December Reading List

And here I thought that I'd not have much time to read with all of the traveling I was doing last month. Seems that there is plenty of time to read when you never take papers home to grade and don't have a TV that broadcasts in your language.

1. "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen-- I think I've read this book upwards of 10 times.  It's great.  It is not only a favorite of English teachers around the world, it is also loved by women of all ages... Oh wait, most English teachers I know are women.  Humm....

2. "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins-- Sezin, the librarian here, has been recommending this book to me for months.  It was finally on the shelf and I got to say that I understand her glowing recommendation.  The book stars a 14 year old girl who protects her litter sister and takes her place in the hunger games.  The games are reminiscent of "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson in that human life is sacrificed for the "good" of the community.  The future society that this book envisions is warped, controlling, and wasteful.  You will fall in love with the main character.

3. "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins-- This is the second book in the "Hunger Games" series.  Didn't I just say that you will fall in love with the main character?  I had to know what happened next, so I got my hands on the second book and had it started just five days after I started the first one.  Not only will you love the main character, you will love the boys who are in love with her too.  This whacked society finds yet another way to try and beat the spirit out of this girl who survived the first book.  She makes mistakes, has a temper, and could think before she spoke at times, but you will be rooting for her.

4. "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins-- Again, because I was in love with the character I HAD to know how it would end for her.  This book is packed with action and adventure just like the first two are, but there is a twist.  The girl from the first book who was trusting has started to use people to get what she wants instead of letting them use her to get what they want.  The problem is that she is not always sure what it is she wants...

I'm feeling like I've forgotten something this month, but I can't think of it for the life of me at this moment.  It may be that I read sections of "The Great Gatsby" for the umpteenth times, or all of the books that I've had to revisit to help some students with term homework projects (The Q Lives on! for all of my AP English students out there), but I think I remember checking out, reading, and returning some other book...

Oh, yes.  I read it, well tried to read it, but had to take it back due to it not being able to hold my attention against the Hunger Games series I was embroiled in.  "Becoming Jane Austen" by Jon Spence will need to wait for less dynamic competition.  A biography amid all of the fire and drama of the other just could not hold my attention.

I figure, I'm an adult.  If I don't want to read something I don't have to.  This is the freedom finishing your college degrees earns you: the ability to put a book down if you really want to!