Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Scraps of Thoughts

Today, my friends, on this glorious sunny happy refreshing lovely day (I’m in a good mood), I have just a few itsy bitsy things to share.   At least, that’s what I’m hoping!    Sometimes when I think I have just a few short things I want to yap about, it ends up being 678 words.    I’ll give you a count at the end.

First, I wanted to do a Monday Mailbox but I missed Monday.   I got to work yesterday!   and it was FUN!   well, sort of fun.   And since the teacher I sub for reads this, I’ll share the highlights only.    I got to ask these bright and lively kids about Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls (doesn’t he make baseball gloves? – who am I thinking of?)   I’ve not read this book, but it was fun to discuss with the students – especially what a cliffhanger is (chapter 4).     And the other English class I got to participate in was  one chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird. I know most of these students from last year – and though they claim not to remember me (ha!),  I really like them all; they’re fun.

OH MY!   What a discussion we had!    Their first question for me was how many questions they ‘had to’do’ after we listened to Sissy Spacek read the text, and I answered them, “Seventeen’.   Oh.  the groans and moans.    “SEVENTEEN!?!??!?!”    You’d have thought I was going to make them eat the dirt off of D___’s shoes.      We really only had five questions to answer (in complete sentences, of course) and I was truly sad to not have more.   I wanted to keep talking, sharing, discussing, and stimulating their young inquisitive minds…  (oh, how they enjoy laughing  at with me)    Alas.       [I suppose I should share that I sub in the Special Education Department?   I'm probably violating some no-sharing rule anyway so - eek!    But this is ok, right?]

SO.   In my mailbox was:    Where the Red Fern Grows by….    — wait for it!  — Wilson Rawls!!!    coincidence?    not really.   anyway.   I also received Green Grass Running Water by Thomas King.   Both bookmooched.      Both because they are classics, (right?)    The King book came recommended by somebody at book club and it might be that teacher I subbed for yesterday!

Next, I will be posting an unusual non-review-just-thoughts about my reading experience with Lolita.    Closed that book last night.     I think that I can quickly say that I was impressed and not impressed and liked it and really didn’t like it.     AND, that I am amazed how many people don’t have any thoughts or recognition come to mind when you say “I’m reading Lolita.”     I actually had to explain to my husband what it was about.    I just figure everyone knows – oops.    And yesterday, somebody at the HS didn’t know anything about Lolita either, and she is a reader.   [She is reading the new Dan Brown.]

FINALLY!!    What  you’ve all been waiting for – if I didn’t lose you by now, is I need help.     Here are the first two sentences of the two books I have chosen to possibly read next.   Both stories are contained in one bound tradeback book by extremely local-to-me author Joyce Keller Walsh.  This is for the Literary Road Trip Challenge.   And both stories are part of The Pittsley Country Chronicles.   I think Juckets comes first.    Bog Men is the 3rd book.

UPDATED!!   I’ve changed my mind – since these books are related, like in a (gasp!) series, I had better read the first one!  Silly me, I was going to ask you to help me decide which to read first.   Nevermind, I will start Juckets today.

Juckets:    WINTER     Saturday, January 12th

“Heart’s no good.  Can’t use it.”

Swamp Yankees:    SPRING    Monday, May 31st (Memorial Day)

“I hate you,” she whispered hoarsely over the bronze gravemarker that lay like a fallen soldier amidst the taller granite headstones.

Yep, too long:   645 words!

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