I've been finding more time to squeeze in reading when I put my phone on silent and keep it in another room and read while I nurse. I can pop out 200 pages in a day in a easy middle grade novel that way! Also, audiobooks have been very helpful. I'm in the middle of many books right now and a lot of them are long so it could take me a while before I finish. But here's what I read in August.
My brother recommended this to me while I was at the reunion and I couldn't pass it up-it sounded so interesting. It definitely way. A piece of history that I didn't know about. Sometimes I felt like it dragged but if you like McCullough, you'll probably find this one interesting.
Nurture Shock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson
I saw this on Everyday-reading.com for book clubs and this one intrigued me. I've entered a whole new realm of books-parenting books...I don't know if I should be happy or scared about that prospect. This one I liked because it turns your head upside down with regards to how we 'think' we should parent. This would be great for discussion because certainly there would be some heavy agrees and disagrees on each topic like teaching about race, praising children, and dealing with teenagers.
The Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
This one was cute and I can't believe I've never read it before. The ending was really sweet. But I felt there was a lot of 'filler' pages that didn't propel the story along in my opinion. Maybe I should give 'Where the Red Fern Grows' a try. I know, I know. I can't believe I haven't read that one either.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
First, I can't believe Wilde is the same man that wrote this AND The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband. They are so different. I guess that's a sign of a great writer. I gave it an extra half for the eeriness effect at the end of the book. Definitely lots to think about and discuss on the obsession of youth/beauty and how it can destroy you. But also very depressing just like I heard it would be.
This is one of those books that I think could have been condensed to an article rather than a book. Really, a whole chapter on giving the idea of waiting until their 10 till you buy a TV? I came into this book knowing the harmful effects of the phone so it was redundant and I was pretty disappointed. Maybe my expectations were too high or maybe I have a real issue and am in denial...especially since I read it on my kindle app, ha!
I've heard Sarah Mackenzie rave about this book and how it gave her the drive and passion to be a "Read-Aloud Revivalist". To be honest, I would recommend her book over his any day! But I did really like his. You obviously don't have to read both (again, read hers!) but I like the subject so much that I blew through this in two days. He is more focused on how reading aloud helps kids academically and Mackenzie is all about how it connects you with your kids. I loved the examples he shared in the book. There were times where I felt he was slightly extreme but it was still a fascinating read. I love the wealth of books he shared at the end. Worth checking out just for that.
This was picked as a middle grade novel but with what goes on in this book I would definitely give it to those 13 and up. It's about an 11 year old girl named Finley who goes and spends the summer with her grandparents who she's never met until now. Her parents need the summer to 'work things out.' Finley is dealing with a lot of emotions that she can't explain and her only way to work through them is to write about Everwood, her imaginary story about knights and queens and adventures in the woods. What goes through this novel is a lot of keeping secrets, being authentic, and how to deal with a range of emotions with yourself and others. I really enjoyed this novel for its realistic as well as fantastical elements to it. Again, it has some more darker elements to the story (not terrible) but just not something I would give an 11 year old to read unless I had read it myself. But I actually would think about using it as a book club read. Lots to discuss.
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