February 2019 Reading Bingo Challenge

February 2019 Reading Bingo Challenge

 How did January go? Life just seems to keep piling up, but reading continues to provide some balance to the chaos.

Just like January, February has two different versions of the challenge. On the board, there's an option for a blind date with a book. Several libraries have programs where they wrap up books and leave a detailed explanation of the book on the front. You pick one and take it home to read. A few book stores do it as well. If neither of those options are available to you, grab a friend, and trade your favorite books with each other.

Things around here have been quiet since C is in the throws of busy season, but things are still jam-packed with things to do to prep for the arrival of baby #2.

Where did you end off with last month's book challenge? Share your favorites below!

The Way of Kings: 2018 Reading Challenge

I finally finished this 1200 page behemoth...

This is officially the longest book that I have ever read. It took so long, but I am proud of myself for finishing.

Goodreads Preview
From Goodreads: "Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them and won by them.

One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.

Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.

Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war."

My Thoughts
I'm glad that I've read other stories by Brandon Sanderson before reading this one. It would've been harder to keep up with this one if I hadn't read and enjoyed others. Before reading this one, consider reading other books by this author first.

The only thing I always enjoy was the jumping between characters. There are several characters that get a section of the story and I found myself getting frustrated with the changes because I would want to keep reading about the character. Also, a few of the characters were seen for about a chapter and then not seen again. Why give them that much focus if you aren't going to use them? However, the book is well written enough that if I put the book down for a few days, I could start up again and not forget what was going on (my problem with the Wheel of Time). For me, I can't always read every day so it's important that I don't have to restart multiple times.

There was a lot to enjoy with this story. The scenery is colorful and easy to picture. The characters a varied and interesting. There are even female characters that are exciting to follow. Usually, with books like this, the girls are a bit of a letdown. I didn't particularly like Shallan, but my husband has read the next book and is reading the most recent story and he has said that she gets way better.

Kaladin and Dalinar are probably my top favorite characters so far. Their development is amazing, but they still have their struggles. I love the final scene with Kaladin and Dalinar the best.

What books have you read so far this year?

5 Clean YA Books Worth Re-reading

In honor of National Read a Book day falling this week, I thought I would share a few of my favorite clean YA books since I know how hard it can be to find something.

(Goodreads)

My mom introduced me to Moonraker's Bride when I was home sick my Junior year of high school. I was a bit skeptical, since the book is "old", but it turned out to be an enjoyable read. The mystery of Nicholas Sabine was intriguing and I liked cheering on Lucy. The ending was surprising and suspenseful, but it has a happy ending, which is important to me.

(Goodreads)

This is by far my favorite retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Beauty is a smart bookworm worth cheering on. I also liked that the author gave her two sisters that are actually nice and that you'll enjoy reading about too. It is a bit slow at the beginning, but the story definitely picks up speed and is well worth it in the end.

Wildwood Dancing and Cybele's Secret are by the same author. I am bummed that there aren't any plans for a 3rd book because I enjoyed them. Both stories are quick to get through. Wildwood Dancing is the first where we meet the 5 sisters: Tatiana, Julia, Iulia, Paula, and Stela. The story is a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses and another story that you'll figure out soon after starting, but would be a huge spoiler, so I won't add it here. Cybele's Secret follows Paula and her father several years after the events of the first book and their trip to obtain a rare artifact for a buyer.
I must warn that there is a scene in the first book where the main character gets groped briefly. It's not very descriptive, so it is easy to miss; however, I think her reaction is very important and a good example to readers.

(Goodreads)

The final book is Crown Duel. It originally came out in two separate books: Crown Duel and Court Duel, but was later combined into one novel.

From Goodreads: A deathbed promise to their father sends a daring girl and her brother off to war. Filled with intrigue, romance, and magic, this spellbinding novel is a dramatic coming-of-age story about a girl who rises from impoverished beginnings to take command of her own fate.

The first half is a little slow, but still a fun adventure to read as the brother and sister attempt to overthrow the current, evil government. I like the second half better, however, and how it goes over the aftermath of them taking down the evil ruler. Another important thing about the main girl is that she admits her faults and is willing to learn from her mistakes. It bugs me when the main character does something stupid and then acts so confused as to why things went wrong. The other major players in the story are also fun and add a lot to the story. 

Now that I've shared some of my favorite clean stories, what are some other favorites out there? Post your favorite clean books below!

2017 Reading Challenge and getting me to focus...plus some reviews

Multitasking

Staying on track with Teachers Pay Teachers can be tricky. I end up getting up every other minute if I'm not listening or watching something at the same time. Lately, I've rediscovered the library Overdrive system. You can use your library card number to download eBooks or audio books. 

I read The Lightning Thief a few days ago and I'm currently working through The Sword of Summer. The Lightning Thief is my reread for the reading challenge.

The book is pretty good and is a fast read. What I've noticed with this book and the other books by Rick Riordan is that the characters all read very similarly (at least to me). When I've used this in guided reading groups before, it is a pretty big hit. I would definitely recommend this book to middle/upper elementary school students. If you're a teacher, there is a free teacher's guide online that can be used to supplement the book. It comes in handy if you are swamped and can't spend as much time as you'd like coming up with activities and comprehension questions. 

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

We are still going strong on the 1,000 book challenge. Baby A is just over 200 books. 

We have several of these smaller board books for Baby A. 

They are smaller than most board books, so they are pretty easy to pack and store. These are really easy for Baby A to handle so that she can interact with them pretty easily. The sets I've seen are pretty reasonably priced as well!

2017 Reading Challenge, The Lunar Chronicles Review, and Adding Multi-digit Whole Numbers Oh My!

2017 Reading Challenge
I have made some headway into my 2017 Reading Challenge! Previously, I said I would start out on the walking level and then progress throughout the three levels (hopefully) by the end of the year. However, I have yet to stay faithful to a reading challenge because I get way too excited about other books that may or may not fit the guides of the challenge. I've checked off a bestseller and a recommendation through The Lunar Chronicles.

The Lunar Chronicles...so far
I finished Scarlet and Cress in the past week and a half. I am happy to say that I am still hooked and excited to continue reading the series.

The series takes place after a 4th world war. Cinder takes place mainly in Asia, Scarlet is mostly in Europe, and Cress was in Africa, space, and Asia. I found the main story lines engaging, but I did get frustrated when the author switched to other characters because I wanted the main story to keep going without interruption. 

The switches in focus makes sense and each switch is easy to follow, which is pretty hard to do in my opinion. Marissa Meyer does an excellent job with her characterizations and both female and male characters are equally interesting. 

I really appreciate that these books are pretty clean. I don't recall any swearing so far and the dirtiest it has gotten was when they described a ship that has the silhouette of a naked lady on it (no description beyond that). I would recommend these books to higher level middle school students and high school students as well. Definitely worth multiple reads as well. 

Adding Multi-Digit Whole Numbers

(find it here)

I took a break from fractions and completed another set of task cards. Once I built a template, it became easier to edit the product. It's a lot of fun to create these products and I have a lot more in store. I've even started making a few sales! I'm excited to see where this will take me. 

Has anyone else made any headway on their reading challenges?

Three Things Thursday

1. Vidangel 
About a year ago, we found Vidangel. It has been wonderful for date night. You start off "paying" $20 to rent the movie. Pick any filters you want. For example, if you don't want to hear swear words, pick the words you don't want to hear and the filters will mute them out. Once you're done with the movie, you sell it back for 19 credits that you can use for other movies. So in the end, you're really only paying $1 per movie. It's a really great deal and WAY better than Redbox.

2. The Shadowhunter Chronicles
Back when Twilight was popular, if you didn't read it and have a team, you were a little ostracized. These books were awful, but I still wanted to see what happened. Is that a normal reaction??
I never thought that I would find a book that caused a similar reaction until I started:

I will admit that they are way better written than Twilight and I do like them a lot more, but they are still pretty bad. Yet, I can't believe I still want to read them to find out what happens. I wouldn't judge someone quite so harshly if they admitted to liking this series as I do when people admit they like Twilight. Maybe I secretly like both series and haven't admitted it to myself yet. 

3. Christmas

I am so excited to go back to Chicago for Christmas this year! I miss snow this time of year, but I don't miss having to warm up the car or defrost it at all. It will be Baby A's first Christmas. We leave the 21st and get home about the 27th. 

2017 Reading Challenge: Jogging Level

2017 Reading Challenge Continued

I've finally come up with level 2 of the 2017 reading challenge. The jogging level can completed in any order you'd like. This round has an edition for children again, so your kids can participate too! 

Some of the options are similar to level one, but there are thousands of books to pick from so there shouldn't be any trouble finding a match. 

For this challenge, I'm going to be using this Pinterest board to keep track of book ideas so be sure to follow along. I am getting really excited about this challenge. 

What books are you looking forward to reading in the new year? Do you have any set goals for reading?

The 2017 Reading Challenge-Walking Edition

         I love Goodreads! It's a great way to keep track of what you've read and get recommendations on future reads. Goodreads has also helped me find Christmas and birthday presents for family members. I can't quite speak for everyone, but every book I've found for my husband has been a success. It's like Facebook for books because you can see what your friends are reading too!

     Each year, Goodreads has an option where you can say how many books you are going to read that year. I've done it this year and last year, successfully so far. However, there have been other reading challenges that I fell flat on. They tell you book descriptions to read for the challenges. I started off okay, but then I was distracted by other books and my new edition.

     This year, with all of the new things that I am trying out, I'm going to try making my own 2017 Reading Challenge! This will also include a Kids' Edition so your kids can join in as well. There will be several different levels that I will come out with. The first level:

     In order to move on to the next level, you need to read all of the books in this level...or just move on anyways, but I'm going to try and read all of the books in each level. 

     Read the books in any order you choose! The categories are:

Adult/Young Adult Edition:

1. A bestseller

2. A nonfiction book

3. A fantasy book

4. A recommendation

5. An author you've never read

6. A book you normally wouldn't read

7. A book that will either be a movie or has been a movie

8. Re-read an old favorite 

9. Read a book with a kid

10. Read a book that you've never finished

Kids' Edition:

1. A bestseller

2. An award winner

3. A picture book

4. A recommendation

5. An author you've never read

6. A book between 100-200 pages

7. A fairy tale

8. Re-read an old favorite

9. A poetry book

10. Read a book that your teacher recommends

Does anyone have books that they would like to use for this challenge?