July was a great reading month for me. Summer reading just feels different, whether you are reading at home, by a lake, a pool, or the ocean, or in an airport (all of which I did this month!). This month I read:

• Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson – I LOVED this beautiful book! This is story about family, traditions, culture, secrets, and so much more. Benny and Byron are estranged siblings who are forced back together upon their mother’s death. Little do they know what their mother has left for them to discover, together, about her past and their family’s history. This story takes us from a Caribbean island to the UK and then to the US, following friendships and love stories and family, all while Benny and Byron deal with their own internal struggles. This book is a shining example of representation, of culture, of community, and is simply wonderful!
• Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal – This is a beautiful story about a family and their supper club, on a lake in Minnesota. As we get to know multiple generations, we flash back and forward to learn about their lives, about the strong woman of each generation, and the choices they each made to find love, be happy, and follow their dreams. The characters were all so interesting, from Mariel, Florence, and Betty, to Floyd, Ned, and their families and competing businesses and more. This felt a little literary, a little historical fiction, a little romance, and a lot of comfort all together.
• Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe – This is a beautiful memoir told in graphic novel style. Maia shares eir deepest secrets from growing up unsure why e never felt like a girl (though assigned female at birth) and yet unclear how to describe it. As Maia grows up, e shares her confusion about gender, sexuality, body parts, and representation. This is a quick read that packs a big punch, especially for any cisgendered person looking to learn more about the life of someone born in a body that isn’t representative of who they are. That, of course, means that this book is being banned in many places right now. I will continue to check out as many LGBTQIA+ books from my public library as possible, to ensure the collection shows activity and support, as well as for my own learning.
  • Perfectly Queer: Facing Big Fears, Living Hard Truths, and Loving Myself Fully Out of the Closet by JillianAbby – I think I found this book by accident while checking out other LGBTQIA+ books from my library. I’m so glad I read it! Jillian begins her memoir talking about her childhood and an interaction she has with another girl that makes her wonder things, but really only because looking back she now knows she is queer. She then takes us through high school, college, her first boyfriend-turned-husband, her seeking of new information and training and experiences, all while fighting to acknowledge the fact that she knows, deep down, she is queer. It’s easier to point to the signs she missed or ignored along the way in this looking back retrospect, but it’s still a journey. This book is a reminder of why representation matters.
  • Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Gamus – This was a GREAT 5 star read for me! I loved the authentic feminist that Elizabeth Zott, the main character, was. From a woman fighting for her own education, to a woman scientist in a field of men, to a woman relegated to the kitchen, Elizabeth refused to do what society wanted of a woman in in the 1960’s. She fought for what she wanted and made no apologies about it. She was a strong protagonist with some great side characters mixed in to antagonize and support her.
  • Spanish Sunrise by Boo Walker – I believe I purchased this e-book as a Kindle sale, solely because I liked that it took place in Spain. Baxter is a widower who is still grieving the loss of his wife while trying to raise his daughter and create a new life for them. He had been a successful musician before his wife’s death, but now he is trying to run a construction business, leaving him little time to care for himself or his daughter. When they get an opportunity to meet lost-lost relatives of their wife/mother, Baxter and Mia travel to Spain and find ways to reconnect, find joy, and love again. This was a sweet, simple story, but Baxter was quite annoying with his non-stop anxious rants and workaholic personality.
  • Drowning by T. J. Newman – Newman’s book Falling was one of my favorites of last year and I couldn’t wait to read this one. I’m happy to report that it was another 5 star read for me and I finished it in one day! Six minutes into a take off, a plane crashes into the ocean. The rest of this book is a thriller as we follow along as the passengers find ways to survive inside and outside of the plane, while people on land try to find ways to rescue the survivors. There are some great character connections from sea to land and great action, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Read this for a fun summer thriller!
  • Foul Play Stone Barrington #59 by Stuart Woods [audiobook] -What I love about the Stone Barrington series is the opulent wealth of Barrington. He gains even more wealth in this book, as he races around the country trying to save a new client’s life. I love reading a Stuart Woods book as a palate cleaner in between deeper books. I’m sad to be near the end of this series. This was the first time I listened to one of his books on audio – the narration was not great, but it was a quick listen!
  • A World of Curiosities Gamache #18 by Louise Penny – I have now read the entire Three Pines series and I am joining the throngs of fans waiting for the next in the series to be published. These characters feel like good friends now. This story was hard to read in many ways, because we went back in time to learn how Gamache and Beauvoir met, how Gamache began his career, and back to a horrifying case. Gamache was so tortued throughout this story, but his family and friends supported him as he chased down the mystery and did what he does best.
  • The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power by Katherine Morgan Schafler [audiobook]- I listened to this nonfiction book based on Laura Tremaine’s recommendation. It was interesting, but I probably would have gotten more out of it if I had it in print. The author, a psychotherapist, goes through five types of perfectionists and how each handles day-to-day situations. The overall message was to embrace the positives of being a perfectionist and give yourself grace to gain true power. I appreciated the chapter on self-care and what true rest can do for us, as well as the connections to mental health and wellbeing.
  • Overcoming Dyslexia: The Essential Program for Reading Problems at Any Level by Sally E. Shaywitz, M.D. – I have spent the last 3-4 months slowly going through this extra-large book, recommended to me by my friend whose child was diagnosed with dyslexia. She knows I’ve gone deep into the science of reading and this book was such a deep dive into the specific learning disability of dyslexia, how to spot concerns from Kindergarten age, and what to do to avoid a large reading gap for children. After reading this, I was better able to see some speech patterns in my nephew, such as trouble getting the right word out when telling a story, that are linked to his dyslexia. This is a powerful book for any parent of a child with dyslexia. There are sections that are very relevant for educators who want to learn much more than we are taught in any program.
  • A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee – I read this because it was a pick for aClub, which I have decided is too young for me and I have no plans to return to as this was way too teen angsty for me. Felicity is a trouble teen who returns to her private boarding school after the death of her best friend and secret girlfriend the year before. We learn the story of that death through Felicity’s retelling, which changes frequently. As Felicity settles into school, she is befriended by Ellis, a teen author who is new to school and desperate to study murders for her next novel. They form an odd friendship that tests the boundaries of witchcraft and danger, with a few surprises along the way.
  • Bitterroot Lake by Alicia Beckman – I bought this book when I was on vacation in Montana. I went into an indie bookstore in Bozeman and purposefully chose a book by an author from Montana that took place there, to experience the locale. This was a well written mystery that took place in a fictional area near Whitefish, which I visited and loved. Sarah’s husband just died and she returns to her hometown for some rest, but instead finds herself in the middle of a mystery 25 years in the making. As Sarah and her college friends reunite, they all have secrets and problems and need to come together to figure out what is happening in their small town. This was a fun read!
  • Bad Mormon by Heather Gay [audiobook] – As a regular fan of The Real Housewives franchise, I often enjoy listening to the their books on audio. I had high hopes for Heather’s book, as she is so fun on Salt Lake City and the show began after she divorced her husband and left the Mormon church. This memoir takes us back to her childhood, her religious upbringing and the expectation that little girls grow up to be wives and mothers. Heather alternates between wanting that future and pushing against that future for herself. I found this to be more serious than I expected with less Housewives and funny content than I wanted.
  • Imagine If… Creating a Future For us All by Sir Ken Robinson and Kate Robinson – This short book was planned by father and daughter and finished by Kate alone after the passing of her father, Sir Ken Robinson. Thanks to AG for loaning me her copy so I could read it! This book prompts us to imagine a world that includes repairs the earth humans have damaged while creating learning opportunities that are learner-centered. The messages in this book align with so much of the learner profile work we have been doing as a system. We want our schools to be welcoming for all, where everyone feels a sense of belonging, and where passions fuel learning. We also want to continue our work in environmental sustainability in order to support our planet. This is a quick read that can provide a bump of hope and inspiration for educators as we prepare for a new school year.

Favorite book(s) of the month

Fiction:  Black Cake, Lessons in Chemistry and Drowning were all 5 star reads this month!

Nonfiction: Overcoming Dyslexia: The Essential Program for Reading Problems at Any Level