For The Sake of Cake

I’ve seen this survey pop up on a few blogs lately (most recently Tina’s and Stephanie’s). I’m not usually a big survey person, but I thought this one was kind of fun, so here we go…

Current Book

Since finish up Gone Girl, I’ve been reading Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling. I’m a big fan of The Office, so that’s what initially drew me to this book. It’s an easy read and full of laugh-out-loud anecdotes. I like reading a little bit before bed to end the day on a positive, lighthearted note.

Current Music

I’m still loving all of the songs on my spring playlist!

Current Guilty Pleasure

This might seem weird, but I’m going to say arriving to work later than usual.

At the beginning of the school year, I was usually at work by 6:45; now, it’s more like 7:00. Since things are winding down (read: nothing to rush around “prepping” in the morning), I’m able to sleep an extra 5 to 10 minutes and enjoy some extra time at home.

Current Nail Color

I just painted my nails on Monday! I’m loving this color—Boom Boom Room by Essie! I applied two coats + a no chip topcoat and it still looks great!

Current Food

These. I am a woman obsessed! Just a side note to be aware of if you decide to buy these at the grocery store… I got another box this weekend—the lime and strawberry/wildberry box—and the calorie count is 40/bar with 10 grams of sugar! That’s definitely a bit different from the box pictured above (25 calories/bar with 1 gram of sugar).

Current Favorite Show

Right now, I’m loving Real Housewives of Orange County. Any other fans out there? Heather is my favorite!

Current Wish List Item

Any and all spring dresses! I’d choose to wear a dress over pants any day; they’re just so much more comfortable. I love that it’s officially dress season.

Current Need

A new computer! I’m taking recommendations.

Current Indulgence

I had been craving coffee cake for a while, so I indulged in a slice from Starbucks on Monday and it was perfection.

Current Blessing

New opportunities!

Current Outfit

At this very moment I’m wearing workout clothes—gym shorts and a tank.

Current Excitement

See: Current Blessing

What’s your current…

Nail color?

Favorite show?

Excitement?

Any computer recommendations?

Hello everyone; welcome to a new week!

I hope you all had a nice weekend. I certainly did, but the wheels came off a bit… hamburgers, pizza, cotton candy, ice cream… all of those “treats” understandably left me feeling a bit “blah” today. I tried my best to make better food choices today, but it’s difficult when you’re coming off of a few days of eating mostly “junk.” Can anyone relate? Ah well, tomorrow is a new day!

Before getting into my book review, here’s a quick run-down of what I ate today (for the most part):

**********

I shared with you all my summer reading list a few weeks ago, & I was excited to check-off one of my books this weekend – 11/22/63 by Stephen King.

(source)

When I hear “Stephen King,” I automatically think “scary,” but I wouldn’t classify this story as a horror novel in any respect. Yes, there are some “intense” moments, but it never left me frightened (I scare easily!) or having nightmares at bedtime, so if I can handle it, anyone can.

11/22/63 follows high school English teacher Jake Epping as he travels back in time to complete a very important mission – stop the assassination of JFK.

This story immediately appealed to me because of it’s focus on Kennedy. (I love the Kennedys!) However, there are several other sub-plots that are developed in the nearly 700-page novel. King also weaves in a love story, which was a nice addition.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction, I’d highly recommend this novel. Stephen King completed thorough research to ensure that this story accurately depicted life in the late-50s/early-60s, which I respected & found that this extra research helped the novel come to life. Yes, the time travel element is a little “out there,” but everything else about the story seemed so real.

Is Jake Epping able to stop the assassination of Kennedy? How would such an action change the course of history? This novel is full of suspense & definitely gives the reader a lot to think about!

Have you read 11/22/63? Do you like historical fiction? What’s your favorite genre?

Happy Friday everyone! And happy summer to me… whoop whoop! Only one more teacher obligation – graduation tonight (postponed due to rain from last night) – & then it’s a few months off. Nope, there’s no better feeling than that!

Since summer has officially begun, I thought I’d share with you all my summer reading list for the upcoming months. Since I’m an English teacher, I guess it’s a given that I love to read. The sad thing is that during the school year, I become so engrossed in work-related tasks that it’s hard to find time to dive into a good book. I’ve been waiting months to have some free time to read, so I’m excited to get a jump-start on my list!

To Finish

(source)

I’ve been reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King for a while now & it’s a great book. I’m about half-way through the nearly 700-page book, & I’m determined to finish it next week!

(source)

I’ve also been reading this book – Social Media Marketing by Liana Li Evans – on & off for the past few weeks. Since starting this blog (almost a year ago!) I’ve become more & more interested in social media marketing. While this may seem like it would be a little “dry,” it’s actually a pretty interesting read!

Series

(source)

I read The Hunger Games last summer, but never completed the trilogy. I want to be sure to read Catching Fire & Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins this summer so I’m prepared when the movies come out!

To Reread

(source), (source), (source)

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, & The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky were a few of my favorite books that I read while in high school. They’ve all been on my “reread list” for a while now, so I’m going to make it a priority to take another look at them in the coming months.

For Entertaining

(source)

Chris & I actually purchased this book for his sister as a Christmas gift, only to find out she had already received it. Rather than return the book, I kept Simply Divine by Lisa Vanderpump to read for myself! (Don’t worry we got Chris’s sister a new book – Kyle Richards’ book, actually, instead!) It’s 5 months later & I still haven’t had the chance to crack open the cover!

Magazines

(source), (source)

Of course, no summer reading list would be complete without some easy reading. I have months worth of my favorite magazines – Shape & Real Simple – to catch up on!

What’s on your summer reading list? Do you have any good book suggestions? Feel free to leave them in the comment section, or share your ideas on my Facebook page! There have been several votes for 50 Shades of Grey!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a book review (you can read my first on Water for Elephants here), & I just recently finished reading Sarah’s Key, so I thought I’d go ahead & share my thoughts for those of you looking for your next book to dive into!

(source)

I was originally interested in reading Sarah’s Key because I knew the plot centered around World War II & had something to do with the Holocaust – a topic that definitely intrigues & interests me.

The first half of the novel is spent alternating between two different narrators – Sarah Starzynski, a 10-year old French Jewish girl & Julia Jarmond, an American-born writer living in modern-day France with her husband & daughter.

Throughout Sarah’s chapters, the reader learns about what happens to the Starzynski family during the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup which occurred in Paris in July of 1942. Sarah’s family, being Jewish, was included in the round-up & were subsequently shipped off to Drancy (an internment camp in Paris). The only member of Sarah’s family that was saved from the round-up was her younger brother, Michel, whom Sarah locked in a closet when officers were forcing her family from their home. Throughout the first half of the novel, the reader is left wondering if Sarah will make it home in time to unlock the closet, freeing her brother.

Julia Jarmond  becomes somewhat obsessed with Sarah Starzynski after finding out that her husband is remodeling the Starzynski apartment (where they lived at the time of the Vel’ d’Hiv). After the narrator stops hearing the story from Sarah’s point of view, the narration is taken over completely by Julia who is struggling to deal with not only the secrets of Sarah’s life but her own failing marriage & unexpected pregnancy.

I don’t want to give too much of the novel away, so I suppose I’ll stop there with the details. If you enjoy historical fiction, then I would definitely recommend this book. It took me a little while to get into, but I soon became invested in both Sarah & Julia, wanting to see how each woman’s life played out.

Have you read Sarah’s Key? If so, what did you think? What book are you currently reading? I’m a few pages in to 11/22/63, my first-ever Stephen King novel!

Today was spent like most other Sundays. First up was church, then grocery-list making/coupon clipping, a little bit of laundry, Target & the grocery store, more laundry, lots of grading (how am I behind already?!), & finally, around 5:00PM, I headed up to my parent’s house for dinner.

Chris was practicing with his band this evening, & my sister was up visiting at my parents, so it made sense that I joined in on the fun (& free food!).

When I first arrived, we decided to do some pug glamour shots! I swear he actually likes this.

He’s exposing himself; rude.

He looks thrilled, doesn’t he?!

On the menu tonight – grilled steak (more red meat!), baked potato, asparagus, & a dinner roll.

I was only able to eat about half of the steak, & I brought the rest home for Chris.

Someone wanted in on the action!

Dessert was delish… Tastefully Simple’s Nana’s Apple Cake.

I plopped a spoonful of Nutella on mine (Duh! Just be happy I didn’t put some on top of my steak!) & heated it in the microwave for 15 seconds before adding a side of vanilla ice cream.

Now, I’m back at home enjoying what’s left of the weekend. I’m hoping to get a little time to read tonight; I’m currently reading Sarah’s Key, but I haven’t had a chance to pick it up in forever!

Do you have any Sunday-night “rituals”? I always try to convince Chris that I need a back massage to “get ready for the week”.

Have you ever tried anything from Tastefully Simple? I have some beer bread in my cabinet that’s about to get used up!

PS – If you get an error message when leaving a comment, I promise, it’s still posting! I’m not exactly sure what the error message is all about, but I’ll work on finding a solution this week! Comment away! I love hearing what you have to say!

(source)

The one unfortunate thing about being an English teacher, is that I rarely have time to read for enjoyment 9 months out of the year. It sounds a bit hypocritical, doesn’t it? Part of my job is to get teenagers “into” reading (not the easiest task!) & yet I very rarely find myself enjoying a book in my spare time. Lesson planning, grading, & other “teacher tasks” take up a good portion of my days during the school year, but one of my hopes for the coming school year is that I can start modeling what I hope to see from my students – reading for enjoyment & an escape from the “everyday.” That’s why I always loved English & reading so much in the first place!

I had heard a lot about Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, in the last few months; especially with the recent release of the movie. This book topped my list of “must reads” for this summer. I just finished it last week, & it was truly everything I expected it to be!

I was immediately intrigued by the book’s setting – 1920s United States, during Prohibition. I’ve always been fascinated by this time in history!

The main character, Jacob Jankowski, finds himself an “adult orphan,” if you will, just as he’s about to take his veterinary school final exams. Feeling lost after the death of both of his parents, Jacob finds a new “home” with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth – he is taken aboard this traveling circus to serve as the show’s veterinarian.

(source)

While working for the circus, Jacob is forced to interact with August, the lead animal trainer. Jacob does not agree with Augusts’ training tactics, but is forced to be nice to his face because of Augusts’ power & unpredictable temperament.

Another reason why Jacob does not like August is because he becomes infatuated with Augusts’ wife, Marlena, who also works for the circus.

(source)

I don’t want to give away too many of the details of the novel, but there are quite a few surprises that keep the reader both interested in the plot & invested in the characters.

One of my favorite things about the novel is how Gruen switches narrators – from 23-year-old Jacob, to 93-year-old Jacob. I love when author’s incorporate techniques like that; it keeps the reader engaged & helps them to get a more complete picture of who the character really is.

I would definitely recommend this book if you’re still looking to add to your own summer reading list!

Have you read Water for Elephants? Have you seen the movie? What’s one quality you look for when choosing a book to read?

Next up for me is The Hunger Games… I’ve heard nothing but great things about it!

I mentioned on my About Me page that I’m a high school English teacher. I figured some one you might be wondering a little more about my occupation, & if you’re not, well… tough cookies!

My first year of teaching I taught American literature to 11th grade students. I worked at a small, Catholic high school, so I literally taught the entire 11th grade. I loved this job, but moved onto to a different high school after I completed my first year of teaching.

For the past two years I’ve been teaching 10th & 11th grade students. The 10th grade students study a survey of literature, & the 11th grade students focus on American literature. In addition to literature, we study grammar, vocabulary, & writing. For this upcoming school year, I plan to have the same schedule (as far as I know!) & I’ll also be picking up the yearbook class, which should definitely be an “adventure.”

I became an English teacher because that was always my favorite class when I was in school. Actually, I didn’t realize people didn’t enjoy English until I started student teaching! What?! Everyone doesn’t love to read & write?! Preposterous!  I’ve always enjoyed writing & would feel more comfortable writing an essay than completing a test.

I figured I’d share with you all a just a few of my favorite novels, some of which I’m lucky enough to teach!

(source)                                       (source)                                 (source)

• The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Of Mice & Men, by John Steinbeck
• They Cage the Animals at Night, by Jennings Michael Burch
• The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath
• The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
• Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff

                                                             (source) 

Three questions for tonight!

1) What was your favorite subject in school?

2) If you had to pick one favorite book, what would it be?

3) Are you currently reading anything? If so, what?

Here are my answers:

1) English… duh!

2) The Great Gatsby

3) Water for Elephants