It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading? Is a meme sponsored by Sheila at Book Journey.  Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Menor Texts gave the meme a kidlit twist.  It’s a great way to reflect on what you’ve read and reviewed the last week and plan what you want to read next.  Join up with us and discover what good books other people  are reading.

It was a quiet reading week, but I enjoyed meeting lots of interesting people that I interviewed this week. Now I have lots of writing to do!

I finished…

forgive me leonard peacockForgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick – Once I neared the end, I couldn’t stop listening. This is one of the most powerful books I have read in some time. Leonard will stay with me as well the questions this book raised. We never know how much the people we come in contact with every day might be hurting or how much our words and actions can impact them. I know I will be treating the people around me with more kindness and paying more attention.

chinese cinderellaChinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah – My heart ached for the rejection and cruelty that Adeline experenced within her family. As I read I marveled at her strength and courage and resilience. How did she do it? So many children would have withered under the acts of cruelty she lived with daily. She found strength in her Aunt Baba and grandfather as well as in her success at school.

I’m currently reading…

Poliser_SummerLettingGo_jkt_website_207_1The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner – We didn’t read much last week with all the work assigned before break and the last games of the soccer season. Now that my daughter is on fall break, I’m hoping we can get back to reading every night.

les-miserablesLes Miserables by Victor Hugo – It’s still slow progress, but I’m still reading some every week. The rebels are regrouping in the barricade, preparing for the next wave of attack from the army.

again calls the owlAgain Calls the Owl by Margaret Craven – I just barely got started with this one, but I can tell I will enjoy it. Craven’s prose brings to life such a different time in the world.

Secrets of Writing High-Performance Business-to-Business Copy(AWAI) – Another couple of chapters read this week and another class down. I am learning that I enjoy this type of business copywriting more than I thought I would.

Coming up…

We have lots of catching up to do over fall break–all those projects that kept getting pushed back until we have more time. There’s shopping for winter clothes and a college visit. I hope to make progress on the books I’m reading.

What have you read this week?

10 Comments on It’s Monday! What are you reading?

  1. Myra from GatheringBooks
    October 16, 2014 at 5:33 am (9 years ago)

    I’ve read about how powerful a writer Matthew Quick is. I have to soon find a few of his novels to read. 🙂 Thanks for sharing all these great titles this week.

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      October 19, 2014 at 8:05 pm (9 years ago)

      Powerful is a good word to describe his books–at least Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock!

      Reply
  2. Ms. Yingling
    October 13, 2014 at 6:14 pm (9 years ago)

    These are all a bit on the older side for my students. We once had a teacher ASSIGN Les Mis to the A&T students, which seems a bit much! Have you nominated for Cybils? Nominations close on Wednesday, and I’d love to see more nominations. Any shout out or lists of things you’d like to see nominated that you’re comfortable with would be great, too!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      October 13, 2014 at 9:02 pm (9 years ago)

      I can’t imagine assigning Les Mis to even high school students. I’ve been reading it for going on two years. I enjoy it, but in small doses. I have not nominated for Cybils. I’ve been reading so much older stuff that I haven’t even thought about it. I’ll have to go back and see what newer books I’ve read this year.

      Reply
  3. Ricki Ginsberg
    October 13, 2014 at 4:51 pm (9 years ago)

    You finished Leonard Peacock! I am glad you loved it. I will always pair that book with Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos because I read them both back to back and they have some similar features. I recommend that book if you are looking for another powerful read.

    I read Chinese Cinderella some years ago, and I am often thinking about Adeline. It is such a powerful story. I am glad you found it to be just as impactful as I did. I hope you have a wonderful reading week!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      October 13, 2014 at 9:00 pm (9 years ago)

      I think since I read the two books at the same time, I am pairing Chinese Cinderella with Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock. Each of them suffered so much from their mothers, and both show strength in the face of that rejection. I’ll have to look for Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets. Thanks fo rsharing it!

      Reply
  4. Julie @ My Book Retreat
    October 13, 2014 at 9:22 am (9 years ago)

    I’d really like to read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock. I just read another review of it this week. It sounds excellent. Good luck with finishing up your class! I spend my days writing B2B copy. It can actually be interesting, depending on the subject!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      October 13, 2014 at 11:56 am (9 years ago)

      I highly recommend Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock. It’s intense. Do you freelance writing B2B copy?

      Reply
  5. Laura Pol
    October 13, 2014 at 8:28 am (9 years ago)

    How have you enjoyed Les Miserables so far? Also glad you are enjoying your class about business copy writing! Hope you have a great week of reading! 🙂

    Here’s my Monday at Crafty Booksheeps!

    Reply
    • Mrs. McGriff
      October 13, 2014 at 11:55 am (9 years ago)

      I have enjoyed Las Mis–at least most of it. I do get bogged down sometimes when Hugo goes into French history for chapters or explains philosophy for too many pages. But I loved the beginning about the history of the bishop and the telling of the story of Jean Valjean. Cosette, and Marius.

      Reply

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