Stacey’s Comments (group member since Aug 15, 2010)

Stacey’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Ok, I'm going to start with:

The Giver - Lois Lowry (currently have it from the library)
Hard Times - Charles Dickens (own it; probably a re-read, but if so I don't really remember it!)
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (own it, have never read it)
On the Road - Jack Kerouac (own it, somehow have started it but never finished it)
I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith (recently bought it at a used bookstore, have never read it)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy (own it, read it years ago in high school, ready for a re-read)

Now that I'm finished, I'll post my whole list (started 8/15):

A: American Taliban - Pearl Abraham (Sept)
B: Bless Me, Ultima - Rudolfo Anaya (Sept)
C: Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang - Chelsea Handler (Aug)
D: The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian (Sept)
E: Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life - Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Sept)
F: The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton (Sept)
G: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Aug)
H: Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin - Hampton Sides (Oct)
I: Identical - Ellen Hopkins (Sept)
J: The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan (Oct)
K: Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami (Oct)
L: Lucas - Kevin Brooks (Aug)
M: Mathilda Savitch - Victor Lodato (Aug)
N: Nice Big American Baby - Judy Budnitz (Sept)
O: The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden - Catherynne M. Valente (Oct)
P: The Passage - Justin Cronin (Aug)
Q: Queen of the Oddballs - Hillary Carlip (Oct)
R: Room - Emma Donoghue (Sept)
S: Sugar - Bernice McFadden (Sept)
T: A Thousand Acres - Jane Smiley (Oct)
U: Unfinished Desires - Gail Godwin (Oct)
V: The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides (Oct)
W: When Jeff Comes Home- Catherine Atkins (Sept)
X: Xingu- Edith Wharton (a short story) (Sept)
Y: Yes, My Darling Daughter - Margaret Leroy (Sept)
Z: Zeitoun - Dave Eggers (Oct)

Top 5: The Joy Luck Club, Kafka on the Shore, Room, Hellhound on His Trail, and Zeitoun (with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society; Bless Me, Ultima; and Sugar coming right after)

Lisarenee wrote: "Stacey, I would think that would be challenging to work with kids so young. Do you need to figure out how to customize the style of education the kids receive to fit their needs?"

In part, yes. I do initial evaluations (psychoeducational assessments) that lead to a diagnosis (Autism, ADHD, general delays in social-emotional development, etc.), consult with teachers and families, write reports, and contribute to IEPs. I absolutely love my job! It's the perfect mix of challenging and rewarding.

Lauren- I'm a school psychologist, working in special education with preschoolers.

My current "on hold" books from the library:

The Forgotten Garden, The Double Bind, Mockingjay, and Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang.

I'm a ferret? Who knew?!

intelligent, stubborn, funny, passionate, loyal

My Favorite Book(s): I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
My Favorite Movie(s): Chocolat, Memento
My Favorite Celebrity: Tim Gunn
My Favorite Author: David Sedaris
My Favorite Music: The Killers
Sign: Taurus
Day Job: Psychologist
If I could live anywhere in the world it would be: any major East Coast city

Same Kind of Different As Me: I just could not get past the author's self-congratulatory tone. It still kind of makes me angry just thinking of it!

The Twilight Books: I know it has its staunch (to say the least!) defenders, but for me... just ugh. I read them, as I don't think it's fair to hate on something you don't completely know, but wish I hadn't. IMO, it could have been a decent story line, but the execution is poor. I also kind of hate all the really bad books that it has unintentionally spawned.

Sounds fun... I like this one! I guess I'll just come back and edit this post as I read. Is that what others are doing?

I'll start today (August 15th), as well...

A: American Taliban - Pearl Abraham (Sept)
B: Bless Me, Ultima - Rudolfo Anaya (Sept)
C: Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang - Chelsea Handler (Aug)
D: The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian (Sept)
E: Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life - Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Sept)
F: The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton (Sept)
G: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Aug)
H: Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin - Hampton Sides (Oct)
I: Identical - Ellen Hopkins (Sept)
J: The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan (Oct)
K: Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami (Oct)
L: Lucas - Kevin Brooks (Aug)
M: Mathilda Savitch - Victor Lodato (Aug)
N: Nice Big American Baby - Judy Budnitz (Sept)
O: The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden - Catherynne M. Valente (Oct)
P: The Passage - Justin Cronin (Aug)
Q: Queen of the Oddballs - Hillary Carlip (Oct)
R: Room - Emma Donoghue (Sept)
S: Sugar - Bernice McFadden (Sept)
T: A Thousand Acres - Jane Smiley (Oct)
U: Unfinished Desires - Gail Godwin (Oct)
V: The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides (Oct)
W: When Jeff Comes Home- Catherine Atkins (Sept)
X: Xingu- Edith Wharton (a short story) (Sept)
Y: Yes, My Darling Daughter - Margaret Leroy (Sept)
Z: Zeitoun - Dave Eggers (Oct)

Like many of you, I try to carry on at all cost, but I absolutely could not get interested in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.

Now that I'm using the library more, I find that I re-read fewer books. That being said, the ones that I come back to again and again:

all of the Harry Potter Books
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (and the following three that tell her whole story)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Lost Continent
Last Days of Summer
Angela's Ashes
Shopgirl