Friday, June 28, 2013

The Cephalopod Coffeehouse: Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

At our kickball game on Monday night, I shared with The Squid that I was able to read 4 books over the course of my vacation the previous week.  This was not one of the books!


I picked this up from my school library before school ended.  My teaching partner had been declaring lots of "Independent Reading" time and I invariably NEVER had a book.  Sure, I had a handful of "Encyclopedia Brown" books in my room, but I teach math and my classroom library is lacking "real" novels.

This book is also a DCF Nominee for next year and I always try to read as many as possible...or at least more than my teaching partner can!

I had happened upon Mrs. Stead's incredible 2009 novel "When You Reach Me" and LOVED it.  I decided to give this a chance.

While not as engaging or compelling for me as "When You Reach Me", the story is strong, none-the-less.  Some of the major themes from "Reach" are here, but it is a switch of genres...yet only subtly so.  Mrs. Stead has a great handle on the trials and tribulations of adolescents, as well as the lengths we all go to in order to protect ourselves and those we love.  There is lots of humor and exploration of friendship and family that ring true.  There is a little bit of a mystery/twist that fits nicely and feels organic.

It is a quick read.  I really don't think it took me more than a total of 90 minutes to finish.


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What's The Cephalopod Coffeehouse all about?  Let's ask The Squid himself!

"The idea is simple: on the last Friday of each month, post about the best book you've finished over the past month while visiting other bloggers doing the same.  In this way, we'll all have the opportunity to share our thoughts with other enthusiastic readers."

Click a link below to check things out!

1.The Armchair Squid2.
3.Counterintuitivity4.My Creatively Random Life
5.Scouring Monk6.The Life and Loves of Clare Dugmore
7.Words Incorporated8.The Random Book Review
9.Writer's Block10.Trisha @ WORD STUFF
11.Bird's Nest12.Choice City Native
13.Hungry Enough To Eat Six14.C.M. Brown
15.Subliminal Coffee 

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Happy Birthday, Sir Paul!



Born: June 18, 1942



Also, on this date in 1990, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Best of Both Worlds" aired!


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

This Day In History: June 11, 1986


Ferris Bueller's Day Off is released!

Here is a behind the scenes photo for you to enjoy!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

This Day In History: June 4, 1982


Poltergeist is released.  

I remember going to see this in the theater...I would have been 11.  Scared the living hell out of me!

whos.amung.us

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