Lies You Wanted To Hear

I read about Lies You Wanted to Hear by James Whitfield Thomson in the Cape Cod Times in early February, and it was the perfect February vacation read. The newspaper article was about the author who wrote the novel between the years 2006 and 2011 at a library in Natick. I was intrigued by the description in the Times which called the book "a compelling story of a recognizable but flawed couple, bound by bad choices and devotion to their children that explores the consequences of their of self-deceptions with insight and irony." 

Shades of Grey

Oh yeah, sometime in 2012 I read the first two books from the Fifty Shades Trilogy by E L James. One would have been enough. I paid too much money for them and read them on my iPhone because I just haaad to discover for myself, why, as this June 2012 Dailymail.co.uk headline screams 'Mommy porn' Fifty Shades Of Grey outstrips Harry Potter to become fastest selling paperback of all time!

Entertaining and titillating, for sure, but ultimately an over-the-top, guilty-pleasure read.


The SNL skit was funny, though.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is another painful literary reminder of the sad fate of Native Americans in the United States. It is based on autobiographical details of the author's high school years growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington state. Poverty, alcoholism, bullying, and overcoming devastating early childhood health issues are some of the challenges that face the main character, Arnold Spirit, who despite these obstacles never loses hope. With love and humor he takes on what life throws at him, takes risks, and embraces his strengths.

1776 and John Adams

                                                                                 

So, I LOVE teaching social studies, and the fifth grade curriculum is really fun. We start with reviewing maps and globes, then a quick overview of the early natives to settle in the Americas, then European exploration of the New World in the 16th and 17th centuries, development of the colonies, and finally the American Revolution and Birth of a New Nation. David McCullough's books provide a wealth of background information to help bring this time in history alive for me. I am fascinated reading about the personalities and inner thoughts of the early settlers and leaders in America.

First I started reading 1776 on my phone, and then I used a gift card I had to purchase hard copies of 1776 and John Adams. Reading these books gives me lots of juicy details to share with the kids, and makes me feel like I'm doing professional development at the same time!

Warm Bodies

How did I forget to write about this little gem of a book? I read Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion sometime in 2012 before the movie came out in February 2013—a Meredith recommendation. I loved this book. I fell in love with the zombie who fell in love with a human girl after eating her boyfriend's brain. I loved the clever dialogue and quirky situations the characters found themselves in. The subtle writing style is respectful of the unusual subject matter and helped me to identify with the motivations of the characters.

The movie had some good points but was mostly disappointing. It's more difficult and a little jolting to translate such a crazy plot into a visual medium, I think. There were some funny and touching moments in the film, but it was also quite hard-hearted and grim.

I suppose that's to be expected in a movie that pits zombies against uninfected humans!