https://padlet.com/equinson/books Stuff Ms. Quinson read or is reading. en-us 2019-05-13 14:55:31 UTC 2021-09-03 12:46:22 UTC hello@padlet.com https://imgglb.padletcdn.com/v13/image?t=g_auto&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpadlet.net%2Ficons%2Fpng%2F1f4d6.png equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359515220 I had been meaning to read this for decades.  It was really wonderful. Not really for middle schoolers, but a fun book.

]]> 2019-05-13 15:01:10 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359515220 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359634072 God, I love this book.  I'm rereading it with a student on home instruction and I'm seeing new things.  God I love this book.

I'd like to add to the above. My student and I had so much fun, but she showed me what I now believe to be one of the central metaphors -- she noticed it, I didn't -- and it made me think again about how reading in school should be about the students' epiphanies not about teachers showing students the beauty of the writing. Or at least, maybe, in middle school. They have plenty of time for lectures, like the ones I had in graduate school or college, where they are learning about the history of literature like the history of art. But at his age, young readers should be learning how to make meaning for themselves and to do that, we must focus on their reading and their epiphanies.]]> 2019-05-13 19:00:39 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359634072 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359634811 This book absolutely spoke to me.  Told in present day and in the 19th Century in a town in New Jersey. It felt very personal to me because the present-day narrator is a mother about my age with grown children.]]> 2019-05-13 19:02:38 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359634811 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359635586 A fun cozy mystery starts us off, then we get a mystery about the author of that cozy mystery. Very cool.]]> 2019-05-13 19:04:31 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359635586 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359636012 A YA novel about a police murder of a youngster, AND the black narrator who goes to a white prep school and how she balances the events and settings.  It did, in fact, engross me. I loved the protagonist and it gave me a window into a world I don't inhabit. I made me understand a perspective that I have not really inhabited before. Definitely worth reading.]]> 2019-05-13 19:05:35 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359636012 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359637136 This book confused me A LOT when I read it on a Kindle.  But then I listened to a bit of the audio book and it really helped me.  I'm not sure it's really as fabulous TO ME as it seems to be to the critics, but still it was cool.]]> 2019-05-13 19:08:37 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359637136 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359641221 A good, easy dystopian novel about a town where all the grown ups disappear. ]]> 2019-05-13 19:18:22 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359641221 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359641743 A Cormoran Strike novel by J.K. Rowling under her mystery novel pseudonym.]]> 2019-05-13 19:19:36 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359641743 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359642270 Another one! It's getting a little formulaic. Or, it is just that I read a bunch of them in a row? On the other hand, Agatha Christie never gets formulaic in an annoying way. Still, I do like these books, but I'm going to take a break!]]> 2019-05-13 19:20:49 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359642270 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359643161 2019-05-13 19:23:23 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/359643161 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360313922 A good page turner, set in Paris. It's a retelling of something that actually happened in New York a few years ago. It's an interesting character study.]]> 2019-05-15 13:02:37 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360313922 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360333154 Ms. Ward is my new absolute favorite author. I found her through a PBS book club recommendation. She's a black women who lives in Mississippi and writes about her own experiences and the experiences of others in her community. Her writing is magnificent and it gives me a window into a community I know nothing about. She blows me away. This is her memoir.]]> 2019-05-15 13:39:42 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360333154 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360334668 Ms. Ward is my new absolute favorite author.  I found her through a PBS book club recommendation.  She's  a black women who lives in Mississippi and writes about her own experiences and the experiences of others in her community.  Her writing is magnificent and it gives me a window into a community I know nothing about.  She blows me away.  This was the first book of her I read.  It's somewhat mystical with voices of ghosts and current people intertwining.   It haunts me in the best possible way. I must reread this.]]> 2019-05-15 13:42:20 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360334668 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360335960 Ms. Ward is my new absolute favorite author.  I found her through a PBS book club recommendation.  She's  a black women who lives in Mississippi and writes about her own experiences and the experiences of others in her community.  Her writing is magnificent and it gives me a window into a community I know nothing about.  She blows me away.  This is an account of a family's experience in Hurricane Katrina.]]> 2019-05-15 13:44:35 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360335960 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360336610 This was the first book I ready by Morrison and it gripped me then. There are images I simply cannot forget. ]]> 2019-05-15 13:45:35 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360336610 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360337141 The great novel by the great novelist.  I must be  honest, I do prefer The Bluest Eye, but most people believe this is the great masterpiece.]]> 2019-05-15 13:46:28 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360337141 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360831201 I read this because everyone was loving it. It's the story of a girl who is raised by kind of crazy "off the grid" parents who then chooses to join society. I liked it, but it rang a little hollow to me.]]> 2019-05-16 15:06:09 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360831201 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360831860 This was sort of in the same vein as The Glass Castle but it was better written and thus more enjoyable to read. On the other hand, the events were truly horrific. I believed her completely, but I was also struck that she must be an absolute genius to have risen as far as she did with so little support in childhood . I definitely recommend. ]]> 2019-05-16 15:07:33 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360831860 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360834519 Whenever I'm blue I love to retreat into an Agatha Christie. This is rightfully one of her classics.  It was very much worth the reread.]]> 2019-05-16 15:12:24 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360834519 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360836261 I love this writer. She allows me to see a bit closer into Indian-American culture, and as so many of my students (and often some of my favorite students!) are Indian, I appreciate learning more about their experiences. Obviously, this is just one voice, but I still love it. Also, she writes so clearly and her characters are complex and interesting that I really enjoy her story telling.]]> 2019-05-16 15:15:43 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360836261 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360838781 I reread this book this year and I found it much better than I had the last time. It was formulaic, but not overly so. A pretty good historical novel. ]]> 2019-05-16 15:19:51 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360838781 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360841693 In highschool I didn't get this. It bored me a bit. Now I know more about the Depression, the Dust Bowl, working people, union rights, and socialism. Also, I'm just plain older, and I've had troubles, so I could understand on a level I just couldn't at 16. This time I understood why this is a classic. ]]> 2019-05-16 15:25:05 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/360841693 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/361189179 Another fabulous book by Lahiri. My cousin Maggie recommended her to me, and I must say she was right!]]> 2019-05-17 14:12:02 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/361189179 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/362975653 New TC recommended title for looking -- Great stories.  Some have "inappropriate language" and some are on sensitive topics, but I thought they were pretty fabulous.  I would probably use them as mentor texts for specific students, rather than as whole class texts.  I particularly like "Tags."  
They all provided fresh perspectives. Loved it.]]> 2019-05-23 15:23:13 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/362975653 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/364642392 Short Stories for Middle Schoolers]]> 2019-05-30 14:13:28 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/364642392 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/370449430 Another fabulous anthology of short stories for teens. They use "Kate the Great" in seventh grade, but there are lots we could use for many things. Mostly 7th and 8th grade. I especially liked "Jeremy Goldblatt is so not Moses" but there were lots of great ones. The only one I really didn't like was the last one. It felt just, well, stupid, I guess.]]> 2019-07-07 22:05:54 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/370449430 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/370449573 Trevor Noah, the host of the Daily Show's memoir of his life growing up seriously poor in South Africa. His story is so engrossing and sprinkled with lots of really interesting events, historical and personal. Would definitely recommend to students. There are however lots of inappropriate use of words, so parents should definitely be consulted.]]> 2019-07-07 22:10:05 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/370449573 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/370449664 What a joy to read! I have a problem with non-fiction, I find it hard, honestly, but Gopnik makes things so clear I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone interested in morality, philosophy, or politics. A great read!]]> 2019-07-07 22:12:16 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/370449664 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/370449832 I loved this graphic novel! I don't read many, but this was really terrific. It was easy to read, but I definitely benefited from rereading and noticing all the details the author wove in to make a point. It might be a good idea for helping a student who struggles a bit and/or wants/needs to learn about how much rereading can help us.]]> 2019-07-07 22:17:08 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/370449832 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/371491268 Wow! They are really right! Ngaio Marsh is truly as good as Agatha Christie. The plot and characterizations were really interesting. I did not figure out the ending. Also, the main character, Alleyn, is wonderfully smooth and intelligent. I was initially attracted because there was a ball of yarn on the cover, but it really had nothing to do with knitting. It takes place on a sheep farm in New Zealand. Marsh was a New Zealander and that is something I ended up loving about the book. I felt as if I learned just a little bit about that far away land. Ms. Marsh's descriptions of the setting really helped me see the environment.]]> 2019-07-17 22:13:22 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/371491268 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/371805708 So! I finally read this classic dystopian YA novel. I have to say it grew on me. At first it dragged, because I'm not really into action -- not in movies and not in books, but the characterizations were good, the plot twists interesting. I'm not saying it was the most original book I ever read, but once I really spent the time I need to devote to getting into it, I really liked it. I had actually tried this book a few years ago, but I wasn't able to read for a long time so it was one of those, pick it up, fall asleep, try again. But I've really been making time for my reading so I read it over a few days, (three maybe?) and it grew on me.]]> 2019-07-21 20:55:32 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/371805708 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/372897018 Another fun mystery by someone just as good or even better??? than the great Agatha Christie. This one is the first time Inspector Alleyn met Agatha Troy. I must admit I have a total crush on Roderick Alleyn and I find this romance lovely. The mystery was fun, too, EXCEPT, I did figure it out. But I still enjoyed it immensely.]]> 2019-08-01 03:16:00 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/372897018 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/373216525 I really, really hated this book. I read it because the New York Times recommended it as one of the top 50 memoirs. Mr. Wolff writes well, very well. At times there were really interesting insights about loyalty, morality. I'm afraid I did not write down the specifics because I read this on my kindle and I did not make note in my writer's notebook. But what I disliked was that the author seems like a truly degenerate human being. This was his life as a boy 10 to 18. He really did have it tough because his mother was married to a dreadful man who was abusive of the author, but still! The author was a thief and a cheat and really had nothing to recommend him. The book was really unremittingly depressing and there seemed to be no redemption. It was just so depressing. I finished it because I had heard so much about it and I hoped that eventually there would be some epiphany or change that would make this all worthwhile. But alas no. In a way I wonder if part of my problem with it is that it is the story of a boy (and I'm a woman) but I've read other memoirs by men and enjoyed them. This just all felt so seedy and brutal with no real reason for it all. ]]> 2019-08-05 02:27:46 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/373216525 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/373217384 I reread this one in preparation for next year. I enjoyed it. Again!]]> 2019-08-05 02:33:49 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/373217384 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/373808859 I had never read anything by Anne Perry and she is a renowned mystery novelist, so I thought I would try one out. My husband recommended this one. I liked the characterizations very much and the attention to class differences in Victorian London, but I figured out the solution before the ending -- it seemed a little obvious to me, and there were some loose ends that were not dealt with appropriately before the end of the novel. Or rather, it felt like such a sudden ending that the author just didn't have time to wrap everything up. All in all, I was a bit disappointed.]]> 2019-08-09 00:15:08 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/373808859 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397168874 This is a historical fiction novel about a young Jewish girl who lives on the Lower East Side of New York in 1910-1911, and it's about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and it's about a missing heiress. I really liked it. There was a quiet tension that built up in an interesting way. Also, there was a lot of period detail that made me feel like I was slipping back in time. Definitely recommend.]]> 2019-10-13 20:16:56 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397168874 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397169191 This is a modern novel about teenagers at a performing arts school in the 70s or 80s. Then it moves in time. There are interesting issues of identity, fiction, and reality. Also issues of child molestation and changes in the way society now views teenage sexuality. I hated it. I really did. I do not recommend it. I kept having the feeling that there must be something deeper to it. Perhaps if I reread it, I would understand it better. But I hated it so much, I really don't want to spend the time on it. Do not recommend.]]> 2019-10-13 20:19:13 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397169191 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397169635 I loved this one!  It won the Pulitzer for goodness sake! It's a novel told in a series of short stories about a town called Crosby, Maine.  The main character is Olive, in that she occurs most often, but we meet many characters and get varying points of view.  I loved the way we learn more and more about Olive specifically and realize that she is deeply flawed, although we do still like it.  She really made me think about my own mother.  Definitely recommend, but perhaps more for middle aged people than young people.  Can't wait for the next book:  Olive, Again, which is about to come out.]]> 2019-10-13 20:21:47 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397169635 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397170134 The one and only. ]]> 2019-10-13 20:25:04 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397170134 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397170250 Wonderful bedtime reading. Whenever I'm between books or just need a little something to keep me entertained for a bit, I love to pick this book up. I've read it again and again, but I can always find something to engross me.]]> 2019-10-13 20:25:53 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397170250 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397170703 There's nothing like Monsieur Poirot for escapism. His idiosyncratic personality and intelligence and beguiling and just plain fun! The mysteries are intricate and the characterizations and settings are delightful. Best bedtime reading ever!]]> 2019-10-13 20:28:50 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397170703 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397681659 Wow! This book really holds up. It was a hot read about the time that I began teaching, but I never read it at the time. I picked it up because I was going through my classroom library and I thought I'd try it It's told in poetry, but I just really read it right through. I bet I could go back and look at the individual poems, but I just read to find out what would happen. It's about a high school girl who gets a job babysitting for a teenage mother. I loved the realism. This book did not feel contrived. I heartily recommend it.]]> 2019-10-15 00:52:42 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397681659 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397682471 This book is the basis of the new Ruler (Social-Emotional Learning) program we're starting in Clarkstown. So far so good, but I wish he'd get to the point. Also, I'm listening on audiobooks and he's a dreadful reader.]]> 2019-10-15 00:56:10 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397682471 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397683066 Just starting.  Nothing to say yet. I absolutely hated this book, so I dropped it.]]> 2019-10-15 00:58:23 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/397683066 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/416668557 Wonderful! Just as good or better than the first. Olive starts to get into her grand old age. I really appreciated a book about an older women and the small, seemingly insignificant, yet oh so significant parts of life. Not sure that a teenager would like this book, but I bet many middle-aged people would!]]> 2019-11-26 14:04:42 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/416668557 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/416669433 The classic! I'm struck at how simultaneously feminist and old-fashioned this book is. Certainly the ideas about what women should be like is ludicrously out of date, and yet, well, yet I do think some of the ideas are wise. It is important to be sensitive to others. Every literate woman should read this book.]]> 2019-11-26 14:06:16 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/416669433 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/416670944 I love these mysteries. I love the town of Lochdubh and the local residents. Always a good mystery. Not too obvious and intriguing.]]> 2019-11-26 14:09:02 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/416670944 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/416671764 I love these mysteries.  I love the town of Lochdubh and the local residents.  Always a good mystery.  Not too obvious and intriguing.]]> 2019-11-26 14:10:30 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/416671764 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/416673176 "Stand up, your father's passin."]]> 2019-11-26 14:12:47 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/416673176 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/418790523 Wow. This book absolutely took me into another world. I read his other book, The Underground Railroad, but I just didn't get it. This one, though, blew me away. It really helped me understand a different experience, a black man's experience. I also kept thinking about the current disparagement of Harper Lee and I think I understand that idea more. After all, when Scout describes how the Old Sarum boys, with whom Boo got involved and how they were sent to the state school for boys which was no disgrace, I now wonder. I profoundly wonder. Was it like this one? Were the boys abused, both black and white? Great twist at the end. Great book. ]]> 2019-12-02 22:29:54 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/418790523 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/421608303 A great book, written in poetry. This novel was a quick read and really gripping. It's about a teenage girl growing up today in the city. She is Dominican and her culture plays a part in the story because her mother is completely against her having any relationships with boys at all, and you guessed it, she has a crush on her lab partner. I would totally recommend it to students EXCEPT there are some somewhat graphic scenes, one or two, that frankly make this maybe in appropriate for some readers. So annoying! But it was well-written and won all kinds of rewards.]]> 2019-12-09 14:30:46 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/421608303 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/427265650 I really enjoyed this book. I listened to the audiobook version read by Tom Hanks. It is narrated by a young boy/man and is about him and his sister growing up and starting adulthood. Their mother had left the family and after his father has remarried, he dies, too. Their stepmother is NOT NICE. It takes place outside of Philadelphia in a magnificent mansion -- The Dutch House. It had an interesting, slightly creepy quality at first, but then became an interesting psychological study. At it's heart I think it's about the futility of anger and revenge. ]]> 2020-01-02 05:38:56 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/427265650 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/427265869 Wow. Just wow! I loved this book. I was entirely absorbed by the characters, the imagery, the setting, the change of scene and time. It weaves elements of war, mystery, thriller, and a little romance. Completely suitable for students EXCEPT there is one 🤬 scene, but without any graphic elements at all. Highly recommended.]]> 2020-01-02 05:42:21 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/427265869 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/427553476 I heartily recommend this book to middle school students who like a good page turner. The author did a great job building tension and keeping my interest. Also, there are both a male and female protagonist, which I really appreciate. Sometimes books are only for boys or girls and that's annoying. Also, this is a book about an incident in World War II I knew nothing about, so I felt I really learned something.]]> 2020-01-03 20:21:36 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/427553476 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449450911 A classic and for good reason. I hadn't read this for quite some time and I"m happy to say it really holds up. Obviously, I knew who had done it, but it was fun to see how Conan Doyle set the whole thing up. Dr. Watson makes a wonderful narrator. I really feel as if I can follow his experience. And Holmes is always a treat.]]> 2020-02-24 13:58:46 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449450911 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449452514 I hadn't really planned on reading this, but I was without a novel and there it was! I had completely forgotten the story, but I had more or less recently seen the new Sherlock with Benedict Cummerbatch, so there was that. To be honest, I didn't love this one. It was hard to follow and not all that interesting to me. On the other hand, it was amazing to compare to the newer version mentioned above. They really did a wonderful job updating it to the Study in Pink. ]]> 2020-02-24 14:01:11 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449452514 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449455858 I had not read this book in 40 years. I graduated from college in 1984, so they asked us to read it before Freshman year. And that was a long, long time ago. The story was pretty darn good. Not exactly a page turner, but it sure did bring up interesting questions. Clearly, in its day it was about the Soviet Union and totalitarianism, but the whole part about truth and facts being dependent on our willingness to hold to reality and not giving over our beliefs to the state or others in general certainly resonates today. It was a gruelling story, especially at the end, and I'm not entirely sure that the suffering was worth it. I remember hearing that an author should only make his characters to the extent that the point the author is trying to convey makes it necessary. Well, I think Orwell may have overdone it. Still, it stays with me and goodness knows he's right about the dangers of totalitarianism. So, maybe I'm wrong! Overall, EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK AT SOME POINT!!!]]> 2020-02-24 14:06:22 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449455858 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449463342 This was a fun thriller. I did somewhat suspect the ending, but not entirely. The only thing I didn't like so much was that the relationships were a little obvious. I felt as if the author was preaching about how girls should be independent, and we should all accept homosexuality. I agree with those ideals, but it felt heavy handed.]]> 2020-02-24 14:18:38 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449463342 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449464734 This was a really interesting YA dystopian novel. The idea is that the moon gets hit by an asteroid and gets knocked off its axis. In turn all kinds of things go nuts on earth -- tides, weather, volcanoes, etc. The main character and her family must survive. A great story. I recommend to all!]]> 2020-02-24 14:20:45 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449464734 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449480747 I forgot I read this, so I'm just adding this here. I liked the characterizations and the metaphors of the wildlife and the main character. A good read!]]> 2020-02-24 14:43:34 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/449480747 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/470150938 This is a novel my husband has just submitted to his agent to seek a publisher, so I don't have a picture of the cover. Instead, there's a picture of my husband! I had already read this book, but he did a considerable amount of rewriting, so it's even better than it was before. The detectives are a couple of old friends, Ted and Penelope. In this rewrite he has made their relationship much more playful. There's still a lot of tension because Ted's love for Penelope is unrequited, but they are a terrific sleuthing duo. The mystery concerns a famous novelist who committed suicide many years before, but was it really suicide? Or was she...MURDERED!!!]]> 2020-03-22 22:46:49 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/470150938 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/485042952 What a joy to reread with young readers! Perhaps a little too sophisticated for them, but I love visiting Hartfield. (January, 2020)]]> 2020-03-31 17:30:36 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/485042952 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/485045640 The Queen of Crime never disappoints.  This is a classic for a reason.  Even though I know the ending, I am still on tenterhooks.  I cannot recommend this title enough! (February 2020)]]> 2020-03-31 17:31:45 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/485045640 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/515981568 A sequel to Life as We Knew It.  Good!  I was drawn into the world really well.  I will say it was really, really gruesome and I'm not sure it was worth it.  Some author said, I think, that there must be a good reason to make your characters suffer and I'm not sure there is in this case.  Good for a sequel, though.  I wonder if I should read the third?  Will it sum everything up?  Will there be an arc to follow?  A reason for all of this.  I wonder. (March 2020)]]> 2020-04-19 21:02:02 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/515981568 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/515984433 A graphic novel that is all the rage this year.  I liked it!  It really did make me laugh at times.  It's about an African American boy from a working class neighborhood who goes to an exclusive prep school in Riverdale, just like the one my husband attended.   Turns out, on talking to my husband, he was a classmate of his at that prep school!  The back cover says ages 8 to 10 and I bet kids that age would love it.   (April, 2020)]]> 2020-04-19 21:04:54 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/515984433 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/531892860 A wonderful, truly wonderful YA romcom of a book.  It held my attention, the characters were interesting.  
   The main character is appealing and has a wonderful voice.  Her mother has recently died and her father remarried all of a sudden and moves them from Chicago to LA.  What a change for this poor girl.  She has to deal with a whole new school, missing her mom and her home.
   A great read!  I fully recommend this to girls.  Sorry guys.  You can read it, too, but I think this is for girls. (May 2020)]]> 2020-04-26 21:35:34 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/531892860 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/557359859 Wow!  A heartfelt book about students in a special class in  New York City.  The narrator is a little girl who is raised primarily by her uncle and we get to know all her classmates through her.  I recommend this book highly to younger middle-school readers. (May 2020)]]> 2020-05-07 13:14:22 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/557359859 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/557364168 I loved this YA sort of rom-com book.  Lots of fun, romance and drama.  A girl has a disease that requires her to stay inside, protected, but then she falls in love with her next door neighbor!  Great read for teenage girls. (May 2020)]]> 2020-05-07 13:15:57 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/557364168 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/557367915 A wonderful graphic biography of the John Lewis' early life.  I can't wait to read the second volume! (March, 2020)]]> 2020-05-07 13:17:21 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/557367915 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634476453 This was the first Phryne Fisher novel I've read and it was wonderful!  A little racy, perhaps, but not evil.  A great mystery, lots of twists and turns.  Good plotting.  Plus, I loved the feminism and the atmosphere.  Great fun! (June, 2020)]]> 2020-06-20 16:49:06 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634476453 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634477209 My second time reading this book and it is truly WONDERFUL!  Great characterizations, good suspense, just plain old interesting.  (June, 2020)]]> 2020-06-20 16:50:40 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634477209 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634478201 Another great read.  A WWII book, based on a true story.  A teenage girl is in charge of protecting the books used to teach children in the kinderlager.  Great suspense and good for teen issues as well.  Recommend to everyone! (May, 2020)]]> 2020-06-20 16:51:31 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634478201 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634492997 Much like the first.  To be honest, not my favorite.  I bet kids would like it, but it didn't really move me. (March, 2020)]]> 2020-06-20 16:59:55 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634492997 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634493447 More of the same. (March 2020)]]> 2020-06-20 17:00:55 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634493447 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634652944 A fascinating review of racism in America.  This is the YA version retold and remixed by Jason Reynolds. It's very readable and interesting.  I read the whole thing in one day.  It certainly has it's own viewpoint, but that isn't a knock.  Just a fact.   I highly recommend.   (6/20/20)]]> 2020-06-20 22:57:51 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/634652944 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/635297828 A sensitive and interesting story of a multi-generational family. Not for young folk but beautifully written and compelling.]]> 2020-06-21 20:13:02 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/635297828 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/641119417 What an amazing author Jason Reynolds is!  This is a collection of stories about middle school students in a neighborhood, a tale told in ten blocks -- great for 6th or 7th grade.  Important and useful in the "own voices" category, telling the story of BIPOC lives of middle school students! (6/28/20)

]]> 2020-06-26 14:59:01 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/641119417 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/641130227 A memoir or musing of the authors experience with race.  I need to reread this. I bet kids can read at least parts of this. (Summer, 2019)]]> 2020-06-26 15:10:41 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/641130227 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/641753730 Phryne Fisher's first case!  Lots of good romping fun.  Quite bawdy, and not for middle schoolers. A good mystery, though I figured it out pretty early.  Lovely characters, good setting.  Love the feminist twists. (6/26/20)]]> 2020-06-27 16:51:55 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/641753730 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/643292585 An interesting novel about twins with an unusually passionate attachment to words.  A good read for middle aged ladies like me!  Not exciting but interesting psychology.  Nice book. (6/29/20)]]> 2020-06-29 19:53:37 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/643292585 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/645198091 A wonderful, depressing, and beautiful historical fiction novel about Lithuanian deportees and their experience at the hands of the vicious NKVD.  A must read! (7/1/20)]]> 2020-07-01 17:38:21 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/645198091 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/649569286 An interesting mystery with two plot lines that kept me very interested. I love the feminist Phryne Fisher! (Not for young people!)]]> 2020-07-07 22:06:30 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/649569286 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/652780052 Wow. This was the first Erdrich book I've read and it blew my mind. Her prose it beautiful, full of imagery and symbolism. Her characterizations are multi-faceted and compelling. Moreover, she writes about her own Chippewa people with intelligence and profound respect. Absolutely wonderful! I don't think this book is appropriate for adolescent because of some sexual explicitness, nor do I really think the story overall would interest young readers. I highly recommend this book to adults looking to learn more about the human condition and about a part of American society that is often marginalized.]]> 2020-07-12 22:31:05 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/652780052 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/660148785 I still love Trollope! He was my favorite author in college and he still is. His psychological insights are extraordinary. He is witty and entertaining and the best escape possible from today's troubles. (I'm not sure middle school students would like this, just because the topics are probably not to their liking, but there is nothing inappropriate.)]]> 2020-07-22 14:22:07 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/660148785 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/665260068 This is the best high-brow escapism in the world! At least for me. The second volume in the Palliser series follows a young Irishman in his first years in London, as he rises from young law student, to MP to undersecretary of the Colonies. Love stories and political intrigue. What's not to like?]]> 2020-07-29 19:39:54 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/665260068 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/689636328 More escapism! The protagonist is a scheming, beautiful woman using all her wiles to succeed in 19th Century English high society. Lots of fun!]]> 2020-08-20 16:01:37 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/689636328 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/735010652 I have so enjoyed rereading Trollope!]]> 2020-09-10 13:58:09 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/735010652 equinson https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/894085839 I'm finding this book oddly reassuring during our difficult political times. It points out that Americans have always been vulnerable to conmen, but that we have, in the end, great good sense and that good will prevail ultimately. Ultimately, though, is getting really annoying! Also the end really is problematic in terms of the torture of Jim. But then again, maybe we can't expect previous generations to have our present day sensibilities, or even morality.]]> 2020-11-05 14:24:02 UTC https://padlet.com/equinson/books/wish/894085839