Sunday Salon, October 30th

Weather: light rain and grey skies.

Every have one of those weeks...where the days all seem endless and full and exhausting, and mind-numbing, yet at the end of it you can't remember what you did or thought or accomplished? That was this past week for me. The only thing I do remember about the week was having half days at schools for conferences. Conferences at the secondary level are very different than those happy affairs I remember when I would conference with my daughter's elementary teachers. Since I don't have many students, I had some extra time to finish up tasks around the library which have been left undone since the beginning of the school year. Bonus.

Books read in October: 

• Winter by Marissa Meyer. The fourth book in the Lunar Chronicles. I got this book last November at the launch party in Tacoma. I finally got around to reading it and enjoyed it quite a lot. It is a satisfying ending to a wonderful series which is very popular with my readers. Finished on Oct 28th. YA. Audio and print. 4 stars
• Railhead by Philip Reeves. A futuristic Sci-Fi novel where travel between planets is possible on special trains. When Zen is hired by Raven to steal an artifact he has no idea he might just be causing the end of civilization. Finished Oct. 30th. YA. Print.  3.5 stars
• Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen. The memoir by Karent Blixon, made famous by the movie of the same name. I started this book in July and finally finished it last weekend during my readathon. Finished Oct. 23rd. Print. 3.5 stars
• Leading from Within: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Lead by Intrator and Scribner. I love this type of poetry book which not only contains poems but also descriptions by others who are inspired by them, Finished Oct. 23rd. Print. 4.5 stars.
• The Reader by Traci Chee. The first book in a new series. It is very inventive and fun. What if our lives were changed every time someone read about us in THE Book? I look forward to seeing where this book goes in subsequent volumes. Finished Oct. 19th. YA. Print. 4 stars.
• On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis. Set in the Netherlands before and right after a huge meteor slams into Earth. Finished Oct. 16th. YA. Audio. 2 stars.
• The Crack in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty. The second book in the Colors of Madeleine series. A very inventive and surprising series about parallel worlds and the cracks that allow communication between the two. I'm a fan. Finished Oct. 10th. YA. Audio. 4 stars,
• Hondo by Louis L'Amour. My first by this famous Western author. When I told my mother-in-law I read it to honor my father-in-law on this his death, she laughed and said, "Oh! Harlequin romances for men." I agree. Finished Oct. 10th. Print. 2.5 stars.

Currently reading:

• Still Life With Tornado by A.S. King. Another book by King where the main character is really cracking up due to some trauma in her life. The writing, as usual, is impeccable. Print. Progress: 10%.
• Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung. Set in Australia. The book is about growing up and about the importance of friends. Audio. Progress: 20%.

On deck: (I have a lot of books screaming my name right now.)

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. For the Classics Club Spin. Due date: December 1st.
• In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner. For book club #1. Due date: November 15th.
• Girl at War by Sara Novic. For Book Club #2. Due Date December 14th.

On TV: Seattle Seahawks game on DVR. Football. Football. Football. 

Song running through my head: "Stand in the Light" by Jordan Smith.

Happy week!