It's Thanksgiving week and I am already counting down the two days of school we have before having a short break. It's quiet at work today, which means I had enough time to post this, and can hopefully get everything else organized and cleaned up so that when we return next week Monday I won't be trying to find my desk.
The reading has been good, and here are four fantastic books I've enjoyed recently.
1. Schooled by Anisha Lakhani - I bought this book in 2008 and it's languished on my shelf since then. I know many people who would just get rid of it if it hadn't called to them over the span of fourteen years, but I am so glad I held on to it. It was fantastic. I like books that take place in school settings and Anna's first teaching job at a ritzy private school is one I could understand, although it's a far cry from the school I teach in. Anna quickly learns that in order to make it, she will need to find another income stream and decides to tutor. This is lucrative, although it comes at a cost. I loved every page of this and even enjoyed the resolution.
Big Girl by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan - I like books that have something to do with body image and weight loss. Malaya is just eight when the story opens, attending a Weight Watchers meeting with her mother. Weight has always been an issue for Malaya and as she gets older it continues to be a problem. She loves food. While this story was about Malaya and her weight, it was also about a girl who was growing up, trying to find her way.
Well Behaved Wives by Amy Sue Nathan - set in 1962, Ruth Applebaum and her husband have moved in with his parents after they secretly eloped. Ruth has a long way to go before she can hope to win her mother-in-law over and against her better judgement agrees to take etiquette classes. The benefit of doing this is that she meets a few young women who become her friends. But as Ruth pushes against gender stereotypes and tries to secretly study for the bar exam, another secret comes to light that changes all of these women and pulls them all together. I loved, loved this one so much and could envision the world in which Ruth was living.
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir- won the National Book Award for Young People and deserves all the praise. I started reading this one and basically read the entire thing in just one sitting. Sal and Noor have been best friends since elementary school, both outcasts in their community. When Misbah, Sal's mother, dies, Sal tries to keep the family hotel running as his father sinks further into alcoholism. Noor just wants to graduate and leave her violent uncle who never lets her forget that he rescued her from the Pakistani village where she was born. Both Sal and Noor have dreams for their future, but it is a hard journey to get there.
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