Into Thin Air by John Krakauer: An account of a trip up Mount Everest that turned infamous, and deadly. Krakauer does a great job of not only explaining what happened on the mountain over those few months as well as the basics of climbing a mountain, which is much more involved than I had imagined.
The Hunger Games (all 3 for free, thanks to my LoanMe friend :)) by Suzanne Collins. Apprehensive at first, but totally hooked now. Initially I had heard it was a book about kids killing kids. Yes, there is that element but the further you get into the series the more you realize it's about bigger things (you could even apply it to the direction our society could take should things fall into the wrong hands). I look forward to seeing how the movies go.
Bossypants by Tina Fey - Funny. Funny. Book. Precisely my sense of humor. I wish I could be as witty as her. I recommend this as a fun summer read. It's a biography about her life and her career at SNL and 30 Rock.
Currently Reading:
Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer: Controversial, but very interesting. Take it with a grain of salt because while I believe that much of it is factual, there is definitely biased information. I am trying to keep an open mind. Fascinating, though. Krakauer is a great author. I would also like to say that, thus far, this book really applies to all extremists that we see in faiths of any sort and how easy it is to generalize a population by its most polarizing groups.
The Lost Hero (#1) by Rick Riordan: I read all of the Percy Jackson books and loved them (I get away with it because I am a teacher). So, this is the second series - same characters but also a new set of demigods.
I'm doing pretty well for still being in school (on book 6/7) and having slight reading-induced narcolepsy. I'm also compiling a list of books to pre-read that I could read to my students during homeroom. I would love to take recommendations. I teach 7th grade and want a book that is slightly younger than that. I want it to be somewhat suspenseful so kids look forward to reading it, but also maybe have something that could lead to a discussion. It's hard to find middle school read-alouds, but the list of books I'm going to pre-read are:
Esperanza Rising - Pam Munoz Ryan
Hoot - Carl Hiassen
Flush - Carl Hiassen
Scat - Carl Hiassen
The Misfits - James Howe
The Land - Mildred Taylor
Flygirl - Sherri L. Smith
I haven't read any of these yet, but just picked up 3 from the library. Hiassen's books seem to have a eco-issues theme, which I like since I teach science. Esperanza Rising and the Misfits is about overcoming odds/growing up I believe, which I also like. I obviously need something that will appeal to both sexes. Flygirl obviously has a girl lead, but it's about being a pilot so it may work... Anyway, suggestions are welcome.
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