What I'm, um, "reading" at the moment...

Since I'm writing this a couple weeks ahead of its "post date", I'm hoping that I will have made some progress on the pile of books by then.  But who knows...it seems like the pile doesn't ever really get shorter. Here's what my night-side stand looked like when I started writing...

 Lovely, isn't it?  I count fourteen library books alone.  Hmm..Maybe I should be reading instead of blogging.  Not only do I have a lot of books there, but I seem to have a giant mess as well--kleenex, foot cream, water bottle, flashlight, Kindle charger.  Lovely.  Do you like my alarm clock that used to be a phone?  At some point we disposed of the phone, but I like the features on the clock, so I kept it. On the right, notice the books stacked on the bottom shelf of the stand--mostly paperbacks (a few hard cover) that I have picked up at yard sales or have been given...let's not talk about how much dust is on the top layer.  I think I've been "planning to read" The Joy Luck Club for ten years. Sigh.  My handy-dandy "Amelia Peabody" Compendium is there though--it isn't as dusty as the rest, because, well, I'm a dork.


 I've tried to use GoodReads a few times, but I just can't seem to keep up with "what I've read, want to read, and am reading now".  So at the moment I use a similar, but not as cool, feature on my local library's site and then write the titles I've read in a notebook when they are done.  There does seem to be a rough hierarchy in where the books are sitting--books that are actually on the stand are ones that I've either opened and read the first chapter (and then set aside for the moment), are highly recommended by someone, or are due back at the library soon, so I need to decide if I'm really going to read them or if they need to go back. I think some of these are pictured at least twice--I was lazy in my photo taking:

Mary Poppins She Wrote  I requested this from the library after watching "Saving Mr. Banks".   The book is interesting, just not very exciting and I keep getting irritated at the writer for saying things like "Travers didn't want anyone to write her life story, but she'd dead, so here it is".
The Namesake This is on the summer reading list for my students.  I started reading it at the library, while waiting for The Boy, but only got to about page thirty before setting it aside to read something else.  It seems good, I just haven't been "in the mood" for it.
Fallen Women This book came up at book club--one of the ladies thinks that is is Sandra Dallas's newest (and I think it is, too).  I enjoy Sandra Dallas's writing, so I checked it out.  I've only had it in the pile for a couple days, so as soon as I finish "Carry On Warrior" (see below), I think this one may be next.  Or not.
The Invisible Thread My book club read this last month, I've read the first half and would like to finish the rest...but since I already know "how it ends", I've been reading other things.
A Lesson Before Dying This is on the summer reading list for some of my students.  One of my coworkers loves it, so I checked it out on her recommendation so I'd be one step ahead of the kids in the fall.
Carry on, Warrior  I really am reading this book right now--well, not RIGHT now, because I'm writing, but I just put it down.  It seems to be a collection of Glennon's blog posts from her blog, but I missed many of them the first time around, so I'm enjoying reading some of her "older" writing.  She writes about being a mom, a Christian, a recovering addict.  The stories are interesting and even when I don't agree with her "politics", I can't help but like her.
The Chaperone  I think I may have actually picked this up at the library because I was walking by and it looked good.  Although maybe someone recommended it...I have no independent memory of why I checked it out.
Last Night in Twisted River A speaker that I enjoyed at the literacy conference said that he was reading this book "for fun" so I checked it out...months ago...and keep renewing it...because it does look good...
Indiscretion Ha!  I'm not sure why this is here either, but it looks good, right?



 Here's the current Elizabeth Peter's book, and some nail polish, and a birdhouse The Boy made for me and left on my night side stand.

 And ironically, a book called Unfinished, that my Life Group is reading. (I haven't finished the "right" chapter yet)

 From the floor pile..
Why Don't Students Like School?  Part of my "I should read some stuff for school this summer" program.  It looks good, I just haven't been motivated to pick it up yet.
Sweet Salt Air One of my college friends mentioned on Facebook that she was participating in an online book group about this book.  I usually enjoy the books she enjoys, so I checked it out.
Talent is Overrated Someone recommended or mentioned this at a teacher event.  It looks interesting, but falls in the category of "self-help", so I'm procrastinating...it's summer, you know...
Devil in the White City This was originally proposed as a summer reading book for my students, but didn't make the final cut.  In an interesting "Six Degrees of Separation" moment, I think that the author is a Purdue professor and I might have had him for a class.  At least the names are the same! The book is about the Chicago World's fair and is a mystery, so I am going to (eventually) open this one.
How Children Succeed  Months ago a co-worker was reading this.  I keep checking it out, looking at it, turning it in, checking it out again.  I do really want to read it...I just need to be motivated to read a "thinking book".
Death With Interruptions  Another from the summer reading list for my students.  Highly recommended by the English teachers from my school.

And, of course, a Kindle, although pretty much I just use it to play "one more" round of Bingo Cats before bed, although I do try to "buy" a couple free books every day so the kids and I can just read off our Kindles while on vacation.







And, of course, Drive, which I promised Jen over at Daycare by Design was "next on my list"!!! (It is, really...)


I also checked out some audio books from the library, to "listen to in the car", but since we've been carless (well, in a rental), we haven't been listening as much (and we haven't really gone far enough to listen anyway).  Right now I have From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and the Hunger Games in the "library box" and Huck Finn on hold (it is The Girl's summer reading assignment).

So there you go, folks...this is what I'm currently "reading"...make sure you check out "What I read" in a month or so to see if I really get these done!