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By jamie, April 1, 2012 9:15 pm

I have a lot of commitments (and a lot of catching up to do – so much for spring cleaning before summer), but I have come to the realization that reading every day makes me a better teacher, mother, and overall person, so I’m making the time for it. Blogging also makes me better because I love it so much. So I’m adding some books to the list this month, aiming to finish at least four before May.

Coach Yourself Thin: Five Steps to Retrain Your Mind, Reclaim Your Power, and Lose the Weight for Good, by Gregg Hottinger and Michael Scholtz – My New Year’s Resolution this year is to lose weight, ten points a month until I’m happy with my size. January and February went extremely well, but I stalled/backslid a bit in March. I’m a stress eater, and March was a very rough month. (If you’re curious, I have lost and kept off 21 pounds so far this year, so I certainly don’t feel like a failure in this.) I hope this book helps me get back on track, and if any of you are struggling to meet similar goals, maybe we can help keep each other accountable. [Digital]

Matched, by Ally Condie – I’m on a young adult fiction kick and this book (the first in a trilogy) has been sitting on my shelf for over a year. [Hardcover]

The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband, by David Finch – I read about this on in a book newsletter a few months ago, and am super excited to read it. [Digital]

The Blessing Of A Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children, by Wendy Mogel, Ph.D. – My child turns four this month, and I have a shelf full of parenting books I have yet to read that were purchased when she was about two (specifically aimed at parenting small children). I’m going to try to get one in every month. Maybe I can get them done before she either starts kindergarten or gets the sibling she has been campaigning for and I need to order a new set of books. [Paperback]

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand – My mom read this one over a year ago, and she loved it – she still talks about it sometimes because it left an impression on her. One of my readers (who is also a friend, and whose book opinions I value) also recommends it. [Hardcover, courtesy of my mom]

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By jamie, February 26, 2012 11:49 pm

A new month is coming up next week, so here is my list of planned books. You will notice that, though my goal it one book a week, there are more than four books on the list. I started reading digital books this month, and I love it; although paper books remain my favorites, there is something to be said about always having a book to read as long as your book reader (mine is the Nook tablet) remains charged. I read more than usual this week, and I’m sure this was the reason. So my list contains both digital and paper choices – I will see how the month goes, and I’ll consider it a success if I get four finished in March. I haven’t forgotten about my Unfinished Business, either.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins – Our niece has enthusiastically recommended this series since before it was complete. The first film will be released in March, so I am going to try to get at least the first book read before I see the movie. [Digital books]

Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, by Daniel Okrent – My mom picked this one up for me awhile ago. We talk about the Prohibition quite a lot in my classes, and I’m looking forward to have more details about this time in U.S. history. [Paperback]

Telling Memories Among Southern Women: Domestic Workers and Their Employers in the Segregated South, by Susan Tucker – Kathryn Stockett mentions, at the end of The Help, that she used this book as background. My mom is reading it right now, and really enjoying it. When I go go home for Spring Break next month, it’s my turn. [Paperback]

The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, by David Brooks – This one is already out in paperback. Sadly, I have had my copy for a long time and just haven’t gotten to it yet. It’s time. [Hardcover]

Imagine: How Creativity Works, by Jonah Lehrer – I have another Jonah Lehrer book hanging around in “unfinished business.” That’s because I misplaced the book and then started too many others. Rather than beat myself up about it, I will try to get both of these read over the next month or two – he is one of my favorite authors. The book will be released mid-March, and I have pre-ordered my copy. [Hardcover]

The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids, by Alexandra Robbins – My daughter is only three, but I see some of my students juggling multiple responsibilities and I wonder how it will be when Little Mama gets there. Our nieces are teenagers, and they seem to do an excellent job of balancing advanced level classes with other activities – I hope they will always be able to do this. [Digital]

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By jamie, February 16, 2012 12:06 am

1. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. I tried to hold out on seeing the film until I had read the book, but it didn’t happen. I know there has been some controversy with regard to this one, and I have my own problems with this type of book, but the writing is excellent so far. I am also crossing my fingers for the actresses from the film who are nominated for Academy Awards.

2. Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit, by Barry Estabrook. My mother-in-law sent me an article about this book soon after it was published (several months ago). I have been wanting to read it ever since. It’s about the modern tomato industry, which is pretty horrible. I finally got a smart phone, and this is the first digital book I’m reading through the Kindle app. According to Kindle, I have completed 12% of the book, but I will try to pull myself away tomorrow to publish my first post about this riveting book. Wish me luck – I kind of want to quote every page.

3. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen. No explanation required, right?

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By jamie, February 15, 2012 11:19 pm

If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you are probably aware that I am a book juggler. I love books. LOVE. BOOKS. But there are so many I can’t wait to get my hands on and start reading that I have trouble sticking with just one at a time. Before I know it, the year is finished and I have only completed nine (I know – I am so ashamed), which is far fewer than the number of books I have started in that same time.

So, it’s a new(ish) year, and I have started more books (I know – I am so ashamed). It’s time for a plan: I chose three books to read for February, and four books for March. Those come first. If I get them done before the month is out, I will take care of some “unfinished business” – these books are listed under the Currently Reading) tab.

My not-so-secret goal is to read two books a week, but my more realistic (and hopefully achievable goal) is one per week.

I have missed talking about books with all of you, and I welcome your comments, suggestions, and book recommendations. Let’s discuss plenty of books in 2012!

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By jamie, November 8, 2011 4:29 am

I stayed up much too late last night reading this book – I read up through page 364 (to Chapter 28). I am officially annoyed that the next book in this series will not be released until next year. I’m not a fan of waiting, but am willing to do so if she keeps up the quality of the writing (as I expect she will). I may have to tackle her non-fiction books too.

One thing has been bugging me – she writes “a historian” instead of “an historian” – this looks wrong to me. What you you think? Is she right? How do you say it when you read these words aloud – is the “h” silent? Grammar Girl agrees with her (as do most style books, apparently) so I guess that’s five points from Gryffindor (sorry – couldn’t resist an HP reference), but her way still looks wrong.

The paragraphs below contains spoilers and speculation about the rest of this book/series, so do not scroll down if you don’t want to know.

If you are still reading, I guess you are either reading the book with me, or you don’t mind spoilers (I’m with you – spoilers don’t bother me one bit!) I have made it to the love story – the witch and the vampire are in love with each other, but their relationship violates a treaty between all non-human creatures, so their lives are now in danger. Diana is a very strong women, but vampires are pack animals, and there can only be one alpha, so things are going to get tricky. From a feminist perspective, what do you think about books that require strong women to become submissive in order to achieve true love?

What is it with vampires? They are physically perfect, but they’re PREDATORS, and they could accidentally kill you even if they love you. At least Diana is a witch, so she might be able to hold her own against them if she needs to. And because the vampires in books are very old, they hold onto ancient traditions, particularly the ones where women must be taken care of and protected, even if this means locking them away from the rest of the world – what is the appeal today? Are women drawn to that kind of chivalry in literature even as we are repulsed by it in real life? Are we repulsed by it in real life? So many questions about gender roles come to mind as I read, particularly given that the lead female in this book is a highly respected scholar who has made a name for herself in her career – does she surrender her career now that she belongs to a vampire? She’s still working in the book, and I’m excited to see where Harkness takes this.

I can’t help but think that Diana is going to become a vampire (I guess we’ll find out in a couple of years when the trilogy is complete). That would make the “Congregation” leave them alone, because they would no longer be breaking the treaty, and it would continue their lovely romance into “happily ever after – ever after” territory. (Otherwise, she alone will eventually die.) Other witches have become vampires at the expense of their powers, but she might be the most powerful witch of all time, so does that mean she gets to keep her powers? Also, her vampire is a geneticist, so he might be able to do something with her DNA to help her keep her powers when/if she becomes a vampire.

I have course prep to accomplish tonight, and many papers/exams to grade, but I’ll to try to squeeze in some reading time too – can’t wait to see what happens next!