create videos, Magisto is as simple as they get.  Both my children were able to figure out how to create their own videos with clips and images that they had on their Ipods.  I typically use WeVideo to make videos with students, but the editing in WeVideo takes my students a lot of time. This web-based service does all of the editing and designing for you and the videos look professionally done.  

Book Review: I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Book Review:  I Was Here by Gayle Forman

The high school librarian at my school received this ARC and as soon as she finished it, I snatched it up from her.  I have been a fan of Gayle Forman since I read If I Stay and Where She Went.  Thank goodness for two "cold days" - I have had plenty of time to read :).

Summary by Goodreads:

Goodreads.com

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.
 
When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.
 
I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

My Thoughts:

While I don't think this book is as good as If I Stay, I still did enjoy this one.  The topic of depression and suicide is a difficult one to write about and I thought Forman did a realistic job of focusing on how Meg's friends and family dealt with the aftermath.  I found myself hooked right from the beginning and desperate to understand the the mystery behind Meg's suicide.  By far, I found Cody's determination to figure out the reasons behind Megan's death to be the focal point of the story.  There are so many questions those left behind have when loved ones commit suicide and Cody slowly finds her answers by learning about Meg's "other" life away at college.

The only part of the story that was a bit of a disappoint was the relationship between Meg's former love interest, Ben, and Cody.  I don't think Forman needed to have those two become romantically involved.  It seemed a bit forced and it didn't flow with the rest of the story.  I would have been perfectly happy had they just stayed friends and tried to solve this mystery of Meg's death together.  

Book Review: Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Book Review: Crank by Ellen Hopkins

There is one author whose books rarely stay on the shelves in our school library - those written by Ellen Hopkins.  Even though they are 500+ pages long, students (males and females both) read them. Why? Here is what they say:

• They are realistic.
• They are gritty and dirty.
• They tell the truth about teen issues and don't sugarcoat it.
• They scare me.
• They are fast reads.

Summary by Goodreads:

In Crank, Ellen Hopkins chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree: "there is no perfect daughter, / no gifted high school junior, / no Kristina Georgia Snow. / There is only Bree." Bree will do all the things good girl Kristina won't, including attracting the attention of dangerous boys who can provide her with a steady flow of crank. 

So why haven't I picked up Crank until now?  I honestly did not want to read about some of these real issues that are facing teens today.  At least once a month our city newspaper has an article about the effects of heroin on teens and young adults in the suburbs.  Just yesterday, I found out that an athlete that my husband knows and my relatives were very close with just committed suicide.  He had been fighting depression for some time now.  These are real life stories and as a parent it makes it so hard to read books about these same topics. 

That being said, I think Ellen Hopkins does an incredible job of helping readers see the truth behind these issues.  Crank focuses on meth, but I tell students to replace meth with heroin and it is the same story.  Even if this is a topic I don't particularly enjoy reading in my fantasy book world, I highly recommend parents and EVERY teen needs to read it.  These stories are eye opening and really can help us see the pressures that teens and young adults face today.  

Book Review: More Than This by Jay McLean

Book Review: More Than This by Jay McLean

What started out as a typical high school prom story became a turn of events that led me to want to finish More Than This in one sitting.  Of course, my children would not allow it.  But, if I wasn't finagled into playing card games I would definitely have kept going.

Summary by Goodreads:

When Mikayla imagined her prom night, she envisioned a fairy-tale evening full of romance. So when betrayal and tragedy come in quick succession, Mikayla is completely destroyed. Suddenly, everything she loved and everyone she relied on are tragically, irrevocably gone.

Jake, a handsome boy she just met, happens to witness her loss. With no one to turn to, Mikayla is forced to depend on this near stranger and his family, and he in turn is determined to take care of her. But Mikayla—thrust into adulthood with no one to guide her—is desperate to contain her grief and hide what she considers to be her weakness. Mikayla and Jake both want more, but despite their growing closeness and intense chemistry, she tries to keep her distance and protect her heart. As he does everything in his power to win her trust, Mikayla must choose between remaining alone and safe or letting love in.

After finishing it last night, I definitely will say this one is for more mature audiences.  There is a lot of sexual tension between the two main characters and because of this, I would not feel comfortable putting this in the hands of a 9th or 10th grader.  The author's style of writing reminded me a lot of Colleen Hoover's writing.  She writes in a way that hooks the reader in and keeps you engaged.

I picked up this book via Netgalley and didn't notice that it was published a few years ago until I went to mark it read on Goodreads.  This is when I also realized that this isn't the only book in the More Than...series and I put the next one on hold at the library.  If you are looking  for a highly engaging romantic story similar to Colleen Hoover's books, check out More Than This by Jay McLean.

Book Review: If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

Book Review: If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

I came across this book in our school library before winter break and thought it might be similar to The Secret Sky by Atia Abawi.  Both books take place in the Middle East where arranged marriages are still the norm.  Where The Secret Sky focused on a love affair between a young man and woman, If You Could be Mine is about a hidden love affair between two young women.  In both books, love is not easy and there are consequences for their actions.  

Summary by Goodreads: 

Goodreads.com

In this stunning debut, a young Iranian American writer pulls back the curtain on one of the most hidden corners of a much-talked-about culture.

Seventeen-year-old Sahar has been in love with her best friend, Nasrin, since they were six. They’ve shared stolen kisses and romantic promises. But Iran is a dangerous place for two girls in love—Sahar and Nasrin could be beaten, imprisoned, even executed if their relationship came to light.

So they carry on in secret—until Nasrin’s parents announce that they’ve arranged for her marriage. Nasrin tries to persuade Sahar that they can go on as they have been, only now with new comforts provided by the decent, well-to-do doctor Nasrin will marry. But Sahar dreams of loving Nasrin exclusively—and openly.

Then Sahar discovers what seems like the perfect solution. In Iran, homosexuality may be a crime, but to be a man trapped in a woman’s body is seen as nature’s mistake, and sex reassignment is legal and accessible. As a man, Sahar could be the one to marry Nasrin. Sahar will never be able to love the one she wants, in the body she wants to be loved in, without risking her life. Is saving her love worth sacrificing her true self?

My Thoughts:

I really wanted to like this book, but after reading The Secret Sky, it just didn't seem as realistic to me. Had I read this first, I may have liked this one better.  I struggled a lot wanting to love the characters, but never did.  Both Sahar and Nasrin annoyed me. Sahar was so needy and never saw past her love for Nasrin.  She was so willing to change herself for this girl without even considering how her decisions will affect her future self and her family.  I realize that this happens because she is young and lacks confidence in herself. She doesn't know what her life will be like without Nasrin.  

I felt like Nasrin was a selfish, spoiled brat throughout the entire story.  She never looked past herself and how her actions affected others.  Even at the end of the book, I wanted to shake her and tell her to grow up.  I had hoped by the end, Nasrin would have grown up a bit, but I was left disappointed.

What makes me sad is that homosexuality is still considered taboo across the world.  We live in a society that makes it hard enough for teens to be "different" and because of this, young men and women struggle with their identities and lose sight of how wonderful they really are.  If You Could Be Mine does bring to light the struggles that teens face when they feel uncomfortable with themselves.  Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of the characters, I do think this is a worthwhile story to booktalk in class after break.  I am sure I will have students who can relate and connect with this book more than I did.