More Books in 2011

It's been a reading week for me!

I finished "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau, and I really enjoyed it. Maybe it's just because of what my students are reading right now, but it REALLY reminded me of "The Giver" by Lois Lowry.

I also read "The House of Dies Drear" by Virginia Hamilton, another novel my students are reading for literature circles. This was my second time attempting to read it, and unfortunately, the prose was still too wordy for me the second time around.

During our beach escape, I curled up with "The Second Duchess" by Elizabeth Loupas. I LOVED it! Historical mystery is always an intriguing genre, and this novel utilizes the spirit of the murder victim as a narrator, so it was a lot of fun to read. The descriptions of the court at Ferrara were luscious, and the protagonist was smart enough that I was rooting for her.

On the recommendation of one of my friends from book club, I picked up "The Sea Priestess" by Dion Fortune. It was very...art deco. The novel tells the story of a reincarnated priestess in Britain, aptly named Vivien Le Fay Morgan. It was wordy, but that's to be expected in a book that's 80 years old. I liked it...I think. It was hard to pin down an opinion, for some reason.

Up next? Too many stacks of books strewn about my house and classroom! It seems like just when I make a dent, I get another three books at the library.

Yes. I am addicted.