Reading YA & My First Run

Have you ever done a Goodreads reading challenge? My goal for the last several years was 200 books in a year, but I decreased it for this year to just 100. So right now I’m 2/100. 🙂

Here are the 2 Young Adult books I’ve read so far this year.

I liked both, but Cracked was my favorite. I REALLY liked it! 5 of 5 stars. Just a warning- it definitely has some spicy language.

One of my goals that I really want to stick with this year is to walk at least 1 mile everyday. In the past I’ve tried to run everyday- but that didn’t work. 🙂

By just walking I think I “might” be able to stick with it because I have a treadmill and I can read while I walk. BONUS!

We had a teacher workday today so I was back on a regular schedule. And an early schedule. And I DO mean early. Normally I roll (or jump frantically) out of bed during the week at about 6:20-6:30.

But since I’m going to attempt to walk my mile in the mornings before school AND read my bible I had to get up at 5:15!!!!

But I did it! I may or may not have looked like this turtle….

So this is what I got done be ogre arriving at school at 8:20:
Walked 1 mile, read 3 chapters in my bible and my devotional, wrote in my faith journal, made cornbread and white chicken chili to take to school, showered and dressed, and made my bed.

3 hours of stuff!

And then when I got home after school I RAN MY FIRST MILE FOR 2015!! Outside!!! 12:35. Woohoo!!!

And now the question I want to ask is:

IS IT TIME TO GO TO BED YET????? 🙂

Christmas Break Reading

Oh, the joy of Christmas break. Even with the busyness right before Christmas with last minute (actually, first and last minute!!) shopping and preparations, I’ve still had time to read.

And it fills my heart with JOY. 🙂

Here’s what I’ve read this week:

I love Lysa’s style of writing- she’s SO real about her walk with God.

I finally dove back into the young adult world and was NOT disappointed! Sharon Draper is always a good choice.

Adult fiction is what lets me escape the pressures of life. And this one did just that. Even though it was eye opening about where our world could be headed. Now I want to see the movie!

So what have you been reading lately????

Reading Vitamins

Have you been taking your daily dose of vitamins?

I’m planning on doing quite a bit of reading after Christmas for the rest of our school break!!

I’ve actually started 2 books recently.

What have you been reading???

The Twisted Window Book Review by Lois Duncan

Received from Net Galley. Thank you Net Galley!

The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan

Goodreads Summary:

Tracy, a high school junior, becomes embroiled in the problems of a strange boy, who asks her assistance in “snatching” his half-sister from her father who has allegedly kidnapped her.

My Thoughts:

Shocker. Twisting. Didn’t see it coming. Yep, that about sums it up.

If you could see my tweets while I was reading this book you would see that at one point (well, more than one) I wanted to SLAP the tar out of Tracy. And I wasn’t too hooked on Brad either. I couldn’t really dredge up too much sympathy for either character. In fact, I started thinking I was a bad person because of that.

Well, Lois Duncan pulled a fast one on me that I didn’t see coming. I got my explanation about Brad’s actions and any animosity I had been feeling toward him…let’s just say it dissipated. (I’m trying to show off some of my vocabulary!)

I enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading more of Lois Duncan’s books. I especially want to read the one based on her daughter’s death in 1989.

4 of 5 stars to this thriller for middle graders.

 

Thirstday-11/15/12

A book and a beverage hosted by David at Eat The Book.

This looked interesting so I thought I would join in this week. Here’s my beverage of choice and my current read!

 

Life is good. 🙂

 

It’s Monday-What are you reading?

Here we are with another chance to share wonderful books with each other thanks to Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts and Sheila over at Book Journey who both sponsor this great meme each week for young adult/children and adult respectively!

I have read several books the past several days because our last day of school was WEDNESDAY! Oh, I’m sorry-I didn’t mean to shout that and hurt your ears! 🙂

Read this past week:

Babymouse Dragonslayer by the ever so wonderful Holms siblings-Matt and Jenni Holms

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her!

Trapped by Michael Northrop

I really got into Trapped-it was written in an easy style with touches of humor even though the story was serious.

The Secret Garden by Frances BurnettThis classic delighted me, and I can’t believe I have never read it until now!

 

I am currently reading Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. I just started it and am already hurting for Melinda in a bad way. High school is so cruel, and I know I’m not even to the truly horrific part. Let’s just say it has captured my attention!

Next on my list:

And She Was by Alison Gaylin-I started it, put it down, and read these others. I was enjoying it-don’t know why I put it down. 🙂

Not sure what after that. Happy Reading!

 

Anyone looking for kindle books?

Look no further than this great website.

http://kids.kindlenationdaily.com/

Mrs. Suntken over at Suntken’s  Stars was kind enough to write a post about this fantastic website so check it out along with her blog. 🙂

It’s Monday-What are you reading?

Here we are with another chance to share wonderful books with each other thanks to Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts and Sheila over at Book Journey who both sponsor this great meme each week for young adult/children and adult respectively! 🙂

A little bit of this and a little bit of that! That’s what I’ve been reading!

I read my 1st Bad Kitty book and loved it! Too funny!

I FINALLY read a book for ME and not my 6th graders. It felt.so.good. 🙂 I am a HUGE Jodi Picoult fan so I bought this one:

Change of Heart

 It was DEEP and GREAT and caused me to be EMOTIONAL at times! Loved it!

I also read PLENTY OF BLOGS about teaching, reading, and fitness! 🙂

I read SEVERAL fitness magazines (seeing as how I have become slightly addicted to the whole running thing!).

What’s on my agenda for this upcoming week? Well, I have started 2 books right now. A Magic Treehouse book (I have never read one!), and a book on running. I also bought ANOTHER Babymouse book! This is another addiction of mine!

HAPPY READING!

It’s Monday-What are you reading?

I can honestly tell you that I’m about to read the back of my eyelids! 🙂

Sorry I haven’t been posting a lot lately-LIFE!:)

 Sheila over at Book Journey hosts the weekly meme for older readers (like me :)) and

Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts host the weekly meme for younger readers (like me :)).

My reading last week was sort of slack due to, well, just life in general I guess. I’m training to run a 5k this year-OMG!-and family, training, school, part-time job, is taking up a lot of my time. Don’t get me wrong-it’s a good kind of busy-just busy! 🙂

So last week I read a total of 2 books!

Trouble Don’t Last by Shelley Pearsall

This book seemed to be a true depiction of the underground railroad. It did a great job capturing the emotions of a young slave boy who had run away.

Babymouse #4-Rock Star by Jennifer and Matt Holm

 Do I even need to say anything about this one? If you have been keeping up with me this year, I have found AND fallen in love with Babymouse! Seriously. So I don’t know what I am going to do when I get to #10 and there are no more to read. I guess I’ll have to start hounding Jennifer about writing more! 🙂

I just started Alabama Moon today and love it so far. One of my students, Courdarious, has been reading it and likes it-he’s almost finished with it. Moon is a young boy that has been left alone when his dad dies. The unique situation in this book is that they have been living and hiding out in the woods from the government, so now Moon has nobody to turn to. I can’t wait to get more into the book!

 I hope that when I finish this one, I can read a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book since I have NEVER read one before! Just go ahead and beat me! I know I should have read one since my 6th graders keep all of them checked out constantly! 🙂

And if anyone wants to be generous and do a giveaway of the rest of the Babymouse books, I will gladly lay down in the middle of the road enter the giveway! 🙂

Have a super week! Oh, yeah-I have lost 14 pounds since December 27th! Woohoo!

It’s Monday-What are you reading?

It’s another great Monday-well, as great as Mondays can be and since today we are out of school for the MLK holiday, uh it’s pretty great! 🙂

Monday-1/16/12

These are 2 wonderful memes hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Texts. Sheila hosts the adult one and Jen and Kellee host the kids’ book meme.

Read last week

I have to say that I didn’t end up reading too awful much last week since we were back in school for a full week, and I have gotten into this fitness kick (yes, I am “trying” to train for a 5k). BUT-I did read everyday-just not “quite” as much as during winter break!

Mockingjay-Suzanne Collins-OMG!OMG! I finished The Hunger Games trilogy. I miss Katniss, Gale, Peeta, Prim, and the others. It was the best trilogy ever!!! I’m going to go ahead and admit that I have never read a trilogy before. I know-shocking. But, if I had read a trilogy before, I know it would still be the best one ever! 🙂

Run Your Butt Off-Editors of Runner’s World– This is the 1st informational type of book I have read in a looooong time. 2 weeks ago I started the C25k training program which is supposed to take me from being a couch potato to running a 5k in 9 weeks. 🙂 We’ll see. But I am determined-especially since my DH(darling husband is what that is “supposed” to stand for) told me I wouldn’t be able to do it. Oh, it’s on now! Today will start my 3rd week of training. So I thought that I needed SOME moral support and bought this book to help me. It was a great read. Very informal AND informative. Of course, it also talks A LOT about what we eat (and believe me when I say I LOVE TO EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). I had already decided when I started training that I was NOT going to stop eating, just train. But, do you know how hard it is to jog/walk 30 minutes (briskly) when you have eaten a lot that day???? Well, pretty hard. So yes-I am watching mainly how much I eat. Great read.

Babymouse#3-Beach Babe-Jennifer and Matt Holms-Raise your hand if you love Babymouse. I do, I do, I do, I do!!! I can’t get enough of her! So I broke down and bought the 3rd book-Beach Babe. And the great thing is that my reluctant (RELUCTANT) 6th grade readers love her, too. Finally, something they enjoy reading. 🙂 I’m just going to have to log in some more hours with my part-time job and buy the rest of them. Seriously. She CRACKS ME UP.

So besides magazines, blogs, blogs, blogs, and more blogs, that is all that I read last week.

Here’s what’s on the agenda for this week:

I’ve never read any of Roland Smith‘s books (even though I have a basket full of them in my classroom). I’ve read the 1st chapter so far and like it.

Other than this one, I don’t really have a plan for my reading this week. My week is pretty full, so I’ll just grab whatever catches my eye. Just so you know HOW full my week is, I’ll break it down for you.

Monday-1.take my car to get an estimate for the STUPID DEER that hit me last night coming back from my brother-in-law’s house-STUPID DEER-STUPID DEER……2. Train 3. Zumba (YEA, someone is starting a zumba class and it’s ONLY 9 miles from where we live!!!)

Tuesday-1.school and grade tests from Friday(lots of tests) 2. Train 3. Zumba

Wednesday-1. school and grade tests from Friday (still more tests) 2. Train 3. Eat mexican with my bestie, my daughter, and my bestie’s daughter(weekly thing!)

Thursday-1. school and will STILL be grading tests from Friday 2. Train 3. School board meeting

Friday-1. school 2. Leaving to go to Birmingham for a weekend AEA conference 🙂

Saturday-1. Conference

Sunday-1. Conference

Of course, all of the usual stuff thrown in there, too. Cook. Laundry. Errands. Try to clean house. Try to avoid cleaning house. Spend time with family. Blog. And finally-READ! 🙂

Have a great week! Oh, and check out my 2 other blogs about reading and fitness. 🙂

http://www.extremereadingandwriting.wordpress.com

http://www.everystepcounts365.wordpress.com