Buzz About Books

It’s been a lot of fun at our house lately, as we adopted a new dog a couple of months ago.  It is truly like having a 2 year old in the house!  I don’t know if you’ve read the book Marley and Me but we’ve had a few Marley type moments. 

This is the time of year when I start to think about my summer reading.  All year long I tend to read for a short time,  right before bed.  Many times I fall asleep reading or I think I’m reading but I’m not actually taking anything in.  The next night I often have to page back to remind myself what’s going on.  So I look forward to summer, when I can actually spend as much time as I want reading a book.  Last year I loaded up three books on my Kindle to take to Hawaii, and I actually read two of them in that week!  It was awesome. 

So what kinds of books do you like to read in the summer?  I still stick to my usual murder mysteries, but I do start to branch out a bit, as I have more time and don’t mind taking the time, to get into a new author or a new genre.   I am hoping to read some of the new books that are out there, particularly some of the new Young Adult fiction.  One series I’d like to tackle is The Hunger Games.   I’ve heard nothing but raves from Jr. High students about this series, and I’ve seen some final projects that students created that were phenomenal.   I want to be able to talk with them about this book!  I also like to read books before they become movies, so I am going to try and read Water for Elephants quickly and then watch the movie.  I’m reluctant to go first and then read the book!  As well, you all know, I am a huge Harry Potter fan, so I’ll probably be rereading many of those, getting ready for the last movie! 

I hope you all have a relaxing summer and make sure you drop by and let me know what you are reading!

That quote by Dr. J.R. Stockton gave me pause to reflect on the relationship of winter and reading.  The depth of winter is definitely a  time for curling up in front of the fire with a good book.  Over the Christmas holidays I was given many opportunities for doing just that!  In January, between shoveling , I have also found myself engrossed in a good book.    Last Sunday I had such a feeling of contenment as I looked around my living room; a fire blazing, and my whole family curled up on chairs and couches with their noses in a book.   I do believe it is important that we remember the joys that can be found by delving into a good story!  In the age of electronics and special effects, I still think there is something to be said about the pictures that we can create in our minds.  There is nothing more disappointing than reading a good book that gets turned into a movie and the movie just doesn’t quite add up to that first experience you had amongst the pages of the book.  Of course, Hollywood has been doing a pretty good job these days of adapting the books, but there are still little bits and pieces that just can’t be portrayed over the screen.  In Harry Potter, Eragon, The Lord of the Rings and many others, so much information and detail is passed on to the reader by what the main character is thinking.  We still don’t get that inside point of view in a movie! 

So, I guess what I am reflecting on today, is that I still think there is nothing like a good book!  Sure, I’ve succumbed and I do own a Kindle, but I sometimes still need to feel pages between my fingers!  I love to go to a good movie, but I still find an inner contentment in sitting in the living room, snuggled up to the fire, with my mind racing through the pages of another compelling story.  

So – Spring is hopefully around the corner.  Enjoy these last few months of winter finding a book that takes you into another world.  Share that book with us!

  I am so excited about next weekend.  The first part, of the last Harry Potter movie series is out in theaters.  I have to say that I have never enjoyed a series of books as much as I have enjoyed the Harry Potter series.  Last month we were talking about connecting with books, and how much fun a book can be when there is a part or character or setting with which you can really connect. 

I initially read the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone,  because someone gave it to my son as a birthday present.  This was back when the books first hit the Canadian market.  He wasn’t all that interested in reading it, but we began to hear so much about the book that we started.   Needless to say, he finished the first book before I did.  I had started reading it out loud to him and that was all it took.  He was hooked.  Of course, I had to read it as well, as I was also hooked and couldn’t believe he went ahead and finished the book without me!  Of course, Grandma worked as the librarian at a school, and pretty soon the rest of the books arrived in our house as gifts.  Soon all of us were hooked on the series and were fighting over whose turn it was to read the next book.   It was the first time that everyone in the house was into the same book series and we could all discuss and debate about them.

So what is it about these books that manages to capture an entire family’s attention?  I think for our family it was the idea of the “under dog”:  the child who doesn’t have a family and the family that takes him in, doesn’t really want him.  It’s the idea that you know Harry could “get back” at people, but he chooses to use his powers for good and not evil.  It is the idea of friendships, of mentors, of first love, of fantasy of heros and so on.  I will be sad when I have to finally say goodbye to the characters.  However, because these are books, and they hold a special place on my book shelf, (and movie shelf ) I know that I will be able to re-visit them again, whenever I am in the mood to relive some of the adventures!

So tell me, what do you think about Harry?

“It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.”
-  P. D. James

What a great thought!  I love reading P. D. James books.  I am almost positive this is the opening to one of her novels.  Honestly, I have never been to England but when I read the quote it made me think about this fall, and how we really have had some of those ”perfect” autumn days!  

As I was ruminating about what I wanted to post on the blog for October, I began to think about the types of books that I have been reading.  I realized that I have been somewhat stuck in a pattern.   This pattern has actually lasted for quite some time!  My reading pattern has been books that are set in and written by people in Great Britain.  This craze started probably over 10 years ago when I stumbled upon the writings of P. D. James.  From the time I was a little girl I have been a lover of the mystery story.  Someone told me I should try some novels by P.D. James and I have been hooked ever since.  I love books that are written in a series and I love reading about the culture and country side of Britain.  I long to take a visit there one day.   

In my sessions with teachers at Division office I have been talking about the reading comprehension strategy Making Connections.  When a reader can make a text to self connection, (personal) or a text to text  (to another book or story) connection, it helps deepen their understanding of what they are reading.  When authors create characters and write a series of novels about them, it allows us as the reader to connect to that character.  For me I start to really care about the character and wonder what they will do in certain situations, and how they will grow and change over time.  I often begin to predict what the character will do because of how they acted in another book.  I am interested to know what you think about making connections?  Tell me about your thinking when you read a book.  Let me know if you have a favorite series of books!  Below are some of favorite British writers and their main character.  They are definitely adult reading but you can let your parents know if they are looking for a good book to read! 

P. D. James – Inspector Dalgliesh, Ian Rankin – Inspector Rebus, Colin Dexter – Inspector Morse, Martha Grimes – Inspector Jury, Ruth Rendell - Inspector Wexford, Caroline Graham – Inspector Barnaby, Anne Granger – Inspector Markby, Elizabeth George - Inspector Lynley

Hi Forest Green!  I’m so excited to get this new blog off the ground and find out what you are all reading.  There is nothing more fun to me than to talk about reading books.  Books have always been my escape – I love TV and I like to play computer games, but my first love has always been escaping into the world of books. 

So – tell me about a book you read this summer!  OR post a Review of a book that you have read that you want to pass on to our school community!   

Happy reading!