Sunday, April 15, 2018

Week in Review: April 15, 2018

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I would complain about the weather in the Midwest ... 70s and sunny one day and then a return to cloudy and 40s for several days after ... but I know the rest of the country is suffering as well. So instead I will say... I'm sure Spring is out there somewhere!! And I am not-so-patiently waiting for its arrival.

Blogging:

While I have not written a Sunday Salon post in quite some time, that does not mean I have not posted on the blog.

This is April ... the month dedicated to the A-Z Challenge. This is my third year to participate in the grueling, albeit creative, blogging event. The first year I blogged about Paris A-Z. Last year I blogged about Journaling A-Z.

This year the topic is Boston A-Z and we are officially half-way through the alphabet.

Do you participate in this challenge? If so, please leave a comment as I would love to connect!


Reading:

The last time I wrote in this space, I was in the middle of #MarchMysteryMadness. While I did not complete all six challenges... I did read a total of three books:


In addition, I learned as much as I enjoy a psychological thriller, I am not a fan of emotional/physical abuse (I only read a third of Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris before my vivid imagination got the best of me).

I also participated in my first book club!! Talk about a dream come true.

We selected The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown as our first book and we met this past Thursday for our first discussion.

What a fabulous book - and a wonderful experience!

While I would never select this book on my own (I'm not an avid fan of sports or World War II ... and I know precious little about rowing) this book came highly recommended by fellow bibliophiles whose opinions I trust. They did not lead me astray. I would venture to say this will rank as one of the best books I will read in 2018.

I am currently reading three books (!) Two are on loan from the library, so I am sure to finish them over the next week or so. One is a non-fiction book I picked up on a whim: Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence. I plan to review once I finish - but suffice it say, I am smitten.

The second is The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. I just started this book yesterday, but I am very intrigued by the plot and interesting, albeit flawed, characters.

The final book was a Kindle "deal of the day" and one I plan to savor over the next several weeks: Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art. I first read A Wrinkle in Time about two years ago (!) but after savoring these essays, I plan to re-read this children's classic with (perhaps) a different perspective.

Up next... How to Stop Time by Matt Haig is finally available at the library (only took two months!) and our May book club selection is I am the Messenger by Marus Zusak. While I know nothing about this book, I was a huge fan of The Book Thief, so I am very excited to begin this literary journey.

Writing and Teaching:

It is that time of year when all cylinders are firing. We are t-minus five weeks until graduation and since I teach 12th grade English Comp, this means final research papers are due at a time when students are checked out of high school and looking forward to the next chapter of life. It is both a rewarding and frustrating time of year for instructors. I strive to encourage them to finish strong - and yet I want to give them the time (and grace) to enjoy this milestone moment.

Writing takes a backseat for a few weeks while I grade papers and help these students reach the finish line. It is a sacrifice I am glad to make. It is their time - their moment to celebrate - and I am honored to be a part of this significant turning point in their lives.



10 comments:

  1. Our weather is crazy as well but we're thankful we haven't gotten snow like some other parts of the country.

    I loved The Boys in the Boat too.

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    1. We had a dusting today! I think we have had more snow in April than we did in December or January :(

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  2. Yep. Weather here is the same. Had a nice day on Friday and now back to the cloudy and cold...I think I read Behind Closed Doors or tried and couldn't either. Something about those kinds of books don't work for me either. What did you think of The Woman in Cabin 10?

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    1. I liked The Woman in Cabin 10 ... it was a little slow in the middle, but ultimately I liked the way it ended. I enjoyed The Woman in the Window better though. Have you read either one of those?

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  3. So glad you enjoyed your first book group meeting! That bodes well for the future, right? I'll be watching for what you think about The Alice Network. I've been toying with scheduling that one for next year sometime with our mystery group. Have a good week, Molly! Loving your Boston posts.

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    1. I am excited for our next book club meeting. I'll keep you posted :)

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  4. You read some terrific books for March Mystery Madness. Yes, the weather in the Midwest can be fickle. It is the only place I know where you can have all three seasons in one day!

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    1. three seasons in one day - you are absolutely right!! At this point, I am just so tired of being cold...

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  5. I don't like reading about emotional or physical abuse either, but did finish Behind Closed Doors. Ugh... wish I hadn't. The Boys in the Boat was great though. I'm so glad the book club was such a good experience!

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    1. Thank you for confirming my decision not to finish Behind Closed Doors. I really hate to stop reading a book midway but sometimes it is best.

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