May 30, 2023

April and May Books 2023

It's been a slow couple of months for reading. Part of this is a library problem. Part of this is a book problem. I've made the dumb mistake of attempting to read a bunch of nonfiction, which never works out well. I do best with fiction on the Kindle app. 

I'll just start with the kids' books. I'm teaching Wells the value of a serialized story, so we're reading The Magic Treehouse. I am counting these because I've never read them before. He likes them. He really just wanted to get to the Ninja book so I told him we had to start at the beginning. We're on #6 right now. 

The Knight at Dawn

Mummies in the Morning

Pirates Past Noon

Night of the Ninjas


Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

I was given this to read last week. It's a novel study I'm going to be doing this coming school year. I've never read it ...actually I'd never heard of it! The study is already written by the previous teachers, which is GREAT, so I just needed to read the book. 

It's really good. Like, truly a good book. The chapters are short. The characters are relatable. It's about 6th graders but could be suitable for any reader, I think. I'll be doing it with 3rd grade. I, personally, approve this book for your kiddos if you have a middle-grade reader. The summary is that a girl has trouble reading and writing and fakes her way through school. It kind of picks up in the middle of the story without a ton of background and you learn as you go. Seriously a good book. It reminded me of Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You, which I read a few times when I was in school. 


Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

The one fiction book I read and loved. On the kindle, from the library. I read it in two days because it was so good! You have to suspend disbelief a bit but I really enjoyed the story. It pulled you into the world and I could picture it all. Sure, it was a rom-com of sorts but it wasn't tropey and dumb like most I come across and never finish. I absolutely recommend this one. 

The Total Classroom Management Makeover by Michael Linsin

He's the best for a refresher when it comes to teaching. He completely transformed the way I did things several years ago so I'm going back to his methods. I have gotten his Saturday email/article in my inbox for the last 6 or 7 years. I still read it every week, even if I'm not teaching. I'm also reading Dream Class right now. I recommended his other books way back when. 

Did not finish: 

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

This was so dumb. Carrie seems to be a spoiled and petulant 7 year old. She is awful. Her dad is slightly more interesting? I don't know. I quit around 20%. There was no one to root for in this story when the main character/title character/picture on the cover is insufferable. 

TJR tries to create these fictional worlds that are mirrored to real-life. She could learn a thing or two from Annabel with Nora Goes Off Script; that story is set in a fictional world with Hollywood A-listers and movies that the author completely made up. But it's not awkward or weird. It all fits nicely. 

Obviously it won a Goodreads award last year:


Anyway, I've been currently struggling through two different fiction hardcovers, I'm reading that classroom management book, I'm still reading M is for Mama, stalled out on Mere Christianity (we won't even talk about how far behind I am on the Bible reading plan I started)...I feel like I have a few more on my nightstand too, so things are not looking great almost mid-way through 2023. 

What are you reading right now? 

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