Books of 2016- Installment #8

36. The Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick

This book was rather similar to an Alice Hoffman book, which is a high compliment. And I really loved reading about New England!

37. Three Moments by Meirzhan Yessenov

A former student at Extension (but not my student) wrote this and asked me to read it. I am completely flattered!! He has a different book cover but I don't have that one...

38. The Incarnations by Susan Barker

I loved the beginning of this book. It was really great. As the book continued, it got very dark for me, so while it was excellent... it was dark!

39. Out of the Black Land by Kerry Greenwood

This was a very interesting look at the ancient Egypt. I learned so much!!!

40. Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

I was feeling down and wanted to read something that would make me feel better. A couple of authors tend to make me laugh- Jim Butcher and Darynda Jones. I couldn't wait for the next book in the Charley Davidson series, so I read this one. I hadn't read it before because it seemed too similar to the Charley Davidson series, but I needed a laugh. It is pretty similar but it did the trick and made me laugh!!

 

Books of 2016- Installment #9

41. Target in the Night by Ricardo Piglia

The translator of this book made it sound so cool. I didn't think it lived up to his hype, but I did like it. It's a mystery novel but not like a typical English-language mystery.  Anyway this quote jumped out at me because of a conversation I had with a friend.

42. Death, Doom and Detention by Darynda Jones

This is the second book in the Lorelei McAlister trilogy. I quite enjoyed it. Very sweet!

43. Away with the Fairies by Kerry Greenwood

This is the eleventh Phryne Fisher book and one of my favorites!

44. Hannah Mae O'Hannigan's Wild West Show by Lisa Campbell Ernst
This is a charming picture book about a New York girl who wants to be a cowpoke. 

45. Mary Had a Little Ham by Margie Palatini
I loved this little pun-y picture book. And Guy Francis is clearly a talented illustrator!!

Books of 2016- Installment #7

31. Looking for Alaska by John Green

This YA book was recommended to me by my student, Ana. It's her favorite book!

32. Hwjn by Ibraheem Abbas & Yasser Bahjatt
I was super excited to read this book because it's all about Jinni that falls in love with a human. The authors say it's science fiction, but I would call it a romance definitely written by a man. I would also say as a general rule you shouldn't translate your own book because you really should be a native speaker of the language you are translating into. Those problems aside, I really enjoyed this quick and easy read.

33. Haunted by Heather Graham
A ghost story!! I love 'em!!

34. Loving Day by Mat Johnson

An interesting look at what it means to be mixed race in the US

35. Death by Wicket by Kerry Greenwood
Phryne Fisher, Australia in the 20s, and cricket! Not too much cricket so it was fine!!

Books of 2016- Installment #6

26. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
This is a sweet YA coming of age novel. 

27. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

28. My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

I really liked this rather depressing book!

29. The Girl Who Wrote Loneliness by Kyung-Sook Shin

While this book was interesting because it taught me about South Korea during the period immediately after the war, I didn't enjoy it.

30. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

I loved this book!

 

Books of 2016- Installment #5

21. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

This is a seminal dystopian novel that reportedly inspired both George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. It was interesting and recently I've felt echoes of this controlling and barbaric government in my job.

22. I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

23. The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman

This book made me cry like you can't believe.

24. Case by Case Basis by Patricia Willers
This is a collection of short stories by my coworker! Her sister did the artwork!

25. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

This was an interesting book. I personally enjoyed reading about the Angles and the Saxons. It's not a time period I'm really familiar.

Books of 2016- Installment #4

16. From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion

This is a really nice YA romance. I think it's something my students could read.

17. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

This is considered a seminal science fiction book. It was a bit of a tough read (while it can be read as a standalone, it's not) but interesting.

18. Raisins and Almonds
 This is book 9 in the Phryne Fisher series!!

19. Future Visions by various authors

This is an interesting short story collection. I really liked the one by Seannan McGuire, and now I have a new author to read!

20. Sparrow Hill Road by Seannan McGuire

This is a ghost story about vanishing hitchhikers.

Books of 2016- Installment #2

Here's our next installment!!

6.How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

7.Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks 
This historical fiction is about the first Wampanoag to graduate from Harvard!!!

8. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

9. Ghost Gifts by Laura Spinella

10. Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia McKillip 
This is a short story collection!

Books of 2016- Installment #3

11. The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say about Us by James Pennebaker 
(Nonfiction!)

12.Sunshine by Robin McKinley

13. The Man with the Compound Eyes by Ming-yi Wu
Seriously! I feel like the author of this book is kindred spirit! This book spoke to me so deeply!!

14. Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman
This is a my first Neil Gaiman book, and it's a great collection of short stories.
This is a quote that I find myself repeating all the time.
I've actually started using several of these with my students!!

15. Urn Burial by Kerry Greenwood
This is the eighth book in the Phryne Fisher mysteries. I really enjoy visiting this fictional Australia.

Books of 2016- Installment #1

I thought I would share what I've been reading. I'm getting kind of a late start to this, so I'm not sure the best way to display the books.  We'll see how this evolves...

1. Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind by Anne Charnock

 

2. Appleblossum the Possum by Holly Goldberg Sloan

3. The Dirt on the Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones
the 9th in the Charley Davidson series

4.Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

 

5. The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger