Thankful for Words
In the past year I have read many amazing books. Today, I am grateful for four that I read. Not only was the writing superb but I can honestly say they changed my life. Whether it was inspiration to do more, thinking about the world in a different way, or giving me the courage to keep on going when the going got tough, these books are carried in my thoughts every day.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Although this is technically a young adult book, it was a book I read for a book club with my friends. John Green, author and vlogbrother, wrote this tale of an unexpected romance. Hazel is a 16 year old girl with terminal cancer. She joins a support group for kids with cancer and meets Augustus, a 17 year old boy who is in remission. Through Augustus, she also meets Issac, Augustus's best friend, who suffers from eye cancer. (Issac is not a part of the romance, I just freakin' loved him.) I know, it doesn't seem too uplifting. However, the perspectives these young people offer, in the face of most of our greatest fears, is inspiring. Hazel and Augustus start a relationship that is honest, real, and romantic. It wasn't cliched with descriptions of his sparkling eyes and the way she felt when she looked in them. Their teenage-love made me smile as it reminded me of all the times my heart leapt when twitter-pated. The truth and tragedy surrounding The Fault in Our Stars made me grateful for the big and little things in life.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This goes on my top ten list of best books ever, probably even top 3. I posted about The Book Thief this summer. Definitely a young adult novel, although a good friend of mine thinks it is written for adults. I stand by my original sentiment to not give away too much, simply because that is how I read it and I was blown away. Read it and you will have so much more to be thankful for.
I read this book over the summer and then chose it as the first read aloud of the school year. Wonder is the story of a 5th grade boy, Auggie, with a facial-deformity who wants to be ordinary. The narrators switch within different sections of the book. We walk with Auggie and listen in as he notices people looking away from him. We sit on his sister Via's bed as she feels guilty for wanting attention from her parents. We go home with Auggie's best friend Jack and learn that he too, wants to be just a normal kid. Never before have I read a book to my students that was so loved. They begged me to read it (even asked for a silent snack time to hear more), they tweeted all about it on our class twitter board, one student wrote and published her own tribute book, and many of them went out and bought their own copies. We finished a couple of weeks ago and the entire class stood and clapped! It was my first read-aloud standing ovation.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Yes! I finished this! It took me 3 months and I loved every minute of it. It was nice to take a break from all the children's/young adult literature I read for a few minutes every night. I also loved that wherever I went, people stopped me to tell me they loved the book. If you, like me, somehow missed this classic, it is definitely worth the time to read the 600 pages. Especially with our country pulling itself out of a recession, it was eye-opening to read about how people react when their basic needs of survival are at risk.
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| John Green signing my copy of The Fault in Our Stars |
Although this is technically a young adult book, it was a book I read for a book club with my friends. John Green, author and vlogbrother, wrote this tale of an unexpected romance. Hazel is a 16 year old girl with terminal cancer. She joins a support group for kids with cancer and meets Augustus, a 17 year old boy who is in remission. Through Augustus, she also meets Issac, Augustus's best friend, who suffers from eye cancer. (Issac is not a part of the romance, I just freakin' loved him.) I know, it doesn't seem too uplifting. However, the perspectives these young people offer, in the face of most of our greatest fears, is inspiring. Hazel and Augustus start a relationship that is honest, real, and romantic. It wasn't cliched with descriptions of his sparkling eyes and the way she felt when she looked in them. Their teenage-love made me smile as it reminded me of all the times my heart leapt when twitter-pated. The truth and tragedy surrounding The Fault in Our Stars made me grateful for the big and little things in life.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This goes on my top ten list of best books ever, probably even top 3. I posted about The Book Thief this summer. Definitely a young adult novel, although a good friend of mine thinks it is written for adults. I stand by my original sentiment to not give away too much, simply because that is how I read it and I was blown away. Read it and you will have so much more to be thankful for.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
I read this book over the summer and then chose it as the first read aloud of the school year. Wonder is the story of a 5th grade boy, Auggie, with a facial-deformity who wants to be ordinary. The narrators switch within different sections of the book. We walk with Auggie and listen in as he notices people looking away from him. We sit on his sister Via's bed as she feels guilty for wanting attention from her parents. We go home with Auggie's best friend Jack and learn that he too, wants to be just a normal kid. Never before have I read a book to my students that was so loved. They begged me to read it (even asked for a silent snack time to hear more), they tweeted all about it on our class twitter board, one student wrote and published her own tribute book, and many of them went out and bought their own copies. We finished a couple of weeks ago and the entire class stood and clapped! It was my first read-aloud standing ovation. 
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Yes! I finished this! It took me 3 months and I loved every minute of it. It was nice to take a break from all the children's/young adult literature I read for a few minutes every night. I also loved that wherever I went, people stopped me to tell me they loved the book. If you, like me, somehow missed this classic, it is definitely worth the time to read the 600 pages. Especially with our country pulling itself out of a recession, it was eye-opening to read about how people react when their basic needs of survival are at risk.
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