Creature Bug: NCAA Bracket Winner

Small Reads

Piglet and Papa
by Margaret Wild. No one loves Piglet as much as his Papa. Even if Piglet does bite his Papa's tail!
Tickle the Duck
by Ethan Long. He doesn't want to be tickled, except that he does. Hoo haw hee hee.
Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct
by Mo Willems. (*****)

Big Reads

Were You Raised by Wolves?: Clues to the Mysteries of Adulthood
by Christie Mellor. A great graduation gift. In fact, I got one for my brother. (****)
An Act of Vengeance
by Erik Larson. My cousin wrote this novel, a tale of suspense and revenge. The style is reminiscient of turn-of-the-century detective novels: detailed, mysterious, straight forward prose. (****)
Eat, Pray, Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert. While Ms. Gilbert's worldview is quite different from my own, I find her writing to be lovely and her personal adventure to be inspiring. (****)
Small Surrenders: A Lenten Journey
by Emilie Griffin. A wonderful and inspiring addition to the Lent season. (*****)
A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini. The most emotionally moving book I have read in years. I cried the last 100 pages, and for days afterwards. Incredible. Hosseini captures motherhood, the bond between women, and the struggle of Afghanistan in a powerful way. Please read this book. (*****)
Five Quarters of the Orange
by Joanne Harris. A mysterious read about a dysfunctional family, set in France during WW2. Full of lovely food references. (****)
Morality for Beautiful Girls (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Book 3)
by Alexander McCall Smith. Another entertaining read, albeit with a somewhat abrupt ending. (****)
28: Stories of AIDS in Africa
by Stephanie Nolen. Twenty-million people in Africa are infected with AIDS, and this thoroughly researched book is a powerful read on a cruel epidemic. (*****)
Keri Wyatt Kent: Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life
Good reminders. Provided excellent perspective. (****)
The Nanny Diaries
A clever view of high society in New York, I would have fully enjoyed the book were it not for the highly unsatisfying ending. (***)

Smart Reads

Steering the Craft
by Ursula K. Le Guin. Wonderful writing prompts and literary snippets.
Teaching Writing in Middle and Secondary Schools
by Margot Iris Soven. Theory, Research and Practice well worth reading if you teach writing.
In the Middle
by Nancie Atwell. Greatly influenced how I taught writing when I was in the secondary classroom. Even though some aren't keen on the workshop method, this book still has some great ideas.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

NCAA Bracket Winner

I have to say I'm a little surprised that nobody commented on the song allusion in the last post. I've been humming it all day, how about you? No country fans out there? Pity.

Well, I did want to send out a hearty congratulations to the winner of my little blogball NCAA tourny. There were some twists and turns, some high drama and tears, but Kansas--oh Kansas, and your overtime miracle despite your poor free throw shooting!--squeaked by.

Who was the lone wolf of our pack to guess Kansas as the winner?

Bravo, Kim. Bravo. I'll email you your Amazon gift certificate this week.

Thanks to all of you who played along and made March just a little bit more interesting. See you next year! Same group name. Same password. (I think that password was good luck this year, don't you?)

*****

Tuesday, April 08, 2008 at 10:12 PM in For Fun | Permalink

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Bedtime Stories

The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic that Shaped Our History
by Molly Caldwell Crosby. I LOVE disease/plague/virus books. So thrilling.
I Am Invited to a Party!
Mo Willem's new Elephant and Piggie series are hilarious, clever, and great for beginning readers. (*****)
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
by Michael Pollan. Americans are "a notably unhealthy people obsessed by the idea of eating healthily."