Hello my lovelies! After many months, it is nice to be able to write a bit! I can't promise I'll be back to any sort of regular schedule, but I've missed blogging (and all of you!) a lot so I'm going to make a go if it again.
I started teaching in September, and I knew it was going to be a draining gig, but MAN I underestimated it! On the one hand, I'm not nearly as tired as I was nannying and working at the cafe every day, physically speaking. On the other hand, I can barely keep my eyes open past 6:00 pm on Tuesdays. (Why Tuesdays you ask? Beats me, I have no clue.) When I'm teaching well - really well - it is the most draining thing in the world. I mean, it's super fun and really rewarding and I LOVE it...but then at the end of the day all of a sudden I'm ready to collapse. Hmm. Maybe this is what taking drugs feels like? Honestly though I think it comes from being an introvert and having to be ON all the time. Teaching music is different than teaching a regular class - not that I'm knocking classroom teaching at all. (One of the downsides of teaching at this school is that if there is a teacher out and they can't get a sub or if they had to schedule a meeting during class, one of the other teachers has to come in during their planning period and teach the class instead. It's....greeeeeeat.) In a regular class there's a lot of downtime where the students are working individually/taking tests/etc, which means you have some breathing space to get a little of your own work done. (The downside of this of course is there's way more grading) In music, there's not a SECOND where you can let your attention waver, and you have to be actively teaching 100% of the time. And if you're an introvert? It's a little bit of personal hell. Luckily, I do love teaching I just find it really exhausting at the end of the day. (And 8th graders are of course....8th gradery. Thank god I don't teach any 8th graders at the end of the day or that really would be the limit). My time with this group is almost over, which will be sad. And I'm likely going to be at a high school for a couple of months starting in February (which scares me shitless. I DON'T WANT TO TEACH HIGH SCHOOL!!!! But, a girl needs a job, so there we are.) Then I'm back at either a middle school or elementary school teaching strings and general music. So by the end of this year I'm going to be significantly more well rounded! (Although I sincerely doubt it's going to change my mind about liking middle school band best)
So basically, teaching has taken over my life, and since I'm still working at the cafes on Saturdays, I only have Sunday to get my main cleaning/cooking/general life stuff done. So I haven't been reading like...at all. I never, ever, EVER though that the only reason I'm getting any reading done is through audiobooks. AUDIOBOOKS GUYS. A thing that until last year I had sworn was the most boring thing everrrrr. But at least I've had a good run on those? (Bill Bryson guys. Great author, great narrator. Highly recommended.) I also had a SUPER AWESOME weekend (four days off! Unheard of for me!) that I will tell you about later because this is more than I've written in three months and this is long enough. But long story short I spent my Thanksgiving weekend in Flushing and Chinatown having the best dumplings EVER and I don't care if everyone thinks that's a weird way to spend a weekend it was amazing. So there.
Bookish News
Cait confesses the worst and most horrific things she's ever accidentally done to a book.
Jane talks about her first encounter with lesbians in fiction - Haruku and Michiru from Sailor Moon.
Gillian has fallen out of love with a series.
Heather shares how to read more diversely.
Zita the Spacegirl (aka one of my favourite reads of last year) is being adapted into a film!
Katherine discusses the English fairy tale "Mr. Fox" (the oldest known version of Bluebeard).
La La has a huge personality test round up that is super fun and interesting (and she'd love your feedback too!)
Yash lists the four types of book break ups.
Heather suggests what we could change up about literature programs so they aren't all white men.
Author News
Ursula Vernon is basically the best.
KRISTIN CASHORE IS RELEASING A NEW BOOK!!!!!!
Jacqueline Carey had a limited edition reprinting of her Kushiel series and it is so freaking gorgeous and there was a leather bound version too *sobs* I want one so bad!! (Too bad they're sold out).
Nonbookish News
Teresa names four non-American feminists she's thankful for.
Emily's review of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is exactly would I would have said (tl;dr delightful, full of plot holes, Eddie Redmayne is perfect as Newt)
Need something cute to erase the horror of this month? Jessica recommends the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary Facebook page.
Like my weekly round ups? Check out In Tori Lex's - this week she links to articles about censorship in Kuwait and what books YA authors are most thankful for.
