It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

On Mondays, I ask this question: What are YOU reading?
But first, I always answer the question for myself. Thanks to Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts for hosting this meme.

Teachers all over the country (including me) were off for the holidays last week, so many (we) had more time to read. We faithfully tended to our TBR piles, and as a result, finished books and discussed them on Twitter.

I joined in the fun! I also was on a mission: complete my 2012 Goodreads Challenge.
I had quite a few to go last week, so I got to work.

I read 15 chapter books, 2 graphic novels, and 32 picture books.
Here are the some of the books I loved!

SUMMER AND BIRD by Katherine Catmull

I really hadn't heard much about this book from any of my fellow Nerdy Book Club members, but everything about the title and the cover made me want to read the book. As I read the first few pages, I began to get a feel for the type of book it was: fairy-tale and very imaginative. Two sisters have lost their parents, and they enter a bird world to find them. They meet many unique characters along the way, and the situations are fantasy-filled and very intriguing. Pay attention to the details in this book. Everything means something! It made me think and wonder. (I'm definitely still processing this one.)

BUTTER by Erin Jade Lange (YA)
This novel reminded me somewhat of SKINNY by Donna Cooner. A teen struggles with his weight, his family life, and school. He desires popularity & a pretty girl desperately, so he sets a very unwise plan in motion. I reaad this one fairly quickly. It's modern and fast-moving.

 ALMOST HOME by Joan Bauer (YA)
A girl and her mother struggle to find their place in the world. There's a cute puppy involved, and Sugar (the main character) is motivated and positive. It's a heartwarming story, but it's also realistic. I want to read more Joan Bauer books. (I loved CLOSE TO FAMOUS, too.)

I also managed to read another Newbery winner:
JACOB HAVE I LOVED by Katherine Paterson. It is YA, and a quick read. It's about a girl who competes with her for the attention and focus in the family. It's also a story of hardship and determination.

Other books  I read were:
THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING (INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE BOOK 1) by MaryRose Wood (Great series!)
SCHOOLED by Gordon Korman
ONE YEAR IN COAL HARBOR by Polly Horvath
A PERFECT TIME FOR PANDAS by Mary Pope Osborne (I recommended this one to my students.)
SURPRISE ISLAND (Boxcar Children) by Gertrude Chandler Warner (Love this one!)
AMULET 3: CLOUD SEARCHERS by Kazu Kibuishi
AMULET 4: THE LAST COUNCIL by Kazu Kibuishi
(Both are graphic novels and both are excellent!)


Thanks to the time off, and the nonstop supply of books, I was able to meet my Goodreads challenge! I read 600 books in 2012 with one day left over. I will use this day (today) to decide upon my 2013 goal, and yes, read.

I hope to read these titles this week: (Both YA)
A WRINKLE IN TIME: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL by Hope Larson
CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein

I'm trying to find identify my book gap right now. That will be part of what I do in my 2013 reading life.

What are YOU reading this week?

Shoe choices today: My new Nike running shoes for #runteacherrun AND then my cowgirl boots again to ring in the New Year!