It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? –From Picture Books to YA is a weekly meme started by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their week of reading and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating in this meme and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.
Books I Finished This Week:
Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free by Hector Tobar was a fascinating read. There were so many things that surprised me about the lives of these men and the culture that they come from. The story of how the mine collapsed and how the men were rescued is only a part of the story that is told in this book. It was an eye-opening read and I am curious to see which stories they chose to share in the movie. I highly recommend this one for adults.
A few years ago, I made it a goal to try to read more classics. In fact, I think I even made it a goal to read a classic every month. I am glad that the Sync audiobook program in the summer decided to pair a classic with the more recent YA book each week. I have been able to get to more of the classics with these free audiobooks. I started listening to Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne with my husband on our road trip. I finished listening this week. I love to listen to audiobooks or podcasts while I cook dinner each day. I am really curious and interested in reading more Jules Verne books now too.
I loved reading The Adventures of Beekle with my class. This group is such a great group of kids with excellent insights. They notice everything in the pictures so it is fun to read picture books with them. I highly recommend this picture book.
Books I Am Currently Reading:
I am still reading 1Q84 (surprise, surprise), I also am reading Revolution by Deborah Wiles, and The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom: Practical and Spiritual Steps So You Can Stop Worrying by Suze Orman. I also started listening to Buddha Boy by Kathe Koja.
What’s Next?
As part of my new morning routine, I am planning to read self-help books. If I finish the Suze Orman book this week, I will start The Five Love Languages. I have a pile from the library that includes Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares and The Thing About Jellyfish. I also have to start reading my book club’s February selection, which I am pretty sure is The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli.
What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!
I loved Jules Verne books as a teenager. Yes, I was that geeky kid who read Verne and Charles Dickens for fun! I love the Sync YA program. It stretches my reading quite a bit. Last year I even got up the nerve to listen to Frankenstein, and was surprised by how much sympathy I had for the monster, but not so much for its creator.
I downloaded all the SYNC books this summer and haven't heard any of them yet. I'm not good at making time for audiobooks. Here is what I read last week. Happy reading!
I had forgotten about "deep down dark the untold stories of 33 men buried in a chilean mine", so now on my list. I know I will like it, Andrea, & your review makes me even more interested. I adored Dash & Lily & the Thing About Jellyfish, both so good. Fun to hear you about reading the classics. There are some I've missed, & maybe I'll get to them. Dickens is still a favorite. I taught Dracula & Frankenstein to my students & they & I loved the reading-marvelous writing! Enjoy!
I can't wait to read The Thing about Jellyfish. I love those sync audiobooks! That is what got me hooked on listening to books I think.
You will LOVE The Thing About Jellyfish!
It's great that you mentioned about reading more classic lit – for awhile there, we've been toying with the idea of having a Classics-Themed kind of year – we shall have to revisit that idea.