-
My April 2019 Book Reviews
This month I had grand plans of reading so many books over April vacation from school. Well, that didn’t happen and I am really going to have to pick up my pace if I want to meet my goal of 50 books in 2019! I am trying to mix more non-fiction into my reading so this month I got through one of each, fiction and non-fiction. Burying the Honeysuckle Girls by Emily Carpenter This was my book club book this month and I was not a huge fan. There were elements of this book that I found enjoyable but then there was a lot that I didn’t. It is the…
-
March 2019 Book Reviews!
Another slow month, I am definitely going to have to pick it up during April vacation!! But I have two good non-fiction books this month! I have been reading a lot of non-fiction trying to absorb as much information as I can about self-care and motivation. This month I didn’t read any fiction books, but I hope to read a few next month!! You are a Badass Every Day Prior to reading this book, I read You are a Badass, also by Jen Sincero. Jen Sincero has an easy to read style of motivation. This novel is designed to help you refocus your life, put aside distractions, and work towards…
-
February 2019 Book Reviews
I read my typical three books a month this month and I need to pick it up! If I want to meet my goal of 50 books this year, I am going to have to get moving. A little fiction this month and a little non-fiction. I am trying to make sure that I am reading a variety of books to keep things interesting. It All Comes Back to You by Beth Duke This was my book club book this month. After a couple of bad months, I was really hoping for a good one and this one was pretty good. This is the story of a young nurse who…
-
My 5 Favorite Self-Care Books
I am currently in a period in my life where I am really focusing on self-care. I am trying to surround myself and my social media with positive role models, and books that are going to help me to be the best that I can. Here is a list of my 5 favorite books for self-care and self-betterment. You are a Badass by Jen Sincero I can not say enough good things about this book. I am actually eagerly awaiting her other novels to be available at the library, I have them all on hold! This book is right up my alley with some sarcasm, a few cuss words, and a lot…
-
My January 2019 Book Reviews
Last year I didn’t meet my Goodreads goal of reading 50 books. So this year I set the same goal again and I’m not off to a good start. I better get down to business and do some catching up over February Vacation! A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris This is the second book in the Aurora Teagarden book series. I found this series because I am a big fan of the movies with Candace Cameron Bure on the Hallmark Channel. Although one thing that I did find to be interesting is that they released the first two movies in the reverse order of the books. This novel is about…
-
December 2018 Book Reviews
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones An American Marriage is a novel about a young couple whose marriage is torn apart when the husband is tried and convicted of attacking a woman. As the reader, we know that he has been wrongfully accused as the narrator shows us that he was not there when it happened. And his wife and family know that he is innocent, but they struggle to prove it. When he finally is let out of prison after his lawyer proves he was wrongfully convicted (although it really doesn’t go into how this happened) his wife has moved on without him and we go through the journey…
-
My October 2018 Book Reviews
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan I loved this book! It was my book club’s choice for October and I really had not had any interest in reading it. I thought that it was just going to be like watching that crazy sweet 16 show that used to be on MTV. But this really had an endearing story about a young couple where the girlfriend was not prepared for what she was getting herself into when she went overseas to meet her boyfriend’s family. There was some shock and suspense, some mystery. There were times that I wanted to scream at people through the book, and there was a heartwarming…
-
September 2018 Book Reviews
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman This novel starts with an attention-grabbing scene. The main character starts the book in the prologue, burying a body that you quickly find out is her husband’s. After that we flashback to find out why. The story is about a young couple who stumble upon a mysterious package while diving on their honeymoon. What they then do with the package is where the action comes in. This novel is supposed to be a thriller but I felt as though it felt short. It was odd, the storylines were unbelievable at times, and not in a good way. I would have to give this book 2…
-
August 2018 Book Reviews
Real Murders by Charlaine Harris Alright, I am not going to lie to you, I read this book because I love the Hallmark series with Candace Cameron Bure. The story is about a woman who lives in a small town and is a part of a club where they research and discuss murder cases from history. In this novel, the members of her club begin to be targetted, and all of the crimes match historical murders. The main character, Aurora Teagarden, is a charming and quirky single woman who maintains a strong relationship with her mother who lives in the same town. If you are a fan of the movies, Aurora…
-
Pre-Reading Strategies for Middle School
Teaching reading to middle school students can be difficult. There aren’t as many resources for teaching middle school reading intervention. Check out 4 Resources for Middle School Reading Intervention. It can also be difficult to find age-appropriate activities to work with students on pre-reading. K-W-L Chart This is one technique for pre-reading that does translate to older students. A K-W-L Chart is where you have the students start by listing what they know about a topic (this is the “K”). Then, you have them make a list of everything that they want to know about the topic (the “W”). And then post-reading you add the third column of everything that…
