Monthly Archives: July 2013

It’s Monday! What are you reading? 7/29/13

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IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys where you can recap what you’ve read this week while planning ahead on what to read next! Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers added their own twist by focusing on kidlit, from picture books up to YA.

Here’s what I read last week on my road trip to Oklahoma:

(Click on the book covers to add these titles to your Goodreads TBR piles)

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The Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1) by Laini Taylor
Audiobook
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 9/27/11
YA Fantasy
My Goodreads Review: 5/5 Stars
One of the very best audiobooks I have ever listened to!

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The Social Code (The Start Up #1) by Sadie Hayes
Original Title The Start Up (2011)
Netgalley book – Projected publication 9/3/13
YA Realistic Fiction
My Goodreads Review: 2/5 Stars

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The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
Amulet Books, NetGalley Book – Projected publication date 8/20/13
New Adult Realistic Fiction
My Goodreads Review 4/5 Stars

My favorite read of the week….

Hands down and without a doubt my favorite read this week was The Daughter of Smoke and Bone. WOW! This book is spectacular and the audiobook narration is amazing. Taylor’s characters are so richly developed and the plot had me on the edge of my seat. This is one of my favorite books, ever. I cannot wait to make time to listen to book #2, Days of Blood and Starlight, which came out last year. Now I just need to plan another road trip so I can listen to it! Hmmm…

Here’s what I plan to read this week:

(Click on the cover for more info from Goodreads)

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This week I am planning to read two books from my classroom TBR pile that I lugged home in June – Super and Legend and two books from authors I love, Relatively Famous by Jessica Park and Fly Away, the sequel to Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. A good balance of school and summer reading just for me. How are you balancing your summer reading this year?

Happy Reading!

Lesley ♥

Literacy Loot: Signs for the Home

Posted in Literacy Loot by

literacy loot memeLiteracy Loot is a weekly post that features cool and unique literacy items found online and in stores for the classroom, home and even to wear! Join me in sharing your find of the week!

Hello, literacy lovers! As you read this, I am currently out west on a family vacation probably cursing the heat and eyeing some cute cowgirl boots that will not go with anything I have back in Ohio. I didn’t want you to miss out on more fun literacy loot while I was away… so check it out!  This week’s pick would look great in the home and classroom. It’s a stylish reading declaration to the world!

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Read script handmade wooden sign
from OhDierLiving on etsy.com

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Read handmade wooden sign
from OhDierLiving on etsy.com

These classic handmade designed signs might look great on any wall in your home or classroom. What initially drew me to these pieces were the 20 different color options. Lots of choices to check out! Sunshine and Poppy look very cute! The script read sign is $38 and the regular style is $42. There are other cool items in the store, like a wooden robot and (gasp) a NERD SIGN! Need I say more?

As always, please let me know if you see literacy loot out there that you think is deserving of being featured on the blog. Until then, happy reading and shopping!

Lesley ♥

It’s Monday! What are you reading? 7/22/13

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It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys where you can recap what you’ve read this week while planning ahead on what to read next! Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee & Ricki at Unleashing Readers added their own twist by focusing on kidlit, from picture books up to YA.

 Here’s what I read last week…


The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
5/7/13, 309 pages
My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Stars
Fans of Sara Zarr will not be disappointed! Great book!
Click on the cover for more information.

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Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
8/13/13, 288 pages
My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars
This is a gut wrenching, can’t look away book. So powerful!
Click on the cover for more information.

pivot point
Pivot Point (Pivot Point Series #1) by Kasie West
2/12/13, 343 pages
My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars
A fresh debut from Kasie West that was EXCELLENT!
Click on the cover for more information.

My pick of the week goes to…

While I read some great book this week, Pivot Point really stood out. I loved the format the author chose to write in and the subject matter was fresh, exciting and fun. Great characters and the ending blew me away! Definitely try and fit this one in soon!

This week…

I am on the road and heading out west on a family vacation of sorts. I’ve stocked up on audiobooks and ebooks for the car ride and am excited to check out the sequel to Powerless by Matthew Cody, my girl, Lauren Myracle’s newest,  The Infinite Moment of Us, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which I have want to read for ages, and a book that looked interesting to me on NetGalley – The Social Code.

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What are you reading this week?

Lesley ♥

Kindle Fire HD Giveaway

Posted in Reading Life by

Hey, literacy lovers! Check out this really cool contest from Alison at Kid Lit Frenzy and many others. Only a week or so to enter. Check out the details below… Good luck!


 Welcome to our Kindle Fire HD giveaway!

 Sponsored by 
Kid Lit Frenzy
Read Now Sleep Later
Nite Lite Book Reviews
The Windy Pages
The Book Pixie
There’s a Book
The Late Bloomer’s Book Blog
Teach Mentor Texts
The Reading Date
Nancy Tandon
Read Write Mom

 Show our blogger friends some love and at the same time earn entries into the giveaway!

The Kindle Fire HD winner (US only) will also get their choice of

1 July or August Kindle eBook from Kid Lit Frenzy
1 YA Kindle eBook from Read Now Sleep Later
1 MG Kindle eBook from There’s a Book

If you are not from the United States, use the second Rafflecopter to enter to win

up to $20 worth of books from BookDepository.com 
and an ARC or signed copy of a book from Kid Lit Frenzy
(A list of possible prizes will be posted after July 14, so check back!)

If you are a blogger, you can earn an extra entry by re-posting the giveaway. Copy the HTML from this page and paste it into a new post. We cannot count your entry unless you leave us the link, so remember to paste the link into the Rafflecopter widget. If you cannot embed the Rafflecopter widget, here is the Share Link for the Kindle Fire HD (US only) and the Share Link for the International $20 bookdepository.com widgets.
Rules:
1. You must be 13 years of age or older to enter, or have a parent/guardian enter for you. All entries are subject to verification.
2. We will notify the winner via email within 48 hours after the contest’s end (11:59 pm on July 29).
3. The Kindle Fire HD winner must have a mailing address in the United States. The International ($20 bookdepository.com books) winner can be anywhere except the United States.
4. The winners will have 48 hours to reply with their mailing address or another winner will be chosen.
5. Contest sponsors are not responsible for items lost in the mail.
6. We love comments, but please do not leave personal information such as email or mailing addresses in the comments! We are using Rafflecopter because it will keep your information private.
Questions? Please email the organizer, Alethea, at frootjoos at gmail dot com.
Good luck!

Inspired by Kathy at I am a Reader

Introducing… Literacy Loot!


literacy loot memeLiteracy Loot is a weekly post that features cool and unique literacy items found online and in stores for the classroom, home and even to wear! Join me in sharing your find of the week!

So I had an idea…

A reader’s love doesn’t just stop at books, right? We love to surround ourselves with evidence that reading is cool and shout from the tallest (ahem) bookshelf, that “WE LOVE READING!” and we’re not afraid who knows it. If you’re like me and pin, bookmark and save reading related items when browsing the internet or when shopping near and far, this post is for you. I plan to highlight 1 or 2 items a week – perhaps a literacy “steal” that is priced under $20 or a literacy “luxury” item that we can all drool over and maybe drop not-so-subtle hints about to our loved ones. Sometimes I’ll even include one of each! I hope you’ll join me in sharing some items that you’ve found along your reading journey and brought into your own classroom, reading sanctuary and life.

Literacy Loot “Steal” of the Week –

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Pretty Upcycled Flower Paper Clips
from My Knapsack Dreams on etsy.com

These little paperclips pack a bright and colorful punch! Aren’t they gorgeous? While advertised as wedding favors, I think they would look lovely in a book or two! The colorful cuties are 6 for $4.00. I think they are perfect for book club exchanges and end of the year school gifts. I know they would brighten my day! Click on the picture to check out this literacy loot!

Literacy “Luxury” Item of the Week

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Personalized Wooden Gear Bookend
GraphicSpacesWood on etsy.com

This personalized wooden gear bookend would make a great addition to any bookshelf. It is unique, classy and fully functional! This piece would be a lovely housewarming gift for a family of readers. Each wooden bookend is $55 and this shop has several more choices at different prices worth looking at – I especially like the owl and tree branch options. Click on the picture to check out this luxurious literacy loot!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s loot, and don’t forget that if you know of or find any literacy loot you think readers would enjoy, drop me a line in the comments section below. Otherwise, feel free to start your own literacy loot posts when you come across must have items for the reader in all of us! Have a great weekend!

Lesley 7974c2484a47872239631b39ddf75caa

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 7/15/13

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It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys where you can recap what you’ve read this week while planning ahead on what to read next! Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee & Ricki at Unleashing Readers added their own twist by focusing on kidlit, from picture books up to YA.

 Here’s what I read last week…

mind games

Mind Games (Mind Games #1) by Kiersten White
HarperTeen 2/19/13
Kindle Edition
My Goodreads Rating: 3/5 STARS
Fun Fact: The sequel, Perfect Lies, comes out in February, 2014

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Flat Out Matt (Flat Out Love #1.5) by Jessica Park
Kindle Edition
My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 STARS
Fun Fact: It’s really interesting to hear Matt’s thoughts and feelings this time around.

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Lola and The Boy Next Door (Anna And the French Kiss #2) by Stephanie Perkins
Dutton Books, 9/29/11
Audiobook
My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 STARS
Fun Fact: Book #3, Isla and the Happily Ever After, is scheduled to be released 5/13/14

Thoughts…

I really enjoyed reading Flat Out Matt, even though I am usually wary of novellas from different characters’ points of view. I liked Flat Out Love so much when I read it as a book club book last year. The bonus chapter at the end was pretty steamy, but overall was a satisfying ending to the storyline. I will definitely read more books by Jessica Park.

Here’s what’s on my reading plate for this week!

rti for giftedpivot point lucy variations

eyes of the beholder

As you can see I have some reading this week to do for my online grad class, but I hope to finish The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr and get to Kasie West’s Pivot Point as well. Have you read any of these titles? If so, what did you think?

Happy Reading! ♥

Viva Las Vegas – A tale of two conventions

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Hello, Literacy Lovers!

This weekend we were in HOT and sunny Vegas celebrating my husband’s 30th birthday.  We had tickets for the UFC Fan Expo and to see the highly touted fight- UFC 162. Yes, I was racking up major supportive wife points all weekend.

While walking around the convention center floor, I watched fans, young and old, scrambling for pictures and waiting for hours to get the autographs of their favorite fighters, and I couldn’t help but draw parallels between this event and the NCTE conventions that I have been lucky to attend in the past. If you’ve never been, let me tell you that the NCTE exhibit hall is not for the faint at heart. It is packed with adoring teachers and librarians seeking out (ok, sometimes stalking) authors and ARCs. We all know there are certain authors we would wait in line for a very, very long time to see. I’m looking at you, Patrick Ness, John Green and Veronica Roth.

While dutifully taking pictures for my husband and patiently sitting through hour long Q & A sessions, it was pretty inspiring to see fighters take the time to sign countless autographs and answer (what seemed to me) the same questions over and over. The way the audiences reacted to their heroes’ stories and the pumped up promoters touting Saturday’s fight was infectious. Even as an outsider, it was easy to get caught up in the hype and electric atmosphere.

If you’ve never been to NCTE or a convention for teachers, I highly suggest finding a way to go. I am very thankful that there are conventions for teachers and librarians, so we too can get caught up in the hype of seeing our author heroes and listening to their inspiring stories. After such an uplifting weekend, it’s easy to go back to the classroom and hype up our students with tales of meeting authors and showing off new titles while promoting a love of life long reading at the same time.

Have a great week!

Lesley

Speaking of conferences… I’ll be at nErDcamp in Battle Creek, MI on Thursday. Will I see you there? 🙂

It’s Monday! What are you reading? 7/1/13

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It’s Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA

It’s Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen & Kellee fromTeach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.

I’ve been working on my summer to do list and have finally been able to complete some big projects. I also started a new grad class this week that looks like it’s going to be very time consuming. Without further ado, here’s what I was able to read last week:
ImageColin Fisher
Ashley Edward Miller & Zack Stentz
Razorbill 11/1/12
My Goodreads rating:  3 / 5 stars
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Panic
Sharon M. Draper
Atheneum Books For Young Readers, 3/12/13
My Goodreads Rating: 3 / 5 stars
This week I have high hopes for LOTS of reading. I will be traveling for a weekend vacation and what better way to pass the time on long flights than to escape in a book. Or two or three. Here’s what’s on my reading agenda for this week:
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These four books have either been on my desk, Kindle or on Overdrive for way too long. I hope I can get to all four of them and then dig into my TBR bag I brought home from school. I have books in this bag from NCTE2011 that really need to be read! Yes, you read that right… 2011!
Have a great reading week!