For my last post in 2010 I am leaving you with a review of all the books I read this year. Enjoy!
1. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell- Nonfiction. I am an outlier for sure. My goal for 2011 is to read Blink and Tipping Point by the same author.
2. Super Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner- Nonfiction. Very thoughtful, very hilarious, very true, very good.
3. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger- Fiction. My favorite fiction read of 2010. Given to me by Sally when I was 2,000 months pregnant with Connor. I'm really glad she knows me so well.
4. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown- Fiction. Anything he writes is a winner in my book. Also, I like the way the covers of his books feel.
5. The Land of Mango Sunsets by Dorothea Benton Frank- Fiction. I read it this summer. You could have 1 brain cell and still read this book in about a day. Very easy reading. I recommend you read it on the beach.
6. Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot- Nonfiction. This is the story of the life of Jim Elliot. Powerful and life-changing. If you ever start to feel sorry for yourself, read this book. It will keep things in perspective. It convicted me big time of my selfishness.
7. A Scarlet Cord by Deborah Raney- Fiction. I think I liked it but I honestly can't remember even a tiny little thing about it. I know I was in a book club that discussed the book. I know I was still nursing Connor when I read it. Yep, that explains it. Have no clue what it was about. But I don't finish books I hate so I bet I liked it.
8. Crazy Love by Frances Chan- Nonfiction. So, so very good. I read it in two hours at a water park this summer. Quick read but full of good-to-go-back-to-and-think-about paragraphs.
9. What to Look For in a Classroom...and Other Essays by Alfie Kohn- Nonfiction. Alfie is my favorite author for educators. I highly recommend you read this book in a book club with your absolute favorite principal and your absolute favorite literacy coach. It will be really fun and deep and thought-provoking and you'll disagree a lot because you're all three really different and also you're all three almost identical so you'll agree a whole bunch, too. It'll be perfect.
I started Same Kind of Different As Me by Denver Moore and Ron Hall but I didn't finish it because EDU 459 happened. And EDU 459 required me to read 13 books. From September thru December.
I'm going to list the titles and put a star next to the titles that you absolutely must read.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Family Friendly Communication Early Childhood Programs
Six Simple Ways to Assess Children
Spotlight on Young Children and Play
By the Ages
Transition Time
Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale
Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale
The Right Stuff for Chidren Birth to 8
Classroom Routines That Really Work
Meeting the Challenge
Class Meetings
Early Learning Environments That Work
Good news is the class is over and now I've got an additional area of certification under my belt. Woohoo!
I didn't get a chance to finish Same Kind of Different As Me.
I also started but didn't get a chance to finish:
The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers
Well-Behaved Child by John Rosemond (don't think I'll finish it)
Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner (yes, I'm 12.)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Every single year I say I'm going to read it. And I start it. And I can't finish it. I don't really want to read it except that it's Melissa's favorite book and she's that favorite principal I mentioned earlier and I want to be like her when I grow up so I think she'll respect me more and stuff if she knows I've read it. Maybe 2011 will be my year. We'll see.)
I have loads and loads of titles written down for 2011. And I can't wait! As soon as I press "publish post" on this blog entry, I'm using my Christmas money to order myself a Kindle. Never thought I'd cave. I love real books too much. But it will be so nice to keep my Kindle in my pocketbook and have a "book" with me wherever I go.
Happy New Year and Happy Reading! Oh, and please comment with your reading goals for 2011. I love to know what people are reading!
11 Months!
2 years ago
1. Please finish Same Kind of Different As Me. Great book!
ReplyDelete2. Love how you listed all the books from EDU 459 and didn't put a star next to ANY OF THEM!!! hahahah
3. What book should I get to take to CO?
Love you!
Two things:
ReplyDelete1. i also just read Jane Eyre this year. My thought: ehhh. I mean, it was ok and I know it's a classic, but it's just not my cup of tea.
2. We got a kindle for christmas. It was not something we asked for or even something I thought I'd enjoy. But So far, I LOVE it. It can hold a ton of books. It reads nice and there are lots of free books you can find, too.
Have you ever read anything by Buechner or Wendell Berry? They are two of my favorite authors. I'm in the middle of Son of Laughter by Buechner and it's AWESOME. Hannah Coulter and Jayber Crow are my two favorite by Berry. If you need any ideas.
ReplyDeleteLet me let you off the hook, dear friend. Jane Eyre was my favorite book in ninth grade. Along with Wuthering Heights and pretty much all things Bronte. I was in a bit of a phase. Have you ever read their poetry? I soaked it all up. I believe when I mentioned that Jane Eyre was my favorite book in your actual presence, it was shortly after I had read it again…for like the third time. That’s what I do with my favorites. But a true lover of books can’t really have A favorite, you know? If you asked me today…Jane Eyre is not my favorite. It is one of my favorites. There…you are off the hook…because it is not my absolute favorite AND because I could not possibly respect you any more than I already do. Now, you’ll probably finish it. BTW, I too read Time Traveler’s Wife last year…LOVED IT! And for this year, I am going to tackle Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Have you read this one? I came across these lines while reading a review – “Ayn Rand's philosophy is known as objectivism. It is essentially having an objective reason and purpose for every action you commit…Atlas Shrugged is not a novel depicting ordinary people in ordinary situations. It is not here to tell you what is - it is here to tell you what could be and should be. That is why so many find the characters unbelievable, unreachable, even childish in their idealism.” See...I must read this book.
ReplyDelete