Ishmael

My friend's daughter lent me this book (Thanks, Leah!).  It's one I've looked at plenty of times but never bought.  I'm really glad I read it.  Normally, I just read light books for entertainment and was afraid this one would be boring with all the philosophical stuff but, it was surprisingly easy to read and interesting.

The narrator answers an ad that says, "TEACHER seeks pupil.  Must have an earnest desire to change the world.  Apply in person."  When he gets there he sees that his teacher is a gorilla that can communicate by thought. 

Through a series of questions, the "teacher" gets the narrator to look at what man has accomplished and how his place in the world is destroying it.

The book has short chapters, fairly large font, and an easy-to-understand format so that anyone can understand the important message.

The Lost Symbol

This is the first book I read on my Kindle.  At first I wasn't sure how I would like it but after a couple of chapters I got right into it and forgot that I wasn't reading a real book. 

I enjoyed the book pretty well.  There was a lot of technical stuff explaining the historical background, but, it was interesting enough.  I guess there was just something missing in this novel.  I'm not sure what, exactly, but I think it lacked emotional impact. 

Robert Langdon is back but he is just the conduit.  He doesn't really have much character.  I almost didn't even like him.  He seemed dumb at times.  But the plot kept the story going and I read it fairly fast.  

I ended up liking the Kindle more than the novel!  One night it was getting late and my eyes were dry but I really wanted to continue reading so I just enlarged the font and was able to go on.  Just what I need!

Julie and Julia

The last couple of weeks have been so crazy busy! Not much reading got done but Christmas was great albeit tiring! First, we flew to Florida on the 24th to see our moms. It was a quick trip but worthwhile. We flew back to NH on the 27th. Then I had to get ready for our own celebration on the 30th. Our son and his grilfriend left yesterday, the tree came down, and I finally got a chance to relax.

The one good thing about flying is that I got to read. Julie and Julia was the perfect book for this. We encountered delays both coming and going but that was no problem for me! I love the concept of blogging (of course!) and cooking and Julie Powell made the story funny and interesting. I read half on the way down and the other half on the way back. When we got home, I rented the movie and was really disappointed with it. Meryl Streep was fantastic but it was just so boring. It somehow lost the quirkiness and humanness of the book.

My kids chipped in and got me a Kindle! I've downloaded The Lost Symbol and am enjoying both the book and the Kindle so far. I miss being able to rifle the pages and breathe in the wonderful smell of the book but I can see that this reader will have its uses. It would have saved me from packing 3 books in our carry-ons for our trip, for one thing, and it'll be perfect for slipping into my saddlebag when I bike to the beach all summer.

Happy New Year, eveyone! 2010 will find us with a new grandchild. My daughter is pregnant and due sometime in July. She goes to the doctor's next week to get her actual due date. Can't wait to hold the new little one in my arms!

13 1/2

Cloudy, here, this morning but, at least, we will not be getting the horrendous snowstorm that battered the East coast. I'm thinking this is going to be a good reading day.


This was a pretty good book. I like her tight writing and will probably pick up more of her novels.

Eleven-year-old Dylan butchered his parents and little sister but only injured his older brother, Rich. He's spent the next 7 years in juvie but at eighteen was released into the custody of his brother. They left Minnesota and relocated in New Orleans.

Polly grew up under the worst conditions. Her mother was a drug addict and was unable and unwilling to help Polly avoid the advances of the various men who drifted in and out of her life. Finally, Polly escaped and made her way to New Orleans.

And, of course, they all meet in the present. What happens next makes for an interesting story. There is even a twist at the end that is very satisfying.

Happy reading everyone!

Homeschooling

I'm sitting here watching the fog lift, hoping for a beautiful sunrise. It's 10 degrees on our back porch and we have about a foot of snow.


I'm never going to homeschool. I've got one more year of teaching high school after this year before I retire. So, why, then, am I so fascinated with homeschooling that I'd read a whole book about it?

I picked this up at the library figuring I'd just skim through it but ended up enjoying it so much that I read every single page.

When the Millman's oldest daughter was in second grade at a Catholic school, her teacher marked an answer wrong that was really right. When her parents questioned the principal about it, he agreed that it was right, but she got it wrong because it was a fourth-grade answer and it wouldn't be fair to the other kids whose parents didn't spend time helping them learn. It was then that they decided to begin homeschooling their children.

They didn't know anyone else who homeschooled so just went into it blind and learned as they went along. They ended up homeschooling all six of their children. The oldest three are now in excellent colleges and the 3 youngest are still at home.

They took a kind of middle-of-the road approach to homeschooling. They weren't extreme. Sometimes they used TV but not to excess. Sometimes they used textbooks and worksheets but not too religiously. Sometimes they had a schedule but, more often than not, they just let the day unfold and produced lessons from that. Every trip was a learning experience.

In other words, it was a wonderfully well-rounded education.

There are times when I wish I could rewind the clock and go back to when my kids were young and do it all over again. I know, I'd seriously consider homeschooling.

Best Friends Forever and this world we live in

Woke up to a couple inches of snow all over everything. Pretty!



I spent the week reading this book. It was pretty good. I like Jennifer Weiner's writing. She's funny and doesn't take herself too seriously. But the underlying message is clear and easy to swallow.

Addie and Val were friends most of the way through school until an unfortunate incident in senior year tore them apart. Flash forward fifteen years. Val is now a successful weather person on TV and Addie stays at home designing greeting cards. Suddenly, Val needs Addie's help and how they rekindle their friendship while avoiding the law makes for a fun read.


I finished Best Friends Forever on Friday and was thrilled to see the ARC for this world we live in in my mailbox on Saturday. Thank you Susan for sending me one! And I finished it last night before going to bed. I had to. It was stuck to my hands. I couldn't get it off. Even my husband trying to make conversation with me couldn't penetrate.

This is the third "Moon" book by Susan Beth Pfeffer. I read the first two and just couldn't wait for this one and it didn't disappoint.

The moon is still closer to the earth causing widespread weather malfunctions and natural disasters. Miranda and her family survived the winter and are shocked when older brother Matt marries the first girl he runs into but also pleased when Dad, his new wife Lisa, and their newborn, Gabriel, arrive with three strangers, Charlie, a friend who helped them and two teenagers, Alex and Julie Morales from the dead and the gone.

How they survive and develop new relationships in such dire conditions is a testament to our human natures.

And the ending? WOW! is all I'll say. This one's going to stick with me for a long time.

But, now, I'm sad. I wish I hadn't gulped the book. I wish it was 700 pages long. I wish Susan Beth Pfeffer would get to work on a fourth one!

Run for Your Life

Finally, some blue sky after several days of clouds, fog, rain, and snow. In spite of the weather, Thanksgiving was so much fun with both my kids and their families home. It's taken me a couple days to recover, though. I hate getting old!


I finished this book earlier in the week. It was another page-turner by James Patterson. I was lucky enough to win this from Dar and now, I'll put it in my classroom library for my students since they love his books with their large font and short chapters.

This one features detective Mike Bennett, a widower with ten kids, and a serial killer on the loose. It's a typical Patterson plotline but the addition of all those kids and Mike's personality make it enjoyable.

I started Best Friends Forever and so far, so good.

Have a good reading week!