Starting from when we left for Europe until now, I have gone through at least three books and am still going. I love to read for fun and I rarely have time for it during the year. It is something I would like to try and continue doing, maybe instead of watching TV before bed I read a book. This summer has been a odd and somewhat convoluted combination of books. They range from funny and entertaining to books about teaching experiences and theories of education. These have been my top four books I have read so far this summer:
1) “Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? [and Other Concerns]” by Mindy Kaling
This book was beyond hysterical. I have yet to see The Mindy Project but now I really want to. Her voice is so funny and everything she talks about is spot on. I know I am not the first one to write about how amazing this book is, in fact most of my friends read it months ago. This is one book I loved having with me while we were traveling and I almost miss having it at the Cape with me for the main reason being I can’t re-read it.
2) “Lucky Us” by Amy Bloom
When I got back from my trip I unpacked the box that Her Campus Nationals had sent me. As a campus correspondent, I was fortunate enough to get the shipment of the rewards for reaching a platinum level chapter. There was a ton of cool stuff in there but this book was the best one in my opinion. It was an early release copy and I think I’ll save the full book review for our chapter’s page come the fall but I wanted to rave about it for a little bit. The premise behind the book isn’t exactly new and the struggles the sisters go through sounds kind of like a movie but you fall in love with the characters. In my opinion a good book is a book that makes you feel bad for the hero and want the villain to get their just desserts. In this sense, the book was a success. I did enjoy the book and it’s a great, easy pool-side or beach read.
3) “I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had” by Tony Danza
I LOVED this book. Even for those non-teachers this book is extremely engaging. We all definitely had those teachers we felt bad for when we found out it was their first year and teachers who made a difference in our lives. His recollection of his experience as a first year teacher is amazing. As a future teacher I got so much insight into how to make your first year easier and laughed as some of the stories he tells. After reading I wish I had him as a teacher!
4) “Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America’s Schools Back to Reality” by Charles Murray
This book was very philosophical and technical so I don’t know if I would suggest it as an easy summer read for someone who isn’t so in the know about education. However, if you are interested in learning briefly about what is wrong with the school’s nowadays, this is a great book to read. Murray is very clear about how he feels and explains potentially confusing terminology. I have taken an interest into reading books on this subject. As a future teacher I feel the need to be in the know of what other people say is wrong with the school systems and how they believe teachers should help fix these problems. I have many more books along these lines but this read was a great introduction for me!
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