Check out the July Challenge!
Do you have a book you read in school that you swore was the worst book ever? Have you ever thought that maybe your teachers weren't out to torture you, and there may have been a method to their madness after all? Then the July Challenge is for you!
Details on the challenge can be found here...check it out, and join us!
Details on the challenge can be found here...check it out, and join us!
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12 / 50 (24.0%) |
I have to be forgetting a book or two, it's been so long since I updated. I'll check my stack when I get home and add any stragglers later.
Book #5 was An Instance of the Fingerpost by Ian Pears
From the Publisher:
We are in Oxford in the 1660s - a time, and place, of great intellectual, scientific, religious and political ferment. Robert Grove, a fellow of New College is found dead in suspicious circumstances. A young woman is accused of his murder. We hear about the events surrounding his death from four witnesses: Marco da Cola, a Venetian Catholic intent on claiming credit for the invention of blood transfusion; Jack Prescott, the son of a supposed traitor to the Royalist cause determined to vindicate his father; John Wallis, chief cryptographer to both Cromwell and Charles II, a mathematician, theologican and inveterate plotter; and Anthony Wood, the famous Oxford antiquary. Each witness tells their version of what happened. Only one reveals the extraordinary truth.
An Instance of the Fingerpost is a magnificent tour de force: an utterly compelling historical mystery story with a plot that twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing until the very last page
( My thoughts )
Book #6 was Wrestling with the Angel: Faith and Religion in the Lives of Gay Men, edited by Brian Bouldrey
From the publisher:
In Wrestling with the Angel, twenty-one authors - gay men who are Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, and Mormon - explore in moving and powerful essays the paradox at the center of their faiths: If God creates each of us in His own image, then how can that image be "wrong"? In vivid descriptions of their paths toward spiritual and sexual identity, such eloquent contributors as David Plante, Mark Doty, Lev Raphael, Alfred Corn, Andrew Holleran, Frank Browning, Michael Nava, Brad Gooch, Fenton Johnson, and Felice Picano reveal the joys and frustrations of communicating with one's excommunicator or, in some cases, of constructing a faith of one's own. Heightened by the urgency of this brutal age of AIDS, their essays are both intensely personal and partisan. They rise off the page like rambunctious prayers, reflecting not only the spiritual hunger brought on by the new millennium, but also the fact that we can no more choose our God than we can our sexuality.
( My thoughts.... )
Book #7 was Tales of the Lavender Menace : A Memior of Liberation by Karla Jay
From the Publishers Weekly:
Jay writes with wry humor and astute historical analysis in this memoir of her early days as a feminist and gay liberation activist. Currently the director of women's and gender studies and professor of English at Pace University, she was raised in a middle-class Brooklyn home by an emotionally disturbed mother and a father who didn't believe she was his daughter. Jay's political life began in 1964 when she entered Barnard College; by 1969 she was a member of the Redstockings radical feminist collective and a leader in the newly formed Gay Liberation Front. With a canny eye for detail, she creates a vivid, realistic portrait of early 1970s feminist and sexual radicalism, from communal living to group sex to the watershed feminist protest in the offices of Ladies' Home Journal. She charts how women's and gay liberation were made possible by the black civil rights and antiwar movements and is careful not to idealize or whitewash complex, sometimes petty and factional, political struggles, while clearly expressing the joy and excitement she felt in the moment. Nor does she hesitate to contradict the memoirs of luminaries such as Rita Mae Brown and Betty Friedan, taking them to task for what she considers historical misrepresentation. Jay has turned out a political and personal memoir that succeeds in its aim to convey "what it was like to live then and what some of us did to forge social change." Photos not seen by PW.
( My thoughts )
Book #8 was Surpassing the Love of Men: Romantic Friendship and Love Between Women from the Renaissance to the Present by Lillian Faderman
From Amazon.com:
First published in 1981, this feminist classic began modestly as an academic essay on Emily Dickinson's love poems and letters to her future sister-in-law, Sue Gilbert. In her original introduction, Faderman recalled her surprise at finding these records of an erotic attachment between women that showed no evidence of guilt, anxiety, or the need for secrecy. Yet 60 or 70 years after they were written, the original letters had been bowdlerized by a niece of Dickinson's, who clearly found them too shocking for publication. Why, Faderman wondered, was passionate love between women, once almost universally applauded in the Western world, now almost universally condemned? She learned that the love between Dickinson and Gilbert had many precedents, and that it was only in the late 19th century that medical literature and antifeminism combined to rank women who loved women "somewhere," as she puts it bluntly, "between necrophiliacs and those who had sex with chickens." For this new edition, Faderman explains that she has resisted the urge to update her text, hoping that her exploration of romantic friendship, from French libertine literature through the dawn of feminism through the lesbian panic of the 1920s will still serve as "solace and ammunition" for those hoping to find "a usable past.
( My thoughts... )
Book #9 was Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Divine Feminine by Sue Monk Kidd
From Amazon.com:
The author's journey to capture her feminine soul and to live authentically from that soul makes a fascinating, well-researched and well-written story. Kidd's successful pilgrimage from her Southern Baptist roots and away from the patriarchal and fundamentalist Christian religious systems surrounding her is an account of anger turned to courage, creativity and love. A mid-career realization that she had lived without "real inner authority" and with "a fear of dissension, confrontation, backlash, a fear of not pleasing, not living up to sanctioned models of femininity" produced in Kidd the new mindset that made her journey possible. Additionally, her extensive knowledge of many subjects, including theology, mythology and the arts, made possible the copious references and cross-references that will prove invaluable for readers who wish to follow her in this same search. While Kidd cautions that each woman's path will be unique, there is no question but that many women will find in her book a mirror of their own present conditions and a hopeful call to self-discovery
( My thoughts... )
Book #10 was Standing at Water's Edge: Moving Past Fear, Blocks, and Pitfalls to Discover the Power of Creative Immersion by Ann Paris
From Amazon.com
For most people who seek to create — whether they are artists, writers, or businesspeople — the daily task of immersing themselves in their creative work is both a joy and a profound challenge. Instead of stepping easily into the creative state, they succumb to chronic procrastination and torturous distraction.
In Standing at Water’s Edge, psychologist Anne Paris calls on her extensive experience in working with creative clients to explore the deep psychological fears that block us from creative immersion. Employing cutting-edge theory and research, Paris weaves a new understanding of the artist during the creative process. Rather than presenting the creation of art as a lonely, solitary endeavor, she shows how relationships with others are actually crucial to creativity. Shining a light on the innermost experience of the artist as he or she engages with others, the artwork, and the audience, Paris explores how our sense of connection with others can aid or inhibit creative immersion. She reveals a unique model of “mirrors, heroes, and twins” to explore the key relationships that support creativity. Paris’s groundbreaking psychological approach gives artists valuable new insight into their own creative process, allowing them to unlock their potential and finish their greatest projects.
Book #11 was Skin of Glass: Finding Spirit in the Flesh by Dunya Dianne McPhereson
From Amazon.com
Memoir, prose poem, erotic journey, mystical discourse and cultural commentary Dunya s brave book also launches a new genre of writing from the body. It is a book sorely needed by a culture disembodied by fascination with electronic devices. Dunya s sensuous writing will draw you in from page one. You will travel inside her body, within her shadows and glory, as she recounts her spiritual quest. The urge to devour this book for its content is almost irresistible. But you will receive more from Skin of Glass, if you read slowly enough to let the author's rich language fire your neurons and seep into your flesh and blood. --Mary Bond, MA, author of 'New Rules of Posture'
Dreamy, deeply searching, and so smart kinesthetically, this book beautifully punctuates poetic narrative with startling reality checks school, food, father, shrink, guru, and other juicy reveals. As the memoir becomes more intensely Sufi, she journeys through organs, bones, muscles, delving into an other realm of thinking. A wondrous and thought-provoking excursion. --Janet Soares, Professor of Dance Emerita, Barnard College, Columbia University
Dunya eloquently expresses how exploration of body awareness opens doors to understanding, not just of movement and skill, but also about the essence of being. Hers is a searing story about negotiating between life in an exotic enclave of rarified mystical practices and life in the real world, where the search for love and healing is no less mysterious. Her tale offers insights and inspiration on every page. --Christopher Pilafian, Dept of Dance & Theater, UC Santa Barbara
Book #12 was The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
From Amazon.com
Sue Monk Kidd's The Mermaid Chair is the soulful tale of Jessie Sullivan, a middle-aged woman whose stifled dreams and desires take shape during an extended stay on Egret Island, where she is caring for her troubled mother, Nelle. Like Kidd's stunning debut novel, The Secret Life of Bees, her highly anticipated follow up evokes the same magical sense of whimsy and poignancy.
In Standing at Water’s Edge, psychologist Anne Paris calls on her extensive experience in working with creative clients to explore the deep psychological fears that block us from creative immersion. Employing cutting-edge theory and research, Paris weaves a new understanding of the artist during the creative process. Rather than presenting the creation of art as a lonely, solitary endeavor, she shows how relationships with others are actually crucial to creativity. Shining a light on the innermost experience of the artist as he or she engages with others, the artwork, and the audience, Paris explores how our sense of connection with others can aid or inhibit creative immersion. She reveals a unique model of “mirrors, heroes, and twins” to explore the key relationships that support creativity. Paris’s groundbreaking psychological approach gives artists valuable new insight into their own creative process, allowing them to unlock their potential and finish their greatest projects.
( My thoughts... )
Book #11 was Skin of Glass: Finding Spirit in the Flesh by Dunya Dianne McPhereson
From Amazon.com
Memoir, prose poem, erotic journey, mystical discourse and cultural commentary Dunya s brave book also launches a new genre of writing from the body. It is a book sorely needed by a culture disembodied by fascination with electronic devices. Dunya s sensuous writing will draw you in from page one. You will travel inside her body, within her shadows and glory, as she recounts her spiritual quest. The urge to devour this book for its content is almost irresistible. But you will receive more from Skin of Glass, if you read slowly enough to let the author's rich language fire your neurons and seep into your flesh and blood. --Mary Bond, MA, author of 'New Rules of Posture'
Dreamy, deeply searching, and so smart kinesthetically, this book beautifully punctuates poetic narrative with startling reality checks school, food, father, shrink, guru, and other juicy reveals. As the memoir becomes more intensely Sufi, she journeys through organs, bones, muscles, delving into an other realm of thinking. A wondrous and thought-provoking excursion. --Janet Soares, Professor of Dance Emerita, Barnard College, Columbia University
Dunya eloquently expresses how exploration of body awareness opens doors to understanding, not just of movement and skill, but also about the essence of being. Hers is a searing story about negotiating between life in an exotic enclave of rarified mystical practices and life in the real world, where the search for love and healing is no less mysterious. Her tale offers insights and inspiration on every page. --Christopher Pilafian, Dept of Dance & Theater, UC Santa Barbara
( My thoughts... )
Book #12 was The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
From Amazon.com
Sue Monk Kidd's The Mermaid Chair is the soulful tale of Jessie Sullivan, a middle-aged woman whose stifled dreams and desires take shape during an extended stay on Egret Island, where she is caring for her troubled mother, Nelle. Like Kidd's stunning debut novel, The Secret Life of Bees, her highly anticipated follow up evokes the same magical sense of whimsy and poignancy.
While Kidd places an obvious importance on the role of mysticism and legend in this tale, including the mysterious mermaid's chair at the center of the island's history, the relationships between characters is what gives this novel its true weight. Once she returns to her childhood home, Jessie is forced to confront not only her relationship with her estranged mother, but her other emotional ties as well. After decades of marriage to Hugh, her practical yet conventional husband, Jessie starts to question whether she is craving an independence she never had the chance to experience. After she meets Brother Thomas, a handsome monk who has yet to take his final vows, Jessie is forced to decide whether passion can coexist with comfort, or if the two are mutually exclusive. As her soul begins to reawaken, Jessie must also confront the circumstances of her father's death, a tragedy that continues to haunt Jessie and Nelle over thirty years later.
By boldly tackling such major themes as love, betrayal, grief, and forgiveness, The Mermaid Chair forces readers to question whether moral issues can always be interpreted in black or white. It is this ability to so gracefully present multiple sides of a story that reinforces Kidd's reputation as a well-respected modern literary voice.
( My thoughts... )
- Mood:accomplished
31. The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, by David W. Anthony. 466 pages. (2007)
Grade: B
All about the Indo-Europeans.
Interesting theory, and both the first chapters and the last chapters I got through without too much problem. The middle, however, is a bit boggy, and I LIKE reading about archaeology.
Grade: B
All about the Indo-Europeans.
Interesting theory, and both the first chapters and the last chapters I got through without too much problem. The middle, however, is a bit boggy, and I LIKE reading about archaeology.
- Mood:
cheerful - Music:Lynyrd Skynyrd - The Ballad of Curtis Lowe
I bought this book on a sort of whim. I just moved to Berkeley from Austin for a brief three month stint here. Despite the short time I'm going to be here, I saw this book and thought it might be nice to get some history of the place.
Wollenberg does a really good job of keeping it interesting. I'm not a big history reader but I found this fascinating. That said, I think he could have a written a lot more on the subject. Many times I found myself thinking "That's nice, but I want to know more!". All in all, though, it was a superb introduction to Berkeley and the Bay Area in general.
In other news, I haven't had any time to read. Real life is so time consuming...
4/5
4,970/15,000 = 33.13% of the pages
22/50 = 44% of the books
39.99% of the way through the year
Wollenberg does a really good job of keeping it interesting. I'm not a big history reader but I found this fascinating. That said, I think he could have a written a lot more on the subject. Many times I found myself thinking "That's nice, but I want to know more!". All in all, though, it was a superb introduction to Berkeley and the Bay Area in general.
In other news, I haven't had any time to read. Real life is so time consuming...
4/5
4,970/15,000 = 33.13% of the pages
22/50 = 44% of the books
39.99% of the way through the year
#15-'The Story of Archaelogy in 50 Great Discoveries', by Justin Pollard was an extremely interesting read.
As the titles says, the book gives a brief description of 50 important archaelogical finds, with photos and some biograpical information about the various explorers, curators, etc, who were involved in the recovery efforts. The normal "big" finds were there, such as King Tut; but there was also a wide range of world-wide sites, such as the Incan Macchu Pichu, the sunken city of Port Royal, Flag Fen with its Bronze Age rituals, and many more that I'd never heard much about.
Not only physical places, but works of art were included-various statues or frescoes found buried in fields and stumbled over by accident. And people, like the bodies recovered from bogs in Britain or frozen tombs in Russia. Some freaky photos, there, but fascinating because they're the actual *people*, not just impressions or pictures of them.
The author does a lot of explaining and apologizing for methods of the past, which I considered unecessary-they didn't know any better then, and they didn't regard these finds in the same light as we do. Once various governments, scientists, and whatnot began to realize that these treasures could provide much information about the world and human development, they took steps to be more careful, turning archaelogy into a real science and art. The warnings not to begin research with preconceptions is important, as in too many instances facts were forced to fit ideas and not vice versa, and so it often took longer to realize a discovery than it should have.
I found the sections dealing with underwater recovery (such as raising the Tudorian ship, the Mary Rose, and exploring the sunken city of Port Royal) to be especially interesting, and that police investigations sometimes call on archaelogists to help recreate a crime site.
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who's interested in coffee table books, archaelogy, or history. I intend to follow up on some of these topics so I can find out more about them.
As the titles says, the book gives a brief description of 50 important archaelogical finds, with photos and some biograpical information about the various explorers, curators, etc, who were involved in the recovery efforts. The normal "big" finds were there, such as King Tut; but there was also a wide range of world-wide sites, such as the Incan Macchu Pichu, the sunken city of Port Royal, Flag Fen with its Bronze Age rituals, and many more that I'd never heard much about.
Not only physical places, but works of art were included-various statues or frescoes found buried in fields and stumbled over by accident. And people, like the bodies recovered from bogs in Britain or frozen tombs in Russia. Some freaky photos, there, but fascinating because they're the actual *people*, not just impressions or pictures of them.
The author does a lot of explaining and apologizing for methods of the past, which I considered unecessary-they didn't know any better then, and they didn't regard these finds in the same light as we do. Once various governments, scientists, and whatnot began to realize that these treasures could provide much information about the world and human development, they took steps to be more careful, turning archaelogy into a real science and art. The warnings not to begin research with preconceptions is important, as in too many instances facts were forced to fit ideas and not vice versa, and so it often took longer to realize a discovery than it should have.
I found the sections dealing with underwater recovery (such as raising the Tudorian ship, the Mary Rose, and exploring the sunken city of Port Royal) to be especially interesting, and that police investigations sometimes call on archaelogists to help recreate a crime site.
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who's interested in coffee table books, archaelogy, or history. I intend to follow up on some of these topics so I can find out more about them.
- Mood: impressed
59. Shakespeare's Daughters, by Sharon Hamilton. An ABSOLUTE must-read if someone is studying Shakespeare, or is a fan of his work. Hamilton compares father-daughter relationships in Shakespeare's plays, Capulet and Juliet, Prospero and Miranda, Ophelia and Polonius, Lear and his three daughters and even Portia's ties with her deceased father. I especially like how many of the plays are contrasted (Hamilton compares the fates of Juliet and Miranda, for example).
60. Making Money, by Terry Pratchett. A sequel to "Going Postal." Personally, I liked "Going Postal" better, but this was still very funny. Our "hero" Moist Von Lipwig has managed to get the post office in ship-shape. He is respected. He is well-off. He is even engaged. So what's wrong?
He's bored.
So Lord Vetinari offers Moist the opportunity for a job change: taking over the banking system. As a result Moist gets more than he bargained for.
61. Incognegro, by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece. A graphic novel geared towards older teens and adults. Another good example that "graphic novels" are not "book lite." The story and themes, told in pictures and words, is heavy-hitting. Zane Pinchback is black, but his light complexion allows him to pass for white. He uses this to go "incognegro" to report on lynchings in the south and write stories for the New-York-based Holland Herald. But his skills and wits are put to the ultimate test when his own brother is arrested for the murder of a white woman.
60. Making Money, by Terry Pratchett. A sequel to "Going Postal." Personally, I liked "Going Postal" better, but this was still very funny. Our "hero" Moist Von Lipwig has managed to get the post office in ship-shape. He is respected. He is well-off. He is even engaged. So what's wrong?
He's bored.
So Lord Vetinari offers Moist the opportunity for a job change: taking over the banking system. As a result Moist gets more than he bargained for.
61. Incognegro, by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece. A graphic novel geared towards older teens and adults. Another good example that "graphic novels" are not "book lite." The story and themes, told in pictures and words, is heavy-hitting. Zane Pinchback is black, but his light complexion allows him to pass for white. He uses this to go "incognegro" to report on lynchings in the south and write stories for the New-York-based Holland Herald. But his skills and wits are put to the ultimate test when his own brother is arrested for the murder of a white woman.
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61 / 150 (40.7%) |
- Mood:accomplished
#7 was 'Mary Cassatt: Painter of Modern Women", by Griselda Pollack and it was excellent.
I knew who Cassatt was, having seen a number of her mother/child paintings over the years-it's hard to avoid, if you pay any kind of attention to American art history, at all. But this book really helped me to appreciate the versatility of the artist's talent, the skill she displayed via the different mediums (such as etching), and her fascination with the parent/child psychology that she captured so well. Her work is less sentimental than some assume, looking at cute babies and fond mothers and occasional fathers; less about the parent than it is the child, becoming a person...there's one particularly striking portrait of a young girl, leaning against her mother's lap and staring out at the viewer with a composed, very direct gaze that caught my attention. (The mother was clearly a prop, and the self-assured child was the subject-it wasn't about the mother at all.)
The biographical information was interesting and well-presented, as were Cassatt's relationships with fellow artists and mentors. I might try another book on her to see what other pictures it has-this was mostly her oils and watercolors.
It's a shame that so much of her early work was lost or destroyed, sometimes deliberately on her part, sometimes by accident, as in the Chicago Fire. She was largely unappreciated by the American public until after her death, but there's a modern effort to reclaim her and underway.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in art in general, or in American or female artists, in particular. Intriguing subject, very well done; intelligent writing that is still easy enough for a neophyte to get into,imo.
I knew who Cassatt was, having seen a number of her mother/child paintings over the years-it's hard to avoid, if you pay any kind of attention to American art history, at all. But this book really helped me to appreciate the versatility of the artist's talent, the skill she displayed via the different mediums (such as etching), and her fascination with the parent/child psychology that she captured so well. Her work is less sentimental than some assume, looking at cute babies and fond mothers and occasional fathers; less about the parent than it is the child, becoming a person...there's one particularly striking portrait of a young girl, leaning against her mother's lap and staring out at the viewer with a composed, very direct gaze that caught my attention. (The mother was clearly a prop, and the self-assured child was the subject-it wasn't about the mother at all.)
The biographical information was interesting and well-presented, as were Cassatt's relationships with fellow artists and mentors. I might try another book on her to see what other pictures it has-this was mostly her oils and watercolors.
It's a shame that so much of her early work was lost or destroyed, sometimes deliberately on her part, sometimes by accident, as in the Chicago Fire. She was largely unappreciated by the American public until after her death, but there's a modern effort to reclaim her and underway.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in art in general, or in American or female artists, in particular. Intriguing subject, very well done; intelligent writing that is still easy enough for a neophyte to get into,imo.
- Mood: pleased
So while I haven't been posting much, rest assured I am reading . . . a lot of it is for school. I cannot wait to graduate in May, so I can catch up on my fun reading. I'm only going to give a writeup about #11, because I'm pressed for time and a lot of these are classics anyway, but I'd be happy to give other opinions. Just comment and I'll respond.
2. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
3. Paradise Lost by John Milton (okay, it's a "long poem," but it is quite long, so I say it counts)
4. Persuasion by Jane Austen
5. The Way of the World by William Congreve (a play, but it was in book form!)
6. The Rover by Aphra Behn (also a play; I think the author has the coolest name in all of literature)
7. Man Made Language by Dale Spender
8. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
9. A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe
10. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
11. Our World by Molly Malone Cook and Mary Oliver
( Review of Our World )
2. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
3. Paradise Lost by John Milton (okay, it's a "long poem," but it is quite long, so I say it counts)
4. Persuasion by Jane Austen
5. The Way of the World by William Congreve (a play, but it was in book form!)
6. The Rover by Aphra Behn (also a play; I think the author has the coolest name in all of literature)
7. Man Made Language by Dale Spender
8. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
9. A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe
10. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
11. Our World by Molly Malone Cook and Mary Oliver
( Review of Our World )
- Mood:working
#3 is 'Why We Read What We Read: A Delightfully Opinionated Journey Through Contemporary Bestsellers', by Lisa Adams and John Heath. I had my eye on this one for a long time and finally got it-and I'm glad I did. The authors articulate so much that I've felt about this topic and didn't know exactly how to express, myself, and they do it with intelligent humor and concern.
The authors read nearly 200 bestsellers to compile their information on various themes that are consistent in each genre. Having avoided most of these works myself for many years, I can only shudder and admire what was surely a grueling tour of duty for any literature lover, much less teachers (as these two are).
Some favorite quotes:
The authors read nearly 200 bestsellers to compile their information on various themes that are consistent in each genre. Having avoided most of these works myself for many years, I can only shudder and admire what was surely a grueling tour of duty for any literature lover, much less teachers (as these two are).
Some favorite quotes:
( ..... )
- Mood: impressed
Book: Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America by Jonathan Kozol
Pages: 332
Entertainment Rating: 1/5
Snooty Rating: 3.5/5
Total Rating: 4.5/10
Books Read Total: 9/50
Pages Read Total: 2410/15,000
( From Publishers Weekly: )
This is a complicated book. I've been struggling over the past few days to decide what I will write about it (both here and in the paper I'll have to write for class) and I still haven't decided. There is no denying that Kozol has devoted his adult life to fighting for the rights of inner city citizens, however I can't help but feel that his attitude towards the people he is writing about is condescending at best. His writing is completely inaccessible to anyone without some form of higher education, and even then it takes hours to wade through, by which time much of the inspiration and rage has dissipated to frustration. I don't see how this book will do much to help when his final call to action is to the teachers in these schools. They don't have time to read his book, as he's already proven page after page throughout this book. As a reader I was frustrated by the intensity of his use of statistics. There were some wonderful (and heart wrenching) chapters in this book about the schools, the teachers and the students, and those were the most effective chapters. Then there were pages and pages of straight up statistics, during which I had to fight to keep my focus because numbers are really just numbers. They lose their meaning quickly.
The content itself is something I've encountered before, and it never fails to break my heart. With each year that we fail to resolve this issue the problems deepen and become less reversible. There were definitely parts of this book that made me want to drop everything and devote my life to the children in these schools, while other parts brought the realization that Teach for America (a program I've wanted to participate in) may not be all the peace and love it seems to be. So long as we make these schools settle for uncertified youth as teachers we deny them the resources they need in the form of strong, seasoned educators. In the end I'm torn. Can I, from my position, help this cause? How can we activate the teachers? How can we educate the parents on how to demand what is best for their children? How can we show these students that they can have better, of they're willing to fight for it?
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Book 2 was: The Apocalyptic Year 1000: Religious changes and expectations 950-1050, edited by Richard Landes, Andrew Gow, And David C. Van Meter. This book was really hard to get through, as it is a collection of papers on the year 1000 and whether or not there was apocalyptic anxiety, how much there was, and how it can be seen. It also gets into the schools of thought on the subject.
All in all, it was depressingly boring. However, these are all very scholarly papers, and I'm not a medieval studies expert, so perhaps that's the problem.
However, I did find two things in the book that amused me, because some days I have the sense of humor of a ten year old boy, especially when I'm bored. Those two things were: the word "religiosity", which I always thought of as a word people who were being silly use; and also the phrase "Holy Foreskin" which refers to a type of holy relic of Jesus Christ that was prominent in this time period. Weird, huh?
I'd only recommend this book to people who have a DEEP interest of medieval history and/or are studying it in school. If you just enjoy reading a book about history, it might be a bit boring and dense, since it's written for a scholarly audience.
All in all, it was depressingly boring. However, these are all very scholarly papers, and I'm not a medieval studies expert, so perhaps that's the problem.
However, I did find two things in the book that amused me, because some days I have the sense of humor of a ten year old boy, especially when I'm bored. Those two things were: the word "religiosity", which I always thought of as a word people who were being silly use; and also the phrase "Holy Foreskin" which refers to a type of holy relic of Jesus Christ that was prominent in this time period. Weird, huh?
I'd only recommend this book to people who have a DEEP interest of medieval history and/or are studying it in school. If you just enjoy reading a book about history, it might be a bit boring and dense, since it's written for a scholarly audience.
( The List )
- Mood:
dazed
#47 is "Bound and Gagged: Pornography and the Politics of Fantasy in America", by Laura Kipnis. This was excellent, one of my favorite reads this year.
(I'm counting my year from when I joined, as the user info file says we can do. So I've got until Jan 7th to make my last 3!)
(I'm counting my year from when I joined, as the user info file says we can do. So I've got until Jan 7th to make my last 3!)
- Mood: impressed
Drat. While going over and double checking my book list, I realize that I am two short of my 150 goal. I accidentally counted one book twice, and one seems to have disappeared, which makes me wonder if I miscounted. Oh well. 148 books, plus 20+ other books I did not count towards the 50bookchallenge (wordless books like Not a Box and very simple picture books, like Yo! Yes?), is not too shabby. I have a stack ready and waiting for next year's lists. I will try to aim for 150 again.
Anywho, on with the reviews:
The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter, essays by multiple authors. As a rabid Harry Potter fanatic, I thought a book delving into the literary significance could be an interesting read, and it was. Only one essay made me roll my eyes and wonder if the writer had actually read the books. All the essays -- even the "bad" one -- made me think. I really liked the essays on the difficulties in translation and comparing the characters and how they fared on the various levels of the thinking process. Also loved the article on Hermione, feminist thinking and the background history on Hermione's name. There was a smattering of annoying fact errors, which were annoying and should have been caught (the worst was an essay that stated that Hermione had a wizard parent and a Muggle parent -!?!?!?!?!), but they didn't detract from the other points of the essays.
A Year Without Made in China, by Sara Bongiori. I had heard a lot about this book, which goes into one family's effort to boycott Chinese-made products for about a year. This was a quick read, and very informative. It was also a bit depressing, as we find out -- along with the author -- just how ubiquitous "Made in China" is. This novel takes on a heightened irony in light of all the recalls, especially with toys.
Anywho, on with the reviews:
The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter, essays by multiple authors. As a rabid Harry Potter fanatic, I thought a book delving into the literary significance could be an interesting read, and it was. Only one essay made me roll my eyes and wonder if the writer had actually read the books. All the essays -- even the "bad" one -- made me think. I really liked the essays on the difficulties in translation and comparing the characters and how they fared on the various levels of the thinking process. Also loved the article on Hermione, feminist thinking and the background history on Hermione's name. There was a smattering of annoying fact errors, which were annoying and should have been caught (the worst was an essay that stated that Hermione had a wizard parent and a Muggle parent -!?!?!?!?!), but they didn't detract from the other points of the essays.
A Year Without Made in China, by Sara Bongiori. I had heard a lot about this book, which goes into one family's effort to boycott Chinese-made products for about a year. This was a quick read, and very informative. It was also a bit depressing, as we find out -- along with the author -- just how ubiquitous "Made in China" is. This novel takes on a heightened irony in light of all the recalls, especially with toys.
- Location:home
- Mood:
disappointed - Music:none
#45-"Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the MIddle Ages" is by Frances & Joseph Gies.
This was an interesting, surprisingly quick read, with plenty of research and background info (but which won't overwhelm a novice, imo). Basically, it's about how many inventions in the Middle Ages came from outside Europe; how they were interwoven into European life, improved by being synthesized with local inventions; and how Europe used these changes to create a new and thriving technological, economical, and political combination, while continuing to create original technology of its own.
Everyone should know how the stirrup and saddle affected not only warfare, but trade (by making travel easier/faster/safer). Crossbows, chain mail, printing...that kind of thing is commonly mentioned.
But "technology" also covers things like changing the shape of a ship's sail, to be more efficient by capturing more wind at the prevailing angle-*somebody* had to figure that out, you know!. Or crafting carriages with 4 wheels instead of 2, with a movable forecarriage and-get this-nailing on "iron tires" in the form of small plates for better traction and durability (think snow tires!); and realising that they're depleting the forests so they'd better start conserving and planting trees...yes, they *were* aware of it and in many places, tried to do something about it, often by royal decree. There was more to those royal forest preserves than just hunting privileges.
I think what fascinates me the most when I read history like this-of everyday people going about their business and developing ways that work better for them, with no sense of being extraordinary-is how...*real* it seems, much more so than history taught in school. Like a good video from the History Channel or something. It's the trivial details that make the facts more personal. I really don't care what king won what war or why (sue me), but I *am* interested in how white, as the color of mourning, was gradually supplanted by black (and a preference for darker colors in general), as new dye materials and techniques were developed. Think about how many people that change touched-the ones who gathered the plants and made the dyes; the merchants who sold the dyes; the weavers who took orders for cloth; and...the people who wore them, and why. *muses*
This is a good book for people who like picking up tidbits of history and trivia, and who have an interest in both the Middle Ages and the Renaissance era, as many of the developments of the former greatly impacted the latter.
This was an interesting, surprisingly quick read, with plenty of research and background info (but which won't overwhelm a novice, imo). Basically, it's about how many inventions in the Middle Ages came from outside Europe; how they were interwoven into European life, improved by being synthesized with local inventions; and how Europe used these changes to create a new and thriving technological, economical, and political combination, while continuing to create original technology of its own.
Everyone should know how the stirrup and saddle affected not only warfare, but trade (by making travel easier/faster/safer). Crossbows, chain mail, printing...that kind of thing is commonly mentioned.
But "technology" also covers things like changing the shape of a ship's sail, to be more efficient by capturing more wind at the prevailing angle-*somebody* had to figure that out, you know!. Or crafting carriages with 4 wheels instead of 2, with a movable forecarriage and-get this-nailing on "iron tires" in the form of small plates for better traction and durability (think snow tires!); and realising that they're depleting the forests so they'd better start conserving and planting trees...yes, they *were* aware of it and in many places, tried to do something about it, often by royal decree. There was more to those royal forest preserves than just hunting privileges.
I think what fascinates me the most when I read history like this-of everyday people going about their business and developing ways that work better for them, with no sense of being extraordinary-is how...*real* it seems, much more so than history taught in school. Like a good video from the History Channel or something. It's the trivial details that make the facts more personal. I really don't care what king won what war or why (sue me), but I *am* interested in how white, as the color of mourning, was gradually supplanted by black (and a preference for darker colors in general), as new dye materials and techniques were developed. Think about how many people that change touched-the ones who gathered the plants and made the dyes; the merchants who sold the dyes; the weavers who took orders for cloth; and...the people who wore them, and why. *muses*
This is a good book for people who like picking up tidbits of history and trivia, and who have an interest in both the Middle Ages and the Renaissance era, as many of the developments of the former greatly impacted the latter.
- Mood:
contemplative
#39 is 'Dames in the Driver's Seat: Re-reading Film Noir', by Jans B. Wager.
Frankly, I don't know enough about the subject to judge if this is good or bad. I do know that this was a much more scholarly approach than I was expecting-I though it was going to be a discussion of the films as character-studies-a psychological pov about the characters as people, the plots and what makes them all work, etc. It's really more about reading film noir, retro noir, neo-noir, etc, to spot sexism, racism, classicim and uh...well, spot it. The first 3 chapters was spent talking more about what the book was going to discuss than actually discussing anything, which I've found to be common in these type of works. Vastly annoying to me, but it might be more acceptable for someone who's seen all the films and is actually taking or has taken classes on the subject. The vocabulary alone made me snore. *shrugs*
I *can* say that the section where the author discusses L.A.Confidential is interesting. I don't agree with some of her statements about Bud and Lynn, but I can see why she thinks that way.
For me, this was pretty much a waste of time as I lack the background (or interest) to follow such an approach to the film noir genre. I'm going to keep looking for books on what I *thought* I was getting, instead.
- Mood: disappointed
|
I did it. I didn't actually think I would, but I read fifty books this year.
Book 46 was Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross. This was a really well written piece of historical fiction, centering on the Dark Ages legend of Pope Joan, a woman who disguised herself as a man, joined a monastic order, became a priest, and eventually became Pope. The only sort of hokey part of the book was when, after she has disguised herself as a man, she runs into her father, who gets so upset by the fact that she's dressed as her now dead brother, he has a stroke, and thus he can not give her away. My favorite part was the rich historical setting the book was placed in. I recommend this one.
Book 47 was A Cup of Tea By Amy Ephron. This was a very short book that I believe came to me from my Aunt a year or two ago. I read this one in a little over a day (probably 2.5 hours of reading total before/after work). The story is set in 19teens New York City (right before, during/just after America's involvement in WWI) and is about Eleanor. Eleanor is a poor woman who is taken in and given a cup of tea by Rosemary, a rich society woman. When Rosemary's fiance, Philip, is struck by Eleanor's beauty, Rosemary hurries her out the door with fifteen dollars. Jane, a mutual friend of Philip and Rosemary's intrudes on Eleanor a bit, finding her a job. The rest of the story is how all the character's lives are affected by this one, simple act. The beauty of the story is that some of the most inconsequential things in the book end up being very significant. I'd say more, but that would ruin the book and the story.
Book 48 was a free book that I downloaded from WOWIO (www.wowio.com. It's free to join, you can download three books a day. For free.) Fertility Goddesses, Groundhog Bellies, and the Coca Cola Company: the origins of modern holidays by Gabriella Kalapos was...an interesting read. The history behind the different holidays covered in the book WERE genuinely interesting. However, I didn't care much for the author's bias slamming itself in my face ever few pages. She seems to have expected ancient (I do mean ANCIENT) man to have had the same sort of appreciation for science that we have today. And I have some empathy for her damage with organized religion (especially Christianity) but she needs to tone it down. I think her book would've been more thought provoking without her constant intrusions.
Book 49 was another WOWIO book: A History of Britain: the key events that have shaped Britain from Neolithic times to the 21st century by Richard Dargie. This was just really fascinating. It didn't go into a lot of depth into the history it covered, but how could it? A great book if you want an overview of ALL the important highlights in British history from...well...the Neolithic until about 2006/2007.
Book 50 was one I snagged from my sister. A Steampunks' Guide to the Apocalypse by Margaret Killjoy was just fun. It's a very short basic survival guide written in a Victorian steam-punk style that gives tips on how to survive the Apocalypse. There wasn't a lot of instruction on how to fashion your own steam engine, however it recommends learning how to do so BEFORE the coming crisis, so that the tips in the book can be fully realized.
( The List )
Hopefully I'll post a few more books before the end of the year. :)
- Mood: ecstatic
| |
44 / 50 (88.0%) |
I really thought I'd have more than this by now, but c'est la vie...
Book #42 was Venus Envy by Rita Mae Brown
From the Publisher:
Now Rita Mae Brown, author of the bestselling classic Rubyfruit Jungle, returns with her most wonderfully irreverent and thoroughly entertaining novel yet. What happens when a wildly successful Southern belle inadvertently tells the truth about her life to her family, her friends, her lover, and herself? At thirty-five, Mary Frazier Armstrong, called "Frazier" by friends and enemies alike, is a sophisticated green-eyed blonde with a thriving art gallery, a healthy bank balance, and an enviable social position. In fact, she has everything to live for, but she's lying in a hospital bed with a morphine drip in her arm and a life expectancy measured in hours. "Don't die a stranger" Mandy Eisenhart, her assistant at the gallery, says on her last hospital visit. "Tell the people you love who you are, or write them." And so, as her last act here on earth, Frazier writes letters to her closest family and friends, telling them exactly what she thinks of them and, since she will be dead by the time they receive the letters, the truth about herself: She's gay. The letters are sent. Then the manure hits the fan in Charlottesville, Virginia ... because Frazier Armstrong wakes up the next morning to hear her doctor explaining that it's all been a mistake. Frazier can look forward to a long, happy life. But if this formerly dutiful daughter isn't dying, she certainly seems to be facing a descent into hell: Her mother, Libby, committee woman extraordinaire,is throwing a hissy fit; her best friend, the gay hunk Billy Cicero, is cutting her dead; her former lover, Ann, is having hysterics now that "everyone is going to know"; and her gorgeous, charming brother Carter whose two favorite activities are getting drunk and getting laid, is gleefully spreading the word that his can-do-no-wrong sister is a dyke. Yet Frazier soon realizes she's spent her whole life steeling herself against people, and hiding - and not just because she is gay.
( Read more... )
Book #43 was The Sea Captain's Wife: A True Story of Love, Race, and War in Nineteenth Century America by Martha Hodes
From the Publisher:
Hodes reconstructs the intriguing and unusual life of Eunice Richardson Stone Connolly. a mill laborer in mid-19th-century New England who went South with her husband to seek their fortune; homesick, even as her husband fought for the Confederacy, she returned to New Hampshire, where she was reduced to working as a washerwoman. The only thing that brought an impoverished Eunice respectability was her white skin. But then she heard of her husband's death, and in 1869, mystifying some of her relatives, Connolly put that respectability at risk, too, marrying a well-to-do black sea captain from Grand Cayman Island and moving there with him. Hodes, a historian at NYU (White Women, Black Men: Illicit Sex in the Nineteenth-Century South), relies on a rich cache of Connolly's letters, which are housed at Duke University. Unfortunately, the letters don't reveal how Connolly met her second husband or explain in depth why she decided to marry him. Hodes's prose, though sometimes a bit affected ("In place of fiction, I offer the craft of history, assisted by the art of speculation"), is lucid and her account is engaging, though for readers steeped in the subject not pathbreaking; what Hodes has to tell us about the 19th century-that race was socially constructed and complicated, for example-is nothing new.
( My thoughts )
Book #44 was Survivor by Chuck Palahnuik
From the Publisher:
From the author of the cult sensation Fight Club (now a major motion picture starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter) comes Survivor.
"A turbo-charged, deliciously manic satire of contemporary American life." --Newsday
"The only difference between suicide and martyrdom is press coverage," according to the "been there, done that" wisdom of Tender Branson, last surviving member of the Creedish Death Cult. At the opening of Chuck Palahniuk's hilariously unnerving second novel, Tender is cruising on autopilot, 39,000 feet up, dictating the whole of his life story into Flight 2039's "black box" in the final moments before crashing into the vast Australian outback.
Not since Kurt Vonnegut's Mother Night has there been as dark and telling a satire on the wages of fame and the bedrock lunacy of the modern world. Wickedly incisive and mesmerizing, Survivor is Chuck Palahniuk at his deadpan peak.
- Mood:accomplished
60. Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter, by Adeline Yen Mah. 203 pages.
This is a YA auto-biography that reads as a novel. It was absolutely heartbreaking, yet inspiring at the same time. Adeline's mother died giving birth to her, and so her father always resented her. When he remarried, his new wife treated all of the children from her husband's first marriage, especially Adeline, horribly. The story tells of the emotional, mental, and physical abuse that Adeline undergoes from her father, stepmother, and siblings. It also tells how hard she tried in school, thinking that good grades would make her father love her. The story moved me to tears in several places. Highly recommended, even if you're not normally into YA books.
61. Wicked!, by Jilly Cooper. 1120 pages. (No,that's not a typo.)
Ugh. This book made me very, very mad. First of all, there was the "Everyone who's even slightly conservative is eeeeevil, and only people on the far left of the political spectrum are even remotely good" vibe that the book gave off. Then there was the portrayal of the teachers - most of them were atrocious and didn't even care about the students they were teaching. Then there was the fact that the majority of the adults were pedophiles, whether in action or in thought. (And no, this is not an exaggeration. I wish it was.)
Or maybe this is just me being a prudish American. Is it considered acceptable for middle-aged men and women to sleep with 14, 15, and 16 year-olds? Is it acceptable for 13 and 14 year-olds to put on a school-sponsored version of Romeo and Juliet and have the two leads do a nude love scene on stage?
At any rate, I hated this book. I only kept on reading it because I thought it had to get better, but sadly, it didn't. It's too long, it's not very well written, and there are way too many characters all getting jumbled up together.
62. A Spot of Bother, by Mark Haddon. 368 pages.
This is the second novel by Haddon, who also wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, though I didn't think it was as good as The Curious Incident.... It's about a middle-aged man who starts to slowly lose his mind while he's dealing with several huge things in his life (his daughter gets engaged to a man he doesn't like, his wife is cheating on him, and he has to deal with his son being gay). On top of that, he's convinced that he's dying of cancer.
This is a very touching, darkly funny book. George, the main character, is very relatable, as are his family members who have to deal with his problems while dealing with problems of their own. It all feels very real - you can imagine things like this happening to your family or to someone you know.
63. The Pearl, by John Steinbeck. 96 pages.
A novella based on a traditional Mexican folktale. It's the story of a poor pearl diver named Kino, and what happens to him and his family when he finds an extremely large, exceptionally beautiful pearl. Very touching and beautifully written. It's also a quick read; it took me less than half an hour.
64. George's Marvellous Medicine, by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake. 96 pages.
Classic Roald Dahl for younger children. The story is laugh-out-loud funny and ridiculous, and Dahl does a wonderful job of playing with the rhythm and cadence of the words. This would be a perfect book for kids who love Dr. Seuss but are starting to move into chapter books. It would make a terrific read-aloud book, especially by someone who really likes to get into the characters. If I was still teaching primary grades, I'd definitely include it in story hour.
And now, onto the boring books.
65. How Languages are Learned: Revised Edition, by Patsy M. Lightbrown and Nina Spada. 170 pages.
This is a textbook that talks about how language is acquired, both how infants and toddlers learn their native language, and how students of all ages learn foreign languages. Very interesting and informative.
66. GCSE Maths Investigations: Teachers' Guide, David Kirby and Peter Patilla. 96 pages.
I've been asked to teach some supplemental math lessons in addition to helping out the English department at the school I'm currently teaching at, so I've been poring over math activity books for ideas. This one had a lot of interesting ideas, but most of the lessons were too advanced for the level I'll be teaching.
67. Maths Investigations by David Kirby and Peter Patilla. 96 pages.
A lower level book along the same lines as the GCSE book. This is a more appropriate book for my students, and I will probably be using some of the activities and ideas from here in future lessons.
68. Mathematical Eye, by Adam Hart-Davies. 121 pages.
Excellent book! The lessons were interesting, topical, mathematically sound, often funny, and illustrated with cartoon-like pictures. A few of the lessons were even written in amusing rhyming couplets. I've already tweaked a few of the lessons to suit my classes. I really like how there's a story behind everything, it's not just a math lesson.
69. IQ Maths 4: Fascinating Mathematics, by Desmond Peh. 95 pages.
70. IQ Maths 5: Fascinating Mathematics, by Desmond Peh. 136 pages.
71. IQ Maths 6 Part One: Fascinating Mathematics, by Desmond Peh. 86 pages.
A series, obviously. They were okay... nothing ground-breaking or exciting. They're written to be practice problems for math teams, and I wouldn't use them for anything else. Book 5 had quite a few errors in it, which disturbed me. I have Book 6 Part Two, but I'm not sure if I'm going to read it or not.
72. Advanced Communication Games: A Collection of Games and Activities for Intermediate and Advanced Students of English, by Jill Hadfield. 128 pages.
73. Elementary communication Games: A Collection of Games and Activities for Elementary Students of English, by Jill Hadfield. 92 pages.
These are excellent books, chock-full of ideas to use in ESOL classrooms. The activities range from short warm-up activities to activities that will take an hour or more. There are partner, small group, and whole class activities. There are activities that require a lot of prep work, and some that require none at all. Some are competitive activities, some are not. I have seen Jill Hadfield referenced in a lot of the ESOL books I've been reading, and now I know why. As an added bonus, all of the activities that require pictures or cards or whatever have copy masters to make the teacher's work a lot easier.
74. Task-Based Language Learning (Secondary 1-3): A Resource Package. 175 pages.
This is a curriculum designed to teach English by giving students in-depth tasks to perform. The idea is that they'll discover language as they do these tasks, with some help from the teacher, of course. While I'm not sold on the idea of using this for the whole year, I would do maybe one unit a semester like this. It would also be a good way to incorporate the other subjects into the language classroom.
75. Promoting Activity-Based English Programmes in the Neighbourhood and Community, by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. 408 pages.
This is a study that was done in Hong Kong, where different groups were formed in various communities to teach English to all age ranges, from young children to teenagers to working adults and housewives. This book is a compilation of all the activities that worked in each group. It was nice to see some tried and true activities, and it was also nice to have everything broken down by age groups. However, most of the activities came from one of the Hadfield books, and there was a lot of overlap between the age groups. I got a few new ideas, but not many.
Well, that meets my goal for the year (75 books and 22,500 pages). I'm going to go back to my original goal for the year of 100 books and 30,000 pages.
Books Read:
75/100 - 75%
Pages Read:
22,543/30,000 - 75.1%
Days Passed:
284/365 - 77.8%
This is a YA auto-biography that reads as a novel. It was absolutely heartbreaking, yet inspiring at the same time. Adeline's mother died giving birth to her, and so her father always resented her. When he remarried, his new wife treated all of the children from her husband's first marriage, especially Adeline, horribly. The story tells of the emotional, mental, and physical abuse that Adeline undergoes from her father, stepmother, and siblings. It also tells how hard she tried in school, thinking that good grades would make her father love her. The story moved me to tears in several places. Highly recommended, even if you're not normally into YA books.
61. Wicked!, by Jilly Cooper. 1120 pages. (No,that's not a typo.)
Ugh. This book made me very, very mad. First of all, there was the "Everyone who's even slightly conservative is eeeeevil, and only people on the far left of the political spectrum are even remotely good" vibe that the book gave off. Then there was the portrayal of the teachers - most of them were atrocious and didn't even care about the students they were teaching. Then there was the fact that the majority of the adults were pedophiles, whether in action or in thought. (And no, this is not an exaggeration. I wish it was.)
Or maybe this is just me being a prudish American. Is it considered acceptable for middle-aged men and women to sleep with 14, 15, and 16 year-olds? Is it acceptable for 13 and 14 year-olds to put on a school-sponsored version of Romeo and Juliet and have the two leads do a nude love scene on stage?
At any rate, I hated this book. I only kept on reading it because I thought it had to get better, but sadly, it didn't. It's too long, it's not very well written, and there are way too many characters all getting jumbled up together.
62. A Spot of Bother, by Mark Haddon. 368 pages.
This is the second novel by Haddon, who also wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, though I didn't think it was as good as The Curious Incident.... It's about a middle-aged man who starts to slowly lose his mind while he's dealing with several huge things in his life (his daughter gets engaged to a man he doesn't like, his wife is cheating on him, and he has to deal with his son being gay). On top of that, he's convinced that he's dying of cancer.
This is a very touching, darkly funny book. George, the main character, is very relatable, as are his family members who have to deal with his problems while dealing with problems of their own. It all feels very real - you can imagine things like this happening to your family or to someone you know.
63. The Pearl, by John Steinbeck. 96 pages.
A novella based on a traditional Mexican folktale. It's the story of a poor pearl diver named Kino, and what happens to him and his family when he finds an extremely large, exceptionally beautiful pearl. Very touching and beautifully written. It's also a quick read; it took me less than half an hour.
64. George's Marvellous Medicine, by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake. 96 pages.
Classic Roald Dahl for younger children. The story is laugh-out-loud funny and ridiculous, and Dahl does a wonderful job of playing with the rhythm and cadence of the words. This would be a perfect book for kids who love Dr. Seuss but are starting to move into chapter books. It would make a terrific read-aloud book, especially by someone who really likes to get into the characters. If I was still teaching primary grades, I'd definitely include it in story hour.
And now, onto the boring books.
65. How Languages are Learned: Revised Edition, by Patsy M. Lightbrown and Nina Spada. 170 pages.
This is a textbook that talks about how language is acquired, both how infants and toddlers learn their native language, and how students of all ages learn foreign languages. Very interesting and informative.
66. GCSE Maths Investigations: Teachers' Guide, David Kirby and Peter Patilla. 96 pages.
I've been asked to teach some supplemental math lessons in addition to helping out the English department at the school I'm currently teaching at, so I've been poring over math activity books for ideas. This one had a lot of interesting ideas, but most of the lessons were too advanced for the level I'll be teaching.
67. Maths Investigations by David Kirby and Peter Patilla. 96 pages.
A lower level book along the same lines as the GCSE book. This is a more appropriate book for my students, and I will probably be using some of the activities and ideas from here in future lessons.
68. Mathematical Eye, by Adam Hart-Davies. 121 pages.
Excellent book! The lessons were interesting, topical, mathematically sound, often funny, and illustrated with cartoon-like pictures. A few of the lessons were even written in amusing rhyming couplets. I've already tweaked a few of the lessons to suit my classes. I really like how there's a story behind everything, it's not just a math lesson.
69. IQ Maths 4: Fascinating Mathematics, by Desmond Peh. 95 pages.
70. IQ Maths 5: Fascinating Mathematics, by Desmond Peh. 136 pages.
71. IQ Maths 6 Part One: Fascinating Mathematics, by Desmond Peh. 86 pages.
A series, obviously. They were okay... nothing ground-breaking or exciting. They're written to be practice problems for math teams, and I wouldn't use them for anything else. Book 5 had quite a few errors in it, which disturbed me. I have Book 6 Part Two, but I'm not sure if I'm going to read it or not.
72. Advanced Communication Games: A Collection of Games and Activities for Intermediate and Advanced Students of English, by Jill Hadfield. 128 pages.
73. Elementary communication Games: A Collection of Games and Activities for Elementary Students of English, by Jill Hadfield. 92 pages.
These are excellent books, chock-full of ideas to use in ESOL classrooms. The activities range from short warm-up activities to activities that will take an hour or more. There are partner, small group, and whole class activities. There are activities that require a lot of prep work, and some that require none at all. Some are competitive activities, some are not. I have seen Jill Hadfield referenced in a lot of the ESOL books I've been reading, and now I know why. As an added bonus, all of the activities that require pictures or cards or whatever have copy masters to make the teacher's work a lot easier.
74. Task-Based Language Learning (Secondary 1-3): A Resource Package. 175 pages.
This is a curriculum designed to teach English by giving students in-depth tasks to perform. The idea is that they'll discover language as they do these tasks, with some help from the teacher, of course. While I'm not sold on the idea of using this for the whole year, I would do maybe one unit a semester like this. It would also be a good way to incorporate the other subjects into the language classroom.
75. Promoting Activity-Based English Programmes in the Neighbourhood and Community, by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. 408 pages.
This is a study that was done in Hong Kong, where different groups were formed in various communities to teach English to all age ranges, from young children to teenagers to working adults and housewives. This book is a compilation of all the activities that worked in each group. It was nice to see some tried and true activities, and it was also nice to have everything broken down by age groups. However, most of the activities came from one of the Hadfield books, and there was a lot of overlap between the age groups. I got a few new ideas, but not many.
Well, that meets my goal for the year (75 books and 22,500 pages). I'm going to go back to my original goal for the year of 100 books and 30,000 pages.
Books Read:
75/100 - 75%
Pages Read:
22,543/30,000 - 75.1%
Days Passed:
284/365 - 77.8%
- Location:staff room
- Mood:accomplished
- Music:none
Back again with another large post.
51. In a Sunburned Country, Bill Bryson. 352 pages.
A book about a few of Bryson's trips to Australia, including his trip for the Olympics. Extremely enjoyable, as are all of Bryson's books.
52. The Color of Magic, Terry Pratchett. 210 pages.
The first of the Discworld books. I didn't really understand this book. I think I need to re-read it eventually.
53. The Stars' Tennis Balls, Stephen Fry. 436 pages.
Not as good as I thought it would be. I'm a fan of Stephen Fry, and I was excited to find a bookshop that carried some of his novels. It started off great, and funny, but quickly turned demented and sadistic. It's very well-written, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
54. A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal, Anthony Bourdain. 369 pages.
Anthony Bourdain travels around the world, sampling cuisines, trying to find the perfect meal. It's a combination travel book and book about food. Excellent. I recommend it highly. It's very funny, and it made me hungry and nauseated by turns. He's also made me consider going to Vietnam for vacation.
55. Shop in Hong Kong: An Insider's Guide, Ellen McNally. 173 pages.
The book is exactly what the title says. Short, informative book. It has maps, phone numbers, directions, and much more. A great book for visitors to Hong Kong who want to shop, and a must-have for ex-pats living there. I'll definitely refer to it again and again. And it doesn't just cover clothing and shoes - it covers electronics, furniture, craft supplies, groceries, and much more. It's especially helpful that they tell you where to find clothing and shoes for those of us who aren't as petite as the average Hong Kong resident.
And now for the boring portion of my post...
56. Good Chats: Guided Open Oral Discourse for Advanced Studies of English, Lynne Sandsberry and Paul Sorenson. 147 pages.
A book with guided discussions to help students practice their spoken English in a (mostly) natural setting. This would also be good for native speakers in a drama or speech class, or as a getting-to-know-people activity.
57. Developing Skills Paper 3 for the 2007 HKCEE, C. Nankarrow, S.Y. Leung, S.P. Choi. 208 pages.
A textbook designed to help prepare Form 5 students for their oral English examination.
58. Success in English Teaching, Paul Davies, Eric Pearse. 204 pages.
A textbook for people training to be EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher. Lots of helpful information, a lot of which echoed what I learned in the TEFL class I took.
59. 2007 Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination - English Language - Sample Papers and Information on Standards-referenced Assessment. 103 pages.
I'm trying to figure out what the Form 5 exam is all about, so I'm reading everything I can get my hands on about it.
For those who asked in my last post, yes, you can ship books to Hong Kong from the US, but it's very expensive. And yes, you can buy English-language books in Hong Kong, but they're very expensive. So I'm going to try not to buy too many, especially as there's probably not a way for me to take them with me. And I have found a book-swapping program that I'm planning on taking advantage of.
Books Read:
59/75 - 78.7%
Pages Read:
19,057/22,500 - 84.7%
Days Passed:
269/365 - 73.7%
51. In a Sunburned Country, Bill Bryson. 352 pages.
A book about a few of Bryson's trips to Australia, including his trip for the Olympics. Extremely enjoyable, as are all of Bryson's books.
52. The Color of Magic, Terry Pratchett. 210 pages.
The first of the Discworld books. I didn't really understand this book. I think I need to re-read it eventually.
53. The Stars' Tennis Balls, Stephen Fry. 436 pages.
Not as good as I thought it would be. I'm a fan of Stephen Fry, and I was excited to find a bookshop that carried some of his novels. It started off great, and funny, but quickly turned demented and sadistic. It's very well-written, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
54. A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal, Anthony Bourdain. 369 pages.
Anthony Bourdain travels around the world, sampling cuisines, trying to find the perfect meal. It's a combination travel book and book about food. Excellent. I recommend it highly. It's very funny, and it made me hungry and nauseated by turns. He's also made me consider going to Vietnam for vacation.
55. Shop in Hong Kong: An Insider's Guide, Ellen McNally. 173 pages.
The book is exactly what the title says. Short, informative book. It has maps, phone numbers, directions, and much more. A great book for visitors to Hong Kong who want to shop, and a must-have for ex-pats living there. I'll definitely refer to it again and again. And it doesn't just cover clothing and shoes - it covers electronics, furniture, craft supplies, groceries, and much more. It's especially helpful that they tell you where to find clothing and shoes for those of us who aren't as petite as the average Hong Kong resident.
And now for the boring portion of my post...
56. Good Chats: Guided Open Oral Discourse for Advanced Studies of English, Lynne Sandsberry and Paul Sorenson. 147 pages.
A book with guided discussions to help students practice their spoken English in a (mostly) natural setting. This would also be good for native speakers in a drama or speech class, or as a getting-to-know-people activity.
57. Developing Skills Paper 3 for the 2007 HKCEE, C. Nankarrow, S.Y. Leung, S.P. Choi. 208 pages.
A textbook designed to help prepare Form 5 students for their oral English examination.
58. Success in English Teaching, Paul Davies, Eric Pearse. 204 pages.
A textbook for people training to be EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher. Lots of helpful information, a lot of which echoed what I learned in the TEFL class I took.
59. 2007 Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination - English Language - Sample Papers and Information on Standards-referenced Assessment. 103 pages.
I'm trying to figure out what the Form 5 exam is all about, so I'm reading everything I can get my hands on about it.
For those who asked in my last post, yes, you can ship books to Hong Kong from the US, but it's very expensive. And yes, you can buy English-language books in Hong Kong, but they're very expensive. So I'm going to try not to buy too many, especially as there's probably not a way for me to take them with me. And I have found a book-swapping program that I'm planning on taking advantage of.
Books Read:
59/75 - 78.7%
Pages Read:
19,057/22,500 - 84.7%
Days Passed:
269/365 - 73.7%
- Location:Tai Po
- Mood:
tired - Music:Jonathan Creek