Five Little Indians

 Five Little Indians, by Michelle Good.

I just finished reading this book. It's one of the best books I've read in awhile. I mean, I know I don't read a lot, but this one stands out. I woke up at 2.45am, for some reason, unable to sleep. I haven't been sleeping too well recently. Anyway, I was about 3/4 done this book and thought that this might be a good time to finish it.

Some of the earlier chapters were tough. But important. There were chapters that seemed hopeful. I'm glad.

Everyone should read this book. Or at least, know about our history and its implications.

The book is about residential schools and their survivors. It is about family and community. It is about trauma and inter-generational trauma. There is substance abuse, sexual assault, and suicide. 

Related, but by no means a comparison to communities who are deeply affected and effected by residential schools, I'm reflecting on the difference between trauma and discomfort. I think of people who get uncomfortable and mistake it for trauma. I absolutely believe trauma to be real (I surely live with it, and thankfully on a much smaller scale than others), but feel ______ (still working on identifying my emotions) about those who aren't willing to sit with their discomfort. To unpack it. To turn the attention inwards.

Changing topics again (maybe this is what happens when you can't sleep), I have been trying to read again. I'm trying to be intentional in my reading. My recent books were:
- The Reason You Walk, by Wab Kinew
- Interior Chinatown, by Charles Yu
- Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro

Up next will be Motorcycles & Sweetgrass, by Drew Hayden Taylor. I had actually watched this video a couple years ago and didn't put two and two together until I was doing a little digging with regards to my booklist.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

New York (Dec 11-15, 2016)

Leave it to a trip back to one of the cities that gives me life to bring this blog back to life. After a moment this summer where I was feeling particularly burnt out and feeling the benefits of "getting away", I vowed that I would take breaks more often for my mental and physical health. So, in typical form, went through the semester not really taking many breaks (although maintaining a lower level of engagement throughout) and slowly coming to a point when I realized that all signs were pointing to "you need a get-away"!

So, I booked a trip to NYC and now that I've pulled off the get-away band-aid, I hope that it will be easier for me to plan get-aways in the future!
Just walking amongst the crowds was rejuvenating. Window shopping. Visiting landmarks. Snacking. It was all pretty great.
I like to snack my way through the city. With so much awesomeness in one place (including lots of things to do in the evening), I'm often reluctant to take a couple hours out of my evening to have a full sit-down meal. And, why not have multiple smaller meals/snacks throughout the day rather than limiting yourself to just three? So mini-meals consisting of macarons (Laduree), cupcakes (Baked by Melissa), smoothies and falafels (Taim), pizza and pasta (Eataly), burgers and frozen custards (Shake Shack), and add a random sprinkling of other snacks from food trucks and such.

There wasn't anything at Lincoln Center that caught my interest for this trip, but that didn't prevent me from going for a visit. It's neat that there's a hub for the arts. Makes a lot of sense. Place des Arts in Montreal is a similar idea and the city really put a lot of resources into developing the area. Well done, Montreal!
Back to Lincoln Center. One of the reasons I enjoy visiting the building is to marvel at the massive Chagall paintings that they have hanging in the foyer of the opera house. But on this day, they were covered up. I guess you've got to take care of a protect those works of art from their natural predators.

Recently opened in March 2016, the Oculus is a new building in the World Trade Center area attached to the PATH train station to New Jersey. It's is an incredible piece of architecture. Part of the building has lots of shops and connects to office towers, the train and subway system and such. One end where the main entrance to the PATH station looks like something out of a sci-fi movie with the light concrete and the white backbone structure looming above. Robotic masses of people beeping their way through the automated gates and descending to the underground train level. It was cool to watch the "spectacle".

Only steps away is the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. It is a moving and informative space. The memorial is particularly moving. Seeing the two spaces previously occupied by the Twin Towers has a large impact.
There are moments in history that people tend to distinctly remember where they were and what they were doing at the time. I "think" the first of such events in my lifetime was the OJ Simpson verdict. I remember being in the cafeteria of my high school seated at that circular table in the corner that was typically occupied by cohort.

For September 11th, 2001, I remember being in my bed at my hole in the wall, rented apartment in Kingston while an undergraduate student at Queen's. I was waking up to my alarm clock (the radio) and hearing reports of the events. Still groggy from sleep, I remember hearing the news but not really processing it (although, how does one process such news?). I got up and started my day and received a phone call saying that my education class was cancelled that evening. I was confused why a class would be canceled for an event in the US and especially disappointed because this was to be my first education class of my degree. I had been waiting a long time for this class. I got ready for school and walked into a deserted campus. I remember walking through the student building and seeing news being shown on the TV screens. I was pretty confused about what was going on, but, like many people ended up spending a better part of the day in front of the TV watching updates on the event.

Being so close to the holiday season, the city was well decorated and festive. The big tree in Rockerfeller Center was much more impressive than the one in Place des Arts (sigh), and just facing, Saks had a nice music and light show. Fun times.
Holiday window displays are always incredible as well. Saks had a Nutcracker theme. Bergdorf Goodman always had something decadent. Barney's was humourous this year. And Bloomingdale's and Macy's displayed typical holiday scenes.

I was interested to walk by Trump Tower. Apparently, there are news outlets on site at all times as are the NYPD and the Secret Service. I walked by twice during my visit. Once, I think he was "home", and the other, he was not. This was evidenced by the number of black cars and ambulances parked outside the side door. Both times there were people standing on the sidewalk who wanted to make their presence known. Some were selling buttons. Some wanted to chat with passerbyers to discuss various issues. Others were speaking to whomever would listen about their perspectives.
It will be interesting to see how things continue to unfold. This is another case of an event that I'm not quite sure how to process and what its impact will be on the world.

One thing that has resulted is that citizens have posted messages on the walls of the Union Square subway station.
Some speak to the election specifically. Others to the state of the world. Still others, general messages or ones of a more personal nature/agenda.
I wonder how long the initiative will last.

I always try to see a show while I am in town. I try to see shows that I haven't seen before, and the two that were on my list for this time around were Hamilton and The Color Purple. I really wanted to see Hamilton and made it my priority. But, when tickets are sold out until August 2017 and wanting to pay face value for tickets, I resorted to waiting hours in the cancellations line. While I'm not always willing to give up hours of precious NYC time in a restaurant, I am willing to do so for the prospect of show tickets. Yet, I was unsuccessful, and instead of loosing more time in the city, for my last opportunity to catch a show, I decided to watch The Color Purple and call it a day. The show was fantastic. I'll have to go back and watch the movie again at some point. Or maybe I should read the book. Cynthia Erivo was awesome, but I think the whole cast was fantastic. There were very powerful moments in the show as there were moments for whooping and hollering and smiling and laughing. I'm glad that I was able to catch it before it closes in the New Year.

So, there you have it. A great trip, as usual. I made it to a couple sample sales (including an opportunity to wear a $7000 Marchesa gown - if only I had a place to wear the beautiful frock, I may have actually bought it!) and did a lot of window shopping. There were some beautiful bags and coats, but I returned back home empty handed. Oh, well.

Quiet

Quiet, by Susan Cain

I'm thinking that my summer of reading is over. I still have a couple books on my shelf that I had borrowed from the library during the summer, and maybe I'll try to read them during the year, but I'm not sure how successful I will be, but I will give it a go.
The most recent book that I read was Quiet, by Susan Cain. I'm not sure how I ended up borrowing this book. I had watched her TED talk, and I think this book popped up on my "recommended" list when I looked up Lean In online, and I find it interesting learning more about personality types...anyway, I borrowed it, and I'm sure glad that I did.
Simply put, this book is about introverts. I liked the book because I feel like I better understand myself. Reading a little bit more about my personality, and why I do what I do and why I like what I like and enjoy what I enjoy. To learn a little bit more about culture and culture clashes (first-generation problems!). I found the book reassuring.
Of course, we are all a mixture of personalities. We might lean towards one side of the spectrum than another. I had a moment when I was reading the book where I wondered it everyone reading this book would find part of themselves in it, just like reading the horoscope. On any given day (or day after), I can read the horoscope of any star sign and see myself and events that have happened in the day. So is this book naturally preaching to the choir because everyone will be able to see themselves in it? Or maybe there is a seriously extroverted person who will read this book and be completely surprised by what they read.
I was also thinking about the message of this book with my profession. I'm in a field where the pendulum is swinging many perceive that a cooperative, discussion- and inquiry-based approach is advocated for. While there are many benefits for this approach, how does this support the learning of introverted students? Personally, I advocate for a diverse and balanced approach to teaching. Our students are diverse. Our students learn and thrive in different contexts, and I want all students to have to opportunity to feel success and be successful. At the same time, I want all students to feel challenged and have an opportunity to develop areas of weakness or learn to make the most out of contexts that are not comfortable. Who knows what kind of context they will end up in and/or whether or not they will have the ability to alter their context to one in which they will thrive (because hopefully they will know more about themselves).
I had a eureka moment when I read about Free Trait Theory, or in general, the idea that you can display a completely different personality in different contexts. It helps me to make sense of my 'different personalities'. I have consistently gotten the feedback that I present myself in a certain kind of way. That impression is completely contradictory to the emotions that I'm feeling in those situations. I was always a little bit confused as to why that was the case, what caused it, how I am able to have the strength to give that impression, and how come I can't channel that person more often? I still don't really have the answer, but I liked reading about it.
Anyway, I really liked this book. It was very easy to read and a nice contribution to my current phase of self-discovery.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture, by Jeffrey Zaslow and Randy Pausch

The Last Lecture is a book based on a talk given by Randy Pausch in Carnegie Mellon's Last Lecture series in 2007 (embedded at the end of this post). You may know of it as it went viral.
At the time, I had seen the video, and followed Randy's blog until he passed away in 2008.
Randy had pancreatic cancer.
Randy was also a tenured professor in computer science, a family man, and a lover of life.
His talk was entitled Really Achieving Your Dreams.
I had enjoyed his lecture and found it TED-talk-esque.
I wasn't really sure what this book would be above and beyond what his talk discussed. The book is quite slim (and a quick read...if you tried, you could probably finish it in an hour or two). I enjoyed the book like I did his talk, but it wasn't quite as rich, expansive and compelling as I had hoped. Randy did remind me of some important life lessons and qualities to live by/for, but the story was rather brief. "Chapters" of the book were a couple pages at most, some even just a couple paragraphs. Perhaps it was because the message was so simple that it didn't need to be belabored. Why take pages and pages to say something that can be said in one? I guess what I was hoping a little bit more for was a lengthier narrative to provide background to his message. To read more about his stories, his life, his experiences. I just wanted more.
Still, I did enjoy this book. Reading it now seemed appropriate. Randy wrote about being an academic. Randy wrote about making the most out of life. Randy wrote about dreams. Randy also wrote about achieving your dreams.
This year has been a strange one for me. It's been a little bit bumpier than I would have liked, and I'm not sure when things will smooth out. But I am alive and thriving. And this book reminded me to make the most out of life, to continue to do awesome things and be positive.



- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Lean In

Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg

Fun fact about me: I don't really do well in bookstores. Like, I'm not good at just going in, wandering around, picking up whatever book looks interesting and just start reading it. So, I don't really venture into bookstores to browse like I might go into other types of shops.
Once, though, I was with someone else who does like to go into bookstores, so what else could I do? I wandered around, just looking at different covers and admiring the pictures on the fronts of books...until I felt like I had done as much as I could do before actually picking up a book. I forced myself to grab one and start reading (because what else could I do to take up more time?) and Lean In was the book that I happened to pick up.
I had time to read about the first chapter of the book and I loved it. But then, it was time to leave the shop and I put the book down. I was kind of annoyed actually that I couldn't finish the book. I'm not good at stopping things partway through. Anyway, I think that was at least 3 years ago that I was in that bookstore.
So, continuing on in my summer of reading, I thought I'd seek out this book again and continue to read it. Also, I had a good hunch that this book would be available at my library at work.
I really liked this book. It discusses so many things that are so relevant in my life. It gave me a perspective about some of the workings of contexts that I am a part of (and better familiarizing myself with) and even some insights into myself. I encourages me to "lean in" and be a little bit bolder than my natural inclination. It makes me think a little bit more carefully about interactions and human behaviour. It reassured me to know that so many things that I've been experiencing, thinking about, and puzzling over are not rare occurences.
Similar to Malcolm Gladwell's books, Sandberg clearly put a lot of thought into her book and did her homework. Not only does she pepper her writing with personal anecdotes and experiences, she also links her ideas to research to really drive home her points.
Reading this book felt like I was watching a really long TED talk. I was inspired, able to make lots of connections and wonder how I'm going to apply all of the thoughts that are going through my head into my life.

Anyway, I'm glad that I was able to finish reading this book. I'm happy that I've been able to get through a couple books already this summer and that I've been able to slow my pace down. Today, when I went for a walk to get some errands done, I walked slower. Maybe even at a typical person's pace. I mean, people weren't passing me, nor was I passing others. I just took my time and I think it's been good for my soul to take my time.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell

Inspired by Outliers, I decided to read another one of Malcolm Gladwell's books. I don't know if it's reader's fatigue or something, but I didn't find this book as interesting. The style of the book was very similar, but the content didn't seem quite as compelling.
In The Tipping Point, the author described different traits/components/characteristics/contributors to making an event/person reach a point of taking them over some sort of threshold. For example, describing three types of critical "players": Connectors, mavens, and salesmen. He also describes what he calls, "The stickiness factor" and "The power of context". Gladwell uses different examples and case studies to illustrate his points.
I often wonder what the process is for authors writing books. I guess it would depend on the topic and the style of the author, but until a couple years ago, I never considered that an author would need to do research for his/her book (except for non-fiction, which I assumed would obviously need knowledge of a particular topic). I also had a similar revelation about filmmakers. To come up with a finished product must take a lot of background work and with the types of books that Gladwell writes, I wonder how many people are supporting the process. Would he be researching all of the ideas himself, or would there be an academic/researcher (or someone like a research assistant?) who would help provide evidence of his claims. His books have footnotes/endnotes where he's referencing other people's work so I wonder how he goes back and forth between the narrative text and his references. Would it be very similar to the process that I take when I write, I wonder?
Anyway, I thought this book was just as accessible for a hesitant reader as Outliers was, but not quite as juicy. I would still recommend it because it does give further insight into life and interactions and who doesn't want to try to better understand how the world works?

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Outliers

Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell

So, I received this book as a gift in December 2008. And I finally read it. I had started reading it quite some time ago, but for some reason, I never got around to finishing it. I'm so happy that I finally got back to it. It's a great book. Kudos to the person who gave it to me, he guessed that I would be interested in the topics described in the book, and he was right.
Not only did I like the topic, but it was an easy read (check off one of my requirements for my summer reading list). There were short chapters (critical for me as I've been reading in short snippets of time...on the bus, to kick start my day, to end my days, waiting for people to show up for coffee/lunch/brunch/whatever...and also because I'm not good at remembering what's going on in the book, so stopping partway through a chapter really confuses me the next time I pick it up).
This is the first book that I've read by Gladwell. I tend not to be an overly critical reader (especially if the writing is well crafted). I think maybe I should be a little bit more critical...or maybe it depends on the subject matter. I have read things that I think are completely ridiculous. Anyway, my point is, I was happy to follow Gladwell's arguments. I guess I could google what others think of his writing (there must be critics out there), but I don't feel like it's a priority.
As the title suggests, this book is about outliers. The things that make people/things get to that place that makes them extraordinary. Gladwell provides lots of examples of this, talking about being in the right time and place, culture, context, and basically, just explaining how things work. As some who likes to analyse and figure out how things work, I found the book very interesting. I learned a little bit more about luck. I learned a little bit about timing. I learned a little bit more about small things making a difference.
I was thinking about my life as I read this book. About what in my life has contributed to who I am today. I mean, the easy answer is that everything contributes, I to try to get a better sense of how they contributed. I read this book with a lot of interest and wonder. And was happy that it was an easy read.
I've recently been thinking about writing a book. It's something that people in my profession often do. I was at a conference a little while ago, getting inspired and thinking about different things that I'd like to investigate further. I came up with some ideas for a book. But the connection to this book is that I think if I write something, I'll definitely want it to be very accessible. An easy read, and something that people can connect with. Like, a "human interest" kind of story. We'll see if that book ever gets written.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Watermelon

Watermelon, by Marian Keyes

Total chick lit. Mindless, frivolous, the easiest read. I have to say though, I didn't like how it ended up. I mean, it went in the right direction, but I needed an extra chapter or something to continue the fluff. Fluff is fun and good and there needed to be more to complete the story. For chick lit, it's got to be the perfect storybook ending, right? Sure, this book has some little twists here and there, but when it comes to the resolution, I want them to go all out and lay it on thick.
So if you need a synopsis, here it is (it's basically the same story as every other chick lit). Girl somehow gets shafted by her man. She goes a little nutty and is serious crisis mode. Then she meets some other guy...rebound of sorts. And then the original guy comes back into the picture. But what happens in the end? You'll have to read it to find out! Ha! Oh, and they're British of course. Why is that? Either it's taking place in Manhattan and everyone is so chic and fabulous, or their in the UK where you read the book and imagine everyone speaking with glorious accents.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

(Summer) reading

I recently started to read. It'd be great if I can get into a routine of reading regularly (alliteration FTW!).
I will typically have a more relaxed schedule over the spring and summer months. Still, I have tried to maintain a good schedule. I tend to wake up around 8-8.30am (yes, I know, most people are about to start their work day at that time, but for me this is quite a feat to regularly wake up at this hour - I'm often working evenings with my position so my schedule shifts a bit). And slowly ease into the day. Sometimes this entails reading a little bit in bed. And even eating breakfast! I think that these are all very good things to have as part of my routine because during the year, I did neither. I've typically been arriving into work around 10.30am.
Anyway, the point is, I've been reading. I've been wanting to read something light to match my summer schedule. I don't own too many books that I haven't read, especially ones that don't have heavy topics. I did have one chick lit book on my shelf and thought that it was a perfect place to start. And then I went back to a book that I had started reading awhile ago and but for some reason, never got around to finishing. I'm on my third book now, and have a couple more that I picked up from my work library that will hopefully work out. I'll happily take suggestions if people have them. Mindless books were kind of my target reading for the summer, but my work library doesn't seem to have them (or at least the titles and authors that I knew of). But that's ok - the titles that I've got on my lineup should be relatively easy reading still, of personal interest, and will encourage some synapses to fire.
It would be great if I could get through a couple books over these next couple of months.
The nice weather will help me in my quest. I type this as I sit on my balcony, taking a break from my current book. It's a beautiful day outside and reading and my general routine this past little while has helped me to slow down my pace a bit (needed). It's been good for my mental health too, I think.

Robert Munsch

I don't know for sure if I loved to read Robert Munsch's books when I was a kid. I did love listening to them being read. Especially by him. I have no idea where my parents got these recordings, but even to this day, when I read his stories that I have the recordings of, I can still hear his voice.
Last night, I re-read some of his stories, and wondered how I could preserve those memories. Today, as I went to his website to do some research, I found out that you can download him telling his stories.
I'm listening to Mud Puddle as I type this. It's very similar, but not the same recording that I listened to as a child. Speaking of Mud Puddle, I'm still hoping to find a specific version of the story. When I think of the story and hear Robert's voice telling the story, I see pictures from the story. All of the books in the stores have a newer illustrator's version of the story and I really want a visual image to remind me of all of those great memories that I had as a child. Hopefully I'll find it in my lifetime. I'm sure it can't be too hard, if I actually made an effort.
I was also just thinking about how incredible he would be to have speak to teachers or soon-to-be-teachers about passion and engaging an audience.
Ha ha ha...now I'm listening to Mortimer.

Chasing Harry Winston

Chasing Harry Winston, by Lauren Weisberger

Obviously, another piece of chic-lit, but you know what? I didn't like this one too much.
You expect these kinds of books to leave you with generic endings where everything works out perfectly and I'm not trying to ruin the ending for anyone, but I just didn't like how it finished.
I was happy, along the way, with how the book was progressing, but it was just that ending that I thought was a little bland.
This book had both the fashion and love components to it.
Anyway, it's an okay book. Another quick and easy read, but it should not be on a chic-lit reader's "must read" list.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed, by Emily Giffin

This book is you generic chic-lit book. It was perfect to pass the time. Wonderful, mindless reading.
Not a lot of stress on the fashion side of chic-lit, this one was all about love.
Even though, you know that these types of books will have a predictable ending, as I was reading this one, I seriously wasn't sure how it would end up.
For chic-lit, it was pretty good. I would sum it up as being a good, sit in the sun and relax on a weekend kind of reading.
What more can you say about chic-lit?

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

A Complicated Kindness

A Complicated Kindness, by Miriam Toews

This book won a bunch of awards, but I don't really get it. I think that may have something to do with the fact that I look a really long break from the book halfway through, so I kind of forgot what was going on, but I'm not really sure I get the point of the novel.
It seems to be about a Mennonite girl and we get a glimpse into how she perceives the world and the story makes you question your perceptions of their culture. At least, that's my take on it.
From that point of view, it's kind interesting, because it really did show a different story to what my stereotype of their culture to be, but the book just didn't seem finished to me and that's probably why I'm left wondering if I missed something.
It seemed to be quite an easy read (which is always a good thing for me) and I suppose I enjoyed the fact that it made me reconsider what I know about Mennonites and their lifestyle.
The book left me indifferent. I'm glad I read it, and I'd recommend it to other people, but I'm obviously not passionate about it.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Baby Proof: A Novel

Baby Proof: A Novel, by Emily Giffin

I haven't read a book not related to school or work in a year and a half. At least that's my guess because that's the last time I posted something on my blog about reading. I've picked up some of the books on my bookshelf and flipped through them, but it's definitely been awhile since I've read for fun.
Getting back into the reading groove means going with something mindless. Enter: chick lit.
So there's nothing really substantial to report here. I read the book in a day. That's how easy it was to read. I guess to a certain extent I was compelled to keep reading and that it was amusing, but let's be honest, it's chick lit. Nothing substantial.
This was your typical chick lit book. Girl is looking for true love. Surprisingly, there wasn't an underplot dealing with fashion.
Anyway, a fun book and I'm ready to move onto the next chick lit book!

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Very Hungry Caterpillar Day

My brother tipped me google doodle for the day. It's super cute.
So apparently it's the 40th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day.
Who knew. March 20th.


- picture courtesy of www.eric-carle.com

Getting schooled by Gossip Girl

Well, I'm done reading the fourth (Because I'm Worth It) and fifth (I Like it Like That) books from the Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Zeigesar.
Nothing of interest to report. The books are quick and easy to read and that's why they're so great for commutes and minutes before bed reading.
Just like with most chic lit, there's a lot of store, label and "it-list" name dropping. I was happy to see a shout out to moon boots! I have to pull mine out sometime
here in Canada. I just have to work up the courage to do it, because I'm not sure if anyone else here wears em. Chances are, no. Anyway, I haven't had any problems with any of the terminology used (even the slang, being surrounded by teens all the time helps) until this one: "potsticker".
HUH?!? The context was that a teenager was eating a "wild mushroom potsticker". Seeing as how there's a lot of drugs in the book, I was confused...'shrooms? Pot?

How embarrased was I when I googled the term and found out that potstickers are really "pot"-"stickers"!!! Yeh yeh yeh: Guotie!!! I guess not everyone speaks Chinese. Wicked wicked wicked.

- pictures courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

All I Want Is Everything: A Gossip Girl Novel

All I Want Is Everything: A Gossip Girl Novel, by Cecily Von Ziegesar

The third installment of the Gossip Girl series, this one was exactly as you'd expect it to be. The plotline was similar, the characters were similar, the lifestyles were similar...no big surprises here!
Each book seems to take place over the span of a month or two...not very long in the grand scheme of the literary world. In the first book, the main group was heading into their senior year of high school. Book two was around Thanksgiving. This book around Christmas. I haven't looked into what the future books revolve around, but (just like Laguna Beach) I'm sure it's going to climax at the end of the year graduation. I'm not sure how many book it'll take to get there, and whether or not the series will continue into university.
This book also had a pretty unfinished ending. One that made it obvious that it was part of a series and that hopefully in the next book, you got to see how certain plotlines would be developed.
Sigh, gotta love mindless reading.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

You Know You Love Me: A Gossip Girl Novel

You Know You Love Me: A Gossip Girl Novel, by Cecily Von Ziegesar

I'm done the second book of the Gossip Girl series. Very similar to the first...but not as good.
Feel free to jump into the series with any book. They give a good synopsis of the background of each character and the events leading up to the book in question.
I'm going to start the third now...might as well read it since I have it. Going to keep up this whole reading thing as long as I can. Don't really care what it is that I'm reading, just want to read and to start like reading. I get the feeling I'm going to have to do a lot of reading soon. Actually I've already got a couple things to start. At least they're not big textbooks. I hate those. And hopefully I'll enjoy these because it's about what I love.

Gossip Girl - A Novel

Gossip Girl - A Novel, by Cecily Von Ziegesar

I'd seen my students reading it. I'd seen commercials for the upcoming TV show. When a friend was talking about how she needed to get the latest installment of the series, I thought, maybe there's something about this whole "Gossip Girl" thing.
This series is aimed at high school students, but I think it's the tweens who'll really love the book. I do believe, however, that those older maybe be a little bit more appropriate for some of the content and language used. Call me old-fashioned, but I just don't think that teenagers should have easy access to some of the topics in the book.
Pretty much a chick-lit book for teenagers, Gossip Girl is Laguna Beach in book form. It follows the daily lives of upper-class high school students in New York. Students who attend the best private schools in the city, are preparing for their AP exams and looking to get into the top colleges because their too-busy and never-there parents expect nothing less. There is a webpage, gossipgirl.net created by "gg" herself which outlines the escapades of the main "group" in the school. The cool kids, as it were. Like I said before, it's Laguna Beach.
Anyway, it's an extremely read. Perfect for TTC commutes into town. Small little novels with short chapters, really easy to put your bookmark in and move on with your real life. And light! Perfect to stick in a bag without weighing it down (I tend to put too much stuff in my bags).
I miss the days of The Babysitter's Club. Fun little series, innocent in the content, but still fun. Sure, times change and priorities and "hot topics" change, but I just don't think that a book that involves a bulimic main character (and no mention of the negative effects of it), lots of free-flowing alcohol (some parents in real-life may not approve, I say real-life, because the parents in the book encourage the behavior), drugs and sex is the best thing for kids.
Just my opinion. Then why am I ready to read the second book in the series? Well, just like Laguna Beach, it's addictive. A little part of you wishes you grew up like them, but at the same time is completely happy not to have some of their problems.
Come to think of it, I guess there are some good issues that one could take out of the book (although they're not discussed in-depth). Things like, why the kids are drinking, smoking and doing drugs. The different pressures that arise from their social standing. The effect that their parents have on them. That stuff is kind of neat to think about. I don't really think that raising these issues is a main focus of this book, but I guess, as an educator, and one who's been exposed to some of these issues...well, I guess I'm grasping at straws here.
I would personally not recommend this book to all children, but for others out there, sure, read it. It's flaky enough, if that's what you're looking for in a book. The guilty pleasure kind of thing.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling

I'm done!!! It was A-MA-ZING!
Seriously. I thought it was really good.
I can't go into details about why I thought of the plot line, because I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone else who hasn't read it yet.
It's a thick enough book that I couldn't finish it all in one go. It took awhile for me to get going on the book, come to think of it. Which was nice. That from the beginning, I wasn't immediately engrossed in the plot line, so I could put the book down and have a life.
The beginning worried me a bit, because I was completely lost. Stuff was being brought up that I'd completely forgot had happened. For awhile, I'd actually thought that I'd missed reading the second to last book and that I'd skipped a whole installment. That's one thing that I would criticize about the series. The books haven't been published quickly enough for me to remember what had happened previously, which is a little bit of a problem when the author likes to bring up little details which turn out to be really important. Sure, I could have re-read the last book just before I knew this one was coming out again, but I don't think that should be necessary. Especially with the fact that the movies are so far behind, I could see people getting confused between what had just happened in the last book, to what had just happened in the last movie. At least that's what happened to me. A big re-cap isn't necessary, just a little something to get readers back into the zone. Also, it'd be nice for those who are just picking the series up at the last book (I would assume that most people wouldn't do this, but you never know). It'd just made it that much more accessible.
I was really impressed with the author's ability to link up little pieces of info from previous books to the plot in this final installment of the series. I really hate being able to predict what's going to happen in movie, so I guess that's the same kind of thing for books. I don't mind it in the cheesy movies, where it's supposed to be a fairy tale ending, but I rather enjoy it when it's only at the end that everything comes together and a whole bunch of things are explained. Lots of great eureka moments.
Nearing the end of the book, it was getting really good. The chapters ended on cliffhangers making you want to keep reading. For the first time in a couple Harry Potter books, I wasn't confused at the amount of pages left to the book while I was reading. Just like I sometimes look at the time when watching a TV show or a movie to see how much is left of the show/movie to predict how much more the plot can develop, I often take a look at the width of the book still left to go. The pacing of this one seemed alright.
As the plot line was heating up, I had moments where my eyes couldn't keep up to the speed at which my brain was trying to soak up the story. I had to slow myself down to really read the words properly and take in what was happening. At the best parts, the book played out like a movie in my head. I could see and hear the characters...the way that it was written seemed so perfect to be translated onto the big screen.
As I said before, once the story started to build, I really appreciated the pacing. It was non-stop suspense and excitement for awhile and then, I can only explain it as a sigh. Like the "slow part" of a skating program. A nice breather for all the anxiety that had been built up.
Was I surprised by the ending? Yes and no. Before I started reading the book, I had a guess as to what would happen. This did come up in the book, but the ending wasn't exactly as I'd expected. I guess the build up before the book was published made me believe something that wasn't true. As I was nearing the end, and things were falling into place, while I wasn't completely sure how it would end, I had a pretty good idea.
Anyway, it's a good book. I hope Harry Potter fans enjoyed it.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca