How I am Trying to Read A lot

Note a hint of uncertainty in the title: I am tying to read more. Over the past month and a half, I have implemented strategies that force me to read on regularly. At this point, I feel like I going through tingle-like- addict- withdrawls if I’m not reading.  Here’s an entry dedicated to the strategies I am implementing to reach my 2018 Reading Goal.

A bit tired of numbering and heading sections of my blog. Today, I’ll be writing a good ol’ fashion wall of text to (hopefully) be read by millions (naw, try a handful– thanks followers). AH-Uhm. I digress. Sorry.

First, I always try to slip my Kindle into my backpack. In the rare instances where I forget, I ensure applications on my phone offer plenty of reading options. One I use is the Bible app to develop my faith. Another application worthy of downloading is BBC News. Together, these applications provide many opportune moments for reading.

A question arises, right? With reading materials readily available, how do I find the time to read? Stephan King answered this question for me: down time equals reading time!

Downtime, for me (and probably King), is time in a lineup, waiting for a bus, and the bus ride to work. Some people experience vertigo when they read on a tin can with wheels. Don’t vomit on your lovely book. Instead, find alternate strategies to add in some reading time.

Any book that I start, I vow to finish. Some people think I am making an inane strategy. Pushing through a terrible read is beneficial for my writing. What helps me push through is the very fact that I usually have three books in progress at the same time.

One of those books is a risk-taker– it is a novel that I might enjoy, but its way outside my typical interest zone. These books are not usually recommended by friends, do not have many reviews on Amazon. Some of these books are self published, or outside the realm of genres I am used too. Captive in the Dark is an example of a risky book.

My second book in action will be one of personal development. Because I don’t want to waste time reading useless information, I always research these books before I invest the time reading it cover to cover. These books are usually recommended by friend, have high ranks on Amazon, and are of used to develop my life (whether that be spiritually, through writing, or any other facets).

The last book in progress is a story that I am confident that I will enjoy. It is fast paced, or taken from a series that has impressed thus far. On my rating scale, a book that is no lower than an 8/10 can be selected. My current book for entertainment is the Shadow Children series

For me, having two or three books in progress at once helps ground my ping pong mind, and keep me interested if one of those books is dry. As of today, I have not ran into a position where all three books are dry. I am curious how my reading habit would fare against those odds!

Lastly, tracking which books you read is imperative to continue reading more. For me, this strategy helps give me a benchmark. It is a constant reminder of my end goal, and allows me to book budget to meet said goal.

 

 

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Disadvantages of Book Talks

What is a Book Talk? A book talk is an opportunity for a student to complete a presentation on a book that they have read. At our school, students are given approximately 1 month to read a book, take notes, and create a PowerPoint presentation.

In our English department, the presentation calls for a literary analysis of the text, personal connection, a creative or visual representation, and to divulge key highlights of the plot. My favorite part about the Book Talks is that students self select a novel; they are encouraged to read a novel they enjoy. Wonderful! In an ideal school, all students would read books they love, and then eagerly analyze them till the end.  Am I getting bobbing heads from some educators out there? Reads well on a blog post, eh? In practise, book talks have but one advantage:student self selection.

Many tweens are conniving, cunning, and know how to cut corners. Don’t assume the worst: I love all the students being educated in room 414, but I am also not a moron.  Here’s to the disadvantages of Book Talks and a possible solution to the problem here.

Many students are not reading their self selected novels, in fact, several are utilizing their Google skills to sparknote, copy and paste literary elements. I should have known that students would use the wonders of the internet, because when I did the book talk myself, I found myself Googling answers for World War Z. Funny, isn’t it? Adults might even find ways to shortcut. The worst part of all of this is students are copying/pasting, reading summaries, and not reading their Book Talk book.

Again, I don’t want to generalize: not every student is cutting corners, but its the ones who need to read that are doing so.

Students are copying and pasting from the internet. Great, so the purpose of book talks is sort of lost, isn’t it? With the real objective being to instill a love of reading into kids, the purpose behind book talks becomes meaningless when the book is not being read.

Time is super important for an educator that is trying to meet curricular objectives. Book talk presentations suck up 2 blocks of 45 minutes, 20 times a year. That’s a lot of time dedicated to presenting in front of the class.

The above information hopefully illustrates why I will not be running book talks next year, simply put: it takes too much time and its too easy to cheat. I am still in the midst of my brainstorming and planning for next school year, read a post about my solution to this problem here.

 

Book Review: The Five Love Languages the Secret to Love that Lasts

9.5/10

+Reveals and delivers on the “secret” to nurturing love in a marriage.

+Direct and to the point.

+Written from a Christian perspective with cited scripture.

+Slim volume that does not take days to shuffle through.

-Somewhat pigeon holes men.

+Quiz at the end of the novel, with surprising and thought provoking results.

Earning a 9 from me as a reader is difficult; this book almost earned a 10! It is written from the perspective of a professional marriage counselor, who has found a solid relationship with God.

This book is a must have for almost all couples who wish to maintain a healthy relationship. Even if your marriage or relationship is progressing swimmingly, I still recommenced this book with 9.5 fingers. It will change the way you interact with your spouse. The author promises to reveal the secrets to having a loving, long lasting marriage. And he does just that!

Not sure if I ever read a self help book that was not written with filler. Exposition usually gets in the way, or elongated historical references cloud the direct message an author is trying to say. Nope, not in this book!

Filler is in the text, there is some exposition, some personal anecdotes, and direct quotations from marriage sessions from Chapman’s work. Impressively, these sections make the book even more interesting. The filler is just short enough to engage, and not too long where a reader starts to feel like they are waiting for the point to be delivered. Now onto a memorable quotation (which was very difficult to choose):

“We are talking about love, and love is something you do for someone else, not something you do for yourself.” Without revealing too much of Chapman’s succinct message, he definitely affirms that love is a choice; we have the instinct and control to choose to love our spouse or not. This message, for me, is powerful. It flips the “love is not rationale” point upside down, and perhaps even agrees with it, by saying, yes, “you can choose to be irrationally in love if you want!”

Chapman also cites Bible verse to heighten his message: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use, it will be measured to you” Luke 6:38.

I did not like how Chapman claimed that men were easy to pick the physical love category as their love language.  He then goes onto say that men are more sexually aroused than women, and make the mistake of selecting the wrong love language. In my opinion, this statement pigeon holes men as more sexually aroused beings than woman– I did not enjoy reading that section at all!

Despite the quirk in sexual arousal, Chapman’s quiz created at the end of the book really is thought provoking. I was sold that I was one particular love language, but the quiz revealed a different result. The questions are very specific (which I think is important if the purpose of the assessment is to place the taker into a certain category).

Overall, this book will change your love life (in an amazing, God-idea way). Chapman writes clean, clear, and coherent prose that delivers a powerful message; this message should be read by all couples that are either married or are thinking about embarking on the life-long journey of a lovely marriage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Among the Hidden

Among the Hidden is the first book in the Shadow Children Series. It was written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This book deserves a spot on everyone’s Kindle or book shelf, it is the first book I have ever read in one day.

 

In terms of readability, many should find it engaging right from the start. It is a slim novel, packing a Taekwondo kick to a head! What a wonderful book, and here’s why:

This was the first novel I had ever read that was about hiding; the author does a wonderful job engaging the reader’s senses, connecting us the dystopian world, and makes hiding seem like garlic fingers are running down a spine. Each chapter ends with an “o crap” moment, prompting the reader to continue.

The protagonists character is developed, and his hopelessness is somewhat frustrating. For me, the suspense was somewhat dialed back when the main character suffered internal conflicts about making certain decisions.  At certain points, his internal conflict lost its “spice, ” and seemed to stall the progression of the plot. Despite this setback, Among the Hidden is a literary nugget!

With my English educator hat on, this book is well flecked with literature that could be analyzed within a classroom. Loneliness, oppression, poverty, knowledge, and relationships are all themes that stem from this text. Many of these themes relate to a middle school students. Don’t get me wrong, this book deserves a place with an adult readership as well.

Haddix should be commended for her ability to write unexpected turns. It was difficult to predict what was coming next in this book, which is what grabbed my throat to keep me reading. I was lost in wonderment throughout the entire process of chewing on the literary nugget.

Here’s another fact: I will be using this book to teach my 7th grade English class!

9/10

+ Easy read, still thought provoking, possible to read it in a single day.

-Protoganist’s internal conflict is overbearing at times, which ultimately stalls the progression of the plot.

+Strong piece of literature that could be annualized in a middle school classroom.

+Chapters are not boring! Each one ends with a punch line that prompts further reading

+First book I have ever read in a single day, hats off to Haddix

+Unexpected plot turns that make this text a thrilling ride!

Care to read a review of the second book in the Shadow Children series? Read the Among the Imposters book review here.