July was an incredible reading month! I managed to read all of these:
My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn
Is this the most literary thing I could have chosen to sit down and listen to? Absolutely not. But it was very engaging. This book does a really great job of transporting you from where you are to upper-class life in Tokyo (although, admittedly I don't know how accurate this depiction is... it was fantastic to read about though). It was interesting to read about places that are so unfamiliar and yet marginally familiar at the same time. I almost could have forgotten about the plot and would have been just as happy to keep reading. Obviously, it's good and better off with a plot, but I just want to point out how easy it is to get lost in this book.
This is a great book if you just need to be transported for a while. This is also a fairly light and therefore quick read for its length. I personally liked listening to the audiobook, too. If you need a book to get lost in and if you are interested even remotely in Japan, this is the book for you!
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
This is one I think I will need to read again. I assigned this to some of my students last year while doing a unit on humanity and dehumanization. One of the boys picked it and said that he loved it once he actually finished it. My recommendations for him have been very hit or miss, so I was happy to find that connection point.
The focus of this book is on two women in particular who are involved with flying and communications for planes in World War II England. They get involved with these secret missions and then... something goes wrong... I won't give it away because it's the basis of this book.
I love that this book makes you think that you're going in one direction and then the whole story, very suddenly, shifts on you and tells you how things really are in this book. Now that I know what that twist is, I want to read it again. I'll have to make that one of my private reading goals in 2020. I think there is also a sequel to this book so I'll have to check that out as well. This is a great book. I already can't wait to read it again!
Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki
A former student of mine recommended this book to me... probably a year or two ago and it took me so long to finally sit down and read it! I told her that I really liked the book Memoirs of a Geisha and she said that that book was based off of this woman's story. But Memoirs of a Geisha has a lot of flaws to it. This book is actually written by a Geisha who has lived that life and she does address some of the things that were said and depicted in Memoirs of a Geisha and speaks to their truth or lack thereof. It was nice to have that expose angle to the book, but this is a great book in its own right. Her story of how she got started is really interesting and there are a lot more customs and traditions around simply becoming a Geisha than I ever thought there were. I don't know how they keep track of it all!
I don't feel like I can speak too eloquently about this book because it's just one of those books where you have to jump in with both feet and go for the immersion experience.
I'll be working on catching up on reading blogs over the next few days and into the new year, so look for more of those posts as well as other life posts!
Thanks for Reading!
--Jude
- Her: Vol. 1 by Pierre Alex Jeanty
- Her: Vol. 2 by Pierre Alex Jeanty
- Teach Like Finland by Timothy D. Walker
- On The Come Up by Angie Thomas
- The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
- Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton
- Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
- The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
- The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
- The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates
- My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn
- A Way Out by Michelle Balge
- The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
- The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
- Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
- Invisible Ghosts by Robyn Schneider
- With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
August wasn't as great of a reading month in terms of numbers, but I did finish one incredible book:
- Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki
I am fortunate that a number of these books made for incredible reads. There are some books I have already taken a moment to highlight in my Reading Rush post (which you can check out HERE), so here are the rest of the highlights of July and August!
On The Come Up by Angie Thomas
This was one that both my students and I were really excited to see come out. A student brought it back after reading it and another mystery student swiped it, I assume for summer reading, while I wasn't looking. So surprisingly, getting ahold of this book was quite tricky! But I'm glad I fought for it!
On The Come Up was just as engaging as The Hate U Give and in fact takes place in the same universe as The Hate U Give. Bree's struggles are quite different from Starr's struggles. Definitely some overlap, especially because she lives in the Garden (which is a vibrant neighborhood, but suffers from gang violence), but those struggles aren't the main focus on Bree's story. Her focus is on her rap career. She struggles mainly with stereotypes and self-expression in this story. Should she say what she wants or do what other people tell her to do, but risk false representation of who she actually is? There were times when I wished that Bree would just listen to the trustworthy people in her life when they were trying to help her. But she does have a mind of her own and some people just need to make mistakes in order to learn. So Bree is kind of a frustrating protagonist in some ways, but I still really enjoyed her story. I love books that incorporate poetry and show their power.
The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
I found out that one of my favorite YouTube personalities (who is a West End actress) was recording an audiobook called The Flatshare and as she was talking about it, I became intrigued. So once it was out, I used my Audible credit and got it to listen to.
I loved that this book is told in two perspectives (not just because the book is written that way but because it's recorded by two people to help drive this home). I like that this book is a fairly light read while still touching on boundaries and less-than-healthy relationships. I love that these two people are drawn together even though it seems to unlikely that they should ever be anything more than roommates in passing. This is a great feel-good book and one that can help jumpstart your reading if you're in a reading slump. I feel like I've had a number of those this year... this was a wonderful book to listen to. I highly recommend it.
On The Come Up by Angie ThomasThis was one that both my students and I were really excited to see come out. A student brought it back after reading it and another mystery student swiped it, I assume for summer reading, while I wasn't looking. So surprisingly, getting ahold of this book was quite tricky! But I'm glad I fought for it!
On The Come Up was just as engaging as The Hate U Give and in fact takes place in the same universe as The Hate U Give. Bree's struggles are quite different from Starr's struggles. Definitely some overlap, especially because she lives in the Garden (which is a vibrant neighborhood, but suffers from gang violence), but those struggles aren't the main focus on Bree's story. Her focus is on her rap career. She struggles mainly with stereotypes and self-expression in this story. Should she say what she wants or do what other people tell her to do, but risk false representation of who she actually is? There were times when I wished that Bree would just listen to the trustworthy people in her life when they were trying to help her. But she does have a mind of her own and some people just need to make mistakes in order to learn. So Bree is kind of a frustrating protagonist in some ways, but I still really enjoyed her story. I love books that incorporate poetry and show their power.
The Flatshare by Beth O'LearyI found out that one of my favorite YouTube personalities (who is a West End actress) was recording an audiobook called The Flatshare and as she was talking about it, I became intrigued. So once it was out, I used my Audible credit and got it to listen to.
I loved that this book is told in two perspectives (not just because the book is written that way but because it's recorded by two people to help drive this home). I like that this book is a fairly light read while still touching on boundaries and less-than-healthy relationships. I love that these two people are drawn together even though it seems to unlikely that they should ever be anything more than roommates in passing. This is a great feel-good book and one that can help jumpstart your reading if you're in a reading slump. I feel like I've had a number of those this year... this was a wonderful book to listen to. I highly recommend it.
The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
This one kind of fell into my lap a little bit. I love my library's digital catalog because I can check things out instantly. I wanted to read more Gillian Flynn because I remember really liking Gone Girl several years back. I didn't expect to find one so short though. I think this audiobook was about 45 minutes. Definitely no more than an hour.
This book is just as intriguing and just as f***ed up as Gone Girl. I was literally sat on my bed thinking, "What the hell?!" as I was listening to this book. This book is also good if you're in the middle of a reading slump and just generally good if you're looking for a jolt to your system. Gillian Flynn is definitely talented at drawing you in and shaking you to your very core at the last minute and making you stop and think, "Did I really just read what I read?" I'd love to listen to this again sometime.
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
This is a nonfiction book that I thought sounded interesting, but I really didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Melinda Gates, through her and her husband's foundation, have done a lot of great work to support women and girls around the world in the many ways that they need to be supported-- reproductive health, community health, education, etc. What I love is that Melinda Gates seems to approach this topic with as much humility as she can muster and is up front about the knowledge that she brings to the table and when she needs others to help bring a vision into reality. Supporting women around the world is no small task and is less straightforward than I thought. It's not just throwing money at a problem, but finding the people who can help turn that money into a lasting impact for the women and communities who benefit. I also love that every opportunity she could, she drives home how supporting the women the foundation supports doesn't just benefit these women in particular, but it also demonstrates how helping these women benefits the wider community and country. I think that's so powerful, especially when it comes to getting other people to support "women's" issues. In reality, when women do better, everyone does better.
This one kind of fell into my lap a little bit. I love my library's digital catalog because I can check things out instantly. I wanted to read more Gillian Flynn because I remember really liking Gone Girl several years back. I didn't expect to find one so short though. I think this audiobook was about 45 minutes. Definitely no more than an hour.
This book is just as intriguing and just as f***ed up as Gone Girl. I was literally sat on my bed thinking, "What the hell?!" as I was listening to this book. This book is also good if you're in the middle of a reading slump and just generally good if you're looking for a jolt to your system. Gillian Flynn is definitely talented at drawing you in and shaking you to your very core at the last minute and making you stop and think, "Did I really just read what I read?" I'd love to listen to this again sometime.
The Moment of Lift by Melinda GatesThis is a nonfiction book that I thought sounded interesting, but I really didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Melinda Gates, through her and her husband's foundation, have done a lot of great work to support women and girls around the world in the many ways that they need to be supported-- reproductive health, community health, education, etc. What I love is that Melinda Gates seems to approach this topic with as much humility as she can muster and is up front about the knowledge that she brings to the table and when she needs others to help bring a vision into reality. Supporting women around the world is no small task and is less straightforward than I thought. It's not just throwing money at a problem, but finding the people who can help turn that money into a lasting impact for the women and communities who benefit. I also love that every opportunity she could, she drives home how supporting the women the foundation supports doesn't just benefit these women in particular, but it also demonstrates how helping these women benefits the wider community and country. I think that's so powerful, especially when it comes to getting other people to support "women's" issues. In reality, when women do better, everyone does better.
Is this the most literary thing I could have chosen to sit down and listen to? Absolutely not. But it was very engaging. This book does a really great job of transporting you from where you are to upper-class life in Tokyo (although, admittedly I don't know how accurate this depiction is... it was fantastic to read about though). It was interesting to read about places that are so unfamiliar and yet marginally familiar at the same time. I almost could have forgotten about the plot and would have been just as happy to keep reading. Obviously, it's good and better off with a plot, but I just want to point out how easy it is to get lost in this book.
This is a great book if you just need to be transported for a while. This is also a fairly light and therefore quick read for its length. I personally liked listening to the audiobook, too. If you need a book to get lost in and if you are interested even remotely in Japan, this is the book for you!
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
This is one I think I will need to read again. I assigned this to some of my students last year while doing a unit on humanity and dehumanization. One of the boys picked it and said that he loved it once he actually finished it. My recommendations for him have been very hit or miss, so I was happy to find that connection point.
The focus of this book is on two women in particular who are involved with flying and communications for planes in World War II England. They get involved with these secret missions and then... something goes wrong... I won't give it away because it's the basis of this book.
I love that this book makes you think that you're going in one direction and then the whole story, very suddenly, shifts on you and tells you how things really are in this book. Now that I know what that twist is, I want to read it again. I'll have to make that one of my private reading goals in 2020. I think there is also a sequel to this book so I'll have to check that out as well. This is a great book. I already can't wait to read it again!
Geisha, A Life by Mineko IwasakiA former student of mine recommended this book to me... probably a year or two ago and it took me so long to finally sit down and read it! I told her that I really liked the book Memoirs of a Geisha and she said that that book was based off of this woman's story. But Memoirs of a Geisha has a lot of flaws to it. This book is actually written by a Geisha who has lived that life and she does address some of the things that were said and depicted in Memoirs of a Geisha and speaks to their truth or lack thereof. It was nice to have that expose angle to the book, but this is a great book in its own right. Her story of how she got started is really interesting and there are a lot more customs and traditions around simply becoming a Geisha than I ever thought there were. I don't know how they keep track of it all!
I don't feel like I can speak too eloquently about this book because it's just one of those books where you have to jump in with both feet and go for the immersion experience.
I'll be working on catching up on reading blogs over the next few days and into the new year, so look for more of those posts as well as other life posts!
Thanks for Reading!
--Jude
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