So when I made my "melting snowmen" cookies this weekend, I also attempted these Andes Mint Cookies (Pinterest Link) .
In comparison to the snowmen cookies, I thought these guys would be the easy ones. Boy, was I in for a surprise. Again, the original recipe calls for ingredients that I (mostly) had lying around in the pantry:
1 cup unsalted butter — softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
49 Andes Créme de Menthe Thins
Although I definitely did not make 49. First of all, maybe it's just for the uncreative, but the dough wasn't easy to work with. My cookies in NO way turned out "pillowed" (like the recipe says) and the pizza cutter thing did not work (at all). I basically ended up improvising and taking some dough, flattening it out, putting the Andes Mint on it, and then taking more dough and squishing it together. The end effect is not aesthetically pleasing:
While I am impressed with the golden browness of my cookie, the overall effect was that there was a little bit of mint in an otherwise bland cookie. This was not as easy as it looks and took more time than the super cute Snowmen Cookies and even though these cookies are easy to transport — I'm going to have to call this one a Thanks, but No Thanks as a Final Verdict. Also, Pinterest Update: Remember when I made that Christmas Card Wreath and I was undecided? I'm going to have to with BUST. It's not pretty by itself and it's completely chaotic with actual cards on it. I'm okay with a little chaos — but this is too much for me. There's also not enough space for all the cards I've received.
Yes, I'm still grading papers. Thanks for thinking of me.
This weekend I did some baking and I thought these cookies (Pinterest Link) were super cute! The recipe (direct link to recipe and directions) calls for almost everything I had in my home with me — all I really needed to buy was the cookie icing.
1 package Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
10 large marshmallows
Betty Crocker Cookie Icing (white and orange)
Wilton Decorating Icing Tubes in Black, Red, Green, Blue and Pink (although I only used orange and black)
Unfortunately, for the uncreative, these cookies were not as easy to make as the pictures make it seem. First of all, I think I bought the wrong icing — I bought the icing in the can that you squeeze out so it didn't really have a "puddle effect."Also, the marshmallows I had in my closet were more of a "gag" gift this summer (as I love smores) and I think they were a little bit too big. Here's what I actually came up with:
I like this guy because he looks like he is actually melting
So as you can see, without the right icing and the small(er) mallows, these snowmen don't really have the "puddle effect."
Now, these cookies weren't exactly hard to make — they were actually pretty easy and they are adorable! But the reason the Final Verdict is BUST is because these cookies are impossible to eat (and retain their cuteness) and impossible to transport (and really, who is going to eat ALL of these cookies!). So in conclusion — despite the cuteness, it's just a sugar cookie and mallow so unless I'm going to show them off to others (in which case I'd need to transport them — which is impossible) — it's kind of pointless. Very cute cookie but not worth it (in my opinion).
"I can't help but relate to and feel apart of this wonderful family." — Miss Remmers
From Amazon.com...
"Da Cajn Critter is a gumbo of old family, friends, and personal recipes from Louisiana, Europe and all over the U.S. It is a way of life for someone who wants to eat good food, be with real people and make cooking simple and easy so you actually want to cook. This collection of cajun and creole favorites is a must for anyone looking for authentic Louisiana flavors!"
I thought that this would be the perfect book to follow the Thanksgiving holiday. I know, we are all extremely full... actually, in retrospect, perhaps a Work Out book/review would be better suited... nah! I figure, this past weekend kitchen's everywhere were exhausted with the traditional Thanksgiving feast, now their ready for something new, exciting, and "Cajn"!
"Da Cajn Critter" is the first ACTUAL cookbook I've reviewed — I'm not counting "The Recipe Club." The first thing that grabbed my attention upon opening this book is the tone — yes, the tone — of the book. The tone, or voice, is so unbelievably vibrant and alive! Probably due to the fun font, interesting illustrations, and uplifting voice — I may like the tone of the book better the actual recipes (gasp!)... okay, maybe not...
Along with tone, I love the little stories (if you can call them that) — for instance, the very first recipe, "Mama Bea's Cheese Cookies," is followed by a brief explanation of where the recipe came from. After reading these explanations — I can't help but relate to and feel apart of this wonderful family.
Full of all different kids of recipes and successfully separated by "Appetizers," "Breads, Breakfast, and Brunch," "Soups, Salads, and Dressings," "Meats, Fowl and More," "Seafood," "Vegetables, Potatoes, Pasta and More," "Desserts," and "A Little Something Extra," this recipe book is a great addition to my future kitchen (and Momma Remmers' until I graduate and actually have a kitchen).
The last section of the book, "A Little Something Extra," includes an awesome pronunciation guide for Northerners like me, a guide to decorating with candles to create the mood you want, and, for the inexperienced cook (again, like me), there is a section full of UBIs (Useful Bits of Information).
"Da Cajn Critter" includes traditional recipes with a twist, like "French Toast," and fun family recipes, such as "Aunt Norma Blintzes." If you are looking for a fun recipe book full of voice and character — I highly recommend "Da Cajn Critter."
I am most looking forward to creating the following recipes:
I am joining this party late, I thought it was better late than never.:) While this isn't very original, I am extremely thankful for the Harry Potter series (as, I'm sure, are many others). I always loved to read, and I assume I'd be a reader today without HP, but I'm not sure if I'd be married or not (at least to Dan). Of my few boyfriends in college and in high school, I never dated someone who loved to read or who, more importantly, loved Harry Potter — until I met Dan. One of the very first things that connected the two of us (as the majority of our interests are very different), was this love of HP. Wow, I sound corny. But really — it worked! I told Dan that I loved HP when we first met in September 2009, that January Dan came and picked me up and told me he had a song to play for me — The Harry Potter Romance — that he wrote and sang.:) I remember being exceptionally jealous throughout the whole song — thinking all of these nasty things about the girl he wrote this for and wishing it was me. It wasn't until after we started dating (over six months later) that I finally asked who he wrote that song for and found out that it was me! Who knows — if it weren't for that song and my subsequent jealously (and the innate human nature of wanting what you think you can't have)... would my last name be different?
Well for starting two days early (I began on Wednesday), I haven't gotten much done. But my parents and company left today so I'm hoping that I can at least finish one audiobook and "Crossed" before Monday. I'm currently listening to (yes, at this very moment) "The Night Circus"! I have heard so much about it and am so far LOVING this audiobook.
I have a hockey game today at 3:45 and later this evening Dan and I are going out with his brother and sister-in-law to a movie. But still, I'm making use of all the time I get.:)
I am always amazed at how many people don't know the term "interlibrary loan." My mom, as a librarian, is similarly amazed. I often think, if I didn't grow up with a mom-librarian, would I know the term?
What is Interlibrary Loaning? Today, almost all libraries offer interlibrary loaning. It's basically a FREE service that enables the library card holder to borrow a book from another library. This other third-party library can be in the same system of libraries that you belong to (if you live in a larger city) or can come from across the state (if you live in a rural area).
Who can interlibrary loan books? You'll have to check with your library, but I'd be amazed if a library didn't offer this service. If your library does offer interlibrary loaning anyone with a library card can go online and request books.
How fast do the books come and how will I know when they arrive? In my area, within a week. But this is again dependent on your own library system. I receive an email when books arrive for me from other libraries, but, again, different libraries do different things.
I really love this service because, being in a smaller area, my library often times doesn't have exactly what I'm looking for. It's extremely convenient to have my library's website in a separate tab as I meander through my Reader and highlight books that I want to read. It can also be very dangerous (I limit myself to how many books I can request at once). Interlibrary loaning is a great way to broaden your library loaning and expand from the shelves of your local library. Due dates are generally very similar to if you were to have checked the book out from your own library.
When I was working on my senior thesis paper a couple years ago in college I used this system exclusively in order to track down all the very topic-specific books that I needed (my topic was on Harry Potter and my local university had ZERO nonfiction books on the series — gah). It was a great way to retrieve all the sources I needed and without purchasing them all (can you imagine!).
Again, I use my library's website to interlibrary loan books and request them through my own library on a daily basis. If you're looking for a visual "how to" — here you go. But remember, all libraries are different and, really, the best person to ask, is your favorite librarian.:)
If you find a book you like that is not available at your local library, request the item.
Requesting is fairly simple.:)
Nothing to complicated about it.:)
See the massive amount of audiobooks I need to pick up this weekend? Any questions?
Once the school bells ring, signalling that Thanksgiving Break has finally started, I will be Thankfully Reading. While I can't devote my entire weekend to reading as my family will be here tonight and tomorrow, I do want to rejuvenate and hopefully kick over my TBR where it needs to be (doubtful).
Tonight, for instance, my family will be visiting from Northern Minnesota. As I prepare dinner and clean the house I'll be listening to "Torment" by Lauren Kate. On Thursday as we relax/cook before the feast I'll be reading "Crossed."
So between books and audios, this weekend I'd like to complete:
I know I've been extremely absent this month, so much so that Sheila (Book Journey) called to check in on Friday. It was extremely touching and thoughtful — thank you Sheila! It meant a lot to know that someone actually noticed my absence — what a great thing book bloggers are!
I seem to be in some kind of rut but I'm hoping to come out of it. I finished a book this week (Fall for Anything — Courtney Summers) and have two reviews to write and few other random posts so expect to see more from me this week. School takes a lot out of me; I'm generally in bed by 8pm and still have a hard time rolling out of bed in time to get to work. I get home from work at 4pm and it's so hard to correct anything much less, oh I don't know, read, post, or blog hop before 8pm without feeling absolutely spent. I have been told this is simply the average first year teacher experience and have been promised that it gets better.
Wedding stuff is going great; Dan and I traveled to Bismarck, ND, last weekend for our first marriage "class" and on Veteran's Day my friend Button took me around Sioux Falls and I found a lot of important essentials (more on that later). Everything is seemingly falling into place (thankfully) and hopefully now I can start to relax and enjoy being engaged.
On Friday I traveled back to Aberdeen for Northern's Semester Swing Dance. The Swing Dance has always been an epically important day of the semester for me, even now that I am no longer a student. It's the one night a season where college students and alumni can get dressed up (in a classy fashion), go to the historical Ward Hotel on main street, an enjoy listening to Jazz Music and dancing. When I say dancing I don't mean that grinding "hot mess" kind but legitimate dancing, whether it be the waltz, Latin jazz, jazz, or even the tango. Set in an old hotel on a dance floor with a chandelier and other architectural features and with everyone dressed up, it is almost like stepping back in time. It's the most amazing experience.
My best friend Puffer (below) has been my date for the past three years and I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes things have changed, now that I'm not a student I don't everyone there and my dance partners have significantly decreased now that I'm engaged (Dan had to work this weekend thus his absence). Unfortunately the Swing Dance has been growing in popularity; this alone would be great. However, we have outgrown our amazing "mood-setting" venue and by 10:00 it is impossible to find a spot on the dance floor to actually dance without getting stepped on. Because of this, and because I am old lady who goes to sleep at 8pm, Puffer and I actually left at 11pm for IHop.
I left Aberdeen on Saturday and got back to Sioux Falls around noon and had plenty of time to do absolutely nothing before Dan finished work and we could go see Harry Potter! Last night, unfortunately, I came down with an awful cold and feel horrifically sick. So today I'm lounging, reading, and getting caught up in the blog world — exactly what the doctor ordered!
"I think sometimes that society has become hardened to the atrocity that was Nazi/Jew WWII, but the reality is that there were other victims of WWII as well. This is their story." — Miss Remmers
"Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions. Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously — and at great risk — documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives."
Forgive me, but I can't exactly remember who raved about this book on Twitter about a month ago, but THANK YOU! I remember this person just exclaiming how amazing this audio was and as a result I interlibrary loaned it without even looking up the synopsis. When I played the first tape I was surprised to see that it was a WWII novel and even more baffled that it wasn't portraying the Nazi/Jew version. No, this book illustrates life from the perspective of a young Lithuanian girl who has been imprisoned by the Soviets with her mother and young brother.
I was at first a bit weary of this plot, as (again) I'm not a big historical fiction person. But I was on a road trip to visit my mother and "had no other choice." A few tracks later I was completely enveloped and by the second disk I knew without a doubt that this audiobook would be one of my favorites. I cried several times throughout my road trip and when I wasn't in my car I was thinking of Lina and her family.
Parts of this book made my insides hurt with hunger, exhaustion, and complete despair (it was that good). It seems like the past couple of audios have really brought me down with annoyances and frustrations (mostly to do with the narrator) but this book (and narrator) did such a fantastic job of bringing me into the story and making it intensely real and horrifying.
The end, I will say, brought me to tears in the classroom. I finished another novel on reading day and still had a period to go so I went to the library and got the book (and felt like I was cheating on the audio). As the last page ended the bell rang, and I didn't even say goodbye or "have a good weekend" to my kids. As the next class trickled in I was still wrapped in the feeling of immense sorrow and elation (at the same time). There were even a few questions (spoilers): how did they get out? what happened next? What about the young Pole who help them? How did Andruis find her? Was her father really alive? But I see now that those things aren't really that important to the story.
This audiobook was phenomenal, almost life changing. If you've been struggling to find a good story or a good audiobook, no matter what your preference of genre is, this book is spectacularly honest and unique. I've never read such characters with such a real plot. I think sometimes that society has become hardened to the atrocity that was Nazi/Jew WWII (until you visit the Holocaust Museum in DC) because of all the movies and the matter-of-factness of history books, but the reality is that there were other victims of WWII as well. This is their story.
-Visit Ruta around the web here: Website | Goodreads -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
Yes, it is finally that time! Many of my students don't understand the importance of today (surprisingly). Yes, they know who Harry Potter is and they realize how it is a big deal; but after polling my classes today I am shocked to find that while the majority have seen the movies, only 5 of my 120 students have read the Harry Potter novels. I can only equate this to a generation gap (even one so slight as between my students and I — 10 years).
I have been looking forward to this day since reading the first book and watching the first movie. Back then the end seemed so far away and now that it's here (with the exception of Part II), I find myself preparing to say "good bye." Yes, there is another movie but really... unless something changes, today marks the beginning of the end. Much of my middle school and high school life is defined by my love for the boy who lived. It makes me sad to see that so many of this generation (class of 2014) can't even fathom of depths of meaning that this day holds.
While I will have to wait until the weekend to see the movie (I hate going with HUGE crowds), I am sporting my EVER awesome HP bracelet today at school. It took forever to make; I had no idea how hard it would be to put the little charms on the bracelet — but I'm wearing it with pride today.
First, you'll see a pair of glasses, then a spider, a rat, a frog, a book, a "Happy Birthday" cake, a lightning bolt, a castle, a frog, and a little VW old school bug. I didn't have room for Hagrid's motorcycle.
What about you? What are you doing (feeling) on this momentous Harry Potter Friday?
Last year in what seemed like a span of weeks I read five fantastic novels that just happened to be the first of a series: "Across the Universe, " "Delirium, " "The Goddess Test, " "Wither, " and "Matched. " These five novels absolutely changed my reading life. With each of these books I was positively awe-struck.
"I read this book almost in its entirety in one day... but it feels like I've known these characters for months, years even! The journey I just got back from after reading "Wither" was an experience that every bibliophile looks forward to with every book they open. "Wither" may not fulfill this experience for everyone — but it sure did for me."
"I hurt with the emotion I felt, I hurt because I couldn't stop willing the plot on, my heart hurt out of love for the characters, and my adrenaline never slowed the last 100 pages. This book caused me physical pain I loved it so much."
"Fantastically timed writing along with perfectly developed characters and a seamlessly exciting plot makes "Delirium" an instant favorite and a story not likely forgotten anytime soon."
"'Across the Universe' was woven so intricately and beautifully that this plot driven novel is definitely on my 'OMG! I need the next book!' list."
"I don't know about you, but during the duration of reading this book I wrote entirely in cursive. What an inspiring concept!" So you can only imagine how excited I am for their sequels to be released. "Crossed" (out last week) was in my fingertips at BEA and I had actually started reading while in line for other books but unfortunately it was not to be finished. I pre-ordered it through Amazon about a month ago (and I won't make that mistake again); it arrived on Friday and I am so excited to continue the story.
Today I received in the mail at school a copy of "A Million Suns" by Beth Revis (Jan 2012) from the publisher and am completely stoked! Last week I received a copy "Pandemonium" by Lauren Oliver (March 2012) from the publisher and am currently only about 100 pages in — but this four day weekend will completely change the game around.
Please ignore my yellow bookmark. And to finish things off I just found out that "Goddess Interrupted" will be released on NetGalley a few months before the release (March 2012). If you're getting the impression that I am on a book high — you'd be completely underestimating my excitement. My "in my mailbox" has never EVER been so exciting before! I'm a relatively small-town blogger and probably only receive one book a month from publishers (if that). But this post is not an "IMM" (expect a vlog!!), there is a reason these books in particular are crossing my doorstep. At school I have put together a group of ten students, a very cool name is yet to be decided on, who meet, read, suggest, and promote YA books to my other students during Friday's Recreational Reading time. Basically we meet during lunch and talk books — much like a book club. Then we decided which books of the week are our absolute favorites and each student volunteers to book talk a book to my English classes on Friday before reading. It started out with "older" books and ironically my five favorites were all chosen to be book talked. Then my students started to talk about the sequels and how they were dying to get their hands on them (much like myself) and so I figured I'd attempt to receive one of these coveted ARCS and become the coolest and most awesome teacher ever. So I sent out a few emails to authors (as I have no legitimate "contacts") and low and behold (who ever thought of that term?) two books found their way to my doorstep. I'll be presenting these books to my students on Monday when we meet and I can't WAIT to see their eyes light up. The idea that publishers would send ME (of all people — according to the students) books before they even came out is a completely foreign idea to these students and I'm just exploding with excitement. I sort of feel like a cave man bringing home fire (or a wheel) for the first time.
This week I sort of lost my great pacing of last week, but to my credit it wasn't entirely my fault. I blame Amazon. I finished a great novel last Sunday ("The Pledge") and then figured I should wait until "Crossed"comes in the mail as I preordered it so that the book that I would have started didn't get neglected.
Did that make sense?
Well, I waited and waited and "Crossed" didn't come and I didn't start anything new. And then, on Thursday, my life changed. I received a copy of "Pandemonium!" So, needless to say, I'm pretty sure "Crossed" is in my mailbox but I have yet to go check. What I thought would happen, did happen! But with a different book and a different circumstance.
Since I don't have a lot of book news to talk about, I thought I'd sum up the rest of my life as it is currently being led. This week and last week my life has changed quite a bit (no, I'm not pregnant). First of all, I decided to coach hockey this year. It will be my first year coaching but I grew up playing the sport and feel like I'm ready to get back on the ice. I'm just coaching 10U girls, so nothing too competitive or over the top (so I need to keep reminding myself not to take it that far haha).
I'm also registering for my first grad classes that begin in January and, due to the cost of higher education and the class load, I'm beginning to freak out.
And then there is NaNoWriMo. I was so excited to participate this year. I got about ten kids to join a club at school and we all set our own word goals (mine was 30,000). I knew that I wouldn't have a lot of time to write during the week so I planned "write-a-thon" parties at the public library with my students during the weekend. So, confession time, yesterday was the first time I sat down to work on my WIP. I know, I'm a complete slacker. Then I got frustrated with my WIP because it wasn't going anywhere (probably due to my lack of preparation). So today, I'm meeting my students in an hour, I'm filing that WIP away and taking out an older one that I feel like I have a better idea of its direction. So we'll see how that goes. I'm loving reading everyone else's progress and reading the Twitter feeds of all the committed participants. I think my biggest struggle is the number one rule of NaNoWriMo, throw away your inner editor. It's extremely difficult. So my personal NaNoWriMo perspective is to use this time to write more and hopefully create a habit that will be possible the other eleven months of the year.
I feel like my life has changed due to added commitments so much in the last few weeks. I'm so excited to begin all of these new life endeavors.
"Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano, so large that the caldera can only be seen by plane or satellite. And by some scientific measurements, it could be overdue for an eruption. For Alex, being left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence. Alex begins a harrowing trek to seach for his family and finds help in Darla, a travel partner he meets along the way. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster."
Wow. Can I just start by saying this book rocked my socks off! I mean, WOW! Captivating from the very first chapter, this book is unlike any other I've read. While it's dystopian, it has nothing to do with a dystopian government (until the corruption begins) and centers around the environment. The pacing of the novel is complete perfection; whenever a scene track would become dull or lose it's intenseness there was twist or surprise. The character growth was fantastic and believable and the plot progression was completely realistic and heartbreaking. It's crazy how quick society can turn against each other isn't it! And Darla! Oh, how I loved Darla! Plus, you can tell Mike Mullin is a complete romantic. The book is dedicated to his own "Darla" and in the acknowledgements there is a very sweet and heartwarming note as well. I love real-life love stories! Anyway, back on track — this book was absolutely fantastic. I will be purchasing a copy for the husband as he will just devour it and I've already emailed the school librarian to get copies on hand as this book will be featured during my classes today during Recreational Reading. I mean, I can't recommend this book enough and it seems I can't stop talking about it to anyone who will listen. I loved absolutely everything about it and can't wait for the second book! If you loved "The Day After Tomorrow" — this is your book!:) -Visit Mike around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter -BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook
Wow — I'm slowly but surely getting back on track to being a better blogger. Check out my last Sunday Salon.
This week I put up my very first ever book trailer — I am extremely proud of it. I am hosting another contest — make sure to check it out, "Thanksgiving at the Inn" is the perfect book to come out of the Halloween season with. I loved it! I reviewed a GREAT book — really, it is phenomenal -"The First Thirty Seconds." And to make the week complete, I received an award from Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.
Speaking of Sheila, she was also this week's Guest Reviewer — donating her review of Dreaming Anastasia. Please share some book love and visit her at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.
I still have not touched "Mr. Darcy's Dream," I may have to give up on it. There's no point in reading a book that I don't find compelling or interesting. But I'll give it one more day. Last Sunday I started "A Duty to the Dead" and I finished it yesterday, GREAT book. I would have finished it earlier if I didn't have this whole school thing to devote myself too. This week I want to either finish or give up "Mr. Darcy's Dream" and start another book — TBA.
Still at 30 amazing followers.:)
This week I have a lot fun things planned! On Monday check back to see a book trailer that I created for an education class. I have never done anything like this before so it took me a lot of time and I'm very proud of it! On Tuesday look for a contest! Ohhh exciting!
My goal for this week is to finish "A Duty to the Dead" and "Mr. Darcy's Dream".
Also, each week I'm going to start making a "To Do" list for blog related things — not just reading. It's soon to be the time of year when I'll be sending the HTML address for Miss Remmers' Review out to prospective school districts and I want to make sure it is "spot on". if you have any ideas as to how to make this blog more awesome — please let me know.
Rewrite/hone my Guest Reviewer 's post.
Rewrite/hone my Mission post.
Proofread/Professionalize Review: "A Circle of Souls "
Proofread/Professionalize Review: "A Vengeful Spirit "
Proofread/Professionalize Review: "Audrey, Wait "
If you read my In My Mailbox post yesterday, you know that I had a slight computer malfunction. One of the Techfellows (people who fix students computers on campus for free) called on Thursday to tell me that thus far he had deleted 836 viruses or malware from my poor computer (I know, right!). I very much miss my computer, but overall, I got lucky. I didn't have any crazy papers or assignments do this week. But I would still appreciate them getting it fixed and back to me as soon as possible. Said friend also told me that I have 27 GB of photos and 17GB of music on poor computer. He suggested I invest in an external harddrive so that should my poor computer crash and be unsavable — all is not lost. When I was freaking out about poor computer and whether or not it would be saved, I was most freaking out about all the years of pictures and music that I have stored — so I think that I WILL invest in an external harddrive. Anyone have any ideas? I'm fairly new to this concept. So please, keep in your prayers my poor computer.
I found out this week that a new professor (the one teaching the Harry Potter course) is planning a Harry Potter trip to England for this Spring break. I really want to go, but I'll be student teaching.: ( So to make myself feel better I am determined to remind myself that if i do go abroad I don't want to only see Harry Potter things — I want to Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Chaucer things (among others). I know — it's a sad substitution, still.
This weekend I participated in the Haunted Forest as a guide. I walked over 24 miles and lost three pounds (also sad). But overall, I just love it. I love Halloween and I wish that I would have planned further ahead and had fun Halloween reviews — but I didn't have time this year. Hopefully next year I'll be more on the ball. What am I going to be for Halloween you ask. Oh, I have no idea. I really want to go as Little Red Riding Hood (here in the midwest we have to plan our costumes around the weather, and a hood would be nice next weekend). But I've yet to find the costume — not that I've gone out looking yet.
Whew — this was a long post. I miss you all! Don't forget about my awesome giveaway!
This week I finished listening to "Crescendo" and am planning to finish "Ashfall" by Mike Mullin this week. I am absolutely loving this book. It's the mega survival story of all times. It's heartbreaking but hopeful at the same time. If you are a fan of survival stories — this is fantastic. I'm having a hard time putting it down.
"Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.
Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget."
This week I am meeting with students who are interested in joining a National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) student support group for the month of November. The idea came a few weeks ago when the creative writing teacher at my school was explaining how she felt so swamped with "extra" student writing. She, of course, agrees that it's fantastic that her students love to write recreationally but that it is overwhelming to correct what she assigns much less the thirty pages two students wrote over the weekend for fun.
Since I knew it was getting close to November anyway, I started thinking about creating a school extracurricular activity to help those students who do love to write recreationally for enjoyment and are looking for an outlet of student support, information, and objectives. The meeting this week is an informational meeting to first explain what NaNoWriMo is and then the steps to prepare for November 1st.
The problem is that I have personally never participated (until this year). So I don't know where to begin myself, much less with my students. I have spend a few hours researching and have started a class website on the Young Writer's Program and have saved the PDF workbook to print off at at school. I'm currently googling different writing blogs, especially student-run, as resources for students but beyond that I'm sort of at a loss.
How do we start? I know outlining is important but how can I help my students gather and organize their thoughts? Do you know of any resources? Do you have any suggestions? Do you have a favorite writing blog?
Can someone leave me a crumb trail in the right direction?
Welcome to the HarryPotterExtravaganza! If you’ve been following along, I hope you’ve been having fun. If you’re new to the tour, welcome! Check out the full tour details here at Bibliophic Book Blog.
While I'm a few years older than the HP crew, I feel like I've grown up with them. I started reading the HP novels right after the "Prisoner of Azkaban" was released and the craze had already started. I don't really remember a time of my life before HP existed. Like any HP fan, I've read the books, I own the books, I've waited in line for the movies, I've bought the movies, and I even took a Harry Potter class last year in college (although it was absolutely horrific — that's another story completely). But there is one way Harry Potter aspect of my life that I think few people share.
Right after we met (MONTHS before we started dating), my now fiance wrote a Harry Potter song for me. I had just started dating someone when Dan asked me out, so it was actually very awkward. The story, according to Dan, is that in an effort to impress me, he finished writing his first song "The Harry Potter Romance." He had started it years ago but never finished. His friends have told me that he was in a frenzy, that he kept repeating that he hadto finish this so he could "win" me over.
One night he called me and told me he needed my opinion on something; we were still friends and I agreed. He picked me up and played the song. This sounds petty, but I remember being jealous of whoever he wrote the song for. He dropped me off at home, gave me the first copy made (he went to a small studio to make CDs), he signed it, I thanked him for thinking of me, I left, and then we didn't talk for several months.
This summer when we finally reconnected, I was "living" in Northern Minnesota but going on all my travels and he was in Bismarck, ND (about a five hour drive). We met up every weekend and he accompanied me to a few of my many weddings. When we were apart I found myself listening to "The Harry Potter Romance" (often on repeat). I somehow felt closer to him just by hearing his voice on my iPod.
Recently, because of all the HP activities, I told him that I was extremely jealous of whoever he wrote the song for and that for most of the summer I pretended it was for me. He looked at me in astonishment and told me that I didn't have to pretend... that I was the girl he was singing to. It was the most romantic thing ever. On July 4th, he serenaded me in front of a crowd of vacationers, but I had assumed he had just decided that the song was now for me. After doing some detective work (asking his friends), I realized that he DID write it for me!
Now we laugh about it; I tease him that he should write a second song for the wedding (but I don't think it will happen). Regardless, I attribute much my of relationship, and future marriage, to Harry Potter. If he wouldn't have written that song and let me listen, I wouldn't have been jealous and therefore wouldn't have detected a deeper attachment (although it did take me months to realize it).
If you're interested in listening to "The Harry Potter Romance" go to Myspace and search "Piggy's Renditions" and you'll see "Harry Potter Romance."
Release Date: September 27th, 2011 Publisher: Simon and Schuster
"Mara Dyer believes life can't get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can. She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is. She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong."
So you know when you are super excited to receive a much requested book for a book tour but then when the book comes "life all of a sudden happens" and you don't get a chance to finish the book before you must pass the book on? Unfortunately, "Mara Dyer" was the victim of this in my reading life.
I was SO excited to be one of the few to be approved for this book on tour in the middle of July/beginning of August. But when I received the book at the end of the August it was the week before school started and "life just happened." I started the book but no matter what I tried to do in order to make time for it, I just didn't get it finished before I had to send the book on. So no, this is not technically a review. But even though I only read the first couple of chapters, I do have something to say about this book.
As a teacher it seems I'm always talking about the "hook" of a book and its importance. This past week was the first official week of "Recreational Reading" in my classroom (with both seniors and sophomores)^. All of my classes took to it very well and came into my classroom ready to read. But I did have one student who said that she had started the book a few nights ago but "just wasn't liking it." I asked her what page she was on — 97. At that point, I told her to put the book down and go find something she did like (after giving her quite a few recommendations). If a book hasn't "hooked" my students (especially struggling readers) after fifty pages, and even that is stretching it, I just don't think they should waste their time reading it.
Now it's different for readers (like most of us) who either refuse to put a book down or give the book a hundred or 150 pages. But for students who I have to "persuade" to read, I don't want them wasting their time and learning to dislike reading even more because they just can't get into the book. Note to all authors: if your book doesn't grab my attention in (at the most) fifty pages, I won't be recommending it to struggling students — no matter how much I enjoy the book as a whole.
Even though I didn't get the chance to finish "Mara Dyer," this will be a book I can pitch to students. While I only read the first couple chapters, they are chapters that I think about even now (nearly a month later) because the hook was so effective. When a struggling reader comes into my classroom on Friday and says "I don't want to read. All books are dumb" (it's happened before), "Mara Dyer" is a book I can give that student and say, "Give me fifteen pages and if you don't like it you don't have to read today," knowing that without a doubt that student will read the entire hour and then ask me if they can check it out for the weekend.
Books like "Mara Dyer" are a teacher's treasure and treasures like this are few and far between. Do you know of any other treasures that I can recommend to struggling readers with brilliant hooks?
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I made it through the first week of teaching! Whoot Whoot! Bring on week two! I even found some time to read. Before I got into bed last Wednesday, I picked up "The DUFF." I was on chapter five. I told myself to read until chapter ten. Then I got to chapter ten and was like, "Really? I can do chapter fifteen." By the time I got to fifteen I was like, "I'm half way done... let's just finish this." (There are 27 chapters). I had to quit at Chapter 24. It was 10:30am and I was about to pass out. It was the best part of the book though, so I took every spare moment on Thursday to pick it up (to, you know, model reading). I finished it in DEAR and couldn't help but smile "outloud." I also read "Losing Faith" over the weekend. This week I'm going to conquer "Need" and "Mockingjay."
Review Books: uh... maybe next week?
My Books/Recreational Read: "Need" and "Mockingjay"
Class Books: We are on a short story unit including "The Princess and the Tin Box" and "The Pedestrian"
Things Mentioned: Audiobook Post Etsy — will find out
Again, thanks everyone for being so understanding and so patient with me. Once school starts up I think I'll have a more fluid routine! Have a great weekend everyone!
