52 Weeks - 52 Books #13, 14 & 15

I posted these three together, as I read them in succession.

My co-teacher and I in the English department,( Okay, that's stretching it, we are the English department.) decided that we would set up our courses so that each class had a unifying theme. It's been working really well. I've actually been doing the reading for some stuff for next year's themes, so we can be on the ball and order some new novels. (That's an ulterior motive...getting some new novels into the rotation!)

One theme I really want to do is a 'War & Peace' theme. So I read these. Myers' books are great. I've read a pile of his YA fiction, and it's really good. I especially liked Sunrise over Fallujah...nice to read something current.

Night, well, Night is great. What a fantastic account of the Holocaust. Jeez, I just read that. By fantastic I mean well written, with a very definite voice.

I could've erased that, but I figured it stands very interestingly as is.

52 Weeks - 52 Books #12

More Star Wars shenanigans...

I'll be honest, I'm looking forward to ending the series, not because it's bad, but I'm feeling kind of locked into the series, like I should have one of these in the wings, ready to be read...

52 Weeks - 52 Books #11

One of my top five favorite movies of all time...and I've finally read the book...

Maybe because I loved the movie so much, it made the book a bit much to take...

See, Luke, in the film, brilliantly portrayed by Paul Newman, is much more whimsical...less dark...even his death seems to be in question (Sorry if that spoiled it for the one person who reads this blog, and if you haven't seen the film, get off the Interweb and watch it please...)

Luke, in the novel, has a much more palpable anger... the scenes that are so beloved from the film, such as the eggs, are present, but it just feels meaner...

And let's be fair, you can only create so much whimsy in a work of fiction about a chain gang...

52 Weeks - 52 Books #9 & #10

Figured I might as well double up on this post. Yeah, I've clearly been geeking out...

I am really digging the New Jedi Order series...I mean, these are what I call popcorn books...I can polish one off in an uninterrupted afternoon...

But, I like what they've done with the series...the struggles that the characters are going through as a result of the war... well done.

52 Weeks - 52 Books #8

Awesome!

So, I'll be dorking it bigtime soon.

I have the series, and have so far eBayed the first miniseries, and am being frugal in my searching for The Final Battle.

I loved V as a kid, and really, really enjoyed this book. I mean, it's not without flaw, but still really enjoyable.

Very excited to see that a new TV remake has been greenlit...well, a pilot anyway....

52 Weeks - 52 Books #7

Finishing this was my 'red badge of courage.' Hurt like a wound would too.

Not going to lie to ya here, not a fan!

I'll probably still offer it as an option for some students to read (Grade 10 - Heroism and Facing Adversity) but it's gonna be a hard sell for me!

52 Weeks - 52 Books #6

Again, reading for work. All our English classes are centered around a theme this year.

Grade 11 is 'Justice.'

I think some kids will be into this, seeing as how it's set in Manitoba.

Amazing what can happen, and be accepted in a small town...

52 Weeks - 52 Books #5

A short one...and I'm a quick reader...

A classic. So sad...

I'll make use of this one at school for sure, especially since a recent retiree ordered a class set of 'em...

52 Weeks - 52 Books #4

Okay, so I'm whipping along very well on this aspect of my New Years Resolutions...Semester is ending, so I'm reading a lot for next semester, books I may have the kids read...

This one, very good, and very sad.

Really, I don't want to be all spoiler-ific and give it away, but it's a bummer. I mean, I guess, how many chipper, happy Holocaust novels are there really?

Highly recommended though...

52 Weeks - 52 Books #3

As a longtime fan of The Catcher in the Rye, I must admit, I've always been curious about Salinger's other works.

Franny and Zooey, although quite good, just doesn't have quite what Rye did. I dunno, it just wasn't as engaging.

Although, as usual, reading leads me to WikiGoogling (My term for all Internet research...I don't know if I coined it, but I'm claiming it like I did.) and so now, I've got his story collections added to the list of things I want to read.

Irony of all ironies, I've been looking for this book for a while, and did not find it in a book store, but in a record store.

If anyone actually still calls them that...

52 Weeks - 52 Books #2

Weeks like this one will make up for the really busy weeks I'm sure...

This one, I read for work, but really enjoyed it. Each grade of English that I teach this year has a theme...Grade 11 is justice...

This fits.

And it's a really, really good book.

I'm in the process of bumping the movie to the top of my cinemail queue...

52 Weeks - 52 Books #1

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order - Enemy Lines II - Rebel Stand
Aaron Allston

Probably a bunch of really dorky books will show up here.

Been working my way through this series for a while now, and thoroughly enjoying it. Finding it really interesting seeing the Solos and Skywalkers suffer through this war...

Pretty well written too, considering how hit and miss the Star Wars novel universe can be