Author: Donalyn Miller
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If “Book Love” was enough to inspire a new pedagogy for my classroom, “The Book Whisperer” puts it over the edge into a solid commitment.

Miller is a grade six teacher who has taken the idea of getting students to read and accelerated it to its max. She espouses the idea that traditional methods of getting students to understand reading strategies (worksheets, notes and disambiguated examples) pale when putting books into students hands and getting them to read.

First, I am jealous of her classroom library.

As someone who purged most of his books over the past five years (close to two hundred)… mainly because they were nothing more than showpieces… and because they were burdensome to keep moving… I am kicking myself for not saving them for my classroom. I’ve been slowly building it over the course of this year, and noticing its huge success with my students, but hearing she has 2,000 titles? Well, now I’m envious.

If there’s one thing Miller does, is instill confidence into teachers to attempt a new approach that gets students falling in love with reading. Really, it’s a simple matter of learning to let go and getting ready to pick your battles with those who would fight against the status quo.

She provides ample examples to follow and you can feel her passion for reading bleed off the page. She is even as extreme as getting students to bring their books with them when they wait in line for getting their pictures taken. The fact she gets them on board with that level of commitment is impressive.

The sad part in reading near the end is hearing about her students who come back to her upset their reading expectations after her class. You begin to understand that a love of reading is possible, but we never give young people the opportunity to discover it in school.

It’s an inspiration for me to continue down the path in my own class. Even if my students leave never getting a chance to read for the pleasure of reading, at least they will have this year as a foundation… and I will work hard to make it so.

Author: Frank Gruber
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Reading this book is enough to make today’s writer feel lazy.

I first heard about it through an off mention in a Dean Wesley Smith post and decided it was worth the effort to procure. Reading through confirmed it was worth every penny to get it to my doorstep.

While it can be looked at as a history book of where writing was in the thirties, as it follows the lives of those who wrote for the pulp magazines (”pulp fiction”), it’s really a story about what writers were doing and sacrificing to earn a living.

Gruber does a lot of name dropping, which would be neat if you knew who any of these authors were, but the gems were in-between (and a few times on) the lines.

While today’s bite-sized social media laden messages about rejection and never giving up are meant to be an inspiration, it was an accepted part of the job for these writers. Gruber speaks about the numerous times he kept submitting to magazines without any avail (for years, in a few cases) and how this was the norm.

You submitted work and it was either accepted or rejected. You hoped for acceptance, but if you didn’t get it, you kept going. Even after establishing yourself, there was still a chance you would be rejected (as was the case with Gruber trying to break into Hollywood).

Then there were the stories of the work ethic of these writers, including one who, in the middle of a party, realized he needed to submit a 12,000 word short story for publication in the morning. He sat in the corner, typed non-stop for four hours, then came back to enjoy the festivities.

There is also an entire chapter between the meeting of Gruber and Max Brand (the pen name of one of America’s most prolific literary giants). Between the consistent output and constant drinking, it’s stunning to hear his commitment to the written word.

Gruber does provide direct advice to writers near the end. What’s telling is the advice he gives here (written in the 1960s), is identical to what every working writer suggests today:

Put your butt in the seat, write a lot, read a lot and put it out there.

I’m glad to have read through this one.

Author: Michael Harris
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After reading Solitude, I decided to go back and read this earlier work from Harris. If I wasn’t a fan the first time around (which I am), this book sealed the deal.

Harris takes an exploration into the world we are moving towards, where a generation will have no idea what it’s like to be disconnected. There is still a gap where some of us will know life before and after the Internet, which is a huge issue I still wrestle with… especially as a teacher and seeing the ubiquity of technology in the classroom.

This book is for anyone looking for sympathy as they sit at a table with others and watch helplessly as they stayed glued to their phones. It’s also for those who get tired of taking second place to a conversation with a person because they keep turning their attention away from you. It’s for people who feel frustrated and helpless to do anything because they know it’s not going to change.

The biggest geek-out in the book was his meeting with Douglas Coupland, who still remains a favourite author of mine. To hear Coupland’s words about never wanting to go back, and I understand the reasoning, was a seal of the times we’ve entered.

While I work through my own digital sabbatical, albeit not quite as extreme as the one Harris took in this book (which I also felt dragged a bit), it’s created room for reflection in my own life with my relationship to technology. I’m just happy there’s someone else out there who is struggling with the same questions as myself.

Author: Alan Gratz
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Out of all the potential words in the English language to describe this book, I’m going to have to settle on amazing… which is a shame, because it deserves something more grandeur.

Refugee follows three different storylines of refugee families: a Jewish one escaping Germany before the war, a Cuban family trying to make it to Florida in the early 90s and a Syrian family trying to make it to Germany in 2015.

The brilliance of this novel is how all three stories connect together in the end.

Gratz did the work to add as much truth as he could (real stories) into the fictional tales he’s written. Each story feels real and you can empathize with all the characters during their struggles.

It’s one of those books where you walk away with a newfound respect, and compassion, for the people who flee their countries in hope of a new life. It compels you to think differently and want to do something substantial.

Any book that can elicit that level of emotional response is a success indeed. Still… in my sleep deprived state… I can’t think of a better word than amazing.

Author: John Scalzi
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Reading John Scalzi is both a fun aberration from life and a thought-provoking pleasure wrapped in humour.

Don’t Live for Your Obituary is a collection of his posts about writing for the past ten years. As someone who hasn’t been reading his (20+ year!) blog consistently, I didn’t mind that he wanted to compile some posts together and sell it as a book.

It is refreshing to hear the voice of someone who has been in the writing field offering solid advice, rather than those who have seen success after a few years and claim their own guru status. It’s also enjoyable to read his potshots against elitism in writing while admitting his own shortcomings (and successes).

I often found myself captured by the arguments he was making and forget to highlight key passages that stuck out at me. Not that this should ever be an issue for a reader, mind you.

Could you imagine?

“Hey, Scalzi. Do you think you could ease up on your prose so it’s not so compelling? I need a break now and then. Thanks.”

Anyway, this book will appeal to anybody who wants the veil of writing lifted for them. For those who are starting, many of these chapters will be helpful in discerning the long road ahead.

And yes… and with great gratitude… Scalzi is one of the very few people who will admit luck has a huge part in success.

For those who have been in it for a while, it’s a refreshing and honest take on what another professional is doing.

Not every chapter will appeal to a reader and even I admit to skimming over a few of them. Perhaps at another point when I’m feeling particularly passionate about the subject will I return to pore over the fine details.

In any case, I look forward to his next ten years of writing.

Author: Scott Alan Turner
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Simple, long-term, boring… and refreshing.

Turner delivers in his promise of the simplest and easiest book on investing, which can be a turnoff to people who want the fast cash-grab and overnight millions.

In a world of “invest in cryptocurrency!” (the latest fad), it was great to read through advice I’ve heard many times, but told in a way that’s enjoyable. His strategy is thinking for the long-term (really long-term) and slowly dripping money into index funds while spending very little time (99 minutes a year) watching their progress.

As someone who (mildly) employs this strategy and have already seen its benefits, it has given me enough rigor to continue on. When the last page was turned, I immediately sketched out a strategy for the upcoming years and went to work on employing it.

It’s important to note good financial habits are a prerequisite to making this strategy work. In other words, if you’re spending more than you earn without a clue where your money is going, it’s best to get that worked out first.

If you’re unsure about how investing works and want to plan for the long-term, start here.

It’s the simplest way to financial security.

Author: Robert Hoge
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Ever wonder what it’s like to grow up knowing you’re just plain ugly?

This is a charming autobiography of Robert Hoge and the trials he endured from birth with this problem. It starts with a great metaphor to explain his condition and then gets right into the details of his life that feels as though he’s telling you in person.

I have to give credit for Hoge for managing to encapsulate such a difficult topic into a light read. He provided just enough details at each stage in his life for the reader to get the point, while still fully fleshing out the important parts that add to his life narrative.

It doesn’t take long to read, but you certainly feel as if you’ve gone on a personal journey with the man. The only qualm I had was no afterward, or at least mention, of life after his childhood until now.

However, if you’re reading this with a young person (the intended audience), they will undoubtedly connect with the story and be inspired by it. I know for certain it’s going directly into my classroom library.

Author: Susin Nielsen
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In an effort to read books my students might find interesting… or at least interesting enough to get past the first three lines… this gem was recommended to me.

If you’ve ever raised or worked with teenagers, reading this is a combination of hilarity and frustration. Hilarity because it encapsulates a teenager’s thought process almost perfectly and frustration because it encapsulates a teenager’s thought process almost perfectly.

For those of you who have ever tried to reason with a young adult, you’ll know what the above statement means.

The story follows from the perspective of two young people: Fourteen year old Ashley and thirteen year old Stewart. Stewart is gifted and has little to no social wherewithall whereas Ashley is on the top of the social ladder and judges others appropriately.

It’s the story of two families coming together and the challenges that come with having your entire life uplifted.

I managed to power through this book, finding moments in my day (and I do mean moments) where I could read a few more lines. Nielsen’s writing was compelling and addictive with the words leaping off the page as I became gripped into the drama unfolding.

There is no hesitation for me to recommend this book to any young person. Not only would they connect to the themes presented, but they may gain an insight into themselves.

Author: Rick Riordan
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Yes, I’m late again to the party.

For some reason when all my students were reading this series, I decided to ignore getting a glimpse into their active interests. Then I discovered it wasn’t just my students, but people from all over the world.

Some have even called it the next Harry Potter.

Yet, here I stand (literally because I write standing up), many years later, finally getting into something the world already enjoyed. Then again, the reason I’m reading it is to familiarize myself with literature for future generations so it’s not a total loss.

As you would expect from that introduction, the book was fantastic.

Take the modern fantasy trope of a young person in our familiar world, discovers there’s something special about them, something special about the world and sent on a quest to save it.

Then add a heavy layer of Greek mythology and fast-paced writing.

Riordan does a great job of pacing the book in such a way that just when you think the action is slowing down, it picks up again rapidly. There’s always something happening in each chapter to keep you hooked, plus the overall mystery of why it’s happening in the first place.

Although it’s geared toward a younger audience, who undoubtedly love it, there was a bit too much deus-ex machina in it for me. Never once did I think our main character, Percy, was in real danger as there were too many outs given to him.

I’ll continue reading the series to see if this changes, but the tension was killed for me knowing he still had a special item given to him just before the danger… or being reminded about the water nearby.

However, I understand the need to do this because a newly minted reader won’t always hold those details in their head. They’re just reading to see what happens next and on that regard, this book delivers.

If you’re like me and coming to the party a bit late, I promise you there’s still a lot of room here and the party is still going.

Grab your copy and let’s chat.

Author: Jeff Kinney
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In my further attempt to savagely read and recommend books to my students so… you know… they might take an interest in reading as well… I picked up this best seller.

I heard it was fun and based on the general look of it, realized it would only take me a day or two to finish (it would be faster but I just had a second kid, so life’s a bit busy around here).

What I didn’t realize is the fun factor of this book is through the roof.

There was something enjoyable about every page, from the cartoons scattered throughout to the random musings of our heroic protagonist – Greg Heffley. I was glued to every word and found myself quickly sneaking a few lines here and there while I committed to my dad duty of rocking a gas-filled baby.

Quick synopsis: Greg is a middle-schooler and he writes about the experience from being part of the nerdy crowd.

It didn’t occur to me until the end of the book, but Kinney managed to do something I never thought possible: he made me feel like I just read the spiritual sequel to Calvin & Hobbes. That is not a light compliment coming from me. The wit and the hilarity oozing through each page is a testament to the skill of this amazing author.

I’m tempted to pick up the entire series for myself and have my students go scourge through the library hold system to get their own, but chances are somebody they know has a copy they could borrow.

Maybe I’m the last person to read it (I also haven’t watched The Walking Dead or finished Stranger Things, so this is a strong possibility), but if I’m not and you’re reading this review… read the book instead.