Choices

WOW!
 I do not know if there is anything busier than a teacher on the first day with students. Today has been so crazy. I cannot wait until I get home to a hot bath and my books! I am trying to decide on a new book to read. I have several in my TBR pile and its always exciting ad intimidating to make a new selection. New choices are often difficult. I saw many of my students today struggling with decisions. Some were trying to decide if speaking up in class was worth the effort if they were going to make themselves a target for ridicule. I do not take to this well and try to create an environment of equality in my classroom. Others were trying to choose where to sit at lunch, and new student even struggled with what to choose for lunch, not knowing if the food was good or if they should opt for the safer salad line. Even as teachers we ha choices to make, do I want to use a seating chart, which student can I call on, what has to be done today and what can I put off until tomorrow? With so many choices in our day selecting a book seems like a privilege, because no matter which I pick I am in for an adventure. That makes selecting a good book the no lose option for this busy mom and school teacher.

First week back to school!!!

There is no other tired in the world like a teacher's first week back to school tired. Meetings with bosses, Professional developments, dusting, setting up the classroom, supply requests, parent complaints, and so much more has to be fit in and that is all during school hours. You still have to come home and be mom and wife and housekeeper and daughter and sister...... How I have missed my little blog and my books!!! I did get to squeeze some time for some new ARC books in and I am looking forward to sharing those reviews with you all very soon. Dont forget to check back soon and see what I have found. One is even a Middle school level book that will be great for boys and girls alike!!!

Hope you have a great beginning to the school year!!

Jenn
AKA Mrs. Boyd

Whats your boundary?

Comfort zone, boundaries, safe space, favorite genre, we all have a name for it. I have differing limits for what I will read for pleasure, what I will implement in my classroom, and what I will read for academic content. Have you ever outlined your specific limitations, what you look for in a book, what you won't tolerate in a book?
When researching books to use in my classroom, I look at lots of things. I have to consider academic value of course, but there is also the content of the book. Are there innuendos that are inappropriate for classroom use? Is there explicit or graphic language?  Would this book offend a cultural or religious group in my classroom? Honestly, it is always stressful when choosing a new book. I like exploring new content, but I do rely heavily on those with experience, who may notice something offensive I might overlook before I implement the use of a new novel in the classroom. I do find gems of my own, but I have found that a second pair of eyes is always a good idea when dealing with students.
When selecting books for my own benefit I can relax my standards. I do not have to fret if some bad language occurs in the book, but I do have my limits. I do not believe any intelligent person needs to curse every other word to express him or herself and I feel the same is true for authors. The occasional curse word is to be expected occasionally in novels, especially from the antagonist, but any intelligent writer can find other ways to express "colorful language" without using words like f*&% and s*&% every other sentence. I also draw the line with sexual scenes. I do not like to watch porn and I do not want to read it either. Kisses and romantic scenes are fine but there are limits! When the scene is so graphic that I am ashamed that I purchased the book in the first place I am going to DNF the book and hide it so no one finds it in my possession.  Finally, and please hold the tar and feathers, I do not approve of homosexual love (LGBTQ) in books. I do not hate this population of people. I hate no one, but it makes me very uncomfortable, and there is a genre for that. If the book is LGBTQ friendly it needs to be listed in that genre. I get so tired of reading along and really enjoying a book and BAM there is a LGBTQ relationship. Usually the book is not listed in that genre, and the book is not identified as having any LGBTQ affiliation, but there it is. I cannot even purchase a new book for my kids without screening it first to make sure there is none of this interspersed within the pages. Again, I do not hate these people, but I do disagree with their lifestyle and would rather not read about it in my book worlds or have my children exposed to it without my knowledge from the pages of the books. Seriously why are middle school books even covering this topic anyway?
When reading for academic content the choice is made much differently. Who are the authors and publishers? What are their credentials? What is their reputation in the academic community on the specific topic? What other types of academic publications have they written? There are lots of ways to vest academic writings and I try to employ many of them before putting much weight into any academic writing. Experience and support form the academic community are much encouraged prior to placing value on any particular academic writings. Obviously some writings are safer than others. Text books and Academic Journals being among the most reliable sources, but even these can be tinged with the opinions of the authors, depending on the subject matter. It is always a good idea to do your homework when seeking academic texts.
So, what are your limits? Do you have limits? Do you only read specific genres or are you open to anything? Again, as an educator I look at every book through different lenses so I am curious, how do you filter books to select your reading materials, because there are so many books out there and so little time for reading them all.

Books and eye issues

I love having this blog. It is off to a good start. I was always amazed at the idea of people actually having a place to share their thoughts on a subject with others, around the globe, who share similar interests. This blog has been something I have wanted to work on for years, but again, I have little talent for creating electronic pages and sites. I also suffer from a second problem, I have horrible vision. As you read my posts you may wonder why I purchase the hard copy and audio versions of so many books. It seems redundant right? Well, like most of you I love the smell and feel of an actual book, but I also have an eye condition that causes me to see double of everything. This makes reading difficult and even extremely painful. I do have glasses, and had surgery once as a child, but it is still easier to switch back and forth between the audio and the hard copy. I do also use an e-reader, this allows me to modify text, but the problem remains that I have to put in a lot of focusing effort to see just one image on the page.  I do have a referral with UMSC in Charleston to see a surgeon specializing in my condition this month, but they are not even sure if they can help me. We shall see. I can hope. So as this site progresses (hopefully) please be understanding. I will post often, but there will be lots of posts with the audio and hard copy review. If you have a book you want reviewed I will be glad to check into it. Do any of you have vision problems? What do you do to allow you to enjoy books when the headaches, migraines, or vision issues get in the way? Would you continue to purchase the hard copies or just stick to the audio versions?

Thanks,
Jennifer

Going on vacation with the family this week. We are headed to the North Carolina Mountains. Hubby and I are so excited! I recently had major surgery so I will not get to hike trails with him and the kiddos, but the bright side is I get to catch up on some reading. I bought two physical books with me and my Kindle Oasis. I would have preferred more hard copies, but 3 kids and suitcases, so kindle takes up much less space. I would love to hear your vacation recommendations, what books do you suggest I download to read? Also, when traveling do you prefer physical books, or an e-readers? Or like me, do you bring along a combination of the two?
Thanks and Happy Reading!!!

Lets Talk Books!!

OK! So I have been trying to get this blog up and running for a long time, but as much as I love books, technology is not my thing. So I want to give a big shout out to my hubby for helping me finally get this site up and running. I am so excited to be an official book blogger! Please leave comments about books you recommend or would like reviews of. I am currently reading Legendary, sequel to Caraval, and several ARC books. So look for more reviews to come. Again, I am new at this but would love to have you make suggestions and comments about what you would like to read on this site. Please be kind. And HAPPY READING!!