February Books

For the second month in a row, I am late reporting in the books I've read. I didn't get to read as much as I had hoped (the short month did affect the amount I read - yeah, with two more days, I could have read another dozen books!) but nonetheless, every book I read was great. It was a great month in books:


Non-Fiction
1. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World (Paul Miller): 4.0/5 stars
2. The Successful Home Business Guide (Wil Limkemann): 3.2/5 stars

3. Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (Erwin McManus): 3.6/5 stars
I've had the privilege of hearing Erwin McManus speak on numerous ocasions and I love the way he draws his listeners in with humorous recounts of moments in his life. Even the mundane gets a fresh twist and his perspective always catches me off-guard in a compelling way. His book is written as a collection of brainstorms/journal entries which are categorized into three cravings: intimacy, destiny, and meaning. While I loved how each of his stories seemed so relevant, I found the entries a bit obtuse and difficult to "compartmentalize" in my brain. The entry headings were spot on but yet making each entry connect to an overall larger picture wasn't so easy. His book is filled with weighty thoughts that one could ponder for awhile (and if I were one to mark-up books, I would mark this one up). Overall, a great read but somehow not exactly what I was expecting.

4. The Teachable Moment: Seizing the Instants When Children Learn (Rebecca Branstetter) (4.1/5 stars)
This is a collection of stories from educators and para-professionals who share their teachable moments in the first person narrative. Some of these stories really warmed my heart (like the story of young Astin who would come to school with a thousand little objects in his pocket and how a school psychologist made an awkward new student become self-assured and confident). I liked the section on Reaching the Special Needs Student as it made me reflect on how I am (or am not) reaching MY special needs student. I think this should be a must read for every educator, whether private, public or homeschool teacher. It sheds so much light on the relationships that are inevitable when teaching and learning are involved. While some of the stories seemed heavily edited (teacher recounts talk about countless hours working with an individual student with much patience and love - hmm . . . I would have resonated more with "break-down moments" and feelings of despair), overall the compilation of stories makes for an enriching experience peeking into the classrooms of these teachers. A good take-away for me is that "teachable moments" are not necessarily spontaneous - often times they are created and planned with specific children in mind.


Fiction
1. Always the Baker, Never the Bride (Sandra Bricker): 2.8/5 stars
2. The Lightening Thief (Rick Riordan): 4.8/5 stars
3. The Sea of Monsters (Rick Riordan): 4.7/5 stars

4. The Help (Kathryn Stockett): 4.9/5 stars
What a great book - so rich in descriptive narrative and multi-dimensional relationships, it's hard to believe it's a work of fiction. This book came so highly recommended that I was ashamed to let my recommending friends know that I just wasn't that interested in the subject matter (black/white folks in the South during the 1960's). Well, I thought I would give it another try this year and I'm so glad I did. The first time I tried reading the book, I must have been sitting on a roller coaster or watching a movie in a theater. I couldn't put the book down and with the little self-control I have with good books, I finished it in two days (but poor 'Shroom and Lolli didn't have a decent dinner in those two days).

5. The Titan's Curse (Rick Riordan): 4.3/5 stars
This one was read aloud to the kids and is the third book in the Percy Jackson. While this third books has become somewhat formulaic (as can be expected even with great writers), we still thoroughly enjoyed this book. We didn't like so much that Annabeth was missing throughout most of the book but there were a few new female characters to fill the void. 'Shroom is even having dreams about slaying monsters!