June Reads

Let's get back on track with my reading blogs.  I've been super busy with the closing of my 19th year teaching!!!   It turned out to be a really good year, but I worked myself to death to make it that way and there was NO time for extras at the end. 

Finally, we are back to rest & health and on our way to enjoying our most favorite time of the year- 

SUMMMER! 

June Reads

These are my June Reads 

(in between my Turkish TV and Netflix).

House of Earth and Blood 

(Crescent City) by Sarah J Maas

I started this 800 page whopper while my students were testing.  I am not a huge fan of science fiction but I loved the Court of Thorn and Roses series.  Maas is fantastic at writing tortured but strong female characters.  

This book takes you into the very colorful and exciting 'Crescent City' where magic and creatures live their best lives.

We meet our main character, Bryce Quinla, who loves antiques, parties, and her best friend Danika.  Danika's death provides a traumatic event that changes the trajectory of Bryce's life forever.  She is eventually tasked with finding her best friend's killer while teaming up with a hottie hot, hot archangel named Hunt.  One extra I loved on this book was the online Fan Art.  I found myself stopping every few chapters and just scrolling through the art online.  It was like a provided comic book that came with the story. 

I gave this book 4/5 stars.  It almost felt like I was reading a teen drama with adult language/ situations, and sometimes the story would draggggggg on.  

Bryce and Danika 
BFFs

  

This is HUNT.  

(Yes, I realize I'm 43 and too old to be ogling an angel book boy.)

Book 2 was loaned to me as well, but I'm not sure I want to take another 800 page journey.  At the same time I'm kind of invested in Crescent City, ya' know?!
I might take on a chapter tonight (if Hunt shows up). 

Blind Tiger by Sandra Brown

I love me some Sandra Brown (I was introduced to Slow Heat in Heaven at age 20, and all I can say is 'Lordy-Day Honey, it's HOT!!')

This is a very different book by Brown.  

It takes place in the 1920s during prohibition.  After my read, I had no idea why this book was named "Blind Tiger".  I looked up the phrase and it is named for a speakeasy (a bar) during the prohibition era.  The custom was to display stuffed tigers to alert potential patrons of the availability of illegal alcohol.  The tigers were blind because the authorities did not know they existed. 

 

This book had all the makings of a 5 star read.  It had history, mystery, a handsome loner, a determined heroine, and a crooked police force. 

I only gave this three out of five stars.  I started this book on audio and a man read all the parts for all the characters (in a fake southern accent).  It was so annoying I just bought the book and read the other half for myself.  That may be what dropped a star (I'm not sure).   

Warning- There is also a VERY violent scene in this book that stayed with me for a while.   

  Overall, I enjoyed the story, especially Thatcher and Laurel. These two characters went through hell and back.  You could not help but root for them to find love and peace.  The only down for me was that the characters were not fleshed out enough, and too many plot points wrapped up quickly at the end. 

Going There By Katie Couric 

 I love Katie Couric.  She reminds me of me- hyper, happy, and a Great Girlfriend!  

While other kids my age were watching 90210 I was all about the The Today Show (not kidding.  #geek).  

I think I was a pretty lonely kid, and upbeat talk shows like Rosie O Donell Talk Show and The Today Show seemed to put me at ease and make me laugh. 

I once had a dream of being a journalist or talk show host.  In the 90s, there was no team better than Matt and Katie.  They were so fun and funny!! 

Katie Couric as a child raising $$$ for the Red Cross

Going There...went there.  

This woman named names and told how she felt from coworkers to dates to Martha Stewart!! 

Katie also shared a lot of poignant moments in her life from finding out she was pregnant in her career prime to losing her husband early with two small girls. 

Of course, we all wanted to know about MATT.

In Bill Clinton fashion, I hung onto the belief that Matt Lauer was not a SKUZ and that he was being set up.   I think Katie battled with the same feelings.  

If you look at the index of her book, Matt was a huge part of her memoir. 

According to this book it seems the journalistic world is no better than Hollywood- 

ALL SKUZ!!  

There is still 'I'll get you to the top if you sleep with me' crap that should have died in the 20s.  

There were times when I questioned- Is Katie Couric trying to sell books here?  Is this real?  She was a fence rider when it came to Matt.  She would declare all of his wonderful attributes, share texts she sent promising to support and call him, and then she just ghosted the man when he was down.  It also didn't seem like it was for the victims, but rather for fear of tarnishing her own reputation.  (I didn't like that about Katie.)  

She did write, 

"I've come to realize that Matt could be an excellent professional a partner, a good friend, and a predator."

Meaning, there were two sides- one she knew and one she didn't know. 

I love the way her chapters were broken into short, small segments (like The Today Show).  There were 99 chapters in all.  I found myself stopping each evening to google search the historical events she would describe.  I watched countless videos such as the first morning Katie anchored The Today Show, the morning of 9/11, the day after the Columbine Shooting, etc.

At the end of the day, Katie Couric shared a very real story of her life that I enjoyed.  One of the things that annoy me in life is that if I'm not constantly peppy all the time, people pelt me with 'oh my gosh, are you mad at me?  are you ok? Are you sick?'  One colleague (many moons ago) accused me of having "multiple personalities" anytime I expressed stress, worry, or concern.  I realized I was doing the same thing to another woman named Katie Couric. 

I almost gave this book 4 stars because in my head I was wanting the peppy and upbeat "Katie 'Katherine' Couric" to show on the pages.  Instead I read about a deeply competitive woman who came from humble beginnings to be the success she is today.

She sacrificed a lot to be at the top.  They were sacrifices I wouldn't want to make but not for me to judge. 

This book made me so glad I didn't go into journalism.  I decided to upgrade this one to 5 stars. 

Let me know if you want to borrow this one.  It does have ice cream stains all over it because I was eating Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk while I was reading.  It seemed appropriate at the time. 

Paperboy by Vince Vawter

I began this one with my 7th graders after Christmas.  The bad news is we couldn't finish it.  We had to prepare for so many tests and exams at the end, we didn't have the time.  It's ironic that I can't finish reading a great book with my kids so they can pass a test that says they can read!?! 

This story takes place in around a very intelligent, baseball loving boy named Vince- 'Little Man'.  The problem is Little Man has a TERRIBLE stutter.  He has so much trouble expressing himself that you begin to feel for this young man from the first page. My students related immediately.  Little Man comes from a wealthy middle class upbringing with a mom and dad who can afford private speech therapy.  He also has a very close attachment to his nanny who he refers to as Mam.  Mam is an African American woman who is deeply religious, caring, and as sassy as they come.  She is literally a mom figure.  

Things really change for Little Man when he takes over a paper route for his best friend.  There he becomes entangled in the lives of those he delivers.

We have:

Mr Spiro- a Shakespearian wordsmith who challenges Little Man in every way that is good. 

Mrs. Worthington- Little Man's first crush.  Things get a little weird in this part of the story because apparently Mrs. W. has a problem with men and alcoholism.  This certainly provided some talking points (and remarks) in 7th grade. 

TV Boy- a boy who never talks to Little Man but literally stays glued to the TV.

Ara T- a very, very bad man who patrols the area with his cart full of junk and stolen goods.  Things take a twist when Mam gets involved. 

This book deals with everything from racism, paternity, violence, theft, expression, alcoholism, and in general what it means to fight to be yourself. 

I gave this Newberry Award winner 5 stars!

See you next month (and keep reading).