Tag Archives: Kristin Hannah

It’s Monday! What are you reading? 3/23/15 #IMWAYR

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IMWAYR

Not much happening reading wise right now, but I have two titles to share with you. Spring break is right around the corner so very, very soon I will be in reading heaven for a whole week and have a lot of books to share!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys and invites bloggers to recap what they’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.

Be sure to click on the covers for an in depth synopsis and others’ reviews

pieces of georgia

Pieces of Georgia by Jen Bryant

MG Realistic Fiction novel in verse, 2006
166 Pages
My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Stars
My colleague and I wrote a grant this month for novels written in verse and this is one of them. It is a sweet story about Georgia McCoy and her father dealing with the death of Georgia’s mother. Both are deeply hurt and have trouble communicating. Georgia’s counselor asks her to keep a diary and she ends up writing to her mom. She is a talented artist and is encouraged to create a portfolio for a local program for young artists. Through her writing and art she starts to find her way.

nightingale

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Historical Fiction, 2015
448 Pages
My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars
I am a huge Kristin Hannah fan. I have read all of her books and was so excited when I got approved on Net Galley to read The Nightingale. Holy cow is this book AMAZING. It starts in France during 1939, and is told from two sisters’ points of view – Vianne and and Isabelle, who are some of the most remarkable characters I have ever come across. Vianne is a mother, who’s husband is sent to the front lines, and is left with a house to run and dangerous choices to make. Isabelle who has been kicked out of countless boarding schools is a rebel with a chip on her shoulder. No one thinks France is going to be invaded, but as we all know, it is, and what these characters go through is gut wrenching and you seriously will not be able to even think about putting it down. I don’t want to spoil any of the book for you, and really hope you’ll read this one. It has one of the highest ratings on Goodreads I have ever seen, I really hope you will take my advice and read it!

That’s all for this week. Happy reading everyone!

It’s Monday! What are you reading? 8/19/13

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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:

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

prodigy

Prodigy by Marie Lu
Putnam Juvenile, 2013
YA Science Fiction
My Goodreads Review: 5/5 Stars
This is a sequel to Legend and the third book, Champion, comes out in November

teachpirate

Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess
Dave Burgess Consulting, 2013
Professional Read
My Goodreads Review: 3/5 Stars
Some good ideas to add excitement to your classroom, but not my favorite book.

countingby

Counting By 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Dial, August 29th, 2013
MG Realistic Fiction
My Goodreads Review 5/5 Stars

My favorite read of the week….

I loved Prodigy and thought it was a perfect sequel to Legend, but Counting By 7s was my favorite read of the week. It is SOOOO good! Look for a blog post soon and go ahead and preorder this book. You will not be sorry.

Here’s what I plan to read this week: (Click on the cover for more info from Goodreads)

dreamthievesskin

I didn’t get to start The Dream Thieves last week, so I’m going to attempt to find the time for this one. I’m also intrigued by Skin, by Donna Jo Napoli, which is about a teenage girl who wakes up and starts to get white spots all over her body.

Happy Reading!

Lesley ♥

It’s Monday! What are you reading? 8/12/13

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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:

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

join the club

Join the Club! by Katie Doherty Czerwinski
Choice Literacy, 2013
Professional Read
My Goodreads Review: 5/5 Stars
This title about book clubs in middle school is SO GOOD. Loved!

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Fly Away (Sequel to Firefly Lane) by Kristin Hannah
St Martin’s Press, 2013
Adult Contemporary Realistic Fiction
My Goodreads Review: 4/5 Stars
Not as good as Firefly Lane, but a very good sequel and end to Tully’s story.

digital writing

Crafting Digital Writing by Troy Hicks
Heinemann Educational Books, 2013
Professional
My Goodreads Review 4/5 Stars
Loaded with awesome ideas and examples for digital writing in the classroom.

My favorite read of the week….

Join the Club! was just what I needed for the start of my school year. I am using “Choose Kind” book clubs to compliment our One Book, One School read of Wonder (You can learn more about my project at Choose Kind Donor’s Choose Project) and I thought Katie’s ideas were smart and her writing was very exact and easy to understand. Highly recommend this title if you ever plan to do book clubs in a middle (or high school) classroom.

Here’s what I plan to read this week: (Click on the cover for more info from Goodreads)

prodigyteachpiratedreamthievescountingby

As you can see, I am going to try to cram as much reading as I can into this week as humanly possible, while still setting up my classroom and transitioning into school mode. I am thankful I have two more weeks until school starts, because once it does, reading three books a week will be a struggle. If you are starting school soon, I wish you and your students a fun start with lots of great reads!

Happy Reading!

Lesley ♥

It’s Monday! What are you reading? 8/5/13

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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:

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

legend

Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu
Putnam Juvenile,  2011
YA Science Fiction / Dystopian
My Goodreads Review: 5/5 Stars
Fast paced first book in an awesome series!

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Super (Daniel Corrigan #2) by Matthew Cody
2012, Knopf Books for Young Readers
MG Fantasy
My Goodreads Review: 4/5 Stars
Marvel Super heroes meets The Goonies. Very fun read!

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Relatively Famous by Jessica Park
Kindle Version, 2010
YA Realistic Fiction
My Goodreads Review 3/5 Stars
Meh. Definitely not my favorite Jessica Park book.

My favorite read of the week….

Legend is a fast paced, can’t-wait-to-see-what-happens-next kind of book. I loved the premise of Day being somewhat of a teenage Robin Hood and loved how his and June’s two stories intertwined. Lu’s writing is very lean and I love it. Not a lot of fluff or extraneous stuff getting in the way of the heart of the story and all of the action. I am hoping to pick up a copy of book #2, Prodigy, this week!

Here’s what I plan to read this week: (Click on the cover for more info from Goodreads)

  16044981join the clubdigital writing

This week I am planning to read two professional development books about topics I am very interested this year – book clubs and digital writing. Both come highly recommended. Fly Away is going to be an ongoing read I’m afraid. I love Kristin Hannah’s writing and it takes place in Seattle so I am savoring the descriptions of the Emerald City and Bainbridge Island.  It’s a super busy week for me with meetings, a trip to the Scholastic warehouse, and my last paper (cross your fingers!) for my gifted endorsement program. Hoping to sneak in a little me time though and get some reading time in. Let’s see how it goes.

Happy Reading!

Lesley ♥

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)

8490112

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 ♥