Saturday, April 28, 2018

March Mini Reviews: In which Elizabeth read...practically nothing

I'm starting to post these regularly enough that I feel like should make a banner or something.  But in the meantime, how about we celebrate the statement "I'm starting to post these regularly"!  I mean when was the last time I could say that?   (To be fair, posting once a month for all of three months is hardly a ringing endorsement of my ability to post regularly haha)  This will also be a...rather shorter list than my previous months.  I only write the mini-reviews of books I haven't read before, and as March was a rather emotionally fraught month I mentioned that basically the only reading I've accomplished was rereading (and even that I've done little of. Apparently emotions get in the way of being able to focus on books. Who knew?) So the list is short this month, alas.


Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices, #2)

Rating: 5 stars

I officially don't care about how I felt about her first series - I am officially a hardcore Shadowhunter fangirl. CASSIE CLARE OWNS MY SOUL.  I am there for all of her books.  Her first series was...well her first series.  The fact that every series and collection of short stories is better than her last is a sign of being a good writer (incidentally, how I feel about Maggie Stiefvater as well).  If you haven't read any of Cassandra Clare's books or even if you tried her first series and it wasn't for you, I highly recommend trying this series!






The Bone Doll's Twin (The Tamír Triad, #1)

Rating: 5 stars

This somehow manages to take a tired hero/savior trope and make it feel completely fresh. It's got really interesting world building and Flewelline manages to pack in so much of it with showing not telling or infodumping which can be really challenging to do given how in depth the world building gets here.  It also has a really cool character set up that I won't spoil, but color me intrigued and invested.  I'll definitely be trying to get my hands on book two!



The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (Dirk Gently #2) by Douglas Adams

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (Dirk Gently, #2)

Rating: 3.5

 Sadly, I think this one suffered because I had to keep starting and stopping the book and I never tend to enjoy books as much as they deserve when that happens.  That being said, for some completely unknown reason I was expecting a little more continuity from the first book (again...no idea why I would expect that. It's not like Douglas Adams showed much in the way of continuity with Hitchhiker's Guide!).  I'm a little sad now...I've officially read all of Douglas Adams' novels.  Nothing will ever top Hitchhiker's for me, but I might try this series again and see if I have better luck if I read it in one sitting.

Monday, April 9, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Loved but Will Never Re-Read

Hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl

This week's topic has some obvious choices, despite the fact that it is otherwise a challenging topic for me. I am a notorious rereader - probably 30% of what I read yearly are rereads.  If I don't reread something I like a lot, it's probably because I don't feel like I'd gain anything from a reread, or I just don't feel like I have enough of an emotional connection to the characters to warrant a reread. I definitely don't have ten books I can think of that fit said reasons, but I do have enough that immediately came to mind that I decided to go ahead and do this week's topic.  With no further ado here's the list:


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief 

This one was the most immediately obvious choice for this topic.  I had not expected to love this book as much as I did at all - and certainly wasn't expecting the emotional impact it gave.  After all, it tells you in the very first chapter all the characters that die.  I WAS PREPARED.  (Or so I mistakenly thought).  I ended up really loving the style of writing and I ugly cried so hard through the last few chapters of the book I could barely read the words at all.  I'm talking Harry Potter Deathly Hallows level of ugly crying.  




Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Going Bovine 

Speaking of Harry Potter 7 levels of crying and immediately obvious choices for this topic....  (Guys you should seriously search how often I mentioned this book on the blog for like two years after reading it, it affected me that much).  Going Bovine is another book that just...destroyed me.  Not just emotionally either - it did things to my brain that surprised me.  I was certain, certain I tell you that I knew the ending was going to go, and then Libba Bray goes and throws in this completely unexpected third way of ending things and....needless to say I spent the last 20 minutes of the audiobook sobbing so hard I couldn't see the road while driving.  (Luckily it was rush hour traffic so it wasn't like my car was moving anyway. No one was harmed in the process of listening to this book!)




The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1)

  Are you starting to sense a theme here? I can't tell you much about this because of spoilers, but needless to say there is a SCENE in this book that anyone who has read it will immediately know will understand why it makes this list.




UnWholly (UnWind #2) by Neal Shusterman





UnWholly (Unwind, #2)

Speaking of SCENES (although that's the first book, but still).  The series as a whole is really great, none of the rest of the books ever reach the full impact that the first book does.  And since it was originally written as a standalone I sort of prefer to think of it that way.  I'll read the first book again for sure (I literally buy any copy I find of it in thrift stores so I can send it to people to read because I'm THAT PERSON about UnWind), but the rest of the series I probably won't make an effort to get to again.




All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin

All These Things I've Done (Birthright, #1)

On the flip side, I loved everything about this whole series.  (I may have gone through a...mild obsession)  Honestly...I'm a little afraid if I ever reread these that I won't love them quite as much as I did the first time around.  (And I really, really loved this series!).  Although rereading my posts on the series...it is tempting....




Misery by Stephen King

Misery

Ok, this one technically doesn't qualify because I DEFINITELY didn't love it.  But it deserves mentioning, because it is clearly masterfully written....and also put me off an entire genre of books.  Needless to say, I will NOT be rereading this one!


What was on your list?  Leave me a link below!

Sunday, April 1, 2018

A Day in the Life #53 In which Elizabeth is a bit vulnerable



So....I've been a little bit quiet around the blogosphere lately (which to be fair is not unusual these days).  In the midst of all the teaching drama I posted about last time I was dealing with some personal drama as well that I wasn't ready to post about at the time.  So.  Some of you know that for the past almost ten years I've been dating Sejoon.  Well, a few weeks ago we decided to end things.  I'm not really going to talk much about it in detail, but it was a good decision for both of us and I think we called it at the right moment so it ended on a good note. 

On the upside, entering the dating world has not been nearly as terrifying as I'd thought for all these years, and I'm actually having a lot of fun with it.  Not that I'm ready to settle down by any means, but at least I know I'm capable of meeting new people and it not being terrible.  And I'm used to being alone since he traveled so long this year so I'm more used to spending time alone than the average person at the end of a breakup.  It's been pretty up and down for me, but most days I'm happy.

The stress has definitely meant I've fallen back on rereading books rather than reading new books for the most part (although I did buy Children of Blood and Bone. I mean have you seen the front cover?? IRRESISTABLE)  Juliet Marillier's Sevenwater series is one of my go tos and has been getting me through the last couple weeks.  If you haven't read any of her books, Marillier has really beautiful writing and Daughter of the Forest is a wonderful place to start.



Dramafever is no longer on Playstation anymore (WHYYYYY. This would have been the one time I actually have time to watch Kdramas!!!), so in the meantime here's what I've been catching up on:

Parks and Rec - I mean, let's be real.  I never seem to put this show down for more than a couple of months it is my ULTIMATE form of comfort.  I always start on Season 2 episode 23 because what's the point in watching the show pre-Ben Wyatt?

Velvet - I've mentioned the show before, but I am soooo slow at watching subtitled things. (That are not K-dramas because I can't STOP watching those).  This show is beautiful, but I do tend to get stressed out when there's too much romantic drama. Which is....basically most of the show other than fashionable dresses...hence me still watching this show a year later haha.

Queer Eye - I do not want to know any secret behind the scenes terribleness about this show ever because I LOVE IT SO MUCH.  I cry every episode, it's so freaking inspiring and beautiful and if you are not watching this, you NEED TO.   I'd say this was a guilty pleasure but I a unashamed of how much I adore this series.

Longmire - Ohhhh this last season is so good.  And the soundtrack is so on point! I haven't finished yet, but I must be at least 2/3 of the way through now and there hasn't been a dud episode yet.  I am going to miss these characters so much when this is all over.



Top three songs I can't stop listening to:



There's also a "flipped" version of this that sounds more like Broken Bells and I freaking love them both.


I know this is old, but I went on a big nostalgia kick and I hadn't heard the acoustic version before. I feel like most singers in this genre don't fare well on acoustic versions, but Brent Smith has great vocals.


This is from the first episode of season 6 from Longmire and I am obsessed.


Bookish links:

Blogger stuff
Veronika shares stuff that positively pisses her off in books.
Stacee transcribed a book event led by Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff.
Kelly Lagor discusses science fiction and science: Jules Verne and Charles Darwin.
Christina talks about sharing pop culture.
Heather talks about when reading makes you uncomfortable: rape.
Annemieke shares how she unhauls books.


Author stuff
Mari Ness talks about Death as a godfather in fairy tales.
Elizabeth Bear shares her formative SFF (forgotten classics of the 70's and 80's).
Chris lists 5 things every fantasy writer can learn from Earthsea.
Michelle Obama is releasing a memoir!




THIS IS EVERYTHING.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

February Mini Reviews


The Alienist (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, #1) 
Rating: 3

This was definitely an interesting story, but dear GOD it was long. And this is coming from the QUEEN of huge book reading!   I love long books as much as the next person, but there needs to be a good reason for it.  There's a reason fantasy novels tend to be thicker books - they need the length to have room to put in the world building.  This book didn't need it - could have easily cut 200 pages of this and not lost anything.  But it does go into an interesting side of history I don't know much about, and if I'm able to watch the series I think it will make a GREAT TV adapation!





The Sum of All Kisses (Smythe-Smith Quartet #3) - Julia Quinn

The Sum of All Kisses (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #3) 
Rating: 4 stars

I've said it a million times before, but Julia Quinn is hands down QUEEN at humor in historical romance.  She's by far the funniest of any historical romance authors I've read, and this book was no different.  There were parts I didn't love of this toward the end - it got a bit over dramatic when it could have wrapped everything up, but otherwise if you need a solid piece full of squishy feelings and hilarious banter, you should pick this one up.





Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates

Between the World and Me 
Rating: 3.5

Especially in the current climate, I could not recommend reading this book more.  If you choose to go audio - and I do recommend that you do - it's read by the author which makes it feel even more powerful.  Now I didn't agree with everything he said, but I feel like this book isn't really here to answer questions, it's here to make you ask more questions.  Sometimes it felt like Coates goes a little over-generalized, but again this is one where I think it's important to shut up and listen.





Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs #1) - Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs, #1) 
 Rating: 5 

This book was so delightful!  The mystery doesn't fall into any expected categories - it's not quite a cozy mystery - I usually associate them with a certain amount of humour and this one has a level of sincerity and thoroughness that doesn't quite jive with that.  But neither is it some sort of grim thriller.  It's thoughtful and a little quiet for a mystery novel.  This isn't to say that it's not a very fun novel - it definitely is.  If you like historical mysteries, and I'd say even for fans of cozy mysteries this is definitely one you shouldn't let pass by.





 Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs #2) - Jacqueline Winspear

Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs, #2) 
 Rating: 4

This one is also quite lovely.  It's looking like the whole series is going to be set post World War 1 (which tends to get overshadowed in literature by World War II so it's nice to see more on this end of things).  What I really love about this is that both stories so far have been connected to the aftermath of the war - how it affected soldiers, families, and communities and how it was treated at the time.  It feels exceptionally relevant now, as we've had a war going for almost two decades and our treatment of veterans is abominable.






Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles, #1) 
Rating: 5

THIS IS A TAMORA PIERCE BOOK DID YOU REALLY THINK IT WASN'T GOING TO GET  STARS???  I literally cried before I even started reading the book.  This is not an exaggeration.  I read every single author blurb written for this in the inside cover, and it was 99% authors that I love all saying how much they loved Tammy Pierce's writing and how much she changed their lives. GUYS I'M TEARING UP RIGHT NOW.   Everything is amazing, and if you haven't read any Tamora Pierce yet, all of her series are self-contained so you could start here!





Tortall: A Spy's Guide - Tamora Pierce

Tortall: A Spy's Guide 
Rating: 5

Not for the casual reader obviously. But if you're crazy about the Tortall series the way I am this is super helpful in keeping things straight and has some cute details to add about all the characters you love!





Pardonable Lies (Maisie Dobbs #3) - Jacqueline Winspear

 Pardonable Lies (Maisie Dobbs, #3) 
Rating: 4.5

This one may be my favourite of the lot so far! (Other than the first one).  It feels the most personal of the lot so far and really delves into character depths we haven't seen yet.






Messenger of Truth (Maisie Dobbs, #4)
Rating: 3.5 stars

I didn't love this quite as much as the others, but can we just agree that the fact I've read four of these in a month is a good indicator of how brilliant this series is?  The WWI trend is definitely a thing, although as we get later in the books (there's at least 8 more of these, maybe more) we're definitely going to head into WWII area at some point. 





The Good Daughter - Karin Slaughter

The Good Daughter (The Good Daughter #1) 
Rating: 5

HOOOOLY CRAP GUYS. This book is intense and amazing, and I highly recommend the audio. , but when you get to it I highly recommend it an audio.  One of my favourite narrators so far!

Maybe wait on reading this one if you're not up for a school shooting.  I was listening to this and we had a lockdown (not a drill, but nothing on school grounds - there was a standoff in the neighborhood) and I can definitely say that if I know ahead of time a book is going to have a school shooting I WILL NOT READ IT.  There is nothing scarier as a teacher right now than knowing you are in a real lockdown situation...and not knowing why. So I'm glad I didn't know about it ahead of time because I definitely would not have picked it up. It seriously made me think I was having heart palpitations it gets so intense.  If you liked Gone Girl, Girl on the Train - any of those sorts of intense thrillers, this is a book for you.





Dollhouse: Epitaphs - Andrew Chamberliss

Dollhouse: Epitaphs (Dollhouse, #1-5) 
Rating: 2.5

For those of you who don't know, this is a graphic novel based on a show called Dollhouse, created by Joss Whedon.  It's one of my favourites from Whedon (and yes, it is problematic, and yes I'm not sure I can love it as much knowing what we do about him now.  That's beside the point and I feel weird about it, but didn't think I could talk about this without mentioning all of the above.)

This didn't actually flesh much of the time gap, so it didn't feel like it added anything to the story. Which wouldn't have bothered me as much except that it looks like there isn't going to be any more, so what was the point? Sooo...I'd give it a pass.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

A Day in the Life #52 In which Elizabeth rants, raves, and whines and feels like a grumpy old lady making excuses for herself




Well, this has been a HELL of a week.  And surprisingly - before you ask - no, it was not the kids.  My students have actually been really awesome the past couple weeks (....now that I'm think on this, I should be suspicious.) What has NOT been awesome is communication between my schools and me.  Surprise, surprise.

Actually that might be a surprise for you - turns out I never shared my super special winter concert fun with you. SO.  Let's share!

Things my schools have note communicated with me in the past months:

1. That we were having an in school concert. I found out an hour before the in school concert that we were having an in school concert.  Did I mention that I am the instrumental music teacher?

2. I am supposed to be on the math action team.  You know what a math action team is?  Me either! You know when the action teams were put together and started meeting?  At the very latest early October.  You know when I found out that I had been missing these meetings?  Two weeks ago.

3. Teachers have to submit SLO's in February. SLO stands for Student Learning Outcome, and it basically proves that you are an effective teacher. In October you submit an SLO to get approved by the administration and you spend the following months collecting data and making sure you meet the standards you laid out in your SLO.  This ends up being 50% of your end of year evaluation, which is obviously really important when it comes to being rehired in the county or if you are looking to transfer to other counties.

Guess who found out that we were supposed to submit TWO SLOs a mere day before the due date?



We're going to manage my irritation with cute gifs. Look here's an adorable baby bunny!


To say that I am frustrated would be an extremely mild statement.  I understand that my administrators have a whole building of people they are working with on top of county concerns, parent concerns - they have a ton of stuff going on.  In fact, I'm absolutely certain that I don't even know 50% of all of the crazy things they have to deal with.

But you know what?  So do I.  I am teaching between three different schools, which means three times as many rules and events as most teachers. In one week I'll have to remember that Berkshire has a "red carpet event" that takes place during two classes I will now have to reschedule somehow, that at Seneca they have MAPP testing that will affect half my students but not the other half and that is going to change what I'm able to teach, and that I need to take one specific class to the cafeteria instead of teaching them because it's their cupcake social.  Except that at least two of these three events I have not heard about because no one has told me until I'm actually supposed to be doing these things.

I have to remember that when Glenmar has a fire drill we go to the baseball diamond and the fire drills at Berkshire go to the tennis courts, that at Berkshire I have to text the principal during a lockdown and at Glenmar I turn all the devices off, and that at one of these schools I am not allowed to give any physical rewards but at the other two we do give incentives and that apparently I don't remember any of the safety procedures at Seneca and I need to review them.  This is of course is on top of all of the instruction going on in my class.  So I get that my administration has a lot going on in my schools, but at the end of the day when things fall through the cracks I'm usually the one who ends up with egg on their face.


Adorable cops and robber dachsunds are the best way to manage frustration!

You know what happened when I found out about the winter concert day of?  I had originally planned my dress rehearsals during the concert time (we had an after school concert I was preparing for that I DID know about).  That was going to be the first time the students had EVER performed together.  Usually my students meet with me in small groups for 25 minutes - i.e. my trumpets don't play at the same time as my flutes (but would during the concert) and had never heard each other play together before.  When I approached my principal to let her know that I would figure it out and it would all be fine, but that I might be missing from an e-mail list because I was only just now finding out about the concert?

"Well I would have thought the music department would have communicated with each other."

I mean, she's not wrong about that.  That wasn't on her, but I didn't know that at the time and it seemed logical to go to the principal with a school event concern and this must have been communicated to the rest of the school somehow. But are you really REALLY going to put that on me? 

During my mid year evaluation they discussed their disappointment that I hadn't had more music prepared for the concert.  Well guess what happens when you have to have your students perform for the first time together ever...during the concert?  YOU CUT PIECES.  They also marked me down for not have any vocabulary word walls or rules posted in my room.  Oh wait...did I say my room?  I should have said the Rec Room. In which I am not allowed to leave a single object.  Or post anything on the walls.  I'm not saying that everything else they had to say on improving my teaching wasn't valid - it totally was, and it's helped me with my classroom teaching which really is the whole point of the meeting.  It's also frustrating when you are held accountable for things that aren't on you.






My school that assigned me to an action team without telling me?  I had e-mailed the principal at the beginning of the year asking if I was supposed to be on any teams since I am only at the school one day a week.  He had said no.  To be fair, he didn't put it on me when he said that I had been missing all of the math action team meetings - he said he wasn't sure if anyone had told me.  But it's going to be hella awkward for me to show up to a committee I'm supposed to be on 5 months after the fact, especially as I don't know a single teacher on it.




And then there's the SLO drama which has brought all the rest of this boiling up to the surface.  It's really the topper here.  I even worked on the SLO with the STAT teacher there.  You have to submit the SLO in October.  I mean even if I somehow misunderstood the STAT teacher, I had her check my ONE SLO, and I submitted ONE SLO. I feel like somewhere along the line someone should have reached out and checked why I only submitted one SLO, seeing as I am a first year teacher.  I mean, otherwise what is the point in having them submitted in October in the first place?  Luckily my STAT teachers at one of my other schools ended up saving me and I did have documentation of a pre and post assessment I could use to complete a second SLO.  But I shouldn't have ever been put in that position in the first place.  And I'm still not sure everything is going to be ok, and I judging by every experience I've had at that particular school I have every expectation of the fault being placed on me. 



Puppy pile!


I just....I feel like my frustration has been building and building into what is turning into this deep set ever present sensation of rage.  And I don't like that!  I am not an angry person.  A dramatic person, certainly, but not an angry one.  I don't like being a person who puts blame on other people.  Sure, I don't like hearing negative qualities about myself (who does?) but I feel like I'm honest about myself and I take time to really think about what is being said and then making changes (at least when it comes to my professional life).  It's one of the things I think I excel at.  Fore example, I didn't have cohesive classroom procedures and was marked down for that in the mid-year evaluation, and they were 100% right.  So I took their suggestions, talked to some other teachers, made some changes, and asked my principal at my next evaluation to focus on letting me know if there were any classroom procedure issues I should address.


It's just that each of these situations make me look and feel bad and I went through all the proper channels in all three cases.  I took all the proper steps.  It makes me doubt myself!  I mean I am a really forgetful person, and balancing three schools has certainly been a struggle.  But no matter how I look at it, even if I HAD known the date of the in school concert, someone should have been in touch to discuss what time it was being held, whether the band or orchestra was playing first - I mean there's just no possible way I'm at fault.  And let's say someone had said something about me being on an action team (except that I'd sent that e-mail asking about teams) - it certainly shouldn't have taken until FEBRUARY to be informed that I'd been missing the meetings.  And let's say I had misunderstood my STAT teacher - I have literally lost sleep every night this week wracking my brain, trying to remember exactly what she said to me.  Let's say she did say something and I forgot (again, it seems incredibly unlikely for me to have forgotten something so important.  I literally went and wrote my SLO immediately after meeting with her) how is it that there was not a SINGLE e-mail or written document mentioning TWO SLO's?   Trust me. I went through my entire e-mail.  What if I hadn't decided to get help from my STAT teacher making my SLO? How would I have known then?




So I wrote all this up a few days ago, but didn't post anything because for the most part I like to stay positive (or at least entertaining if it's negative) on the blog and wasn't sure I wanted to post it.  Writing this has been very cathartic and I'm feeling much calmer now. At the end of the day, all of this is out of my control.  Even if something comes down on me about the SLOs, it's done and over.  I've landed on my feet before and I'll figure things out as I have to handle them. I've got to make sure I'm focused on helping my kids and being weighed down or distracted by past events isn't going to help them (or me). 

SO.  I hope you've had a better week than me and that none of you were too affected by the winter storms this week!  And if you had great news, then absolutely share it with me!  I could use a little positivity in my life :)




Bookish News
- Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira Will Adapt Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah
- In case you missed all the news in reference to sexual harassment in children's publishing:
     - Anne Ursu's essay, where it all started
     - Names are named in the comments section
     - Tanita Davis on Daniel Handler's behavior
     - David M. Perry on how the publishing industry plans to handle this
- Spencer Ellsworth argues for Five Threequels That Really Make the Series
- In his fight against female author erasure in SFF, James Davis Nicholl has more authors from the 1970's you should check out
- Pride and Prejudice as told in a series of texts. (Guys this is HILARIOUS)

In Tori Lex has some more awesome bookish links you should check out, including famous author's love letters, novels that subvert gender roles, and famous people's library borrowing history.


If you like booksih links, you should also check out Buckling Bookshelves' list!  My favourite was the list of authors on children's books that still make them weepy.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Top Ten Historical Romances

 Hosted by: Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl


The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke #1) - Tessa Dare

 The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke, #1)

 Ash is a severely scarred man - gruesome facial scars from his time in the war. He's withdrawn from society, since he generally inspires disgust and fear.  That being said, he does still need an heir, or all the tenants who depend on him will be SOL when he dies.  Emma, fortuitously, comes in at just the right time.  She is a vicar's daughter, who through circumstances has become a seamstress.  She's extremely compassionate, but isn't a pushover.  She challenges the Duke at every turn, and you know I love me some banter.  Even though the Duke is definitely an Alpha (which isn't usually my favourite set up in romance, but does tend to come with hate/love territory) consent is a big focus (in a way that feeds the heat!) which was a big bonus for me.

For readers who like: love to hate, marshmallowy alpha men, fluff, banter, non-lily white/naive ladies





The Duchess War (Brothers Sinister #1) - Courtney Milan


The Duchess War (Brothers Sinister, #1)




The Heiress Effect (Brothers Sinister #2) - Courtney Milan

 The Heiress Effect (Brothers Sinister, #2)

Jane has loads of money, and is trying to wait until she is of age to come into her inheritance so she can take care of her sister.  Which means making sure she's pretty well unmarriagable - if she gets married, her husband would have complete control of her finances.  So Jane goes out of her way to be as offensive and wearing the most ridiculous clothing possible - without making it seem like she was doing so on purpose.  Oliver is concerned with his political career - and falling for Jane would seem to be career suicide.  So lots of "oh no but we shouldn't" feels in this one.  Bonuses: Jane is a fat heroine, and there's a secondary romance with an interracial couple!

For readers who like: Feminist romances, body type diversity, siblings important to the story line, Romeo and Juliet set up (the can't be together, not the dying and melodrama)





Never Judge a Lady By Her Cover (The Rules of Scoundrels #4) - Sarah MacLean

 Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover (The Rules of Scoundrels, #4)

This is hands down my very favourite romance novel.  I will warn you before reading any descriptions of this one that it does spoil the identity of a character that's featured in all the previous books, so I'm not going to give away details on this one.  Here's what you can expect: Sarah MacLean pretty much always writes romance that is
A. Hot as hell
B. Full of banter
C. Actually has stuff OTHER than the romance going on.

For readers who like: gender bending, non lily-white/naive ladies, cat and mouse relationships, heroines with children





Notorious Pleasures (Maiden Lane) - Elizabeth Hoyt

 Notorious Pleasures (Maiden Lane, #2)

This one is for those who aren't looking for fluffy humour in their romance.  Hoyt can tend towards melodrama, but if you are looking for a strong secondary story line outside the romance and more world building than you generally get in a romance novel, this is for you.





Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys #1) - Julia Quinn

 Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys, #1)

Julia Quinn IS the quippiest of quippy banter!  If you want fun and funny in your romance - this is the author for you. This also somehow manages to mash up girl-next-door and love to hate which is basically the best of all possible worlds! You get awesome strong familial relationships, plus all the sparks and banter of love-to-hate.





Simply Perfect (Simply Quartet #4) - Mary Balogh

 Simply Perfect (Simply Quartet #4)

If you're looking for something more serious, you should check out Mary Balogh.  She's not in it for the quips and banter, but almost every character has strong familial or platonic relationships which is always really important to me.  She also usually has if not a main character, than someone close to the main character that has some sort of disability and she writes it with such sensitivity.  It ranges from scarring to PTSD to inability to walk.  One of her series is actually centered on kind of a....therapy group of sorts.  In any case, I will admit as an able bodied person I could be wrong, but from what I can tell it seems to be well researched and written well and sensitively.  This particular series focuses on a girl's finishing school and it's instructors!

For readers who: tend towards less fluffy romance, governess/duke pairings





Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (Love by Numbers #1) - Sarah MacLean

 Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (Love By Numbers, #1)

Ok wait...I lied THIS is my favourite romance.  It was my first Sarah MacLean and damn it, it's just SO GOOD.  Sarah MacLean has the humour of Julia Quinn, but she doesn't get quite as silly (so if silly is your go to, Julia Quinn is your best bet).  This is a classic wallflower goes out of her comfort zone situation, so needless to say shennanigans and sparks ensue!





Romancing the Duke (Castles Ever After #1) - Tessa Dare

Romancing the Duke (Castles Ever After, #1)

This one is actually another kind of Beauty and the Beast set up actually...I wonder if that's a Tessa Dare thing?  (Clearly I have a thing for this set up) It's delightful - there's banter, there absolutely ridiculous romance novel names (Isolde Ophelia Goodnight and Ransom in case you are wondering although they make fun of the names, don't worry), and the heroine leads the romance.





Destiny's Embrace (Destiny #1) - Beverly Jenkins

Destiny's Embrace (Destiny's, #1)

What historical romance list would be complete without Beverly Jenkins?  I will say that it's very hit or miss for me.  This one was a hit, the one set during the Revolutionary War, not so much.  Bonuses in this one: not only is it written by a WoC, it features an interracial couple (whaaaat) and since it's set in the West when people were just settling out there which means she manages to keep the story fun. It doesn't ignore race, but let's be real it's a challenge to write a fun romance (because I imagine I'm not alone in using romance as an escape) when slavery/Jim Crow laws/interracial relationships (although probably not the one in this case) being illegal are all a thing.  It's a hard balance to strike I imagine.  Bonus here?  I feel like most historical romances are set in Britain or maybe in glamorous New York.  This one is set in the West.  It's a completely new set of expectations and rules! 

For readers who like: new historical romance settings, interracial relationships, authors who are WoC, Westerns



And that's my list!  Leave me a link below and I'll check out yours!  And I'm always in the market for new romances.  I'm PARTICULARLY in the market for lesbian historical romances...but not depressing ones like Fingersmith (also WHY DON'T THERE SEEM TO BE ANY OF THESE), interracial/non white historical romances.  I know Alyssa Cole isn't on this list - it's only because the wait at the library is so damn long - I've been on the waitlist since it came out almost a year ago *sobs*.  Also - any asian male/white person pairings are a bonus!  Nothing like a white girl dating a Korean to make you realize there's definitely not much of that out there.

Point is: PLEASE HELP ME I'M IN A ROMANCE HOLE I NEED MORE. 

Sunday, February 11, 2018

A Day in the Life #51



Hi everyone!  I'm back - hopefully for good, even if I'm betting I'm still going to be posting rather sporadically.  But I'm going to try and post at least once a month, you know, just to prove I'm still alive. 

I think my sudden burst of creativity has come from the fact that I just had my third observation (and it went well yay!)  (Observations are where an administrator watches you teach a class and evaluates you) I don't think I realized how much stress I was carrying about it.  My first observation happened right before winter break and it did NOT go well.  It was an observation of my exploratory classes, which I am brand new to teaching.  None of what I did in student teaching or teaching last year had to do with regular classroom management or strategies for classroom teaching.  Teaching instrumental music is just a completely different beast.  Exploratory music is this weird hybrid where it's like combining a regular class but also giving the kids instruments.  I don't really know how to explain the difference - it's not class size. I mean, yeah most of my instrumental classes have less than 10 kids in them, but I also taught a class with 68 students in it last year.  All at the same time.  I think it's because exploratory music isn't a performance based class, but the kids are supposed to perform so the stuff that ISN'T about performing is sometimes a struggle for me.  So unsurprisingly....my exploratory classes can be a huge mess.  So in some ways I'm glad it was my first observation, because it motivated me to get my shit together. 

On the upside a week later I had an instrumental class at a different school observed, and I got the highest score you can get across the board.  But then, I've never had concerns about teaching instrumental music really.  I know how to fix things when I feel like things didn't go well.  So this week was my third observation, and I was super nervous about it because it was another observation of an exploratory class.  But this time it wasn't one of terrible classes (my exploratory classes on any given day at my first school are rough), it was one of my best exploratory classes which helped boost my confidence a bit.  And it went really, really well!  The kids were awesome (they're always awesome in that class).  The principal didn't have anything I needed to improve on so I'm hoping I get the highest score for this observation, but as long as I get marked efficient (the second highest score) I'll be happy!  And it seems unlikely I'll be marked lower.

SO YAY! CELEBRATE!!!  I only have one more observation left, and even if I for some unknown tank the last observation, it should average out to an overall rating of efficient for the year.  I'M HOME FREE!!!  Sort of.  I mean I do still have to be observed, and I do have my spring concerts to arrange (probably seven again *sobs*) 

It also probably helps that I basically haven't had a full week of school in forever.  Between the snow days, long weekends, and me getting a stomach virus I think I've only had two weeks where I taught all five days.  I literally taught two and a half days this week.  It's probably the first time I've actually felt like I had a really cushy job haha!  I mean...I'm probably not going to have a spring break at all, so there's that.

In any case, things are going really well!  I hope all of you are having as stress free a winter as me :).  And to prove I've been lurking around reading blogs, even if I haven't been writing - here's like three months worth of interesting links!


Bookish Lists

- G.G. lists the 10 Best Podcasts for Romance Readers.
- Judith names the 9 Best Queer Book Releases of January 2018.
- Leah and Natalie share SFF that's Sexier (and Healthier) than 50 Shades.
- James is trying to Fight Erasure: Women SF Writer's of the 1970's (A-F).


Tamora Pierce

- Meghan Ball writes basically everything I've ever felt about Tamora Pierce.
- Josephine Wolff writes more of basically everything I've ever felt about Tamora Pierce.
- Adventures in YA Publishing interview Tamora Pierce about A Spy's Guide to Tortall.
- Natalie writes “Fantasy is the Realm of Idealism”: Tamora Pierce in Conversation with the Female Fantasy Authors She Inspired.
- If you ever wanted to know which actor was Tamora Pierce's inspiration for Lord Wyldon...


Other Authors

- Leah interviews Brooke Bolander, Maria Dahvana Headley, and Amal El-Mohtar, authors of an alternate history novella.
- Seanan Maguire Learned How to Write Fluffy, Glittery Violence - from My Little Pony.
- Marie Brennan demonstrates How to Fight in a Victorian Dress
- Katharine Ashe on the art of mixing genres.
- Meg Cabot shares How Princess Leia Changed Her Life.
- The Book Wars interview Axie Oh (author of Rebel Seoul).


Bookish Things

- Mimi gives A Short History of Southern Asian Speculative Fiction.
- Natalie discusses Giving the Gift of Fanfiction.
- Heather shares the Joy of the Underrated Book.
- Alvaro gives Stats on How Authors Use Language.
- Heather states Adult Books Are Not All Miserable Marriages.
- Annemieke shares her Reading Journey with her year-old son.
- Stubby the Rocket gives us details on the Black Mirror book!
- McIntosh discusses the Nurturing, Empathetic Masculinity of Newt Scamander.


Nonbookish Things

- I literally spent a good portion of last year thinking West Side Story was well overdue for a remake!
- Emily shares Little Known Facts About The Princess Bride.
- Samantha says that When the Educational System Failed Her, Neopets Was There. (A sentiment I can sympathize with)
- Michael Livingston (who lectures about Medieval history) defends his favourite Medieval film: A Knight's Tale.
- Stephanie shares How the Most Progressive Moments in Her Favourite Cartoons Shaped Her Feminism.
- Kaila talks about how girls ACTUALLY play with dolls. (YES. THIS WAS ME SO MUCH.  I thought I was a weirdo and the only one!)
- Leigh has a nostalgia rewatch of The Fifth Element.
- Eric discusses his complicated relation ship with Miss Saigon.
- Leah says Studio Ghibli's original pairing of Grave of the Fireflies and My Neighbor Totoro was....not a good idea.

Thursday, February 8, 2018

January Mini Reviews Part 1

I started posting short blurbs on twitter to see if it would help motivate me to start writing more (I can no longer use free time as an excuse because if I've been able to watch as much TV as I have in the past month?  I could DEFINITELY be blogging again! ...maybe I'll start doing TV blurbs too...)



The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad #2) by Tana French

The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad, #2)

Rating: 4.75 stars

I did not like the first novel in the series, In the Woods, very much AT ALL, which is a fairly unpopular opinion.  I think a large part of it was that I was in the mood for more of a cozy murder mystery, which these books are definitely NOT.  It doesn't wrap the story up in a neat little bow at the end...in really any way.  Normally I love open endings, so I'm not sure how much of my dislike was warranted and how much was a mood reading issue.  Knowing what I was getting into for this book helped a lot I think.  It also helps that I like the protagonist of this one a lot, and I didn't love the protagonist of the last one.  It was twisty and turny and I thought it was really interesting that in a lot of ways the villain here is a mirror to the villain in the last book.  I can't really expound on that without spoilers, but I'd love to chat to someone whose read both books and hear their thoughts!




The Prisoner of Heaven (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #3) - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Prisoner of Heaven (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #3)

Rating: 4.75 stars

There's something indescribably lyrical about the way Spanish speaking authors write.  Every single one I've read has this lush, magical quality to their writing, and Zafon is no different.  The Shadow of the Wind (the first book in the series) remains one of my all time favourite books in no small part because of the gorgeous writing.  It's still my favourite of the three books, but all of them are gorgeous and interesting.  They're also stylistically different  - the first one is more of a mystery, the second gothic, and this third one is...I guess more like straight historical fiction.  It's really cool you can read the books in any order too - the details just get revealed to you in a different order, which is really incredible!




The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street

Rating: 5 stars

I can already tell you this is going to be one of my favourite novels of the whole year.  It's even a contender for my favourite book of the year.  It has this quiet, introspective quality to it that reminded me a lot of Station Eleven, even if they are completely different novels in content.  But like Station Eleven, the quietness of the novel manages to really make an impact.  The intersection of English and Japanese culture has a great deal to do with the book, so of course we have some Japanese main characters in a Victorian era England is delightful.  There are some other things that I LOVED about this book, but I can't say much because of spoilers.  If there is one book on this list I hope someone else reads, it is this one!




An Equal Music - Vikram Seth

An Equal Music

Rating: 2.5 stars

On the one hand, this is one of the best written fiction books involving classical music I've read.  The author really gets it - the way he writes about practicing and performing music is spot on, as well as how he writes about how being a member of a chamber group is this weird family dynamic.  I've really never read any other book that was so spot on about the whole classical music aspect of things.

On the other hand, it's literally every single thing I hate about contemporary literature.  Anything that wasn't about classical music was about the MC's obsession with his old girl friend and they're all very unhappy and there's affairs and they stay very unhappy and then nothing happens, the end.




Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Yes Please

Rating: 5 stars

I read this on audiobook, and I firmly believe it is the only way it should be read.  I don't know how many of the asides made it into the book, but hearing Amy read it herself is just perfect.  I will say that I am a huge fan of her work, especially Parks & Rec (guys I'm pretty sure I had an entire post that was just Leslie Knope gifs) so some of it is that I'm used to hearing Amy's voice. 

This book was so empowering and uplifting and it came to me at the perfect moment.  I'd had a really rough week at school - I had my first observation, and it did NOT go well, a parent had gone off on me and pulled her child out of the music program, I was stressed out about the SEVEN WINTER CONCERTS I had to organize...all in all just a freaking stellar week.  And this book was just so funny and honest and it really managed to line up the chapters with exactly what I needed each day these events hit.  If there was ever a time I believed in a higher power, the timing of this book would have done it.




The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke #1) by Tessa Dare

The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke, #1)

Rating: 5 stars

I loved this. Like super loved this.  It has a very Beauty and the Beast set up without the guy being abusive (which is usually how it comes off).  Dare doesn't shy away from the Duke's scars, they never improve, there is no magic solution and that's always really important to me when I'm reading a novel.  Despite her compassion, Emma is also no shy pushover - she's gone through some serious hardships and is more or less a self made woman.  Two strong, independent, well rounded characters + serious chemistry?    Count me in!




The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel #3) by Sarah MacLean

The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel, #3)

Rating: 3.5 stars

This is such a cool concept - historical romance...divorce!  There's actually a lot research behind it (I got to hear Sarah MacLean talk about it at Baltimore Book Fest!) and it's definitely not something I think we've seen written about before.  And it was a good story, I just don't have a lot of tolerance for as much back and forth as we got in the story.  MacLean is and always will be my favourite historical romance novelist (and the first book in this series is one of my all time favourite books btw), so I may be rating this one a bit harshly out of ridiculously high expectations.



I did it! I wrote something!  Admittedly, a bit sparse, but it's a start.  I'm trying to start writing more and watching tv less, because I'm not loving that I've got 0 creative spark and I actually have TIME to be doing stuff, so I'm going to ATTEMPT to dip my foot back into the blogging pool again.  Especially (as you can see from this list) since I'm having an extraordinarily good reading year so far, and I have so many awesome books to share with you!