I made major progress this month on my mission to read all the TBR books piled up in my apartment. I'm down to 4 books, and then I can buy some new ones!
In April I've read:
The Espressologist and Dear American Airlines
American Born Chinese: I read this one for my work kidlit book club (it was the only title of the month that I didn't pull from my TBR shelf--I went to the NYPL instead). The club had a fantastic conversation about this one. I love graphic novels; even though I am a word-person, I think art can be an equally powerful storyteller. This one was fast, fun, and provocative. It also won the 2007 Printz and was an NBA finalist, which is pretty awesome.
The Book Thief: This is an incredible book. I honestly don't think anything I can say about the writing can do the book justice. I will share a reading anecdote: one of the characters, Papa, plays the accordion. While I was reading it on the subway, right as I was reading a passage
about Papa and the accordion, the doors opened and on the platform was an older gentleman playing an accordion. (To clarify, I don't see accordion players in the subway that often.) It was a neat reading serendipity moment.
The Pregnancy Project: I finally read some YA nonfiction! One of my
2012 reading goals: achieved.
This memoir was about Gaby Rodriguez, a girl in WA who faked a pregnancy for a school project in order to learn more about the effects of stereotypes as well as the problems faced by pregnant teens. I wish the book included more details about the time during the faked pregnancy, which was fascinating. Even her siblings didn't know it wasn't real! (Only about 1/3 of the book focused on the fake pregnancy period, the rest focusing on the Rodriguez's background and motivation as well as the aftermath of the project.) This book is a great conversation starter for teens.
Right now I'm reading a historical MG novel,
Promise the Night.
What are you reading this month?
American Born Chinese: I read this one for my work kidlit book club (it was the only title of the month that I didn't pull from my TBR shelf--I went to the NYPL instead). The club had a fantastic conversation about this one. I love graphic novels; even though I am a word-person, I think art can be an equally powerful storyteller. This one was fast, fun, and provocative. It also won the 2007 Printz and was an NBA finalist, which is pretty awesome.
10 comments:
The Pregnancy Project was made into a Lifetime movie - I've never watched it, but the description caught my attention. I might have to check this book out now.
Lifetime movies were my favorite things (well, one of them) in HS--they still would be a fave, but sadly I do not have cable.
I am going to have to try and find THE PREGNANCY PROJECT to watch!
Yay! I'm glad you got to read The Pregnancy Project! I need to read more nonfiction myself. Maybe this summer. I'm reading Legend right now. But when May 1 hits, Insurgent is on.
I really need to get around to reading THE BOOK THIEF. It's been on my shelf for ages, and I know it won't be a long read. I've heard such fantastic things about it, so I'm not sure what's holding me back. I think it's probably because it deals with the Holocaust, and that's not a topic that I want to come to lightly, you know? This summer, that's my goal. :)
P.S. Your blog is still Captcha free, in case you were wondering. :)
I'm finally getting back into fiction and YA again after my nonfiction phase. I started with a psychological thriller by Sophie Hannah (Hurting Distance, the second in a loose series, the third I've read by her) and now I've got a tonne of YA sequels coming my way (Supernaturally, Linger, Shift, Dead-Tossed Waves). I'm so looking forward to them after getting somewhat disenchanted.
Loved Book Thief!
The Pregnancy Project does look fascinating. I think I remember hearing about it, but I haven't seen/read it yet.
I'm intrigued by THE PREGNANCY PROJECT and I WILL read THE BOOK THIEF in May. I've heard too many amazing things not to!
THE BOOK THIEF is high on my re-read list--once is not enough. I have a copy of AMERICAN BORN CHINESE in my classroom, but I haven't read it yet--it's been fairly popular among my students. And THE PREGNANCY PROJECT sounds really interesting. That might be a good one for the new push to read non-fiction in the classroom.
I read and loved THE BOOK THIEF. Such an amazing story.
I should check out the others. They both sounds good. :)
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