I am doubling up on posts today.
Every week I participate in the It’s Monday meme which is hosted by Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Texts. It’s a chance to take a step back and reflect on what I have been reading this week and to think about my plans for the week to come.
I also am participating in the Slice of Life challenge this month hosted by Ruth and Stacey at Two Writing Teachers. In this challenge, I am writing a blog post every day in March.
This week was a slow reading week for me because I had report cards due and was trying to catch up with grading. I also have been doing more writing with the Slice of Life challenge and some of my reading time was spent reading blogs and commenting.
Books I Finished This Week:
I finished Prodigy by Marie Lu earlier this week. I actually stayed up too late to finish it because I had to find out what would happen to Day and June. I liked this book better than Legend and after that ending I cannot wait until the third book comes out. I am so intrigued by the world in this series and it will be interesting to see what happens next.
Finnikin of the Rock is an amazing fantasy adventure book. I absolutely loved the characters and the original story. I was surprised that it was definitely a book for high school readers. I don’t know why I expected a more middle grade book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I would definitely recommend this one to high school students and adults alike. It is a book about how people can survive and hold on to hope even in the most dire circumstances.
Books I am Currently Reading:
I picked up Teach like Your Hair’s on Fire and started reading it this afternoon while waiting for my computer to load. It seems like it will be a quick read so I will most likely keep reading it this week. I also started Engaging Readers and Writers with Inquiry by Jeffrey Wilhelm. I like his ideas and I am excited to read more. I also am still listening to and loving The Night Circus.
Books I will read this week:
I think I will start Mexican Whiteboy tonight. Next up on the list will be Hard Love and then Unwind. I also have a huge pile of books that I just got from Scholastic which includes a number of treasures and award-winning books from this year. I hope there will be more time for reading this week so that I can continue to whittle down the to-read pile.
Andrea,
It's so much fun to have a pile of books, but then so frustrating when you don't have as much time to read as you want. I also liked Prodigy more than Legend so I was glad to read your comments. It will seem like forever before we can read the third one though. 🙂 I haven't heard of Finnikan so I will check that out. Good luck with your Slice challenge!
I've found my reading has slowed down this week as well–or I should say I'm reading many more blog posts and fewer books. I've got Legend in my box of books to read at school. I loved Unwind and the second book, Unwholly. They are disturbing, but very thought-provoking and packed with unexpected twists and turns.
Can't wait to check out Engaging Readers and Writers with Inquiry by Jeffrey Wilhelm. Thanks for the recommendation! 😉
Jennifer
Teach like Your Hair is On Fire is by one of my heroes – Rafe Esquith. His Hobart Shakespeare work is amaziing – as is the work he does every single day with his fifth graders. Esquith is an inspiration – so glad you are reading him!
I agree with you about Prodigy. I love the route she took with her characters, even if it is a little difficult to accept. More, please! One of these days I will get to Finnikin. I am listening to my first Melina Marchetta book, Jellicoe Road. It's strange. http://wp.me/pzUn5-1rH
I'm so glad you loved Prodigy! While The Hunger Games will always have a special place in my heart (it reintroduced me to reading for the love of it), I believe that Legend is my favorite Dystopia series! The world, the characters…I just love everything!
I think you'll enjoy Mexican Whiteboy. I wish MdlP could speak to students at every high school!
I enjoyed Prodigy, too (got to read it in ARC form).
Finnikin of the Rock always sounded intriguing. I may have to grab it one of these days.