The Aviators: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindburgh and the Epic Age of Flight by Winston Groom

  My dad is a pilot, so when I was growing up, he often told me the stories of great pilots - like these and others.  Rickenbacker was a particular favorite of mine - America's Ace of Aces from the 94th Hat in the Ring squadron.  This book had a lot of details that weren't in my dad's stories though.  Fascinating details

Here's just few - Rickenbacker was told by the Army that he was too old to fly, so he had to work around.  He started as a race car driver but eventually became interested in flying.  He  survived being shot down in a B-17 for 24 days at sea with 6 other men.   He went on to become the founder of Eastern airlines.

Jimmy Doolittle was one crazy Mick.   Who else would agree to a one way trip to bomb mainland Japan - taking off in a bomber from the decks of a Naval ship?  He also went to MIT and went on to receive the first PhD in Aeronautics from the school.   His work as a test pilot helped improve instrumentation on planes and solve many problems facing pilots in the early days of flying - like fog and storms.   

I don't think anything really needs to be added about Charles Lindburgh and he's my least favorite of the trio, for whatever reason.  But there is so much interesting information about him, too for those who are interested in learning more about his story and the many ways he contributed to flying.

This is a nonfiction that reads like a page turner.  I loved it.  Every minute was fascinating!  5 out of 5 stars.

Mask by Andrea Fink

    I found this one on kindle unlimited for free.  Emily was busy leading a quiet life when a strange man shows up at her home with a young woman who appears unconscious.  He pushes his way into her apartment, tells her the young woman is her sister and that she's been cursed and only Emily can help. 

Further, both this man and Emily's sister live in another world where magic is very real and both Emily and her twin are part human, part demon and therefor have magic.  Apparently, her sisters gifts are somewhat limited by Emily's are not.  She was exiled as a baby to the human world with her mother because she was the second born and her father didn't want her to be a danger to her sister.

So Emily is thrust into unfamiliar circumstances forced to pretend to be someone she's not.  She faces a lot of challenges along the way, not the least of which is her attraction for a vampire named Wit, who is NOT her sister's fiance.

This is part of a series.  It was engaging, not sure how I feel about continuing.  I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. 

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia

     I mean, look at this cover!  I had to read it.  It's so lush my curiosity was immediately peaked.  This is the story of Noemi, a young socialite who receives a frantic letter from her newly married cousin that things are very wrong and she must come rescue her.

This had a Bram Stocker's Dracula meets Daphne DeMaurier's Rebecca kind of feel to it to me.  And yet, the story was remarkably unique.   Noemi makes her way to the far away manor of High Point to ascertain for herself what is going on with her cousin.  She finds a nearly abandoned manner - almost like that which Ms. Havisham lives in within the pages of Great Expectations.  There is definitely a mystery that Noemi will need to unravel.  Will she be able to rescue her cousin and herself?  Gotta say,  I just thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Even though it is branded as horror - I wouldn't say that is really accurate.  I don't like horror, but gave this one a try anyway because I enjoy the author's writing.  She also wrote Gods of Jade and Shadow.   I would say it's more suspenseful with some aspects of horror mixed it.  I gave it four stars.  I look forward to reading more from this author. 

Atomic Love by Jennie Fields

    I chose this one for my book of the month.  Seriously, if you are an avid reader and don't do book of the month, you really should.  It's 14.99 for one book - hardcover.  Sometimes they even do pre-releases so that's very exciting.  All add on hardcovers are 9.99.  The best thing about it is you choose your book.  Don't like that month's offerings?  That's ok.  Skip a month and keep your credit. 

At any rate, this was my book of the month choice and I loved everything about it.  From the cover, to the story, the character development, the plot twists.... everything.  

Rosalind was a female scientist working with Dr. Fermi on the Manhatten Project.  She became romantically involved with an associate on the project who turned out to be a married man.  It nearly destroyed her.  Now, after she has finally gotten over Weaver and starting to move on with her life, she is approached by the FBI.  They think that Weaver will be back in touch and that he may have something to confess.  

I love a good spy novel and a strong female lead.  This book had both.  Parts of it may have been a little convenient, but it still works.   I gave it 5 out of 5 stars for being an original story that was very enjoyable to read. 

Rewire Your Brain by Daniel Robert

    I found this book on Kindle unlimited and, as I have been dealing with anxiety a lot recently,  I thought I'd give it a try.  There was so much interesting information in this book, I was really surprised.  I learned so much about the brain's biological flight and fight response and how anxiety is part of that.

For example, did you know that when you are having an anxiety attack, your temperature will actually increase and may even show a slight fever?  Yeah because the hormones get your heart pumping and your blood moving and that can actually elevate your temperature. I can run anywhere from 97.8 to 99.2 on any given day.  This book wasn't as much about controlling your anxiety as it was recognizing it, the causes, and then some techniques you can use to help deal with it. 

It started me on the path of discovery and looking for natural ways to deal with my anxiety.  Medicine is not for me ( I've tried).  Now, I am looking into journaling, 2dialectic behavior therapy, nature remedies like sage tea and I even ditched the caffeine.  I'm happy to report that I am starting to see some improvement. 

This book had great information but it was poorly edited.  Probably self published.  Without those glaring errors that I came across while reading, i would have ranked it higher.  As it is, only a 3 out of 5 because the errors were distracting.  Still if you suffer from anxiety, this is a good place to start.  

Midnight sun by Stephanie Meyer

     Ok I can't believe I got sucked into this again.  They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.  Well, this fits.  I really didn't like Twilight.  Yes,  I read them.  All of them.  I hated Bella Swann and personally believe that she is the poster child for codependency.  Still,  I was talking to a friend who loved the series and I thought, maybe it will be different from Edward's perspective. 

It was and it wasn't.  So I didn't hate Bella as much as I did the first time around.  In fact, I found her relatable and almost endearing. This time Edward was the annoying, whiny one.  Maybe it has to do with being the character that Stephanie Meyer chooses to move the story.  At any rate.   I still loved Alice and Carlisle and Jasper.  Rosalie, Jessica and Mike?  Still annoying as shit.  Charlie barely mattered and Bellas mom was relegated to being an irresponsible, selfish parent.  In fact, Bella is often portrayed as the mature one.  

The best thing about the book is the same thing that was the best thing about the original series- Jacob Black.   Three stars and it's a gift. 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

    This is the story of a very posh wedding taking place on a private Irish island.  They say the island is haunted but that doesn't stop the beautiful bride to plan her exclusive wedding to a famous tv personality there.

I loved this book because it has a huge cast of characters.  All of them have something going on- some reason why they don't really want this wedding to happen.  When the book opens you know something has happened but you don't know what or to who.   It goes through all the characters and develops them.

From the bride, groom, wedding planner, plus one, best man, ushers, and more... they all have a motive.  They all have some reason that they might have been willing to commit an act of violence.  This one kept me guessing.  I'm really glad I chose it as my Book of the Month.  Enjoyed it thoroughly.   4 out of 5 stars. 

The Last Flight by Julie Clark

   Claire Cook has the seemingly perfect life.  She is married to the handsome Rory Cook - heir to a fortune, son of a former Senator and promising politician.  The thing is, things are rarely as perfect as they seen and it turns out that Rory has a bit of a temper.  He also has a girlfriend in his past who died mysteriously.   

Claire has been carefully planning her exit from her life for sometime.  She has been squirreling away money, getting the proper documentation in place.  But the day she is to execute her plan something goes awry.   This brings Eva into her life.  The two women agree to switch plan tickets and help one another escape from their lives.   Nothing turns out the way you think it's going to.

This one was a real page turner that kept me guessing and came together in a lot of unexpected ways.  I really enjoy when a book keeps me up at night and this one did.   If you enjoy thrillers that are a real page turner, you may want to check this one out!  

Not Light but Fire by Matthew R. Kay Chapter 3

Three types of in class discussion

Whole group

Small learning community

One on one.

Small learning communities- he calls them PODS.  He gave an example where Einstein and a small group of friends got together to discuss physics, drink, play practical jokes and discuss the issues of the day.  Why shouldn't our students have these kinds of communities?  Mr. Kay randomly selected the members of his PODS when first setting them up.  As the year goes along, membership in the PODS can change.  For these communities to work, teachers must accept and make peace with student distractibility.  They will get distracted. 

In small groups, it's good for students to speak their own language - not necessarily academic language that they would use with the teacher to better express themselves naturally to their peers.  Teachers should only intervene in a pod if absolutely necessary.  

One to one conversations can be between teacher and student or two students. The conversations allow for the deepest exploration of ideas. 

It is a great idea to mix up all three types of conversations in the classroom.  I can see how we use whole group discussion and one on one ( turn and talk partners, student/teacher, but how might we incorporate pods?  

Notable quote - "Between me and the other world there is ever an unasked question; unasked by some through feelings of delicacy; by others through the difficulty of rightly framing it.  All, nevertheless, flutter around it... How does it feel to be a problem?  - WEB DuBois

*Why are minority cultures always discussed as a problem?  In relation to white oppression?  How can I make room for discussion to explore all facets of culture?

We should make sure that the struggle against white oppression aren't the only stories that we tell and discuss.  

Themes to consider - gender, religion, recreation and play and identity, aspiration and relationships, the prevalence of white saviors.  

What kind of citizenship do I hope to encourage through these discussions?  To that I add what kind of personal growth do I want to engage in?

- reasonable discussion - willing to honor fair principles of social cooperation even when not in personal best interest.

- realize that sometimes when people disagree it doesn't mean that others are biased, ignorant or selfish.

- deliberative - able to construct sound arguments and willing to change views when confronted with better ones.

Some ideas for themes outside of music, food, gender, spirituality:

how does the environment effect me? 

how are systems created and defined?

how do systems shape the world?

what is the role of individuals in systems?

what causes systemic and individual change?

what is the role of the individual in creating and sustaining change?

what is the relationship between self and changing world?

Race issues are human issues Women's/ Black/ LGBTQ rights are human rights  Animals matter. 

How did a dominant culture become so blind to the suffering they inflict all around them?Why do humans play at their own destruction?  So much to think about.  Freedom Writers, 12 Years a Slave, Octavia Butler, Americanah, Half of a yellow sun, Raisin in the sun, Fences. 

Not Light but Fire by Matthew R. Kay Take Aways chapter 2.

This chapter was really useful because it talks about the HOW of actually starting to have these conversations.  White people often don't acknowledge their racial experiences or privilege so often they are mistrusted by minorities who often don't verbally acknowledge this mistrust.   Not a great way to start, right?  

So in order to have these conversations - first we have to set the tone of having conversations, being active listeners.  Before we have these discussions, we need to orientate our students to the fact that these conversations are going to happen.  In this case, where the topic is delicate, surprises may not be good ones. 

To talk straight teachers need to qualify their beliefs as beliefs and not facts.  We can assign why we believe the way they do but if there is no room for differences, courageous conversations can't happen. 

*Great ideas can be volitile!

Does this idea hold water?  When questioning discussions, students learn

1. criticism should be humbly sought

2. that it's ok to disagree with someone with perceived authority

3. that we can express ideas before they are fully formed.

Destrictive conflict arises when both parties perceive that their interests are incompatible - I win, you lose.  When students continually lose, what they often lose is confidence and the desire to engage.  

4 types of conflict:

1. facts or data driven

2. process or methods

3. purposes

4. values

When someone is proven factually incorrect, they will either escalate or shut down. Remember, GROWTH is the goal and growth can not happen when the conversation shuts down.  

Favorite quote - we teach STUDENTS not subjects.  IE.  you don't teach english literature, you teach 10th grade students english literature. 

Not Light, But Fire by Matthew R. Kay take aways chapter 1

   These are my take aways from chapter 1.  First of all,,  I will say that I was lucky enough to attend a Professional Development session with Mr. Kay at the beginning of the summer coordinated by my school district.  It was fabulous and made me really want to read his book.  So here I am.   It takes a little longer for me to read a book like this because I really like to read, then parse my thoughts and then read some more. 

What is a "safe space"?   Well, it really depends on who you are.  For some, it's a place where you literally don't get beat up for an hour.  For others, it's a place where you can quietly learn.  But for this conversation, a safe space is where we can have conversations that challenge our ideologies .

Teachers must BUILD the conversational space.  The most important aspect of doing this is listening - actively listening.   We can show we are listening by making eye contact- using patience to allow a person to finish their thoughts and to be engaged.   This is how we build a place where courageous conversations can happen.  We have to build trust and relationships. 

One of my favorite quotes from chapter one is " We must instruct where we use to admonish, encourage where we use to excoriate and carefully track what we use to ignore."   Very powerful and this really spoke to me.

To be a good listener we must: listen patiently - don't interrupt.  Listen actively - not by thinking of what we will say when it's our turn, but by really listening.  And finally we must police our own voice. 

We don't interrupt because ideas are important - they should be heard and built upon.  

This was also a really big one for me - policing your voice isn't just about tone but also about how much time you are taking up.  Have you ever had a conversation with a person who took up all the air in the room?  It's discouraging and exhausting.  Don't be that person. 

Listening and talking are really hard but they are even more challenging when your conversational partners don't have the same senstitivities, values, investment or cultural background.  This makes minorities want to keep quite versus engaging in such energy sapping ways.   

* It's sometimes hard to look a white person in the face, even when that person is smiling.

We can't invite ourselves to the dinner table because we are tolerated at the water cooler.  We have to EARN our seats! 

To preserve emotional well being we show vulnerability to those we trust - who show we are a priority - so as educators we need to do the work with ALL of our students, but especially those students who may look different from us.  We have to EARN it.  

Good news - start class with students sharing what's going good.

High grade compliments - focus on who you see a person as being.  Not your pretty or I like that color or even you worked hard on that.   More.

The Kissing Booth and Rolling Dice by Beth Reekles

   So I saw this adorable movie on Netflix and then I realized that it was based on a book.  Then I heard the story BEHIND the book - written by a 17 year old girl on Wattpad - the winner of a contest which included the netflix movie.   I wanted to check it out to see if the book closely followed the movie.  

Here's what I found.   It didn't.   All the best aspects of the movie - the rules, the background stories,  etc  were added to the  movie.  In fact, in my opinion, the book had a lot of other things that actually detracted from the way I felt about the story.   

I wondered if seeing the movie colored the way I felt about the writing, so I decided to check out Roll the Dice.   It confirmed everything I thought before though, I will say, it was better than the Kissing Booth. 

Here's what's clear - they are very clearly written by a 17 year old girl.  The stories are simplistic and flat - again with the Dice book having much more depth than the first.   I guess if I were 12, i would probably feel differently about the books, but I'm not.   

S.E. Hinton was 16 when she wrote the Outsiders.  It basically created a new genre of novels.  It changed people.  So age doesn't determine someone's ability or inability to write well.   Still Beth Reekles has done something I haven't - written a book.  But unfortunately, I think her age  gave her a lot of leeway and forgiveness that it shouldn't have necessarily.   

Cute movie.  The book - both of them were a pass for one dimensional, simplistic writing.  Just my opinion.  Two stars.