Books to read this summer

I love to read, but I don't always allow myself enough time. 

The week before I started my school year, I read a book that changed my life.. or at least my teaching life.  Donalyn Miller's book The Book Whisperer told me all the things that I knew already, but wrapped it up in a tidy little package and set my passion for teaching reading on fire.  I immediately put her ideas and surveys into action with amazing results.  I just finished my school year, and I must tell you, my kids are readers!!!  They may not always admit to it, but they all found books that they enjoyed and frequently engaged in some amazing conversations about their books.  

What I came to find, however, was that though they were doing their part in reading, I wasn't doing enough reading of my own.  So, this summer, I gave myself a hefty challenge.  I sorted the books into piles of books I had read, books I couldn't bring myself to read yet, and books I needed to read.  My pile of books to read includes 50 plus books.  I may not read them all, but by golly, I'm going to try to read as many as I can!

So, click on my Summer Reading List page to see my list of books.  It's a daunting task, but I think I'm going to love the journey.  I will review as many as I can, but I'll rate them all and update them as I complete them.

Happy Reading!

Dixieland Sushi

Dixieland Sushi by Cara Lockwood

Style of Book: Chick Lit/Romance

Brief Summary: Jen Taylor is a half-Japanese, half-American girl raised in the South pursuing her dreams in Chicago. When her blond hair, blue eyed beautiful baby cousin becomes engaged at 20, Jen comes home to Dixieland for the wedding with Riley, a good friend from work. Once she gets to Dixieland, she finds herself involved in a love triangle with Riley and her childhood crush, Kevin Peterson, who just so happens to be marrying her baby cousin.

Review: 3 out of 5 apples

I liked the way that Lockwood dealt with the culture crisis throughout the book. She showed the need for a delicate balance of both honoring your heritage and still living within your current culture. The love story, while fairly predictable, both engaged and entertained me throughout the book. The secondary characters: Jen's sister, mother, aunt, and cousin especially entertained me for all their various quirks. All in all, it's a quick, but fun read perfect for the summertime!