Week 16: Sorting it all Out

It is probably time that I recognize as a teacher that there are two months where everything just tends to go to hell and I lose the thread on my personal projects. October and April. I think it's a perfect storm of professional and family obligations. Even Christmas is easier. So to sum up, I'm behind in both my reading and my writing. I am trying to get back up on top of it.

I think in some ways I'm getting burned out on YA. It's getting hard to read at my usual rate. That being said, I've hit some real gems in the last couple weeks that I've been off grid. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland is an action packed sci-fi alternate history Western with undead set just after the American Civil War. Our protagonist is a young black woman trained to fight the undead. It sounds a little hoky, but somehow it really works. Rebel In the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton is a fantasy set in a world straight out of 1,001 Arabian Nights complete with djinni, magic, and ghouls. It's half political intrigue and half crime caper, I loved it. Both books are entry points into series but they are excellent stand alones as well.

Looking to my next week, I think it's time for a break on the YA. I'm including a few for stress relief, but I'm composing it mainly of non-fiction and non-YA fiction. Because of this, it will be a little longer than normal for the sake of choice.

Short List of all Seriousness:

1. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman (Dekalb Library)
2. Hunter by Mercedes Lackey (Dekalb Library) - Finished 4/24/2019
3. Elite by Mercedes Lackey (Dekalb Library) -Finished 4/25/2019
4. Apex by Mercedes Lackey (Dekalb Library) - Finished 4/26/2019
5. Prodigy by Marie Lu (Classroom LIbrary
6. Champion by Marie Lu (Classroom Library)
7. The Last Girl by Nadia Murad (Dekalb Library)
8. Black Powder War by Naomi Novik (Tsundoku Stack)
9. Cooked by Michael Pollan (Tsundoku Stack)
10. Fiery Ferments by Kirsten K. Shockey & Christopher Shockey (Tsundoku Stack)
11. Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten K. Shockey & Christopher Shockey (Tsundoku Stack)
12. An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage (Tsundoku Stack)
13. Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook
14. The Treatment by Suzanne Young (borrowed from Julia)
15. Teaching English by Design by Peter Smagorinsky (Pedagogy)