but i have been reading – never fear:)

“memory of lights” – great book – sad book – good YA for high school – i’ve really gotten to like the author’s work – and his openness about his depression – which served as a big part of the book – was very admirable

“alan turing: an enigma” – great book – lengthy (660 pages) book – about a highly creative type who developed the early knowledge we use for computers today – turing machines – he also helped develop the decoding that helped the Brits crack the Nazi code in WWII – he also did initial computer theory and development – his ending was tragic – but it was a good read in the sense that he was highly creative – and there were parts that made him thrive – and things that didn’t

j

i just have to figure out why/how… 🙂

“the phantom tollbooth: annotated edition” – great, great read for the first week of school – gave me some ideas of what to do when we get to that drama in sixth grade – but a classic story – i probably heard too many book reports on it at Briarwood and thus never read it myself in third or fourth grade – today, it’d work for sixth grade as a read – i may end up getting copies for the classroom – but the annotations were well done – at times even insightful:) at times, just a history of words – but it was definitely all i could do to get through that one the first week:)

j

bobby was still roaming, for he was lost…

“harry potter and the cursed child” – did not like it – probably can’t go into it w/o spoiling it for others – although, there wasn’t much to spoil – but not a fan at all of this book – should’ve have been written

“salt to the sea” – high school BOB – great book – sad book – and all about a historical tragedy i knew nothing about

“silent to the bone” – middle school BOB – meh – i’m waiting for OMMS parents to complain

j

’tis the month for new music – which, sadly, ends today…

“who you gonna call?” – graphic novel about the ghostbusters – i was very – very – disappointed – NOT the new ones – even though the new ones were on the cover – i should move on…

“neurotribes” – since i read a comic book, i really felt i needed to do something adult – actually, even though the book was 500-plus pages, i just wanted to read it – really great read – it was the story of autism – and how that story tells the story of brain development and what we know about it – basically, we’ve come in the past 20 years from only a few people being considered autistic to people – like myself – seeing autistic tendencies within themselves – b/c there’s neurodiversity within a populous and so some people are going to be different from others – one of the key takeaways i got from the book is the whole “who decides normal” in the first place – is it really bad that i don’t always make eye contact if it enables me to think more deeply on a subject that most people? and since when is eye contact considered important anyway? again, really enjoyed the book

j

if so, then come on down to Crazy Mayfield’s Room this week for a sneak peak lesson – you can even help clean for the coming year!!!

“ink and bone” – good high school BOB possibility – it is the first in probably a 500 book sequence – it was made to be a movie – but the SCHS librarian recommended it – so it’s important to read books he says to read – that said, it ripped lots off hunger games – lots of soap opera too

“the trouble with women” – cute premise for an art book – it’s a satire – basically saying, men have tried to keep women out of most of history – it was a cute premise – it did get repetitive – it did tend to jump around (insert a joke about a woman’s brain – which would be one of the stereotypes the book was written to upset/upturn) – given the nature of what went down at fox news this week, a (sadly) needed book – i did start “the trouble with gifted” – i just can’t draw

“the boy who runs” – my favorite book probably of the summer – the story of julius achon – ugandan runner – he was a child soldier – he became a runner – by walking FORTY miles when he was 14 over one night – so he could race the next day – he won all three races – he came to the US – he was brilliant for one year – he gave up a lot for his family afterward – he started an orphanage for 11 kids he found under a bus one night – war ravaged Uganda 10 years ago – he has now built a hospital with his charity – in his hometown – where his mother was shot and killed by a soldier during the war – so basically, there’s just part of me that can’t take whiny-ness from myself – or from others – when i read a story like that b/c we have so very very much to be happy and blessed with – i highly recommend the book for my running friends or those who love africa or international charities

j