Space Station Mir

41. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George Apparently, I forgot to write about Tuesdays at the Castle. I read this adorable children's book back in June, when I was preparing to teach my summer class for fourth and fifth graders. I used the book as an example for setting description, and students were so interested that a few decided to do their independent book project on it, and many more fought over the library copy in my classroom. Now, there are two sequels out: Wednesdays in the Tower and Thursdays with the Crown . Tuesdays at the Castle is one of few books where the setting takes center stage. As such, it's great for illustrating the importance of setting to a story, but it's also just really fun. Princess Celie, our ostensible protagonist, has a special relationship with the eponymous Castle Glower. Tuesdays are the days that Castle Glower adds new rooms, turrets, or other features. Celie is the only one who never seems fazed by the castle's pecul...

Happy Top Ten Tuesday ! Again, I switched this week's and last week's, since tonight is the last night of Hanukkah (Happy Eighth Night, y'all). 1. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie Obviously a Hugo award winner for a reason, Leckie is a new and exciting writer in contemporary science fiction. 2. Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Day Al-Mohamed Although less widely recognized and certainly not "new," the writers' retelling of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is a compelling reflection on the ancient tale, and modern sensibilities. 3. The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir Weir's narrative voice and methodical structuring are perfect for this most troubling of historical mysteries. 4. The Lost Girls by Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett, and Amanda Pressner I read this twice this year. To any young, single woman who dreams of travel, it's irresistible. 5. The Best American Travel Writing 2013, edited by...

39. Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher Six-Word Review: Gift for erudite academic, otherwise forgettable. Slightly Longer Review: A library browse find, Dear Committee Members was an entertaining read for the two hours it took me to finish. The conceit is a novel written entirely in letters of recommendation from one roguish professor. The letters are witty and verbose, and sure to bring a smile of recognition to the face of any academic. Many a faculty member will wish they had the cojones to compose such missives. Unfortunately, however, the plot is thin and plays on stereotypes without transcending them. Ultimately, Dear Committee Members is funny but forgettable, though perhaps a good gag gift for the English professor in your life. 40. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova Six-Word Review: Brooding artists abound; no real swans. Slightly Longer Review: I purchased this audiobook back in July, but due to a number of interesting circumstances, didn...

Happy Top Ten Tuesday! I'm reversing the posts for today and next week, especially since Hanukkah starts tonight (Happy Hanukkah!). Teaching 1. Paper clips The number one item that I actually really want is paper clips. Before becoming a teacher, I never realized how valuable paper clips are. I use them all the time, and I never have enough. Plus, I like the colors and cool designs they sometimes come in. 2. Binder clips If paper clips are useful, binder clips are indispensable. Paper clips are great for individual assignments, but if I have a whole stack? Binder clips are the only way to go. And even these come in fun designs now too. 3. Post-It Notes Post-It Notes are so great for jotting down notes for me, notes for students, notes to anyone and everyone. They're so quick, easy, and accessible. And nobody can get mad when I'm writing on a hot pink background, right? Or lime green? You just can't take it that seriously. 4. Book Markers/Post-It Flags ...

38.Sexual Abuse, Shonda , and Concealment in Orthodox Jewish Communities by Michael Lesher Michael Lesher's Sexual Abuse, Shonda, and Concealment in Orthodox Jewish Communities is a clear-headed, investigative account of the systematic protection of child sex abusers, and corollary silencing of child sex abuse victims, in Orthodox Jewish communities. The book is meticulously documented, and unfortunately at this point, less shocking than it is confirming of what many of us have already suspected or known. I am not an Orthodox Jew, but I am a Jew, and many aspects of the culture depicted in this book are familiar to me on some level. While I want to stress, as Lesher does, that sex abuse is not condoned in Judaism (far, far from it), I am familiar with that paranoia that somehow "they" (the other, the gentile) will get wind that we have done wrong, and use it as an excuse to persecute and annihilate us. This attitude may sound crazy in present-day America--but comi...

Happy Top Ten Tuesday! 1. Ann Leckie I'm probably not the only one who has Ann Leckie on their list this year, and I only found her after everyone else did. But I will be following her output very closely from now on! 2. Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Day Al-Mohamed I was truly blown away by Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn , it's definitely one of my favorite books of 2014. I only found it because the authors asked me to review it, but I will definitely be seeking out the sequel. 3. Rhett C. Bruno I had never heard of Bruno before he queried me to review his novel, The Circuit: Executor Rising , but I was very impressed with this not-quite-dystopian space opera, and look forward to the sequel. 4. Anchee Min Her books were some of the few of my local library's relatively small audiobook collection that interested me. Her fictional memoirs of China's last empress are exquisite, and Min herself is fascinating. I heard her speak (and sing!) at the National Boo...

37. Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie If Ancillary Justice was an epic space opera bursting with its core concept, Ancillary Sword is the magnifying glass pulled closer, examining the implications of this universe, and this character, on just one planet. One of my favorite aspects of Ancillary Justice was the twin story arcs, one from the past, and one in the present, that cohered to explain the narrator, Breq's, identity. The first book had an epic ending to go with its epic scope, but the second book picks up in the same place. Going forward is slower going and makes for a different, but no less thoughtful, novel. The pace is different, instead of a race to discover the corruption at the heart of civilization, this is a slower, more revealing investigation of the injustices on just one planet (okay, solar system). Breq, now Breq Mianaai, official cousin to Anaander Mianaai, leader of the Radch empire, is sent to protect the Athoek System from the recently outbroken war. I...

Happy Top Ten Tuesday ! These are probably supposed to be 2015 new releases, so I'll try to put a few of those, but really these are just books I hope I will get to read in 2015. 1. The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin Hardy-har-har. 2. Steles of the Sky by Elizabeth Bear I intend to buy and read it by 2015 at least, if not before! 3. The Republic of Imagination: America in Three Books by Azar Nafisi It's out! I've been waiting for this book for years! 4. Get in Trouble by Kelly Link It's time I learned what the fuss is with Kelly Link's short stories. I feel especially interested in her since I met her, once, at the Boston Book Festival. 5. Pioneer Girl by Laura Ingalls Wilder The unvarnished story of The Little House on the Prairie books is finally being published. 6. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel This pre-and-post apocalyptic novel has garnered much praise this year, perhaps I should check it out. 7. On a Red Station, Dr...