For the last eight years I have spent every December reflecting on the year that was and looking ahead to the year to come. Instead of setting resolutions I choose a focus word, a word that I want to drive my personal and professional life. Sometimes the word finds me, like in 2020 when I knew GRACE would be my word long before the pandemic even hit. Other times I have to do a lot of journaling and searching to find what feels right. Even after I choose, some years I tend to have laser-like focus on my word all year and other times I forget what it is or don’t feel connected to it.
In 2022, my word was CONNECTION. I was seeking more personal connections with family and friends, and lots of connecting flights to expand my travel. It was so nice to be connected to people and places I love throughout the year!
In 2021, my word was DARING. This word felt like a challenge to my introverted self, but also like something I needed after a year of grace and masks and isolation. I was ready to be daring in some big and small ways in my life.
In 2020, my word was GRACE. This word found me long before we knew what 2020 would bring to the world. I needed to leave space for grace for myself and for others as we lived through a global pandemic.
In 2019, my word was SHINE. My goal was to shine personally and professionally, and I did that through a new job, a published book, and a sunflower tattoo 26 years in the making!
In 2018, my word was POSSIBILITY with a supporting phrase of Adventures that Stretch. This idea helped me looked differently at what was possible if I shifted my viewpoint. I also enjoyed some incredible adventures that did help me stretch in new ways.
In 2017, my word was CHALLENGE, and it served me personally, professionally, and on a global scale. I love new challenges and appreciated the permission I gave myself to rise to some new challenges and to say, “I’m not going to take this on,” to other challenges.
In 2016, my word was REJUVENATE, with a more internal, physical focus that I needed.
The first time I chose a focus word was 2015, and my word was MINDFULNESS. This proved to be a fulfilling year of learning to be more present, learning to mediate, and to enjoy each individual moment.
Back in November someone used the word impact at work and it struck a chord with me. I want to do work that impacts student and adult learners, and the community at large. That is my leadership vision, but I already work with that in mind. I decided that I didn’t need that as my word because it is already a core part of who I am. Instead, I am leaning in a different direction.
As someone who walks, talks, reads, and works exceptionally fast, I found a word that might help me slow down once a while. A word that might remind me to be kind, to show more empathy, to be more delicate in challenging situations… a word that I want to be with others and also with myself. My word of 2023 is GENTLE.
After a great reading year, I ended with a fizzle. I was all ready to read a lot over my winter break – I checked out a big stack of books from my library! Then I got sick and my fuzzy head was way too tired to read… for a week! I’m slowly catching up, while still fighting off the winter sickness. This month I read:
The Golden Season by Madeline Kay Sneed – Emmy was raised in a small town in West Texas where football and church are the two most important things in everyone’s lives. Emmy decides to come out to her divorced parents as she prepares to head off to the end of her college years. Both of her parents react poorly and stop speaking to her, her mother out of shock, and her father because he cannot support her eternal damnation. We then folloing both Emmy and her father Steve throughout the next year, as she grapples with new love without her family love and as he realizes a lifelong dream of becoming head football coach. This story had beautiful touching moments, and also such sad moments. The author was able to bring to life the struggles between evangelical faith and the lived experiences of those on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.
A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (Gamache #12) – I love this series so much and this was one of my favorites! Because the author’s latest book in the series just came out this month, I’ve heard her in a few interviews and I love how invested she is increating the heartwarming little village of Three Pines, in the snowy woods of Canada. In this story, Gamache, recently injured and then retired, has take anew job as the head of the police academy, so he can clean up the mess left within. When a professor is murdered on campus, everyone wants to investigate and everyone is a suspect. I appreciate the deep connections between the characters and how they were explored in this story.
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker – What a bittersweet story! The two main characters are Walk, a small town police chief, and Dutchess, a 13 year old whose primary goal in life is to take care of her younger brother through all of their life troubles, which are dark and rough! None of the characters are happy in this story, and it is not a happy story, but boy was it powerful. I was so sad for Ducthess and her brother Robin, as one bad thing after the next happened to them, causing pain and lonliness. Meanwhile, Walk was working so hard to solve past and current crimes to save his oldest and dearest friends, while hiding his own secrets. Even though it sounds so depressing, it was such a sweet story to see that inspite of all the darkness, there was still love hidden amongst this group.
On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass [audiobook]- This was a fun mystery to listen to on audio, as I attempt to move from only listening to non fiction and/or YA books. On this “quiet” street it seems that all the neighbors have secrets. Paige believes that one of her neighbors killed her son in last year’s hit and run. Cora believes her husband is cheating on her and is determined to catch him. Georgina won’t leave her house. As we switch narrators amongst these three women, we learn about them and how they perceive the world around them. The story speeds up as major secrets are revealed and the ending was fast-paced and fun!
The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian – One of my colleagues loaned me this book after they heard I had just returned from safari in Africa. I’m glad I didn’t read this right BEFORE my trip, as it was exciting but horrifying! A famous Hollywood actress, Katie, takes a group of 7 Americans on a safari as the second part of her honeymoon. Each chapter is narrated by a different character and with each new voice the plot moves forward and we learn the backstory of each person on the trip. When the group is basically attacked and kidnapped by a group of Russians, they are split up and have to fight for survival. This was gruesome, bittersweet, and still full of the beauty of Africa, with a clear love and respect for the people and the wildlife who belong there. This was such an interesting story, well told!
Glass Houses by Louise Penny [Gamache #13] – I love returning to the peaceful village of Three Pines, even though it’s never peaceful for long. When the cobrador, a Spanish debt collector in a costume like Death, comes to haunt the village, everyone freaks out. When someone is murdered, the lies begin to explode. As Gamache is trying to save the police force from the inside, there is trouble all around and he goes to extreme measures to do what he must.
Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente – This was a creepy novella! I remember when Currently Reading first recommended it, it sounded interesting. Sophia knows she was made for her husband, and the perfect life they have. But is it so perfect? In this short short Sophia’s world unravels as she discovers things that don’t make sense. I don’t want to give anything away, but if you read it, let me know so we can discuss!
The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead – I’m ending my reading year with another creepy book! This starts out weird and just gets more bizarre and dark as you learn more. When Shay learns that her college best friend died in what looks like a suicide, she decides to travel back to NY to uncover what has happened in the 8 years since they last spoke. We learn about Shay’s marriage and her past while she is discovering who her BFF, Laurel, had become. While this was a fast-paced thriller and I stayed up late to finish it, it was also graphically disgusting and horrifying as well.
Never Look Back by Clare Donoghue (DI Mike Lockyer #1) – I love finding a new mystery series! DI Mike Lockyer is a crime detective in London. Along with his assistant detective Jane, he is chasing down a serial killer who is hunting young woman who look like his own daughter. At the same time, a stalker case catches Mike’s interest, causing a conflict of interest. I enjoyed the characters and the writing style and look forward to continuing to read more in this series.
December always feels like a good time to look back on the year, reflect on successes and challenges, and consider what you want to carry with you and leave behind as you end the new year. My word of 2022 was CONNECTION and I feel like that brought me exactly what I needed this year – the permission and reminder to reach out to friends and family, near and far, to spend time together; the opportunity to meet new friends; and the hours spent in airports while waiting for connecting flights (which I did all over the world this year!). This year I traveled to:
Each year I like to look back at what I hit publish on and what resonated with readers in this little spot on the internet. Looking through my blog statistics are fun for me at this time of year.
My most read blog posts from this year (aside from my monthly reading blogs):
Coaching for Equity – This was a series I wrote as I read and reflected on Elena Aguilar’s book back in 2020 and the entire series was well read throughout 2022!
The month in which I published the most posts:
January – I always start off strong!
April
The top countries where my blog readers live (outside of the US):
Phillipines
Canada
India
United Kingdom
Australia
China
South Africa
New terms people searched that helped them arrive at my blog this year:
Elena Aguilar – this is such a compliment since she is one of my EDU-HEROES! I love everything Elena writes and have blogged about all of her books A LOT, so I’m not surprised that my blog comes up when people search for her.
Before I started looking back at my stats for the year, I felt like I didn’t really write many blog posts at all this year, except for my monthly reading updates. Compared to previous years that is true, but I still wrote 28 posts and over 28,000 words in 2022 and that is no small feat. I was asked to turn a few of my blog posts into articles for the AASA magazine, and because of all of my reading I was also asked to submit book reviews for the magazine. I still enjoying sharing myself on this blog and will continue to do so. Looking ahead to 2023 I have some ideas for additional posts that capture some of the instructional leadership work that I have finally been able to return to, now that COVID is not the primary topic on every agenda! And as I wrap up a year of CONNECTIONS I am looking forward to finding my new word… stay tuned!
Back in 2015 I wrote three posts detailing a day in my life as a Director of Educational Services. In 2016 I moved to a new position, in a new district and documented one of my early days on the job. Since then, I have changed jobs again (3 years ago now!), but have never captured a day in the life of this job. I love looking back at the previous posts (linked below) because they are a fun way to reflect on past work, what was taking up my time, and how I chose to spend my time.
Here is a day in my life as an assistant superintendent, in December of 2022.
7:00 AM – This week my morning [and afternoon] commute has been spent listening to a podcast recommended to me by a few teachers. I don’t listen to a lot of educational podcasts, because I do so much reading in the field and I like my podcasts to cover non-educational topics for my entertainment. However, when this was recommended more than once, and around the topic of the science of reading, I had to listen to it!
7:30 AM – I arrive in my office, where I know I will only be for a short while this morning. It was 37 degrees this morning, a rarity for San Diego, so I blast my space heater and check my email and my calendar to ensure I know where I’m going all day.
8:00 AM – Our AMAZING Superintendent (who also happens to read this blog!) hosted a winter social for our district office, treating everyone to donuts and hot chocolate as we work our way to the final days before break. It’s so fun to see people from all different departments come together to socialize and enjoy connecting with one another. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay very long before I had a previously scheduled site visit to get to.
8:15-9:40 AM – I visit each of our nine sites regularly to meet with principals, visit classrooms, and discuss teaching and learning. I’ve set a goal each year to visit every single classroom in our district. I haven’t met this goal yet, but I am well on my way to meeting it this year! These visits fill my teacher heart and my instructional leader soul, as we get to witness fun student learning and powerful pedagogy, and then discuss coaching moves as leaders. In fact, we were so into our discussions today that I stayed too late and got behind on my schedule! Today we saw 4th graders finalizing the board games they designed around Spanish explorers, as part of their history work. I learned a lot about the explorers and they had some creative designs!
9:55-11:15 AM – I raced over to another school for a second site visit of the day. This principal and I were able to celebrate lots of positive growth in her school community! She took me into her school’s library, which was set up to host over 100 families coming to receive winter gifts of love! This generous community had donated enough items so that each child invited would receive a new jacket, a new lego, a toy, a soccer ball, and more – it was overwhelming and so heartwarming to see it all ready for the families and to talk to the PTA parent who organized the incredible event!
11:30-12:30 – This was an extra special time on my calendar today! I went to visit a classroom at another school (my third today!), with a wonderful teacher who used to be part of the TOSA team in my department. I wanted to visit her and her class and she happily welcomed me in and asked if I would share a little about my recent trip to Namibia. You don’t have to ask me twice to share pictures and stories from that amazing trip! I loved seeing the 3rd graders’ reactions to each new animal picture I shared, and to hear them tell me the animals they have seen in the wild and in our local zoo. Then I was able to see their dress rehearsal for a class play they are performing tomorrow, all about electricity!
12:30-1:30 PM – On my way back to the office I picked up a snack to eat for lunch since I didn’t do my usual grocery shopping this week and have run out of lunch foods! As soon as I return from site visits, I try to write my emails to all of the staff I observed right away, to capture my notes of appreciation. I sent an email to each person, including the principal who was with me during the visit. In the messages, I honor/ appreciate something I saw happening that was good for students (I try to be explicit and specific as I’m modeling this instructional feedback for principals while also celebrating good pedagogy), and this week I closed off with warm wishes for a happy holiday season and a well-deserved break for all. I make notes in my spreadsheet where I keep track of all the classrooms I have visited (only 2 rooms left to see in the first site I visited today and I will hit my goal there!).
1:30-2:30 PM – My small but might TOSA team arrives for our bimonthly meeting. I work with three incredible TOSAs who bring positive energy and a range of different strengths and assets to our team. They are preparing for our second round of grade level professional development sessions that will start up at the end of January. Our first round, this fall, was a big success so we want to be responsive to all the feedback we received from teachers and push our instructional work forward with a deep dive into writing calibration, which is very new for our system! We are nervous and excited about the work ahead. Some of the things I love about this team is that they are self-directed, supportive of one another, focused, and purposeful in their work. I am so grateful for each of them!
2:30 PM – I had a check in meeting with a colleague. We are working on a project together and have scheduled weekly check-in’s to keep ourselves accountable for getting our parts done on time. She is one of my favorite people to work with, because we can be laser-focused on our tasks and then laugh ’til it hurts as we share personal stories!
3:00- 4:30 PM – The end of my day is unschedule, which is nice after the busy morning I had visiting three school sites. I get an unexpected phone call with some questions from the president of our teachers’ union. I need to make another call, to a school site staff member, to determine the answers so I can call back the original caller and clarify some misconceptions. I appreciate that because we are a small district this can all be done with personal conversations between people that I have built relationships with. I am caught up on my emails to the teachers I visited today, and my inbox is as clean as it can be before I leave for the day. I had some time to catch up with a few staff members in my department this afternoon, and we enjoyed some laughs together, which was much-needed.
I work with an exceptional group of people in a place I love. I am so grateful for this job and the culture in our district. People love one another and truly love coming to work and you can feel that all over! No two days are the same, but this was a fun one to capture because it included time in classrooms, time with colleagues, and celebrations of team work!
As someone who travels a lot, one of the questions that I dread the most is, “Where is your favorite place?” Similarly, as an avid reader I always have a hard time answering, “What is your favorite book?” because I love so many books for different reasons! Last year was the first time I ever attempted to summarize some of my favorite books that I read in 2021. This year, in each of my monthly reading roundups, I tried to capture my favorite fiction and nonfiction books from the month, to help me with this post for 2022. Based on those monthly posts, I loved 15 fiction and 10 nonfiction books. Even though it feels like Sophie’s choice, I’m going to narrow that group of 25 down to my top… 12. That’s the best I could do!
FAVORITEFICTION
Rather than share the summary I shared the first time I wrote about each of these books, I am linking them to the original post and making a note of their publication year. I want to share how these ended up on my favorite list for 2022. For me, what makes a 5 star read or a top book is that I love the reading experience so much I can’t put the book down (and hate taking a break for things like work and sleep!), I want to share it with people as soon as I finish it, and it’s memorable after I put it down. A book that I am still thinking about months after I read it is one that has had an impact on me.
As I consider this list I notice a few things. First, everything on this list was published within the last two years, though I read many books that were older than that this year. If asked, I would say that my favorite genre to read is mystery, but this list includes literary fiction, science fiction, historical fiction, and mystery. Most of these books are #OwnVoices, which for these particular books means that people of color, people who identify on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, and people living with disabilities, are the central characters and the authors as well. I have worked hard to expand the representation in what I read and I’m glad that these stories rose to the top this year. Even though I am someone who forgets what I read, I can still remember so many details from each of these books. The stories challenged my thinking, made me consider different perspectives, had me guessing, laughing, or crying, and still resonate in my mind. These are all signs of a great read for me!
When I reflect on my nonfiction list it is a little different than the fiction picks for the year. It’s hard to LOVE some nonfiction when it’s telling the graphic stories of a serial killer or the brutal truths of the enslavement of African Americans or even the way society has ignored the voices of women and people of color for centuries. However, the first three books on this list cover these topics with beautiful storytelling, rich descriptions, and writing styles that often felt like literary fiction. When I read nonfiction I want to learn and grow. All of these books helped me do that. The last book on the list pushed me as an educator and has been part of many discussions I’ve had around our equity work over the last year.
Have you read any of my favorites this year?
What were some of your favorite books of this year?
What books are already on your TBR (to be read) list for next year?
November is often referred to as “Non fiction November”. I usually read 1-2 NF books a month, and this month was no exception. Because November included a two week vacation in Namibia, my reading was a little different. I downloaded a ton of books on my Kindle so I would have options when in the desert without wifi, but my top reading priorities were the books about Namibia.
This month I read:
Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry – I remember pre-ordering this book the day I saw Matthew Perry post about it on Instagram many months ago. Chandler Bing was always my favorite on Friends, and I have loved Perry from afar for years. I used to joke with one of my friends that if I just met him, we could be friends and I would have been a helpful sober companion for him Little did I know how bad his addiction truly was, how many rehab stints he had, and how many sober companions he has literaly gone through on this many decades long battle into sobriety. This was hard to read, as I was often so sad for the little boy, the stunted young man, and the gifted actor with demons. It is amazing how much detail he shared, and how much he just wants a family of his own. I hope he finds that and remains sober.
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean – I bought this because The Currently Reading podcast hosts sold me on the idea of the plot. It was slow to start off, but I did get sucked into the bizarre story and was racing along to finish it by the end. Devon is a book eater, born into a long line of non-humans who eat books to survive. All genres have different tastes! Girls are quickly married off to other royal families to procreate and are then forced to leave their children and move into another marriage. It’s a rough life, especially if a child is born with issues (such as being a brain-eater instead of a book eater!). The storyline flashes back and forwards as we follow Devon’s life. It was a wild ride!
Mama Namibia by Mari Serebrov – Before I left on my two week vacation to Namibia, Africa, I looked for books that took place there or that were about the land and the people. This is the first fiction book I found, based on true events. In 1904 the Germans conducted a genocide of the Herero and Nama people in what was then South West Africa, now Namibia. Reading the story of Jahohora, a young girl who has to fight to stay alive during this genocide after losing her family, trying to find food, water and shelter in an inhospitable desert lang, was harrowing and hard to read at times, but also inspiring. I loved seeing the country and meeting Herero and Nama people while I was in Namibia, knowing more about their history thanks to this beautiful, bittersweet story.
The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny (Gamache #11) – I have loved getting deep into the Three Pines mystery series, and really loved the last few I read, so this was a bit disappointing. I still loved reading about my favorite characters, Gamache and his wife, Ruth, Jean Guy, and the entire town of Three Pines. However, the storyline felt a little too out there for me. A young boy is killed after claiming to have found a huge weapon in the woods. Turns out the weapon is one that could create mass destruction and was built in secret and hiddle for decades. There were too many outside characters involved in this, from scientists to inventors to spies, none of whom were likeable or trustworthy.
We Are Unprepared by Meg Little Reilly – This is another from my new favorite sub genre, Climate Fiction. Ash and Pia move up to rural Vermont to slow down and appreciate life. Soon there is talk about the big storms coming to America. Pia goes into survivalist mode, joining prepper meetings and planning for fringe life, while Ash works with the townspeople to find ways to prepare. As everyone gears up for the superstorm, the best and worst in people come out, and the town is fractured. I really enjoyed this!
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston [audiobook] – I have loved McQuiston’s other books, but this was more disappointing. I listened to the audio version and it was very teen-drama angsty romance without many redeemable characteristics, until the end. Three students who are not friends end up trying to solve the mystery of where Shara Wheeler disappeared to after they each kissed her and are led on a scavenger hunt. Their precarious friendship comes together and apart as they each learn about themselves, their identities, and about Shara. This has positive LGBTQIA+ representation, which I appreciate.
Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard – I love Catherine Ryan Howard and her Irish crime stories! This is one of her older ones and I enjoyed it more than I expcted to! There are multiple narrators and multiple timelines that flash us forward and backward as we learn about Natalie, an Instagram influencer who has gone missing, and the random shore town she ends up in. This is dark and twisty, with some predicatability in it, but a good quick read!
Namibia: Conquest to Independence: Formation of a Nation by Godfrey Mwakakigile – While I was in Namibia, I wanted to learn more about the country’s history. When I heard that Namibia’s independence from South Africa only occurred in 1990, making it a very new country still, I was curious what happened after the German genocide in 1904, which I read about above and again in this, and before the independence. This book is a very detailed account of the history of Namibia. I’m sad that I never knew that the tactics the Germans used in the Holocaust to exterminate the Jews were founded in what they did to the Herero people in Namibia. They created concentration camps, torture, and extermination there due to their desire to colonize the area and their beliefs that Black people were savages and not equal to whites. South Africa fought the Germans for control, and then was fighting with various African countries to maintain Apartheid throughout the 1900’s. The United Nations stepped in to support what was South West Africa, now Namibia, for decades, but it was the Cuban support in Angola that finally pushed the South Africans out of Namibia. The independence there led to the end of apartheid in South Africa. The author is from Tanzania so there are embedded case studies comparing Namibia’s goal to create unity amongst diversity to the success Tanzania has had to eradicate tribalism and racism in favor of nationalism. Namibia’s 12 tribes all speak different languages, and when they chose to make English the national language, they alienated most people around the country. Even today, many educators are not fluent enough in English to help the country make significant communication progress, which is an on-going challenge.The country of Namibia is beautiful, vast, partially uninabitable, and as I covered many dirt and few paved roads in a bumpy bus, I was amazed by the ever-changing landscapes and I’m glad to know more of the history.
Favorite Books This Month (this was hard to say!)
Fiction: We Are Unprepared & Mama Namibia
Nonfiction: Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing
Almost a full year ago a friend texted me and asked if I would be interested in going on a travel tour of Namibia, Africa with an all women’s group. I must admit, I had to look up where Namibia was (in south west Africa, next to South Africa and Botswana). Once I did that, and watched an introductory video about the tour, I was in! My travel buddy and I love to find fun places to travel that are new to both of us and this was definitely one neither of us had ever visited. I spent two weeks in South Africa in 2016 and loved my safari drives and my shark cage diving adventures. She spent time in Ethiopia, South Africa and a few other places just this past summer. We were ready to see something new!
Before I left for the trip, I looked up books about Namibia, because I thought it would be interesting to read fiction set in the place where I was going to be for two weeks and I wanted to learn more about the country. I am so grateful that I found and bought two books that I read during my trip specifically about Namibia, as I learned so much about the people, the traditions, and the history of this beautiful and often uninhabitable land.
I read Mama Namibia first, a fictionalized story based on the true events that took place during the German genocide of the Herero people in what was then South West Africa, now Namibia, in 1904. I knew nothing about this history, which was the breeding ground for the horrors that would be perpetuated during the Holocaust. This story was beautiful, in its love of the Herero culture and the land of Namib desert, and it was horrifying in the retelling of a brutal war that wiped out 80% of one of the 12 tribes of Namibia. When I met our local tour guide and driver, and I learned the tribes they were from (Dama and Herero), I had very specific knowledge of some of their past and their traditions, and they appreciated that I had read this book and wanted to learn more.
The nonfiction book is a history of Namibia, from the time under German rule, to the time under South African apartheid, to the support from Angola and Cuba and the UN to gain independence in 1990 (it’s still a new country!). I learned how the choice to make the country’s primary language English was to avoid the languages of the oppressors, but was still controversial because each of the 12 tribes speak different languages and only children to go to school are guaranteed to learn English. Learning so much about a place while I was there made me regret not having done this for so many of the places I have travelled to in the past, and determined to read up on future places.
During our 12 day tour of Namibia, we spent a LOT of time in a very bumpy bus. You get to see a lot of a country this way, but just imagine a group of American and Canadian women in a bus with no working air conditioning, on roads that are unpaved most of the time, driving through ever-changing desert landscapes for hours on end. We did our best not to be crabby, and to be grateful for each spot where we could use an indoor bathroom and purchase bottled water. While my eyes and throat stung from the dusty roads blowing into our open windows during this hot summer time, every day I turned to my friend and said, “I can’t believe how different each place looks.” From the dry, brown deserts to the fields of green trees, to tumble weeds and small brush, to cactus, to red sands of the Kalahi Desert, to canyons, to the place where the desert meets the sea, where the Skeleton Coast begins, you never knew what we might see outside of that bus. We saw giraffes on the way from the airport to the first hotel, and many other days after that!
Some of my favorite days were when we were able to enjoy safari game drives, in the Kalahi, Etosha National Park, Twyfelfontein, and Okonjima. I could watch animals all day every day, especially in their natural environment! I kept an on-going list of all the animals we saw on the trip and it is staggeringly long! Pictured below is an oryx, the national animal of Namibia, zebras, spring boks, and a leopard.
I also saw animals on a whale watching cruise, where both a seal and a pelican literally jumped up on to the boat and sat next to me!
In addition, we enjoyed a hot air balloon ride over the Namib Desert, which was stunning! We also had the very personalized experience of a cooking class and dinner in someone’s private home, where the people there taught us about three of the local tribes by sharing their clothing, food, and some customs with us. We also bought bulk groceries to a private Himba Village, where through translators, we were able to speak to the local tribeswomen who generously showed us some of their traditions. These included how they crush up red red ochre and mix it with an oil to spread over their hair and body 2-3 times a day for beauty, skincare and sun protection. These are a group of people who do not bathe with water to clean themselves, but rather they heat up the camphor plant and create a steam in which to “bathe” themselves for a clean fragrance. The people we met were kind, caring, and happy, yet surprised that so many of our all women’s group were unmarried. One woman asked me, “Where are you from? Are there no men there?” 😉
I am so grateful for a job in which I am able to take vacation time for such a trip, with colleagues who helped me plan ahead to ensure the work was covered in my absence. I’m grateful that my job and my life provide me with the time and means to save up for such a unique, adventurous vacation. I appreciate my travel buddy Sue, who I have known since our first day of freshman year of college, when we were both 17 year old know-it-alls from New Jersey! I’m grateful to know so much more about one of the youngest country’s in Africa and its rich history. I wish more people could learn about foreign lands through both reading and traveling, as my life is better for both experiences.
Note the rainbow (there were actually 2) and the lightning strike captured!
October was a surprisingly good reading month for me! Not sure how it worked out, but I had three 5 STAR reads and lots of 4 STAR reads! This month I read:
The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger – This is one of my new favorite genres – Cli-Fi or Climate Fiction. While it’s horrifying to think about what might happen to our earth because of real climate change, when authors use it to create a fictional catastrophe, I always enjoy the stories. Because really they are usually about who behaves better and worse when confronted with disaster. In this case, a Category 6 hurricane wipes out Miami and Houston and FEMA has to set up emergency tent cities for all of the displaced people. We follow one family on their journey and the choices they make along the way.
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani – I heard two young students animately discussing this book during one of my class visits, so I had to read it! Their enthusiasm sold me, but I should have known… I am not a fan of Fantasy, especially middle grades fantasy, outside of Harry Potter. This was NOT HP. We follow Sophie and Agatha as they are kidnapped from their homes to join the school and train for their own fairy tale. However, Sophie, the fair-haired beauty obsessed with her looks and her future prince, ends up in the evil school and Agatha, the dark-haired girl, ends up in the good school. I kept hoping that looks would not matter, and they became even more important throughout the story. I kept hoping the girls would learn valuable lessons about how to treat one another and that only sort of happened. I HATED the ending and cannot believe this is the beginning of a popular series. Obviously I am not the target audience for this.
Curfew by Jayne Cowie – I LOVED this book! It’s horrifying but propulsive and I couldn’t finish it fast enough, but I just had to know who did it! The book starts with a dead body being found in a park. Then we follow three women’s stories leading up to this murder as we try to figure out who died and what happened. In this dystopian world, men are tagged and forced to live under a curfew, where they cannot be outside their homes between 7 PM and 7 AM, for women’s safety. All of the characters are so cleverly flawed you aren’t sure who to trust and this was such a fun read!
Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly – I can’t figure out where I heard this, since I assumed it was from the Currently Reading podcast, but can’t track that. Anyway… I LOVED this middle grades book! Iris is a young Deaf girl who lives with her hearing parents and is close to her Deaf grandparents. She loves fixing old radios and wishes it was easier for her to make friends at school. When she learns about Blue 55, a whale whose songs are at an unusual frequency, making it hard for the whale to make friends, she finds kinship in the story. She goes on an adventure to help Blue 55 feel heard. This is a sweet story about the power of communication, friendship, and feeling heard and seen.
When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff – This was a great book to read on a cloudy Saturday. I loved the story and wanted to know how it would end, yet the characters were all slightly likable and significantly flawed and dislikable! Cassie, a grad student at Yale, gets a call to come home when one of her younger brothers is arrested for rape. As the wealthy and privileged family comes together, secrets and lies are unveiled.
Face: One Square Foot of Skin by Justine Bateman [audiobook] – I don’t know how I found this while scrolling through Audible book selections, but I LOVED Family Ties as a child so I was interested to see what this actress wrote. This was a collection of short stories that were fiction, but meant to read like memoirs from different women. Each vignette was a story from a different woman, of all ages, and it was focused on their faces – how modern media and society judges women’s faces, how there is so much pressure to “fix” our faces as we age, especially as actors, but across all stripes of life. Each chapter repeated the same message, over and over again, so it got repetitive. I was disappointed that there wasn’t more of a larger message from the author, though she did a little at the beginning and the end. Basically, this is a reminder to love your own face, wrinkles and all, and don’t buy-in to the need to “fix” anything!
Wolfpack: How to Come Together, Unleash our Power, and Change the Game by Abby Wamach – I LOVE Abby! I love her positive spirit and her marriage to Glennon Doyle and their honesty on the podcast. My boss and friend (AG!) loaned me her copy of this short and easy read after she read it. Abby shares 8 lessons on leadership and life, empowering people, especially women, to be there best. We are better together, in groups, supporting one another. I loved Abby’s story of whenever she scored a goal in soccer, she would begin to point to her teammates and coaches to give them credit. We need to point to our helpers more often and share credit!
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield – I bought this book because the Currently Reading podcast recommended it on their Indie Press List. It is both beautiful and heartbreaking, and enchanting and annoying, all together. Leah has returned from 6 months in a submarine where something went wrong, but she is having a hard time sharing with her wife Miri. Miri thought Leah was dead, and is tiptoeing around the weird behaviors Leah has brought back home, like running the taps day and night, or bathing for hours on end. Both characters narrated alternating chapters as we slowly learn a little more about their past and present. This is part descriptive, lyrical narrative fiction and part sci-fi/horror. It was a very interesting read!
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell – I heard this book described on my podcast and knew I would enjoy it as a quick-paced mystery. When Libby inherits a house on her 25th birthday, she also learns of the dark past of where she was born and what she was born into. As she unravels what is true about her parents and their life, we flash back in time to see how a nice wealthy couple ended up dead in their own home, with others living there and the world seeing them as a cult. The characters are raw and despicable, especially the way the children are treated throughout the story. But there are moments of resilience and caring as well. I heard there is a second book in this series coming soon and I feel like this stood alone well, but also left me wondering about some things that could be explored in the future (like Phin).
The Measure by Nikki Erlick – I LOVED this fascinating book! In this dystopian world, everyone 22 years and older receive a box. Inside the box is a string and a cryptic quote about the measure of your life. Soon the world learns that the lenth of the string signifies the length of your life. As the world grapples with this information, humanity does what is always does – freaks out, reacts out of bias, and begins to segregate the “short-stringers” from the “long-stringers”, providing less access to quality jobs, health care and more. We see the best and worst of humanity played out here, which is my favorite part of dystopian/ sci-fi books that feels close enough to reality to almost be possible. Would you want to know when you are going to die? How might that impact how you live, who you love, or what you do? This was such an incredible read!
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover – Andree loaned me this book and it was perfect for my day of travel returning from my Hawaiian vacation. This is the second Hoover book she has pressed into my hands! Kenna returns to the town where her life came to a crashing halt, after a tragic accident, hoping to be able to meet her daughter five years after her birth. While Kenna works and saves up money, Ledger, a friend of Kenna’s daughter and her guardians, is both a blockage and a savior. As these two fall in love, we struggle through love, lust and heartbreak on the way to forgiveness. This was a sweet book!
Favorite Books This Month
Fiction: Curfew & The Measure
Nonfiction: Wolfpack: How to Come Together, Unleash our Power, and Change the Game
Even though September is always a busy month, between the new school year starting up and my birthday, I still managed to read a lot this month. In fact, I have now officially read 100 books in 2022 already! This month I read:
Covers of the books I read in September 2022
Five Little Indians by Michelle Good – Through the Currently Reading podcast, I heard about this Canadian novel and knew I needed to read this. The author is a Cree woman whose mother was sent to a residential school. This book tells the story of five young children torn from their families, forced into abusive “schools” and what became of them when they left the schools. The stories are sad, bittersweet, hopeful, and full of real life. This is an important window book for any of us who are not Indigenous and have limited understanding of what those residential places did to children and families, in both Canada and the US.
How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny [Gamache #9] – While this is #9 in this series, it’s the first that I’ve rated with 5 stars. I am now so deep into the Armand Gamache world that I was hanging onto every word! I wanted all the sad parts to wrap up nicely, I wanted Jean Guy and Armand to find their way back to good health and a good working partnership, I wanted the corruption to be discovered and eliminated, and all to be well. This was a fast ride to a beautiful conclusion (though more drama awaits, I’m sure!). I LOVE the world Louise Penny has created!
Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard – I heard an interview with the author and loved hearing about her process for writing in general, and for this book in particular. I ordered my copy from Fabled Bookstore, who hosted the author interview and got a signed copy! This is one of her “fun, fluff” books that she wrote for her own enjoyment, and it was a fun read! In this book, we are reading about an actress set to play a role in a low budget film, based on a book. Throughout the book we see parts of the film script, the book within that script, the acting, and what is happening to the characters in real time. There are a variety of twists and we rush to the collision course at the end!
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Having loved Taylor Jenkins Reids last few books, I think I put this backlist title on hold with my library awhile ago. It came up at the end of a long weekend, which was perfect for a quick, palate cleansing read. This is a cheesy romance, not nearly as good as her later books, but still a sweet story overall. Emma and Jesse have a perfect love story, until he is in a helicopter crash. Emma grieves and finds her way to a new life, only to have Jesse suddenly found in the ocean YEARS later (with limited details on that time, btw!). She must choose between her past and her present, thereby deciding her own future.
The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System- And How to Fix It by Natalie Wexler – I keep telling all of my educator friends to read this book so I have people to discuss it with. An educator in my Currently Reading group shared it recently and her description made me want to read this. This book is making me question so many things I know, I thought I knew, and I wonder about our education system. The author goes deep into the teaching of elementary reading, deep into Lucy Calkins and her Units of Study and her workshop fame, then does an overview of federal education from A Nation at Risk to No Child Left Behind to today, and then explores a few individual classrooms doing something different that she supports. Her big premise is that we have done reading instruction wrong by focusing on skill and strategy instruction instead of knowledge instruction. She recommends that our curriculum be focused on building students knowledge of content (i.e. bring Science and History back to elementary!) with specific units/texts doing deep studies into big content areas to build students knowledge. “Core Knowledge” is a curriculum she is supporting in this context. As an educator who attended Lucy Calkin’s Teachers’ College Workshop training, ran reading and writing workshop in my class (in middle school), reading this made me angry, made me question my own practice and what I was taught, and had me learning, agreeing and disagreeing at different times. Education in America is such a challenge because we don’t have a federal system, and each state can make different decisions. Then within a state, districts have a lot of local control. For many educations, this feels freeing and we are able to personalize to the students in front of us. However, that leaves open gaps based on our own experiences, our resources, and how we interpret the state standards. We aren’t doing it all well, but we also aren’t completely broken either! Every educator I know is here for the right reasons, doing their best, and wanting to grow and learn. What this book did well is make me THINK!
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt – What a beautiful book! This story follows an interesting cast of characters, including Marcellus the octopus, Tova the widower, and Cameron, the lost soul. As we get to know each of these beautifully real and flawed individuals, we learn to love them and hope they find love as well. Octopuses are fascinating, intelligent, adventurous creatures and Marcellus is a delight! I don’t want to give away anything that happens, but this book made my heart happy!
The Long Way Home by Louise Penny (Gamache #10) – I love this series, but this book was not my favorite! Clara is finally ready for Peter to return home, after their year of separation. Gamache has retired and moved to Three Pines (love this!). But Clara needs his help to find Peter. Their search takes them all over Canada, in some unbelievable travel situations with some weird people. The characters annoyed me in this one, and the ending made me a little annoyed and a bit sad.
Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson [audiobook] – I listened to the audiobook version after a teacher told me about the book. The story follows a group of 6 young students who all go to a special class together. The teacher gives them Friday afternoons to spend time together, with no adults, to talk about whatever they want. Over time, the kids begin to share their personal stories, which include their parents deportation, jail, death and more, and their own fears and struggles. The Audible version had a conversation with the author and her young son at the end of the book, and it was a beautiful conversation to hear. This was a window book for so many reasons!
Tumble by Celia C. Perez [audiobook] – This was an unexpected surprise, by an author new to me! In this story we meet Addie, who lives with her mother and stepfather. When they ask her if she is okay with her stepfather adopting her, it brings up all the questions her mother has never wanted to answer. Who is her father? Where is he? Why doesn’t he want her? Addie goes on a research quest to figure out who her father is, and finds family in many places and ways. This has a fun cast of characters, some New Mexico flare, some wrestling fun, and more!
Book Lovers by Emily Henry – If you love a good, cheesy Hallmark movie, you will love this book! Nora is a NYC book agent, a tough “City Person” whose last 4 relationships have all ended with her ex boyfriends running off to live in a small town (a la Hallmark). When Nora’s sister Libby begs her to take a month off, to spend time in Sunshine Falls, NC (where a book she edited was based off of), she agrees only because of how much she loves her sister. Small town adventures follow, and romance blooms in the typical trope of enemy to lover, all while Nora names all the typical tropes of romance books. This is fun, funny, romantic and ridiculous all at once!
Favorite Books This Month
Fiction: Five Little Indians & Remarkably Bright Creatures
Nonfiction: The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System- And How to Fix It
August is always a busy month because we go back to school. A new school year brings so much positive energy, but also less reading time. I’m trying to listen to more audiobooks on my commute, which helps with my reading count! This month I read:
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen – This is a tense, fast-paced mystery that I was turning the pages of, trying to figure out who to trust and who was evil. Marissa and Matthew go to unconventional therapy with Avery after Marissa cheats. Avery has a 10 session plan to fix people and she has some suspicious methods. Each chapter is narrated by Avery or Marissa and they both seem hard to trust, as we learn a little more about them, their secrets, the past and the present. I enjoyed this!
Class Act by Stuart Woods (Stone Barrington #58) – Stuart Woods passed away just this week, so I felt the need to dip back into this series. I’m sad that I will be finished with it in just a few more books now. I have grown to love the main characters of Stone and Dino and their ridiculous adventures. Stone’s wealth and hijinks with women and criminals continues in this book, where there are many contracts for murder put on various people throughout the entire story, with no one trustworthy around!
The Shore by Katie Runde [audiobook]- When I heard this took place at the Jersey Shore (in Seaside, which is right next to where I spent every summer of my childhood, and where “Jersey Shore” was filmed), I had to read it! I loved the nostalgia it brought up for me as she described summer shore life, the rental properties, the boardwalk, and the rides. What I didn’t realize is that this was a sad, depressing book! Margo and her daughters, Liz and Evie, are going through the worst summer of their life as their husband/father is dying. They each narrate chapters as they go through their time with him and their time trying to have a “normal summer” outside of the house. They each deal with their grief in their own ways, with some alcohol, sex, online activity, and more. This an LGBTQIA inclusive book with interesting characters, some are lovable and some despicable!
The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg – I have NO IDEA why I originally purchased this book, but I’m so glad I did. I couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night recently and I decided to pick up my Kindle and find a book to read that I already had available to me. This was in my collection, again no idea why. Molly is an author who has written previous memoirs about her life and marriage and the restaurants her husband has created. They live in Seattle with their daughter. One day Molly goes to jury duty and can’t stop thinking about the female lawyer. For a year she can’t stop thinking about this woman. So much so that she and her husband try an open marriage so she can explore what this might mean. This is a story about love, family, fluidity, and so much more. I LOVED how Molly shared her inner thoughts as well as the research on how so many more people, especially woman, are more fluid with their sexual orientation that we might assume. She explores so much and so honestly as she goes through pain and fun and everything in between.
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins – This was the perfect summer thriller – a quick read, it takes place on the beach/ in the ocean, and it’s fast-paced! When Lux and boyfriend Nico are hired to sail two women to the deserted island of Meroe, Nico thinks it will be easy money and Lux wishes it was the beginning of their life of adventures. Brittany and Amma seems nice and the trip starts off well. At the island, they meet Jake and Eliza and eventually the group of 6 settle into life on a deserted island – sharing meals and drinks and partnering off for adventures of sun, surf and jungle. But the rumors that the island is haunted or cursed start to feel true as bad things begin to happen to the group. I couldn’t stop reading as I was holding my breath waiting to figure out what would happen!
The Hangman (Gamache 6.5) by Louise Penny – This was a min story that didn’t extend any of the on-going stories from the characters in Three Pines. There is a man found hanging from a tree, and Gamache is called in because it’s suspcious. He investigates and eventually solves the mystery. This was much quicker than Penny’s usual books, with limited details and a faster pace. It was a good in-between story!
Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King [audiobook] – I don’t know why I never read this King book back in my high school days, but was happy to read it for my Stephen King Summer book club. I bought the e-book and then decided to get the audiobook from my library. I ended up listening to it and loving the narrator. Because King’s writing is so specific (detailed, long-winded, with limited breaks and no chapters) that audio worked great for me on this one. I loved listening to Dolores narrate the story of how she killed her husband and how she was the housekeeper and caretaker for Vera for decades. Such a simple story but so much about these wild characters!
The Beautiful Mystery (Gamache #8) by Louise Penny – This was such a different Gamache story, in that it was not in Three Pines, the cozy town we are used to. Gamache and Jean Guy go to a monastery on a remote island off the coast of Quebec to solve the murder of a monk. These monks, who live in almost complete silence, are famous for a recording of their incredible Gregorian Chants. Somehow, those chants are connected to the murder. In this one, Jean Guy and Annie, Gamache’s daugther, have been dating in secrete for 6 months, and they are getting ready to tell her parents. But a lot unravels before that can happen. This one made me listen to Gregorian Chants and ended with me holding my breath at the ending and dying to read the next one right away!
Front Desk by Kelly Yang [audiobook] – I know that teachers in my district read this book and it’s been controversial for at least one parent, so I’ve been meaning to read it. It wasn’t what I expected at all. Mia Tang and her family emigrate from China to CA. They end up managing a motel for a very mean boss. As they work hard and save the little money they make, they are always trying to help others. Mia is busy learning English, making friends at school and as she works the front desk of the motel, and trying to find ways to earn extra money for her parents. There are a lot of sad stories in here about racism, discrimination, and how immigrants are often treated in America. In the author’s note, Yang shares how many of those sad stories happened to her and her family, which made me even sadder. There are lessons for kids and adults to learn here.
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney – I thought I had read other books by this author, but I think this was my first. This was a thirrler, narrated in alternating chapters by Adam and his wife Amelia, as they spend a creepy weekend in a Scottish chapel turned hotel. Interspersed are letters Adam’s wife wrote him but never shared on each of their anniversaries, detailing the ups and downs of their marriage. There are a number of spooky twists and turns, expected and unexpected, in this story and I enjoyed the ride!
Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brene Brown [audiobook] – I bought this beautiful hard cover book when it came out, but it’s been on my shelves for almost a year now unread. I finally decided to get the audiobook from the library and loved it! I love listening to Brenen Brown’s audiobooks because she has such joy in her voice as she shares her research. And I still have the book to flip through for the beautiful pictures and to reread sections. Brown details 87 emotions by defining them, sharing examples and non examples and how knowing this can help us be better for ourselves and to connect with others. It’s fascinating how so many of us have never learned to talk about our emotions, much less label them to this level of specificity.
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza – What a bittersweet story of a family trying to connect. An Indian-American Muslim family’s story is told across decades, and from various perspectives. We see how three children raised by the same two parents can end up so different. We see how parents who just wanted to do their best for their children carry regrets, shame, and sadness along with traditions and expectations. I loved the characters and I was so sad when they couldn’t find successful ways to connect, to find common ground. I appreciated learning a lot about Muslim and Indian culture in authentic ways as each holiday or event was celebrated.
An American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killers of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan – I devoured this book in one day! I LOVED it, which sounds bad since it was a disturbing look into a serial killer, but it was so well written and such a propulsive story. When Israel Keyes is arrested for the murder of Samantha in Alaska, the police and then the FBI quickly realize they are dealing with someone smart and calculating. He gives some details of his past and potential other kills that lead them to believe he is a serial killer who killed in many states across the US. As they unpack the details and attempt to find evidence, Keyes continues to play games from his jail cell. This was fascinating and disturbing.
Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan [audiobook] – I saw a 5th grade team in one of our schools reading this books with students, so I wanted to read it. I loved listening to the audiobook because the book is narrated in alternating chapters by the two main characters and the accents were so entertaining and fitting for the characters. Ravi has just moved from India to NJ with his family and he is shocked by the challenges he faces in his new school (being made fun of for his accent, biases, and more). Joe is used to being picked on, because of his disability and a specific bully in his class. As we see each school day through Joe and Ravi’s eyes, we see the ways in which students and staff can be kind and cruel to one another. I imagine many great conversations with a class who reads this together, as there are many lessons to be learned in this sweet book.
Favorite Books This Month
Fiction: Dolores Claiborne & A Place for Us
Nonfiction: An American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killers of the 21st Century
Reflections on Leadership and Learning 