I think I worked harder in October than I ever have. My first quarter as a teacher ended Friday, and I needed to compile progress reports for all my students, grade all their assignments, chase down the students who didn’t complete their assignments, complete lots and lots of trainings, and finish a graduate class that will give me provisional licensure. Whew!
But it’s all good. I like the school and I’m getting to know the students and the other teachers. I’m slowly learning classroom management, but that is definitely the hardest part for me. Old Town Books had an educator night where they gave us lots of free books for our classes. I wish my kids liked to read more, but I keep trying.
October was a beautiful month, weather-wise, and we had Washington Spirit games to go to and friends to spend time with. Today is the last game of the NWSL season, and I even get to go out on the field before the game for Jewish Community Night.
Here’s what I read in October:
- And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison
- An Anthropologist on Mars by Oliver Sacks
- An Artful Dodge by Karen Odden
- The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
- The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
- One for the Road by Tony Horwitz
- Bridget’s Gambit by Craig S. Harwood
My favorite reads:
An Artful Dodge: I love Karen Odden’s books, and this one was fantastic. Set in 1879, it’s about an all-female gang of thieves in London’s Elephant and Castle district. Kat is one of the best thieves in the gang, but her sister’s been pushing her to quit. New leadership in the gang forces Kat into her biggest heist yet, and she has to figure out how to get her and her sister to safety. I loved the characters and the story, and Odden brings her usual historical detail so readers can really get a sense of what London was like at this time.
An Anthropologist on Mars: This is a fascinating book about people dealing with unusual neurological issues. One is an artist who can no longer see colors; one is a surgeon with Tourette’s syndrome; one paints detailed pictures of the town he left as a young child. I was particularly interested in the man who regains his vision as an adult, after being blind most of his life. You would think that would be amazing – instead, it was nearly impossible for his brain to understand the visual cues we all take for granted, like distances and dimensions. I loved the chapter on Temple Grandin, a pioneering scientist and someone who has taught many of us what it means to be autistic.
One for the Road by Tony Horwitz: I chose this book after reading Geraldine Brooks’ memoir about Horwitz, her husband. In 1987, Horwitz sets off to explore his wife’s country, hitchhiking across the country, meeting strangers and experiencing the Outback. Mr. CG and I had an amazing trip across Australia in 2013, but we were troubled by what we saw in Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory near Uluru. I was very interested to hear about Horwitz’ experiences; it’s a good mix of funny and serious, harrowing and sometimes mundane.
Disappointing reads:
I enjoyed The Paradise Problem while I was listening to it, but somehow Christina Lauren’s books always leave me a little flat. I loved the humor and snarkiness, but the story was so over the top I couldn’t relate to the characters. If you’re looking for a “Pretty Woman” type romance, Dolly All the Time felt more real.
On the blog:
I wrote about ten childhood favorites, the New York Times’ list of best thrillers of the 21st Century, and the books I need to read for 2026 challenges. I only wrote one review, The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford.
Books for challenges:
- Jewish: One for the Road
- 52 Book Club: The Paradise Problem (two authors, one name), One for the Road (an author related to another author)
- Nonfiction: An Anthropologist on Mars (science)
- Backlist: An Anthropologist on Mars
What I’m reading in November:
Right now I’m reading Eight Ways to Say I Love You by Amanda Elliott and Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. Then I’ll be reading two ARCs: Castles by Dan Jones and Murmuration by T.J. Klune.
I’m looking forward to participating in Nonfiction November! I’ll be posting soon about my year in nonfiction and some good fiction/nonfiction pairings.
I hope you’re enjoying the fall and reading something good!
