Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day! December 7, 2013

On December 7th, 2013, take a child in your life to a bookstore. Watch his face light up as you give him free access, not just to a new book, but to tomorrow." —Jenny Milchman

Let us know here at The Things You Can Read if you took your child to a bookstore today!

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

World Book Night 2014: Consider Giving in the Name of a Book Lover on Your List Suggestion 3

Consider giving to World Book Night in the name of a Book Lover on your list.

Spreading the Love of Reading, Person to Person     Dear WBN Friend, Whether giver or recipient, teacher or student, lives are changed by World Book Night. "Thank you for the opportunity to give away books to my students. They absolutely love the title and students that I haven't been about to motivate all year are addicted to reading it. They come up to me daily and tell me about it." --Ida from TX "I really like the book. I read it whenever I get the chance. It is my number one favorite. I am already on chapter three. The book reminds me of joy when I am depressed. It reminds me that school's important when I don't want to be at school. Let's just say my head was ticking, my mouth was not tocking." --Sixth grader S. from MI Thanks to your efforts, fully one-third of the 500,000 books distributed each April 23 go to students at underfunded middle and high-schools. You put the books into the hands of the pupils themselves, many without means or access to books otherwise, many of whom have never had a book of their own before. You share the joy of reading for pleasure. You make World Book Night the celebration it is meant to be. Please help continue the celebration buy supporting World Book Night with a year-end, tax-deductible gift. Your contribution helps ensure that we can reach students, their families, and their communities for years to come. Donate online now or by sending a check to our offices at 71 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10003. (And if you work for a company offering matching gifts, be sure to submit for such funds.) Thank you and happy holidays, Carl Lennertz Executive Director P.S. Just one more: "As I look out in the hallways during passing period, I see the students carrying the books, almost like a badge of honor." --Kristin, a teacher

Gifts for Book Lovers: Suggestion 2

 

Today's suggestion for the Book Lover in your life is actually a whole slew of suggestions.  If you aren't familiar with Books on the Nightstand you are missing out!  Their annual Holiday Gift Guide is just one of the many fabulous perks you can expect to find there.  

Books on the Nightstand Gift Guide:  Click Here

Let us know what you think of the Books on the Nightstand's Annual Holiday Gift Guide here at The Things You Can Read.

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Welcome in the Holiday Season!

Welcome in the Holiday Season with wonderful gifts for Book Lovers on your gift list.  The Things You Can Read will be spotlighting unique finds with a  Book connection!  Today's gift idea is Wearable Literature from Storiart.  They describe themselves as: 

Creators of the original Book Scarf™! Show off your great taste in books with our 100% American-made items. 

Here is a sample of their ever popular Pride and Prejudice scarf:

I worked with them on a custom order for my very own To Kill a Mockingbird scarf and gloves.  Below you can see two views of the proof I was sent before my order went into production.  One has the title and author one does not.  I went with including the title and author.  My order is on the way, so I will update you when it arrives.  I will warn you, if you go with a Custom Order narrowing down the text is the hardest part. I found that my favorite book had so many great passages, that even as large as the infinity scarf is, it just could not hold everything I wanted to include.

Check Storiart out soon because US Customers should purchase by December 9th in order to receive items by Christmas.  Let us here at The Things You Can Read know what you think of this wearable gift idea.

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Happy Thanksgiving

Mildred Davis and Harold Lloyd cruise down the road with a fine feathered friend in Haunted Spooks (1920)

Happy Thanksgiving! 

 

'Tis the season to be grateful!

 

Happy Reading☮
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 

 





Happy Pre-Thanksgiving Holiday!

Tis the Season to Give Thanks!

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Writing: Biography of Dickens

 



We are about to embark on our annual teaching of Dickens and Drama in all my English classes.  This is when students learn about the author, Charles Dickens, and read a dramatization of Charles Dickens' novel, A Christmas Carol. Not to mention, they will also be studying drama terminology.  We have added a lesson option to our Teaching Dickens and Drama page, which guides students through the process of writing a short biography of Dickens.  The full lesson can also be found on The Writing Whisperer.  Check it out and let us know what you think here at The Things You Can Read or The Writing Whisperer.
 

Download Plan Sheet: Click Here

Dickens Quotes Link

Resource for teaching Dickens: Click Here

Each of the categories from the plan sheet will be developed into three to four sentences, with the help of transitions, the end result will be a fluid paragraph.

The Quote(s) will be used to start and/or end your paragraph.

Sample Opening Sentence using a Dickens quote:

Charles Dickens wrote, “Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.” these words fully describe Charles Dickens transformation from a poor English boy working in a shoe polish factory to a wealthy, respected, writer touring the world. Charles Dickens was born...

Sample Closing Sentence using a Dickens quote:

Charles Dickens' life was filled with joy and sorrow, however, he never lost sight of the fact that, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”-Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol
 

  

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 

 







And the WINNER of the Literary Blog Hop is...

Congratulations to LaurieC@BayStateReader'sAdvisory, Laurie chose the Amazon Gift Certificate!  Thanks to all those folks who participated in the hop!  We loved all the comments!  A big thank you to our host Judith@Leeswammes.wordpress.com.

Laurie's Comment via Amazon:  Thank you for the Amazon gift card through the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop!

Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 





Writing Lesson to Use for Thanksgiving: Gratitude

This lesson uses a beautiful and moving video by time-lapse film-maker Louis Schwartzberg and encompasses the themes of gratitude, beauty and nature. Students will write sentences about gratitude, speak about what they are grateful for, watch a video, and write a short composition.

To see the entire lesson checkout our sister site:  The Writing Whisperer  CLICK HERE

The Writing Whisperer

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of the Written Word!

This lesson has been modified from its original version.  The original lesson can be found on FILM ENGLISH

View the film the lesson is based on:

 

Let us know what you think of the lesson, here at The Things You Can Read or at The Writing Whisperer.  Look for student essays to be posted in the coming week(s) on both sites. 

 



Happy Reading☮

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 





World Book Night: Apply Now through January 5, 2014



World Book Night 2014

 

Happy Reading☮
The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 



The Literary Blog Hop: November 9-13, 2013

 

 

The Things You Can Read is proud to be joining The Literary Blog Hop hosted by Judith@Leeswammes' Blog.  What does that mean?  It means you have a chance to win some great books or book related prizes, but not just from The Things You Can Read, but from all those participating in The Literary Blog Hop.

We here at  The Things You Can Read will be giving away a free literary Audible.com book of your choice (you must be a member of Audible.com to receive the book) or a $10 gift certificate to Amazon.com to be used for a literary book of your choice .  Here are the rules:

1	The Literary Blog Hop starts November 9-13.
2	To enter write a comment on the official November 9th post and fill out the entry form: Click Here.
3	Now, FOLLOW The Things You Can Read on Google Friends Connect (GFC), by Email or Bloglovin.  If you already follow us, let us know in your official comment.
4	The winner will be chosen by using the RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR.
5	The winner will be contacted by email after the contest has concluded (November 14, 2013 Eastern Standard Time.)  We will post the winners name and blog (with their permission) when we announce the WINNER.  However you don't have to have a blog to participate.

Don't forget to checkout the other The Literary Blog Hop participants and Good Luck!  The Literary Blog Hop is from November 9 until November 13, 2013! Enjoy, and let us know what new blogs you discover as you hop around the blogosphere!

Here is a list for your hopping convenience:

Leeswammes Ciska’s Book Chest Sam Still Reading The Things You Can Read (US) Col Reads Guiltless Reading Love at First Book (US) Maurice On Books (US) Mythical Books Books by Judith Bees Knees Reviews (US) River City Reading Too Fond Exurbanis Curiosity Killed the Bookworm Book’d Out Roof Beam Reader Books Speak Volumes The Relentless Reader (US) Under My Apple Tree (US) Booklover Book Reviews Nishita’s Rants and Raves Ephemeral Digest Julia Crane Author (US) Melissa Pearl Author (US) Read Lately (US) Readerbuzz Lucybird’s Book Blog (Europe) The Misfortune of Knowing Bibliophile By the Sea The Novel Life Kinx’s Book Nook (US) Dolce Bellezza Nose in a book Book-alicious Mama (US) Words for Worms Wensend A Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall (N-America)

Happy Reading

The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

Ray Bradbury: Teaching "All Summer in a Day"

Checkout our Teaching the Short Story page.  We have added some great teaching ideas for Ray Bradbury's "All Summer in a Day".

Happy reading to all! ☮

Happy Reading☮
The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 

Happy Halloween 2013

Happy reading to all! ☮

Happy Reading☮
The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 

Coming Soon: Review for Guests on Earth by Lee Smith

Coming Soon to The Things You Can Read

Review:  Guests on Earth by Lee Smith

Looking for a signed copy of Guests on Earth by Lee Smith? Contact Fountain Books

Summary Courtesy of Publisher:

Evalina Toussaint, the orphaned child of an exotic dancer in New Orleans, is just thirteen when she is admitted to Highland Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. The year is 1936, and the mental hospital is under the direction of the celebrated psychiatrist Robert S. Carroll. His innovative program of treatment for mental and nervous disorders and addictions is based on exercise, diet, art, and occupational therapies—and experimental shock therapy.

Evalina finds herself in the company of some notable fellow patients, including Zelda Fitzgerald, estranged wife of F. Scott, who takes the young piano prodigy under her wing. Evalina becomes the accompanist for the musical programs at the hospital. This provides privileged insight into the events that transpire over the next twelve years, culminating in a tragic fire—its mystery unsolved to this day—that killed nine women in a locked ward, Zelda among them. At all costs, Evalina listens, observes, remembers—and tells us everything.

Guests on Earth is a mesmerizing novel about a time and a place where creativity and passion, theory and medicine, fact and fiction, are luminously intertwined by a writer at the height of her craft.

Does  Guests on Earth by Lee Smith grab your attention? Is it a Southern historical fiction novel you'd be interested in reading? Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy reading to all! ☮

Happy Reading☮
The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 

Review: The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure

Review:  The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure

Title:  The Paris Architect

Author:   Charles Belfoure

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Themes:  Relationships, Trust, Survival

Setting:  Paris, France, 1942

Point of View:  3rd Person

Publisher/Publication Date: October 8, 2013 by Sourcebooks Landmark

Source:  NetGalley

Rating:  Four of Five Stars

Finished/Not Finished:  Finished

First Line:  "Just as Lucien Bernard rounded the corner at the rue La Boetie, a man running from the opposite direction almost collided with him." The Paris Architect  by  Charles Belfoure

One-sentence summary:  It is 1942 German occupied Paris, France and for Parisian Lucien Bernard the question of survival takes a turn when he must confront his willingness to risk his life for people he does not even know for a cause he does not believe in.

Cover Art:  I think the cover draws the reader in, and also establishes a mood of haunting uncertainty.

Try The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure if you liked The Maid's Version by Daniel Woodrell, Someone by Alice McDormott, and Burial Rites by Hannah Kent .

Buy, Borrow, Listen, or Avoid:  Buy, Borrow, or Listen if you are looking for a well written historical novel set in WWII, which deals with the types of themes previously mentioned.

Why did I get this book?:  I was drawn to the cover and the summary of the novel.

Review:

If you are a fan of historical fiction then checkout The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure.   Yes, it is another in the growing genre of historical fiction, and yes, it is dealing with issues specific to WWII, but it offers a new way to approach the ever increasing number of novels that tackle issues specific to the extermination of the Jewish people during this horrific war.  In other words, this one is a must read. Again, it is historical fiction, but it's historical fiction from a fascinating viewpoint.  The protagonist, Lucien Bernard, struggles to do what is right.  The fact that Lucien wrestles with his indifference to the plight of the Jewish people makes for a metamorphosis, which is believable.  At first he only accepts the wealthy Auguste Manet's request to build hiding places for mercenary purposes, but by the end, Lucien's transformation from a mercenary profiteer to a real Parisian resistance fighter makes for a great example of dynamic characterization.

The novels architectural detail is a homage to the author's background in architecture.  He builds with words the hiding places that Lucien designs on paper.  The writing is fast paced and gripping, and will keep you turning the pages to find out what will happen next.  If you are looking for a birds-eye-view of Paris under the German occupation try The Paris Architect.

I'd like to thank Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me access to an advance readers copy (ARC) of The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure.

Does The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure grab your attention?  Is it a novel you'd be interested in reading?  Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy reading to all! ☮

Happy Reading☮
The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!

 

Review: Aimless Love by Billy Collins

Review:  Aimless Love by Billy Collins
Five out of Five Stars
Expected publication:  October 22, 2013

I was introduced to Billy Collins back in the 90s, I gobbled up The Art of Drowning, Picnic, Lightning, Sailing Alone Around the Room, Nine Horses, and The Apple That Astonished Paris, each one a treasure in its own right.  Ecstatic, doesn't describe how I felt when I heard that Collins was to release a new volume of poetry, his first since 2011, because in my opinion, Billy Collins is the Pied Piper for Poetry!  His work is simply amazing, and this new volume of poetry proves it.  He may be in his seventies, but he hasn't lost his poetry mojo.  Yes, this volume is a mix of new and previously published work, but a gem of a poem is easily devoured over and over again.  

If you have always wanted to like poetry, but just never found the right poet, here is your chance to rectify all that has been missing in your quest to enter the genre of poetry.  Give Aimless Love a shot and see if you haven't found just what you needed to fill your poetry gap.  With poems like "Cheerios" your love of Billy Collins' poetic genius will start to grow.  Lines like, "I opened the Tribune only to discover that I was the same age as Cheerios," will keep you reading to discover where Collins is headed. 

I feel obligated to mention that in addition to his ten published collections of poetry, Mr. Collins was named Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 through 2003, and he served as Poet Laureate of the state of New York from 2004 through 2006.  Collins is also credited with starting Poetry 180 and is currently its editor.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me access to an advance readers copy (ARC) of Aimless Love by Billy Collins.

Does Aimless Love by Billy Collins grab your attention? Is it a book of poetry you'd be interested in reading? Let us know here at The Things You Can Read!

Happy reading to all! ☮

Happy Reading☮
The Things You Can Read!

Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!