My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.
Last week was a slow reading week for me, but an exciting week in general, as two major things happened:
1) I was offered a job to teach 8th grade English part-time at the school that I attended from 5th-12th grade. This job seems perfect for me since I was hoping for a part-time gig to go along with my part-time social media coordinator job for NCTE.
2) My husband and I traveled to Northern California with some friends. While we were there we visited San Francisco, Napa, Monterey, Big Sur, Carmel, and a host of other places in the Bay Area. And the best part is we rented Jenni Holm's condo while she and her family were away on vacation. So not only were we on vacation, but we got to stay at a Newbery author's house. Is that not a totally #nerdybookclub thing to do? ;)
Needless to say, I perused her bookshelves and couldn't pass up the chance to read these lovely books while I was there:
Comcis Squad: Recess! edited by Jennifer L. Holm, Matthew Holm, and Jarrett Krosoczka
Squish: Fear the Amoeba by Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm
I also read her newest novel that comes out in August that I got from NetGalley:
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
That sneaky Jenni Holm. She always writes novels that I initially think I'm not going to like and then every time manages to make me fall in love with them. Not only will kids love this book, but there is a lot of worthwhile discussion to have about what it means to grow old and what a privilege it is to do so.
As if that weren't enough, yesterday, on our first full day home from our trip, I got to meet the second part of the dynamic Holm duo, since Matthew was at an event here in Michigan called Kids Read Comics at the Ann Arbor District Library. It was like the week of Holm for me. :)
Matt even drew Squish on my iPad cover to go along with the Babymouse that Jenni drew on it back at NCTE in November:
I didn't just read Holm books last week though, I also finished:
Chasing Before by Lenore Appelhans
A great sequel to the book The Memory of After. I'll be writing a full review of this one soon.
I'm currently reading:
Breakfast on Mars: Your Favorite Authors Take a Stab at the Dreaded Essay Assignment edited by Rebecca Stern and Bard Wolfe
I'm really looking forward to using this with my 8th graders this year. I think it will be a great teaching tool.
I'm still reading with my ears:
Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner
I've been listening to both of these books for a while so I hope I'll be able to finish them up this week.
Current giveaway:
Vintage Attraction by Charles Blackstone
That is SO cool! What a week! We're vacationing in Colorado Springs but I feel like our resort is not special now! I need to Nerd-i-fy it :) Can't wait to read The Fourteenth Goldfish!
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice-sounding weekend! That's a very singular experience. And congrats on the exciting happenings in your life!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new job! And thank you for sharing more than just your "reading" week with us, but your nerdy week as well ;) Everyone that stops by your blog via IMWAYR will totally appreciate the fact that you rented Jenni Holm's condo and read her books! EEee!
ReplyDeleteI envy the part-time job-love those 8th graders! Congratulations, Beth. What a fun week with the Holms, books one can love again and again. And thanks for that essay book title-I will look for it! Have a great reading week again!
ReplyDeleteSuch a #Nerdybookclub Holmsy kind of week. How fun! Congrats on the job too.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations from me too. Isn't it wonderful when events in your life line up so smoothly? I used to live in California and was glad I toured the wine country and Hurst Castle. I really wish I had gone further north to the Redwood forests. California is a fantastic place to visit but I was glad to live there for just a few years.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great week you had! Congrats on your part-time position. How perfect is that?! I think it's amazing that you got to stay with Jenni during your stay in CA and that you got to meet Matt in MI! That's an iPad cover to treasure. :-)
ReplyDeleteHolly, we didn't stay with her, we just stayed at her house while her family was on vacation. Still pretty awesome though. :)
DeleteCongratulations on the new job! That sounds like a great week of reading and traveling. I love the Holms sketches on your iPad cover. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new job! Sounds like the perfect position for you. Your vacation sounds lovely. I lived in Carmel for a short time as a teen. Last year, my husband and I decided to go there for our annual vacation without children, and it was so lovely. Plus, great food! (Good food is an important part of vacation for me, because I don't live in an area of the country where you can get a decent meal out!) I haven't heard of Breakfast on Mars but I absolutely love the concept. I can think of some ways to use this in my Freshman Comp course. Off to order....
ReplyDeleteWow! What a nerdybookclub weekend! Wow! :-)
ReplyDeleteOh dear - just commented and somehow lost it. It was a long one too. Sentiments were basically: - Hurrah for the new job! It sounds perfect. I am really happy for you. And wishing you happy reading/listening this week!
ReplyDeleteI loved following your vacation on Facebook--thank you for taking us with you :)
ReplyDeleteThat essay book looks FASCINATING. I cannot wait to hear what you think about it.
Happy reading this week! :)
Oh, I can't wait to read The Fourteenth Goldfish! I'll have to look it up on Net Galley! You made me excited!
ReplyDeleteAnd Congrats! on your new part-time position. You'll love teaching part-time. Holly Mueller and I did it for three years and it was perfect! Enjoy!
That was such a #nerdybookclub thing to do, and it makes me laugh out loud. The fact you perused her bookshelf is absolutely hysterical. You rock.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your teaching job! I would be so excited to rent an author's condo for my vacation. I love your iPad cover also! Who wouldn't want Babymouse and Squish to come along with them everywhere? Breakfast on Mars sounds like a really good resource for teaching middle schoolers. Have a good reading week!
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds like an awesome and unforgettable experience - staying at an author's place must truly be a privilege - plus the Holms' library looks great. Congratulations on the NCTE post - this will be my first year to attend the conference, so I'm pretty excited about it. :) San Francisco is one of my favourite cities in the US. Hope you have fun with your audio reads this week. :)
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