178 books later

Once again this year I set the goal of reading a book a day, and I was successful in doing so. When I tell students this, their jaws drop. They can't believe I read one book a day. I always tell them that the number of pages vary widely, from short 48 pages book to monsters of literature at 600 plus pages. Over the course of the year, I have read an average of 194 pages a day (see chart below). I also tell the kids that I "read" many books in my car or when I am out and about. I'd say about half of the books I read this year were audiobooks.

Month	Total Page numbers	Average
September 2016	5179	225.17
October 2016	3515	185.00
November 2016	3265	192.06
December 2016	3470	231.33
January 2017	4230	211.50
February 2017	3452	203.06
March 2017	4031	223.94
April 2017	3115	135.43
May 2017	4848	210.78
June 2017	2757	119.87
Total	37862	193.82

My 500th post took place on October 24, 2016, with The Right to Privacy. I didn't see this milestone creep up or I would have picked a more interesting book for this post. I also reached 600, this time with Great Expectations on April 10, 2017. I have now read about 5% of the school collection. When students ask if I will ever read all of the books in the library, I have to tell them that this will never happen. I read 178 books, but I purchased 223 books this year, so I am already behind.

Many books deserve to be addressed again. Fat Angie stuck with me not because it has so many themes and it packs a punch in a short amount of time, but because of the sheer misery that Angie experiences in high school. Vika and Nikolai's struggles as enchanters involved in a fight to the death for the title of Imperial Enchanter for the Russian crown in The Crown's Game. This book revealed a startling historical environment in the Russia of 1825 yet featured enough magic to make it fantasy. Historical fantasy, anyone? And like most of the books I've read about Russia, the ending is not necessarily "and they lived happily ever after." It was a good first novel by Evelyn Skye, and I'm looking forward to reading the Crown's Fate next year.

Aftermath by Clara Kensie was one of the most thought provoking book, with several major plot twists and a giant reveal at the end that will leave you breathless. It sparked many conversations between myself and the students who read it. If you haven't heard about this book, you absolutely need to take a look. Another great book was Wink, Poppy and Midnight by April Tucholke. It featured a plot twist I didn't see coming, and though all of the characters are unsympathetic, watching this train wreck is a guilty pleasure you won't want to miss.

I somehow ended up reading several Holocaust related novels this year: The Book Thief, T4, The Girl in the Blue Coat, and What World is Left. I'm not sure how it happened, but books based on these themes are very popular at my school, especially in the middle school grades.

It's always bittersweet to complete a series. You've lived for so long with these characters and the world in which they dwell. You know their friends, their families, and what they like. You know their enemies, and you know the trials they have gone through. Whether the series was two books, a trilogy, four books, or more, with the last pages comes the realization that you will never spend time reading new adventures. This year I said goodbye to many old friends.

Flynn, Tarvar, Sophia, Gideon, Jubilee, and Lilac met on Corinth and managed to end LaRoux Industries' bid to open Rifts in hyperspace in This Fractured Light. I had to review the first two of these books for VOYA, and I didn't warm up to them much. I'm not a fan of the different viewpoint narrations, and the switch of characters between the two books meant no real continuity between them. However, though the third and final book introduces yet again two new characters, it goes a great job of tying all the loose ends together and seamlessly integrates all of the characters into the overarching plot. 

Gwyneth and Gideon's strained time-traveling love in the Ruby Red series also ended too quickly. This was a series that first came out a few years ago, but at the time I had not managed to read it. I made up for it this year when I read all three over the course of about two months. As a rule, time-travel stories are hard to pull off because there are so many intricate timing details that must be respected, but Kerstin Gier did a fantastic job in this series, and I was sad to see Gwyneth's antics and adventures end.

Blue, Gansey, Ronan, Adam and Noah concluded their adventures in the fourth and final book of the Raven Cycle, The Raven King. They finally find the mortal remains of Glendower, only to realize there will be no final wish, and that Gansey will in fact die that year. But Cabeswater has one more trick up its sleeve to provide a satisfying conclusion. The characters grew so much over the series. Ronan, who grew from a jerk to a lovable jerk, discovered his attraction to Adam and acted on it. Adam emancipated himself from his useless parents. Gansey fell in love. Blue, who couldn't wait to get out of Henrietta finds out that there may be more to life at home than she thought. Noah, who was a ghost, finally finds peace. Stiefvater once again wrote a masterpiece (think The Wolves of Mercy Falls series), and I can't wait to see will come out of her computer next.

On the nonfiction front, The Omnivore's Dilemma may not have changed most of my eating habits, but it did make me more conscious of what I eat. How the Toilet Changed History is a real eye opener about a topic most of us would rather not think about and provides excellent information on, well, the history of a place most of us end up spending a significant part of our lives on. The maritime disasters and the daring rescues in Their Finest Hour was fascinating and gives you an idea of how hard and dangerous working at sea can be.

The Serial Killers series was a hit at school this year. Consisting of five books dealing with different aspects of serial killers (Medical Serial Killers, Cannibal Serial Killers, Female Serial Killers, Historical Serial Killers and Modern-Day Serial Killers), this series has been extremely popular with students at all levels. Plus the stories are gruesome yet real, which appeals to an important part of the student population. Lost in the Pacific, 1942 was another great survival story to be recommended to fans of Hatchet and to reluctant readers. Speaking of survival, I re-read Krakauer's Into the Wild. After about a decade, the book had aged very well and retains all of its power and Chris' motivations continue to appeal to me.

Another cool new thing I did this year was offer the blog platform as a review place for students in English classes. Patrick was my first guest reviewer on March 31st with Stuck in Neutral, and Charles then published his review of Steelheart on April 5th.

So, that's my year of reading. Want to see all the books? Here's a link to the chart I compiled: https://docs.google.com/a/sau45.org/spreadsheets/d/1I5-guqEB97leKx5WpdwI_hP3Kbxux2kF-mpNjhdbQ9w/edit?usp=sharing. Here's to a great year of reading, and another one next year!

Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. 2008. 105p. 182 mins. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

The Western world’s most famous love tragedy, Romeo and Juliet tells the trials and tribulations of two young lovers who, unfortunately for them, belong to two rival houses who are sworn enemies. Having met by accident, Romeo and Juliet fall in love quickly and determine to keep their relationship secret, knowing that their respective families will oppose their union. They plan on marrying first, then revealing their deed so their families will have to accept their marriage.

Unfortunately Romeo is involved in a scuffle following the Prince’s edict that there be no more fighting between the two sides which results in his friend Mercurio’s death. He avenges Mercurio, a relative of the Prince, and kills his assailant. Forced to defend his edict and inflicting punishment, the Prince banishes Romeo on the pain of death. Juliet’s father decides to marry her to Count Paris, another relative of the Prince to make amend. Juliet, not wanting any of it, drinks a potion that will make her appear dead. She is discovered and buried in the family crypt. Word is to be sent to Romeo so he can come and retrieve her.

Unfortunately word does not reach Romeo in time, and hearing of Juliet’s death by poison resolves to do the same. He breaks in the crypt and is confronted by Paris, whom he kills. Having killed another relative of the Prince, and facing a life without Juliet, he drinks the poison and dies. When Juliet comes to from the effects of her sleeping draught, she finds Romeo dead at her feet, and, facing a life without him, kills herself with his dagger.

Horrified at these senseless deaths, the two families reconcile and end their feuds. The lovers, who could not be together in life, continue to be the quintessential star-crossed youth who could not get what they wanted.

The Book of Story Beginnings

Kladstrup, Kristin. The Book of Story Beginnings. 2006. 360p. ISBN 978-978-0-329-65754-3. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

Lucy Martin and her family are moving from New York City to a rustic farmhouse in Iowa. Owned by her father’s great aunt before her death, the house is in the middle of nowhere with a view of the interstate in the distance. Lucy’s father has lost his job, while her mother works hard as an home-based editor, so moving means not paying rent and a chance for new beginnings. For Lucy, however, it means leaving her friends and the only life she’s known behind. Plus, the house is the scene of Oscar’s disappearance.

Back in 1914, Oscar, Lucy’s great-great uncle disappeared. His sister, who owned the house before she died, swore to her dying breath that she saw Oscar row out to sea in a boat. But how can this be? Iowa is nowhere near an ocean. She spent the rest of her life focused on magic, trying to bring Oscar back. Lucy is intrigued by this mystery, until she discovers that their new housecat Walter is actually Oscar, who has just returned from an island ruled by a Queen who loves birds and a King who loves cats. Oscar discovered the Book of Story Beginnings, where the start of stories can be composed. If the book likes the story, it happens. If it doesn’t, then the story erase itself.

In the process of playing with alchemy, her father transforms himself into a raven which escapes through the window, and a drop from the magical potion hits the cat and transforms it back into Oscar. Now both Lucy and Oscar must work together to find an appropriate story beginning to help them find her father while at the same time resolving all of the other issues Oscar’s careless story beginnings have started.

This is a great story for middle school students and readers who enjoy magic and fairy tales. The characters are realistic and the action is constant. The land of Cat-n-Berd is intriguing and will fascinate. Based on the concept of what happens to characters in your favorite book when the story end, this story itself will enchant and lead the reader to wonder, what are my favorite characters up to today?

I Am Number Four

Lore, Pittacus. I Am Number Four. Book 1 of the Lorien Legacies series. 2010. 440p. ISBN 0061969559. Available at FIC LOR on the library shelves.

Eleven years ago, the planet Lorien was invaded by the Mogadorians. Though the population was scientifically advanced and possessed enormous powers called legacies, the surprise attack all but obliterated what was a beautiful planet, turning it into a wasteland.

Nine children, each accompanied by a tutor, were able to board a spaceship and escape to Earth, where they have been hiding ever since. The group split up and now each pair of trainer and child disappeared into the population, slowly training and awaiting the emergence of their legacies. Their hope is to re-establish life on Lorien and rebuild its prosperous civilization.

The Mogadorians followed them to Earth, however, and each of the nine is hunted down by these sadistic soldiers. Fortunately, they are under Lorien’s protection and can only be killed in numerical order. When Number Four, going by the name John Smith, is alerted through a painful tattoo that Number Three has just perished, he knows the Mogadorians are coming after him next.

Now established in the small town of Paradise, Ohio, John and his trainer Henri attempt to lay low. Unfortunately, John falls for beautiful Sarah and runs afoul of Mark James, captain of the football team and a bully. He also becomes friends with Sam Goode, an alien conspiracy theorist.

As the school year passes, John is forced to evade questions about his origins, while Henri continues to push his training and work on his legacies, which include resisting fire and minor telekinesis. Unfortunately, a party at Mark James results in the house burning down, and John is observed saving Sarah and Mark’s dogs from the second floor room where they were stuck. Now John’s picture and name is out on the Internet. With no time to spare, John and his friends must get ready for the Mogadorians’ assault and their dreaded monsters. Can a motley group of aliens and humans survive one of the savagest races in the galaxy?

Air Gear, Vol. 4

Oh! Great. Air Gear, Vol. 4. 2007. 224p. ISBN 9780345492814. Available in the Graphic Novels section of the library.

Having triumphed over Buccha in Air Gear, Vol. 3, Izzi now has the parts he needs to repair and upgrade his Air Trecks. His antics outside the classroom have been noted by his guidance counselor, however, and Izzi and his best friends are in danger of repeating his school year, and he has to bring his grades up. Helped by a young teacher, Ikki hears about another Parts War, this time between A-rank teams.

When the Iron Bulls are confronted by Agito, they realize that this small boy is the best rider they have ever seen. Agito violently defeats them all, but Ikki manages to diffuse the situation. That’s when the Air Trek Strike Force shows up, led by Agito’s older brother. Known as the Circle of Win, their job is to monitor and arrest Air Trekkers who violate laws. Ikki and the gang run away, but are chased by Agito whose furry has once again been released. Can Ikki convince Agito of the error of his ways before it is too late?

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13 B

Toten, Teresa. The Unlikely Hero of Room 13 B. 2013. 272p. ISBN 9780385678346. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Adam Ross has problems. Lots of them. So many of them, in fact, that he meets with a support group once a week. The other kids in the group, like him, are dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and for each one it manifests in different ways. For Adam, it’s crossing thresholds, having to count series of odd numbers, and performing actions in the same way every time. Adam’s home life is also hard. His mother and father divorced years ago, and his mother also suffers from mental health issues but Adam’s not sure how to help her. His father remarried, and he and his new wife have a son, Wendel but also known as Sweetie, who has panic attacks and needs his big brother to help him. Adam’s plate is full, and just making it through one day is tough enough.

That’s when Robyn joins his group. He is as drawn to her as a moth is to a flame, and it becomes his goal in life to protect her. His OCD can’t let him enjoy this growing relationship, however, and he is completely focused on what it would feel like to kiss her. Not that a girl like that could ever fall in love with a guy like him. He can’t even imagine what a normal relationship would feel like. The group, under the leadership of their therapist, adopts a superhero persona, and suddenly Adam becomes Batman, while Robyn is, well, Robin. As Adam learns to navigate a complicated relationship along with the daily challenges that being severely OCD present, he must also deal with the threatening letters his mother is receiving and the hoarding that’s turning their house into a dump. Can Robyn truly be the anchor that helps him get better? Can Batman really save Robyn? More importantly, can Batman save himself?

Mumbai

Green, Jen. Mumbai. Part of the Global Cities series. 2007. 60p. ISBN 978-0-7910-8851-0. Available at 954 GRE on the library shelves.

One of the world’s most dynamic city, Mumbai is perfectly positioned at the center of economic activity. India’s largest city, Mumbai grew up around a deep water harbor that facilitated communication and trade between the Red Sea and distant Europe to the West and China to the East. The several islands that make up the core of the old city were first colonized by Portugal in 1534 but were then transferred to Britain in 1661.

British rule brought an increase in commerce and population, and the British conquest of Western India in 1818 eased some of the pressures on Mumbai. Also known as Bollywood, Mumbai continues to grow at a frenetic pace, stretching municipal services and infrastructure to the breaking point.

Mumbai’s dynamic population keeps increasing as people from the surrounding countryside and as far away as the other side of the country move in for better economic opportunities. Land is at a premium, and millions of people live in shantytowns. There isn’t always enough water for the needs of the population, and the environmental demands of 21 million people continue to be a challenge for Mumbai’s managers.

The future of Mumbai will necessarily require that problems in infrastructure and environmental concerns be addressed by its population and that the basic needs of all be met. Mumbai’s standing as a global city requires nothing less.