Sunday Blatherings: Utah Author Month

I'm a bit behind this month and what is new?!?  I've been debating, actually a lot lately, the idea of what I share or don't share on this blog.  There are times that I think, "Geesh!  Does anyone even want to hear about being busy with school or the cold I caught?"  Then other times, after I sit around wondering where some of my much loved blogging friends have disappeared, I think it might actually be good to get a little information eeked out once in awhile, right?  Having said that, life is good here in my corner of the world.  Really.  It is!

As my earlier quandary intimates, I came down with a humdinger of a cold over Easter, that kind of tortured me for awhile.  Any extra energy went in to getting those last essays and papers graded before my AP students took the AP exam, which is happily out of the way!  They felt really good about it, so I'm hoping that's a good sign.  Now that much of the stress that a school year can bring is over, I'm feeling pretty darn happy.  We still have four more weeks, but things are truly starting to wind down.

One of the things I missed this past week was the Utah Author Month, initial start up.  Natasha, at Maw Books Blog has spearheaded an awesome opportunity for those of us in this area, or who are interested in participating, in reading and highlighting authors from here in Utah.  I have to say that the list of authors is pretty amazing.  If you don't believe me, check out the Goodreads list "Books by Utah Authors" that we've compiled! 

For my participation, I'm going to try to finish a couple of books that I am currently reading and then try to maybe throw in another one by the end of the month.  I'll also post a little something about books that I've read and reviewed here on One Literature Nut that are written by Utah authors.  It should be a great time, and a wonderful opportunity to support some of our local authors. 

Since my mom and I are not celebrating Mother's Day until two weeks from now (when we'll be together), I better take advantage of this slightly rainy and chilly day to get some reading done.  Besides, I don't have a single paper to grade--for once--and I'm feeling a little bit out of sorts!  Happy Mother's Day all, and have a great week!

AP Conference Break

This week I'm attending an Advanced Placement Conference, which has left me with very little time.  I actually wasn't 100% sure if I was enrolled to attend, as I hadn't heard anything from them, but SURPRISE!  I was enrolled.  The conference is about an hour and a half drive, so I'm listening to an audiobook as I drive, and then enjoying a really great conference.  I really don't like meetings, but this is a great conference so far.  Once again, I'm reminded why I absolutely love teaching English.  Language Arts really do rock. 

Anyway, this conference threw me off a bit.  I have to say though that I really enjoy the people who are attending this conference.  Everyone in my group is from one of the islands, so it has been fun to "talk story" and get to know one another better.  Also, can I say how much I love their idea on how to dress for a conference?  Most everyone is in t-shirts, shorts, and slippers (island name for sandals, or as we call them, "flip-flops").  Talk about a dream come true!  If only I could attend every meeting in a t-shirt, shorts, and a pair of slippers!

Mahalo, and I'll be back!

Review: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

I debated reviewing this amazing dystopian novel or not, but determined that I HAD to give it a plug on my blog. This last month, in preparation for the AP Literature exam for my students, we read Brave New World. I distinctly remember reading it when I was in high school, and what a breath of fresh air (strangely enough) that it was after all of the classic "oldies but goodies" we had been reading. I think this might have also been the case for many of my students, as they really seemed to "dig" it, with it's in-your-face sort of satire. So, why not review it? It's been awhile since I had read it, and I have to say that I really enjoyed revisiting it with my classes.

Synopsis: Deemed a science fiction original, Aldous Huxley sets forth a future society in which happiness is the key. Humans are scientifically engineered, both genetically and psychologically, to be a part of a certain "caste" in society. Those who are set apart to work, are conditioned from their pre-natal state, through maturation, to seemingly enjoy their status, and not desire more. Alphas are the highest caste possible, and only remotely are these upper echelons allowed the opportunity to think and create in their society. Otherwise, all members of this society take Soma tablets to escape reality and be happy, listen to hypnopaedia as they sleep to condition them to not question or think, and use sex and erotic play as a normal behavior to be shared freely. In this society, humans are not to "bond" with one another, nor do they have children. Into this mix of conditioned humans are our main characters. Bernard likes to think and consider why he's different, so he avoids Soma pills, and wants to pair off with Lenina (who is a very typical female, and is therefore freaked out by Bernard's strange need to be with her, but not have sex with her). Then there is John, considered a native, and a young man who was born of a woman and raised outside of the community on a "reservation." John is obviously not like the others, and when introduced into their society, we find that this can be a volatile mix.

Our essential question then becomes, how important is it to be comfortable and happy at all times? What must be sacrificed so that all people can be happy? Do we really have to sacrifice passion and individual thought to achieve peace and balance? And...who decides what is peace and balance?

Synopsis: I forgot how much I loved this book. Just about every page of my copy of the novel was marked up with my thoughts and connections. Everything from the names used in the book (which all tie to famous communists or free-thinkers of the time), to the casual way in which sex was treated (since all passions lead to crime and unhappiness), were really interesting to think about and consider. From the beginning, I told my students that this book was not about glamorizing immorality, nor degrading reason, and that they should be looking for the satire. Luckily, they found it! The satire in the novel is embedded in the absurdities behind erotic play being encouraged for children, avoiding family connections at all costs, and packing Soma pills around so that an escape from reality was just around the corner. It is obvious that Huxley is pointing out more about how pain, love, fear, joy, hate, and happiness all go together; that essentially, we as humans have to have structure and control, to understand and enjoy beauty. Essentially, without pain, chaos, and restraint, we would be like infants, who are unable to comprehend creation in any sense.

It seems obvious that Huxley's novel is a reaction to the many political powers threatening societies across the globe. While we see the way forcing others to behave in certain ways can backfire, we also see Huxley pointing a finger at us as individuals, asking us to examine our own beliefs that affect our daily lives. Religion seems to come directly under fire in the novel, not for its ability to inspire, but for its power to direct the way people think, almost mindlessly. In essence, we can see that thought, feeling, and believing are encouraged on an individual basis, and in a way that unites us as human beings. Huxley definitely seems to be encouraging a certain morality that I find refreshing, and a message that can only be reached with an open mind and a little reason. Overall, I think this was a great text to end my school year with, and I loved the discussions we had. From my own point of view, it was a great experience re-reading this as an adult, as I found so much more to connect to than before. If you want a lot of discussion, this is the book to pick up!

If you've read Brave New World, what did you think? Do you enjoy reading dystopian novels, and why? I'd really love to hear what you think.

Test Time...Again!

Tomorrow is the big day for my AP Literature students to take their exam. I have several book reviews to write, and even several good books I'd simply like to read, but can't. I'll settle for some time watching a good movie! I'm so nervous, yet feel good about what my students and I have studied together over this past year. We'll see how it goes, but I'm ready to get this whole thing over with so I can breathe again!

Sunday Salon #3

I went to prom last night! How's that for an opening? :) Actually, I joined some of my good friends from school in chaperoning the prom. It was so fun! We met, early in the afternoon, to get pictures (yes, we got to have pictures) and then head off for dinner. The rest of the evening was spent, taking tickets, dancing through the crowds, awarding prom royalty, and just general merriment! Several of us got one of our administrators to take us on a "tour" of the dance floor. She was super-brave (and so were we for following), and cut through the largest crowds. The key, she said, "Just bounce with them, and you'll be all right." How funny! Altogether, it was more fun than I ever expected, and will gladly chaperon again!

Well, on to reading! I've been bouncing around between several different books, and am thinking ahead to my summer in Hawaii. Why am I thinking ahead? Well, I have to make sure my library lists are closed or put on hold! It feels a little sad though, to see my lists disappear or be put on long-term hold. :( Small price to pay for two delightful months in Hawaii though, right? :)

Today I'm going to keep reading Sharon Lathan's Mr. & Mrs. Darcy: Two Become One. I've read the first chapter and don't have an opinion yet, but am interested to keep reading. It seems that it's received some controversy, so we'll see what I think once I get through it for myself! As for now, I see the sun peeking through the clouds, so might grab my book and go out for a quick walk. Another week gone, and another great one ahead! Cross your fingers for my AP students. They take their test on Thursday morning.

The Reading Meme

Thankfully, I finished the last of my AP Literature essays that I have been grading for the past four days. They were actually pretty good, so I'm feeling more hopeful about their ability to pass the exam in TWO WEEKS from TODAY! I'm sorry that I'm a bit obsessed by the entire thing, but this has been a pretty tough year as far as teaching is concerned, and I'm eager to see how they will do. :)

Well, having just finished those essays, I can now switch back to doing a bit more reading. In light of that, I thought this meme was interesting and wanted to consider my own reading! So, until I finish my wonderful Meg Cabot ARC, Being Nikki (which has been a fun read so far), I thought I'd consider my reading! This particular meme comes from Kailana, Chris, Maree, Bart, and Book Zombie.

1. What author do you own the most books by?

J.K. Rowling. For my birthday last year, I ordered the adult, UK version. Besides those, I own various of the American version in hardback.

2. What book do you own the most copies of?

A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans. I loved it so much that I bought a copy, bought one for my best friend, and another as a gift. Well...UPS misdelivered TWO of my boxes, so I was sent another by Amazon, only to later have the old boxes show up. That just some time in the next couple of weeks I'll be doing a giveaway! :)

Before that mail debauchle, it was Beowulf. I love that epic, and have it in different translations.

3. Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?

No...too tired of grading and correcting things to care when I read anything else.

4. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?

Like most women: Mr. Darcy, Rhett Butler, and do you want to really laugh??? When I was a young girl, I had this secret crush on Almonzo Wilder from the Little House on the Prairie series!

5. What book have you read the most times in your life?

The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (for a paper I presented in graduate school), and my guilty pleasure read is Bridget Jones Diary.

6. What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Can you see me blushing through the computer???) I don't know what my deal was with pioneers and farmers, but I loved them when I was in grade school! :)

7. What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?

Wow, I would never normally trash a book like this, because I can't write, so why dog on someone else's work?!? I can't say it was the worst because it was bad, but only because it was so disturbing to me, but I'd have to say The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan. (Just reviewed last week.)

8. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans, for taking me 100% out of my own life and making me feel like I really knew and understood a character. Total "chick lit," and I loved it!

9. If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?

God of Small Things by Arhundati Roy, but only if they are willing to read and discuss!

10. Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?

James Welch

11. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

Oh, this is a scary question, because half the time Hollywood really messes it up, but I guess I'd say Small Island by Andrea Levy. It's a pretty hard book, with its issues surrounding empire and post-colonialism, which I think would make a pretty dramatic film.

12. What book would you least like to see made into a movie?

Wait! How about one I wished they had never made?!? Scarlett, the sequel to Gone With the Wind. I'm sorry, but I DID actually like the novel for at least giving me something to grasp for a follow up to the whole "Frankly my dear...," but the movie was SO cheesy that it almost made me cry. You just shouldn't mess with a cultural icon like Rhett Butler!!!

13. Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.

Dang that Stephen King...I've only been reading the one book of his, The Stand, and I will admit to incorporating the barren landscapes from the novel into my scary dreams. Strange, eh?

14. What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?

Once again, they at least have a skill that I do not, so I don't know that I can label this one! I will say though that while in graduate school, I always felt a little weird admitting that I liked "chick lit" and YA fiction. To me it seemed ridiculous to be so snobby about one's reading, but there it is, I was still somewhat embarrassed!

15. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, because I just don't get magical realism. Honest, I just don't.

16. Do you prefer the French or the Russians?

The French. Sorry, but with Victor Hugo to back that, I couldn't say otherwise.

17. Roth or Updike?

Updike...you know..."A & P" where the three girls walk into the grocery with nothing but their bathing suits on? I love the detail in this short story!

18. David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?

David Sedaris, although I haven't read Dave Eggers.

19. Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?

Wow! It depends on what I'm wanting. Actually though, I think Milton.

20. Austen or Eliot?

Austen!

21. What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?

Mysteries. I don't know why, but I really can't stomach mysteries. They bore me to tears, and have to have something else to offer me along the way, or I'm moving on to something else!

22. What is your favorite novel?

The God of Small Things by Arhundati Roy, because it changed the way I look at the world forever.

23. Play?

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, by Tennessee Williams. Actually, anything by Williams! I know some find him to be really depressing, but I think the emotional depth of his plays to be astounding.

24. Short story?

"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner, because it's just so darn freaky!

25. Epic Poem?

Beowulf!!!

26. Short(er) poem?

"Telephone Conversation" by Wole Soyinka, and "A Psalm of Life" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Although honestly, how am I to choose my favorite?!? I really have developed a love for too many to count.

27. Work of non-fiction?

I don't have one favorite, but I generally like autobiographies.

28. Who is your favorite writer?

Serious Side: James Welch Fun Side: Meg Cabot

29. Who is the most overrated writer alive today?

Once again...can't knock someone for something that I couldn't manage in my wildest dreams!

30. What is your desert island book?

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, because I'd need something long that I could go over and over again!

31. And … what are you reading right now?

An ARC by Meg Cabot, Being Nikki, and Going Home, by Harriet Evans.

P.S. I've been awarded two blog awards! :) Thanks to those who awarded me. I simply haven't had a chance to get them posted and thank them properly, but it's coming...I promise! Thanks again.

Personal Vent: Preparing for the Exam & Audit

I know I often come across as very glib and silly when it comes to my own reading materials and what I do, but there is another side of me that hasn't been fully expressed. This evening (up until 10 minutes ago), I spent several hours pouring over my syllabus so that I could revise a previous syllabus that needs to be resubmitted to the AP board for approval. It's had me rather paralyzed, as I was really unsure about how to outline all I would be teaching over the course of the year. It's SO much work! The other thing that has had me flummoxed about this entire process is how much I have had to shift and change to meet the needs of my students! Just to make myself feel better though, can I please outline what I will have covered (in brief) so that I can at least say I've worked my A@# off?!?

• "A&P," "Araby," "A Modest Proposal," "Yellow Wallpaper," "A Rose for Emily," & various other short stories and articles.
• The Doll's House and Hamlet--both plays.
• Don Quijote, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and The Awakening for novels, along with two "required" novels from the AP list--per term--for individual book reports, equalling nine to ten novels read.
• Canterbury Tales, "Tyger," "Ozymandias," "Rape of the Lock," "Kubla Khan," "Digging," along with over twenty or thirty other poems brought together in a project.

These literary works don't even include the literary essays, historical documents, current events, and other pieces I brought into class to supplement & make timely all that we've read or done in class. Then top it off with literary, poetic, and writing terms that they have learned; papers, in-class writings, and projects they've completed; and practice exams, creative projects, and interviews I've held with them one on one. All this we've covered while balancing all that high school has to offer a student through clubs and extra -curricular activities.

Sigh...can I PLEASE just pass this silly audit and quit being paralyzed over the fear of it all? Wish me luck. I turn my revised audit in Monday or Tuesday.

Oh, did I mention that I teach another entire curriculum over World Literature??? I really love teaching, but have to say that after reviewing the year, it all seems a bit overwhelming!

Being Pecked to Death?

It's only an hour...yea, right. I was dragging all weekend, as if I had mono or something, and this time change hasn't helped things. Sigh. I'm a "responsible" adult though, so I get up every morning around 5:15 to 5:30...okay, so I don't roll out until after 6 because I feel like I'm bleeding internally when I force myself to get out of bed. I HATE MORNINGS. Does anyone else fantasize about sleep in excess amounts?

Well, I did manage to finish Ana Godbersen's third installment of the Luxe series, Envy. Having enjoyed the first two novels in the series, it shouldn't be any surprise that I really liked the third. I do sense a new trend though in short series, that writers are now writing four book series, and not the three that we used to be so familiar with. In this case, I'm glad (not irritated like I was with the Blue Blood series). Set in New York City, turn of the century, in upperclass society, you literally step into the lives of these young people as they negotiate their lives around the priorities set out for them by their culture and families. Book three immediately picks up where book two left off, but literally, the entire third book only takes place over about two or three months (you'll see why by the last couple of chapters). I can't say much, as it would give away the story that keeps propelling itself from novel to novel, but I have enjoyed watching Godbersen's writing style grow more stylistically sophisticated with each installment. While these are YA novels, they are more mature in theme (not necessarily sexual, just more about that marriage age that is so tricky), and don't have the light-hearted feel that much YA fiction likes to employ in popular fiction. I still say this has a bit of that Gossip Girls sort of flair to it, but the story of riches, courtship, and scandal in NYC are fun and escapist to read! I'm sad I have to wait awhile for book four!

FYI--Our Tess viewing night went really well. I was so tired that evening that I really dreaded heading back to work, but once our nearly 30 student group showed up and we got the film rolling, I found that I really enjoyed listening to their "boo-hiss" routine over the bad guy, their laughter over the delightful scenes, and their "ahhhh"s over the sweet things between Tess and Angel. So fun to watch it with them. Oh, and did I mention that in keeping with my current obession with all things British/Regency/Victorian that I watched the 1995 Pride and Prejudice again this past weekend...the last three episodes twice!

Okay, so I fell asleep through them or was grading my online classes, but still...COLIN FIRTH. How can you go wrong?

Well, my exhaustion right now stems partly/mostly from presentations my students are doing. It eliminates a ton of grading I have to do at night, but exponentially increases my "pecked by baby chicks" all day factor that makes me frazzled and tired by the end. (Man, the baby chicks comment brought a flood of warm memories flooding back from my childhood when my dad had baby chicks delivered each spring. I would rush home from school to sit alone in the barn with them, and they would swarm over me, chirping away...how sweet.) Anyway, I love my students. REALLY, I do, but am so looking forward to heading to Hawaii with Doc in a week and a half. Pounders (my favorite beach) is calling my name. Well, that and lots of sunshine (I hope). Oh...and OF COURSE my mom! I can't wait to laugh, talk, read, eat, sleep, and play. Sigh. Can't wait. Oh yes, and the wild chickens just might have fresh little baby chicks for me to smile over. :)

Second Helpings

The weekend is over. (Moment of silence, please.) It was such a nice weekend, too. Because I had such a bad week last week, I honestly had very little to grade over the weekend...at least compared to all the other weekends thus far this year! :) Oh...and I'm going on three days without a headache!!! MIRACLE! Bad news though...I have no idea why.


Well, I finished Tess of the D'Urbervilles over the weekend, which as before, was a great read. It's tragic, and will make you angry, but has such great messages! Written during the Victorian era, Thomas Hardy pretty much let this be his last novel after being labeled a pornographer for this novel and Jude the Obscure. That bothered him so much, that he stopped writing novels and went back to just writing poetry. At a time when his message of hypocrisy towards women and their virtue was misunderstood, I think he did an amazing job of causing a stir so that people would maybe rethink their cultural viewpoint. Great novel.

I also finished reading Megan McCafferty's second novel in her series, Second Helpings. Like the first novel, I found the teen characters way too obsessed with the status of their virginity; however, I think this novel was able to develop some important relationships between characters that the first struggled to build. As a reminder, the story is basically about a brainiac girl whose best friend moves out of state. As she tries to rebuild her high school life, she finds that the hypocrisy of teens to be just about too much for her, and she tries to be herself...which is ironic, because she spends more time in the novel protecting herself from getting hurt by pretending that nothing bothers her! During the course of the novel, our main character applies for, and gets accepted into college, and falls in love (twice...sort of). The conversations going on are still pretty PG-13/R, and I could see why McCafferty's switch moved from YA with the first novel, to the adult section with her later books. I still wonder if her teen readers will be following her as she moves her character into her college years? I understand that it's hard to market a story about a teenager to adults, but making the cross over into genres part way through the series seems odd to me. Oh well...

In the world of film, I watched The Forsyte Saga, about a British aristocratic family living in London at the turn of the century. Extended branches of the Forsyte's get married, have children, marry for love and not for love, deal with gambling issues, build extravagant country estates, have children, etc. It honestly felt a little bit like Dynasty in the British Victorian to Edwardian era. Netflix recommended it to me because of all the other British dramas I've been watching, so I guess they threw this one my way. While not really what I expected or wanted, still more entertaining than many other things I could have been watching while I finished up my grading!

Well, I have to get ready for the day...so, until next time...bye! :)

Much Ado...Part Deux

Sorry, but I know that reading long posts can be pretty tedious! I just have so much to post about all of a sudden that I need more room for it all. :)

So on to what I've been reading. First off, let me not give off the impression that I've had tons of time for reading, because that's not the case at all. Here's the issue I've had this past week or two. The pollen count has been "Very High" now for over a week, which has sent me in a veritable tail spin. I've been on every prescription allergy medication known to mankind because I'm the type that gets these hideous sinus infections that create pressure behind my eyes, cheeks, and forehead. It's been murder! Well, it seems like once I take my last round of meds at night, have showered, and even taken my nasal spray, that I finally feel some relief, but can't get to sleep at night. Having said that, how do I spend my restless nights? Well, I grade for an hour or two, and then force myself to try to get drowsy so that I can get a couple hours of sleep by reading. That's where the reading time has come from...my sleep!

I actually finished Tori Spelling's autobiography Stori Telling late last night, but barely picked it up from the library on Thursday. I have to say that I actually have a new-found respect for Tori Spelling. I know it will sound a little strange, but I started watching her Tori and Dean show after Meg Cabot, in her blog, kept making comments about how much she loved the show. I gave it a try, and yes, I was hooked. She's amazingly down to earth, and you can see her vulnerabilities spelled out in a very charming sort of way. Besides, she genuinely loves her family and spends a lot of time being an actual mother, not just a Hollywood star like I'd always thought. Her autobiography really just spelled out why she is the way she is, and I found it kind of fascinating.


Now let me say though that I've ALWAYS had a thing for biographies of any form. I went through a phase in the 4th grade where I couldn't get enough of them, and remember reading one about Abraham Lincoln, Bob Hope, and Jimmy Carter. Granted, they weren't written for adults, but I remember reading a ton of biographies when I was in gradeschool. What a nerd, right? :) Honestly, I think it plays into my "cultural studies" side that loves observing human nature and why we are the way we are. My fascination with human behavior has also kind of turned me into a much more liberal person than I ever was before, based on the fact that I've seen what freedoms do for a person. We can either CHOOSE to be horrifying and kitchy, or we can CHOOSE to follow paths of happiness, but it seems that built in that choice comes greater humanity and good on a global scale. (Okay, so that all sounds a little grandiose in a discussion about Tori Spelling, but you get my gist?) Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed reading more about Tori Spelling's life, and will thank my lucky stars that I'm living a life out of the spotlight.

The second book I read this weekend was Loving Will Shakespeare by Carolyn Mackler. I actually read half of it Tuesday night when I ended up only getting an hour's sleep. Had I not been so sleep deprived, I might have finished it that night, but just couldn't stay up a second longer. I finished it this morning in one last swoop, and thoroughly enjoyed this one as well. Again, it's YA fiction, but interesting. Besides loving a novel that places me in a different time period, and one that is so foreign to me, I loved reading this author's take on Shakespeare's early years.


The novel was told from a Anne Hathaway's point of view, who lived in the same village/township as our young Shakespeare. I vaguely remember that his wife had been older than he was, but the book reallly highlights the way this played out as both grew up. It seems that Will was a whimsical fellow, full of creativity and a desire to do and be more from the very beginning. You really grow to care about Anne, and really want to see her with someone who will appreciate and love her, but is Will the one to do that? Yes and no. I was really caught up in the angst that was Anne's as she grew older and knew that she was becoming less of a "spring chicken" with each passing year, and at age 26 was told she might be sent off to a home so that she did not burden her family anymore. (Gasp...yet another reason to be glad for our modern day, and for living in the US, as I know some countries still feel this way. Okay, so we DO feel this way, but we socially ostracize in a way, but not physically...thank goodness!) Anyway, I really cared about Anne and wanted Will to be her hero in the story, but found the way the author dealt with his rise to fame and fortune to be interesting, and a little gut wrenching for Anne. You'll just have to read it to find out why, but I will say that it's a decent enough read. At least I liked it, which made it for a fun read.

Well, I'm off to keep grading Don Quixote essays. :( I have about 1/3 of them read from my time down yesterday, but REALLY need to get the other 2/3 finished today!!! Besides, I have parent-teacher conferences coming up this week (which I hate more than just about anything), and new units to start in both 11th and AP classes. Sigh...so much to do. We'll see if I fit in any more time to read, but pray it's not replacing my sleep like this last week, because I'll surely go mad if it does!