Mailbox Monday: 4.26.10

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page in which many bloggers participate on a regular basis.  I love reading these posts as I always find a new book that I know I will greatly enjoy.

This week I received one book in the mail - and I purchased a few bargains at Half Priced Books.  It is a rather eclectic group of books, but all of them I am very excited to start reading.

Impressionism:  Art Leisure and Parisian Society by Robert L. Herbert  I first obtained this book from my local library, but after reading through the table of contents, I knew that I wanted to have a copy of my very own (which I ordered from Alibris books).  The Impressionistic paintings focus on the years that I am most interested in using for my story (early 1860s to mid 1880s), and I love the way the book is structured according to content, rather than chronologically by author.  The categories include:

• Paris Transformed
• Cafe and Cafe-concert
• Theater, Opera, and Dance
• Parks, Racetracks, and Gardens
• Suburban Leisure
• At the Seaside

Scary Stories by Barry Moser  While I was not in search of a "horror" book at all, when I saw this lovely, hard-cover book for only one dollar, I knew that the bargain was too good to pass up.  The collection of stories include some classics like, The Tell-Tale Heart (Poe), and The Lottery (Jackson), as well as some new-to-me stories like, The Squaw (Bram Stoker), Here there be Tygers (King), The Man Upstairs (Bradbury), and Miriam (Capote).  I think this will make great reading for Carl's next RIP challenge this fall.

Tales from Shakespeare by Tina Packer  As I mentioned in my Sunday Salon post yesterday, I went to a Shakespearean Tea which featured scenes from As You Like It (I plan to post a summary of this event sometime later this week).  Since I was not at all familiar with the play, I had planned to do some summary reading before attending.  As luck would have it, I found this lovely book with a fairly detailed summary of several of the Bard's popular plays geared toward a middle-grade audience.  Not only did this book prove valuable to me yesterday, but I plan to use this in my classes to introduce the Shakespearean unit.  I think the more students know about the play before they begin to read it, the more they will understand it.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo  I simply cannot tell you how many classic children's books I found yesterday for a dollar.  At one point I think I had about 10 in my basket (such delightful reads as Crispin by Avi, Harriet the Spy by Fitzhugh, Wind in the Willows by Grahame, The Royal Diaries (Elizabeth 1) by Lasky, and Catherine, Called Birdy by Cushman).  But I decided that I would limit my purchases to just one.  I have never read this book, and yet it receives high acclaims from all ages.

Vincent van Gogh:  Portrait of an Artist by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan  While my Impressionist research ends around 1882 - before van Gogh appeared on the scene, I have always admired this artist's work and simply could not pass up another one dollar bargain.  I also thought that by reading a book on this particular artist, it might give me ideas how to structure my own story.

So there you have it.  Not my typical collection of books --- no current best-sellers or tried-and-true classics, but never-the-less books that I am very excited to read at my leisure.

Did the mailman bring you any literary treasures this week?

Mailbox Monday

Ohh - I am so excited!  I can actually participate in Mailbox Monday hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page.


Each week I read all of your posts with a tinge of envy.  Of course I am happy for all your wonderful bookish mail, but deep inside I wish that my mailbox had been filled with literary delights too.  Well, this week I received a very special box from Amazon.  I really hadn't intended to buy this many books, honest.  But you know....they had this special promotion of buy 3 books get the 4th one free and I had already selected 3 books that I really needed wanted to buy.  So finding a fourth was mandatory!  And I absolutely, positively loved Dog Gone It and vowed to purchase the second book in the series when it became available.  The fact that it was on-sale made that an imperative buy as well.  AND....I did have all those Christmas gift cards that needed to be spent.


So as you can see, this box of 6 books was really not an impulse purchase; it was simply meant to be.

• Surviving Hitler by Andrea Warren.  I reviewed this book a couple of weeks ago (here), and I simply knew that I needed to include it as part of my own personal library.
• Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn.  Most of you know by now that I am a sucker for any dog story.  I read the author's first book in this series, Dog Gone It, and absolutely loved the plot, the characters, and the voice of  Chet the dog.  I am very anxious to read this second book.
• Mr. Dixon Disappears by Ian Sansom.  I reviewed the first in this series, The Case of the Missing Books, and absolutely loved it!!  When I obtained this book from the library (the second book in the series), I knew by the end of the first paragraph that it was one that I needed to own - not just borrow!
• Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock.  I read the first few chapters of this book and was completely enthralled (thank you, Belle, for the recommendation).  Since I will be teaching a unit on Sherlock Holmes' mysteries later this semester, I thought this would be a nice recommendation for summer reading for my 7th grade class.
• Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.  This is actually a book that I purchased "sight unseen."  It was suggested as a possible next read if you liked Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.  Since both of these series are hot buttons for my students, I thought I might try this one for myself.  I had read the first two chapters of a library edition and was definitely intrigued.
• The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan.  I have had two students breeze through this entire series over the course of two weeks.  Because of their high praise, I have had three more students begin the series.  I figure if this book is good enough to encourage 5 middle schoolers to read --- it must be investigated.  I would like to try to read this one ASAP so that I can go to the movie and do a compare and contrast.

I would not be completely honest if I did not let you know of a few books that managed to find their way into my home, bypassing the mailbox.  Again, I am really not to blame.  See, Half Priced books had a 20% off coupon in celebration of Valentine's Day and I just couldn't let that kind of a deal go to waste.  In my defense, I used great restraint and only purchased 4 books for a total of $16.00.

• The Unauthorized Harry Potter Companion by Colin Duriez.  As many of you know, I am listening to this series on audio book.  For a visual learner like myself, I feel that I can benefit from a dictionary of sorts to show me the correct spelling of wizard and muggle words, and to refresh my memory of significant events, characters, places, and such.  This was found in the clearance section and I simply could not pass it up.
• The Pemberley Chronicles by Rebecca Ann Collins.  I have wanted to start this series for quite some time - both from the standpoint of being a Pride and Prejudice fan - and from a writer's point of view.  I am fascinated that this author could write a 7 book series detailing the lives of these classic characters after the joyful ending of the original work.  I also think I will use this book to show my Brit Lit students the lasting power and presence of Jane Austen - some 200 years after her death.
• The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde.  I enjoyed The Eyre Affair, and I am interested in reading Shades of Grey, but there is something about the concept of bringing fairy tale characters to life in this nursery crime series that has me very intrigued.
• The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald.  This book has been reviewed on several book blogs lately and I am always interested in reading books about books - so when I saw it sitting forlornly on the clearance bookshelf, I felt as though it was calling my name.

So how about you?  Have you come across any must-have books this week that you simply could not refuse to bring home?

Mailbox Monday - 5.11.09

I am always so excited when I have the opportunity to participate in Mailbox Monday. It doesn't happen very often, so I truly savor the times that I can. Mailbox Monday is the brainchild of Marcia at the Printed Page. Head on over there to find a link to fellow bloggers' list of books received this week.

Here is what I have found in my mailbox over the last couple of weeks. The only downside is that I simply cannot read all of them right away - as I have about 10 books that I need to read prior to June 15 when I start my summer classes. Oh well, I will attempt to read as many as possible:

I won Admission from S. Krishna's giveaway and I am super excited to begin reading this one! Here is a summar of this book, thanks to Amazon.com: For years, 38-year-old Portia Nathan has avoided the past, hiding behind her busy (and sometimes punishing) career as a PrincetonUniversity admissions officer and her dependable domestic life. Her reluctance to confront the truth is suddenly overwhelmed by the resurfacing of a life-altering decision, and Portia is faced with an extraordinary test. Just as thousands of the nation's brightest students await her decision regarding their academic admission, so too must Portia decide whether to make her own ultimate admission.

My second prize-winning book this week included the much-talked about Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch. I was intrigued by the cover of this book from the first time I saw it: A carefree young woman dressed in a beautiful feminine dress juxtaposed with the almost redneck title that conjures up the image of girls in jean shorts riding in the back of an old pickup truck. Here is a portion of one summary posted on Amazon: Sarah Walters, the narrator of GIRLS IN TRUCKS, is a reluctant Camellia Society debutante. She has always felt ill-fitted to the rococo ways of Southern womanhood and family, and is anxious to shake the bonds of her youth. Still, she follows the traditional path laid out for her. This is Charleston, and in this beautiful, dark, segregated town, established rules and manners mean everything. But as Sarah grows older, she finds that her Camellia lessons fail her, particularly as she goes to college, moves North, and navigates love and life in New York. There, Sarah and her group of displaced deb sisters try to define themselves within the realities of modern life. Heartbreak, addiction, disappointing jobs and death fail to live up to the hazy, happy future promised to them by their Camellia mothers and sisters. Thank you, Dawn of She is Too Fond of Books, for hosting this great giveaway.

A while ago Kaye of Pudgy Penguin Perusals hosted a give away for Laura Child's newest tea shop mystery, Oolong Dead and I happened to be one of the two lucky recipients. My book arrived on Friday - autographed - and sent directly from the author's home address! I have read the first 2 books in this lovely cozy series and will probably try to read all the others in the series, saving this for last.

I also received my first two books this week as a result of requests made through Shelf Awareness. I am very excited to have the opportunity to read a book "hot off the presses". The first book that came in the mail from Bloomsbury Publishing was Valeria's Last Stand by Marc Fitten: Life in an isolated Hungarian village is turned upside down by an unusual love affair in Fitten's promising debut. In the small hamlet of Zivatar, 68-year-old Valeria is known by all as a cantankerous woman, quick to criticize everything from the produce at the market to the mayor's lofty ambitions to lure foreign investors to the town. But a chance encounter one day with the elderly local potter—a man Valeria has known for years but never noticed—changes everything. The widower potter falls just as hard for Valeria, despite his relationship with Ibolya, the owner of the village's only tavern. Unaccustomed to being smitten, Valeria tries to maintain her normal routine, but the village is in an uproar over this unlikely love triangle. The arrival of a traveling chimney sweep intent on bilking the townspeople sends another ripple through what was once a placid village.

The 2nd Shelf Awareness book received by Picador Publishing was Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie. This is another book that I was keenly attracted to its cover (which I know you can't judge a book by its cover - but you can certainly buy a book because of its cover!) Sweeping in scope and mesmerizing in its evocation of time and place, Burnt Shadows is an epic narrative of disasters elided and confronted, loyalties offered and repaid, and loves rewarded and betrayed.

I participated in a survey for Reading Group Guides and as a thank you they offered to send one of 8 different books. I happened to receive A Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I have not read any of Berg's works, so I was very pleased with this lovely gift. A Boston widow of several months, 55-year-old Betta Nolan, fulfills her dying husband's dream of moving out to the Midwest and starting a new life. "It will give me peace to know that what you will do is exactly what we talked about," says John commandingly before dying of liver cancer; Betta, an author of children's books, sells their Beacon Hill brownstone and takes off, buying an oversized Victorian in the small town of Stewart, Ill., 49 miles from Chicago. Lonely, she finds herself tracking down three former college roommates from the late 1960s, Lorraine, Maddy and Susanna, whom she ditched once she met John. The women reappear one by one and help give her the courage to open a shop called What a Woman Wants (it'll sell "all different stuff that women loved. Beautiful things, but unusual too. Like antique birdcages with orchids growing in them"). Meanwhile, she begins to make friends in town, notably with attractive young handyman Matthew and natty oldster Tom Bartlett.

Yesterday I treated myself to a Mother's Day gift (I had coupons that were going to expire!) I had reserved The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and Hunger Games at my local library on March 21 - thinking I could read them for the 24 hour readathon. WRONG! I am still about 30th in line for both of them. At this rate, it will be the end of the summer before my name is called - and I just don't want to wait that long (and I have a feeling I will to have these in my personal library anyway). So, I purchased both books - along with a CD that I simply could not resist - Beethoven for Book Lovers.

My daughters decided to make dinner for me as a Mother's Day gift (enchiladas, rice and angel food cake --- yummy!) and I was "banished" from the kitchen for the afternoon (oh darn!). It was the perfect opportunity to hide out in my book nook and begin reading Hunger Games. Suffice it to say, the book does live up to the hype: it is suspenseful from the first page! I read the first 200 pages yesterday and I will probably finish the book this evening. Not sure much more reading will be done this week, however (or posting of reviews) as this is finals week and there will be lots of grading.

As a "last hurrah" with two of my high school book club students - we took a trip to Lawrence today after school to visit some of the college town bookstores. Everyone had a great time and found some worthwhile books to purchase. I found two mysteries by Julie Kaewert that I have been wanting to try for quite sometime. The series is entitled, A Booklover's Mystery - so I figure it must be good. I also found an "uncorrected proof" of The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James and was very excited. I thoroughly enjoyed her Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen and expect this one will be just as good. According to Amazon, this book is expected to be released at the end of June, so I will try to read it before I leave for my summer classes and post a review for y'all to read.

I have about 10 final papers to grade (plan to do that tomorrow) - about 25 grammar finals to grade by Friday afternoon (some students will take the final on Wednesday, others will take it on Friday) - and about 10 computer applications finals to grade on Wednesday afternoon. I will attend the graduation ceremony on Friday night and then.....I will be officially on summer break!!! Can you tell I am excited?

Monday Memes

Well, I am feeling rather proud today. Not only did I figure out how to add three columns to my blog - and how to evenly space content on my header --- but I also figured out how to "schedule" a blog post (ok - I know - I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to computer stuff). I was so excited that I had my Monday and Tuesday posts done - that I never expected to write another entry this early in the week. However, there are several memes that I wish to take part in today - that I simply could not resist.

First of all, Mailbox Monday - which is so generously hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page . I simply cannot tell you how very excited I am to report my latest (just one hour ago, in fact) mailbox book I received: DROOD by Dan Simmons - which I won at Carey's site during the book give-away week. Oh my, I have wanted to read this book since I first read the title two months ago. I love Dickens and I thoroughly enjoy Wilkie Collins - so this novel hits all my hot buttons right off the bat. I am not sure when I will have time to sit down and read it (it is nearly 800 pages!) - and ideally I would like to read The Mystery of Edwin Drood before I read this one --- but rest assured, when I find the time to read it, I know I will devour it!! Thank you Carey!!

This will probably be the last Mailbox Monday that I will be able to participate in for quite some time (I have purchased all my summer school reading books, and I don't anticipate winning too many more contests). BUT....I have pretty much convinced myself to go to the Book Expo America in NYC at the end of May, and perhaps I will learn how to get on the ARC lists for the upcoming fall season!

Secondly the Musing Mondays question of the week found at Just One More Page delves into a great topic:

Do you keep track of what and/or how many books you read? How long have you been doing this? What's your favorite tracking method, and why?If you don't keep track, why not?

I am so embarrassed to answer this question. I have been an English teacher for 6 years now (although in my defense, I was never trained in this profession) and it NEVER occurred to me to keep any record of my reading until I started reading your fabulous blogs a little over 6 months ago. In January 2009 I decided that I would try to keep an excel spread sheet of the books I read this year. I list the title, author, rating (on a scale of 1-5), whether I reviewed the book on my blog, and the first line of the book (the last idea came from reading Becky's list of "you had me at hello" at the end of last year). I still have a LOT to learn. Matt has an amazing system of writing on post-it notes as he reads and then writing a formal review in a moleskin that I am giving serious thought to copying. Wendi has a detailed list of books read by month - number of pages read by month - and link to review on her blog. I need to do some serious investigation of her system and I am sure I can glean several useful tips.

I also have started to keep track of the books I buy each year as well. I got this idea from Nick Hornby when I read his book, The Pollysyllabic Spree. At the beginning of each chapter he lists the books he bought - as well as the books he read. Rarely do the two lists match and I must say that I found that very liberating (although I must also add that I have found it to be very expensive as well - because now I am more free to buy books since I am scientifically keeping track of them. It is all in the name of research, mind you!)

The final Monday meme that is worth discussing is hosted by J-Kaye and she asks us to list the books we plan to read this week. What a great, organized way to stay current with reading lists and challenges. Unfortunately, my life these days demands that I be more spontaneous. Very soon - like in just a few weeks - I will be required to read several books for my summer school session. I feel the need to "stock pile" fun reading now to tide me over during that time period (odd, I know). This week I am torn between a couple of books, and will probably not fully decide until this evening. I may read Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I just started it last night and so far I REALLY like the book! OR.....I may decide to go the tried and true route by reading a couple of cozy mysteries (my default genre when I really want to escape and not have to think too much). Lesa, without knowing it, has challenged me to read the first in the series of Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson and decide which I enjoy best in the "culinary" mystery cozy genre. Of course, I will have to refresh my memory on the books that I am currently teaching: The Hobbit (chapters 2 and 3); Midsummer Night's Dream (Act I); and Cyrano de Bergerac (Act III).

I hope this Monday has found all of you in an anticipatory mindset for the new week. It was a very long day for me, but I am definitely looking forward to a couple of hours of reading time to decompress.

Monday Mail and Musings

I love alliteration!

There are two Monday memes that I can participate in this week. First Mailbox Monday sponsored by Marcia at the Printed Page (yippee --- two weeks in a row!)

I actually received 3 books in the mail this week and all because of the generosity of this book blogging world. I actually won another book, so that means that I can participate again next week too. The 3 books that I received this week include:

• At the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jaime Ford (won at Red Lady's Reading Room)
• Maisie Dobb by Jacqueline Winspear (won at Lesa Book Critiques)
• A Gift from Brittany by Marjorie Price (author contact via Book Blogs)

I am very much looking forward to reading all of these --- probably sometime in July when school responsibilities will be over.

Today's Musing Monday asks:

How many bookstores do you frequent? Do you have a favourite? If so, which one and what makes it so?

Well, I think my family would label me a bookstore addict. I actually checked out the Independent Bookstore website before I left for Branson to see if there were any bookstores that I could visit on my route (unfortunately, the answer was no). The bookstore that is closest to me - and that I visit on a weekly (if not more) basis is Half Price Books. I absolutely LOVE that store. I like the fact that the books are somewhat organized, making it easy to find a particular book or to browse through a particular section. I like the fact that the clearance section is constantly updated and there are always "must have" bargains just waiting for me to take them off the shelf and offer them a good home. I like the fact that they offer a 10% discount to teachers on ALL purchases! I like the fact that this store allows me to indulge in my passion without breaking the bank. AND.....I like the fact that each Half Price bookstore is a reflection of the neighborhood in which it resides. There are actually 4 Half Price shops within a 45 minute driving radius - and each shop has its own distinct flavor. Ok -- enough description - I'm starting to hyperventilate :)

As a final note to these Monday ramblings, I urge you to check out My Friend Amy's blog today. She has a fabulous post regarding the blog "community" - and the comments made on this post are extremely thought provoking as well. All I wish to add here is that I am so very grateful to have found this wonderful, accepting group of people who happen to enjoy reading as much as I do. You have inspired me.

Mailbox Monday - 3.16.09

I am so excited! This is the first time that I have had the opportunity to participate in Mailbox Monday, hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page . Most of the books received this week came via Amazon, as I had to order them for the classes I will be taking this summer through Middlebury College's, The Bread Loaf School of English. The program is designed to earn a Masters of Arts in 5 summers - taking 2 intensive classes during a 6 week session at one of 4 campuses: Middlebury, VT - Asheville, NC - Santa Fe, NM - and Oxford University in England. Last year was my first year and I went to Santa Fe and enrolled in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (studied in Middle English, no less) and British Victorian Narratives. It was a fascinating experience - but incredibly intense. It had been 26 years since I had been a student in a classroom and that was quite intimidating. I learned SO much valuable information, however - and I am very anxious to return this summer.

I will be taking one writing class and one literature class in Asheville this summer. The writing class is entitled: Rewriting a Life - Teaching Revision as a Life Skill. The course description reads:

Through daily reading, writing, and rewriting, we will examine the usefulness of Kenneth Burke’s rhetoric for writers and teachers of writing and literature, particularly his images of life as “a rough draft” and a “’project’ in composition” and his theory of writing and reading as acts of identification. We will read the following works in the following order. Works by Murray and Stafford will be used throughout the course and should be read in advance. Students will present drafts and final copies to the class each week and prepare a final course portfolio. For the first class, read and take notes for discussion on Ernest J. Gaines’s A Gathering of Old Men.

The list of books for this course are as follows:

• A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest Gaines
• What Narcissism Means to Me by Tony Hoagland
• The Story Behind the Story by Peter Turchi and Andrea Barrett
• In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien
• The Soul Thief by Charles Baxter
• Home by Marilynne Robinson
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• Crafting a Life in Essay, Story and Poem by Donald Murray
• You Must Revise your Life by William Stafford
  

The literature class is a pedagogical course simply entitled, Teaching William Shakespeare. I feel as though this last course is designed specifically for me as two of the 4 plays we will study I currently teach. I am very anxious to learn some innovative ways to teach and engage students in Shakespeare's works. The description for this class reads:

This course focuses on the pedagogy of teaching the works of William Shakespeare. The aim of this course is to work with teachers to develop methodological and interpretive approaches that are easily integrated into their syllabi. Students will be introduced to cultural, historical, aesthetic, and generic materials as part of the study of selected works. Issues to be explored include: how to read a Shakespeare script; Shakespeare’s themes—universal or parochial; film versus stage; and reading for the poetry and interpreting for the performance.

The specified editions for each of the 4 works are as follows:

• A Midsummer Night's Dream (pelican)
• Macbeth (norton critical edition)
• Merchant of Venice (norton critical edition)
• The Tempest (norton critical edition)
  

It is strongly recommended that we try to read all books prior to our campus arrival on June 16. Quite a tall order, but I think it is doable. I brought all books with me to Branson and I hope to read at least 2-3 before returning home on Friday. I will let you know how I do.

In addition to these "required" readings, I also received my first signed book directly from the author as a result of this wonderful book blog community. Becky alerted me to the fact that Christopher Barzak was giving away his newest book, The Love We Share Without Knowing, to the first 10 who visited his webpage and left a comment. I happened to read Becky's post at just the right time and was fortunate to make the top 1o cut off. I have brought this book to Branson with me as well in the hopes of reading and posting a review. I am very grateful to both Becky and Christopher Barzak for this opportunity.

Well, I have two bags worth of reading - and time is quickly passing. I have decided to read Yann Martel's Life of Pi first, as it is the next high school book club selection which we will be discussing on April 6. Not sure which book I should tack after that. Any suggestions?