WWW Wednesday - 3.10.10

Since this is the last week of school before spring break, I am busy trying to finish up all unit plans.  Consequently, I have had to cut back on my blog posting/reading until the weekend.  I thought this might be a fun meme to stay in touch with you, but would not take too much of my dwindling free time.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

My Answers:

Currently reading:  Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane.  I rarely go to the movies anymore and I always prefer to read the book before seeing any movie, but this time I made an exception.  I saw the movie last week and was so taken with the ending that I knew I either had to see the movie again or read the book.  I have heard that the endings are quite different and I am looking forward to comparing and contrasting the two for C.B. James Book and a Movie challenge when I am done.

Recently Finished:  The Cotton Queen by Pam Morsi.  This book was originally recommended by Kim and I was interested in reading it for myself as possible "research" for my own writing projects.  The book is told in alternating points of view of a mother and a daughter who live in a small, Texas town just outside Dallas.  While both women are vastly different, they are also very much the same.

Reading Next:  Walden by Henry David Thoreau.  If I am going to read 3,300 pages by June 27, I had better get started!  I have created a reading plan for my summer school course and I selected Walden for my spring break read because I think it will be reminiscent of a relaxing vacation sitting by the lake contemplating life (or at least that is my preconceived idea of the book).  I want to find another "lighter" read for spring break as well, but I think I will let that be a spontaneous decision.

WWW Wednesday - 2.17.10

WWW Wednesdays is a short and sweet little meme hosted by MizB at Should be Reading.  In essence she asks us to post:

What am I currently reading:  The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.  This was recommended so highly by several students that I knew I had to give it a try.  It is a very quick, action-packed adventure story of Half-bloods (that is, part human and part Greek god) who are called to a Quest to defeat evil.  Fortunately for me, no prior knowledge if Greek mythology is needed, as it is explained throughout the book.  The movie adaptation was just recently released and perhaps I will venture to see it once I have finished the book.  It is the first book in a 5 part series.

What did I recently finish reading:  I recently completed Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, in preparation of teaching it to my 9th grade class.  While I was somewhat skeptical of this fantasy fiction classic (I often have a difficult time connecting with such imaginative stories), I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this short novella that dares to make sense of a dream world.  I particularly enjoyed - and actually laughed out loud - at some of the puns and word games.

What do I think I will read next:  I hope to find the time to read my library copy of Beth Hoffman's, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, before it is due.  I have read so many wonderful reviews, and it does not look like a complicated story.  I also think it is a story rich in character relationships, which is my preferred genre and a welcome change from the fantasy books that have occupied my reading time of late.

How about you?  What books are you planning to read this week that I should add to the TBR pile?

WWW Wednesday

MizB at Should be Reading recently started this new Wednesday meme that I thought might be fun and insightful. This will be my first, although hopefully not my last, time to participate.

The 3 Ws stand for:

What are you currently reading: The answer to that question is several different books at once!

• I have less than 100 pages left in The Swan Thieves - which I hope to finish tonight. It would be my goal to have the review written this weekend (but suffice it to say, I have enjoyed every single page!)
• I still continue to read Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman a little bit at a time.
• I am listening to the Harry Potter series (for the first time) while walking the treadmill (I am hoping that if I only listen while exercising it will actually help motivate me to do it). I am thoroughly enjoying the first book and am probably about 75% through it.
• For school, I am currently reading Volume I chapters 10-16 of Pride and Prejudice. We are knee deep into the obsequious character of Mr. Collins, and I am very anxious to hear the students' comments regarding this comical fellow.
• My 9th grade class has just started Fahrenheit 451 and I love discussing the fact that Ray Bradbury wrote this book in the 1950s when technology was just beginning to take hold and schools were mostly concerned with chewing gum in class --- and how accurately he depicted our current society of the 21st century.
• I will be introducing The Hobbit to my 7th graders - and we will be reading the book nice and slow (approximately two chapters per week). I plan to listen to the audiobook as a change of pace. We focused on fairy tales first semester - and the Hobbit will be a nice way to end that particular unit.
• My 8th grade class is now starting to memorize lines from A Midsummer Night's Dream in order to perform the play in an hour's timeframe. This week we will be watching 4 different film versions (the first scene only) and discussing the different ways in which directors have interpreted the play. Once students decide how they wish to perform our version, we will begin to cut the lines to fit the time slot.

What did you recently finish reading: A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway (the review is half written - hopefully it will be up by the end of the week)

What do you think you'll read next: That is the most difficult question.

• I would love to read Possession, as I have been so inspired by A. S. Byatt lately. But that book is a little over 600 pages and I am just not sure that I will have the time to finish before it is due to be returned at the library.
• My other consideration is Surviving Hitler by Andrea Warren. I just learned that the author will be giving a writing workshop at my daughter's school, and I may have the opportunity to sneak in the back and listen. I feel that I need to read at least one of her books, although I am very interested in the book she is currently writing, Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London, due to be released in the fall, 2011.

How about you? Do you wish to share one of the three Ws in your life this week? I'd love to hear!