March Progress Report

Somehow this month just didn't feel as successful as previous months. I think that is owing to the sheer size of the list. After all, I did still manage to read 15 books this month and that's no mean feat. However, most of the books I read were off of Vincent's recommendations which was at least somewhat incidental since I was in the middle of a series he recommended since January (and I'm still not done with the thing grrrrrr.)

AJ
     1. Perfect Peace by Daniel Black
Amanda
    1. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (B)

Carra

     1. Book One: Keeping it Real by Justina Robson (B)
     2. Book Two: Selling Out by Justina Robson (B)
     3. Book Three: Going Under by Justina Robson (B)
     4. Book Four: Chasing the Dragon by Justina Robson (B)

Howard/Dad

     1. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

     2. The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (B)
     3. The Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (B)
     4. Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (B)
     5. The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (B)

     6. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
     7. The Adventures of Ellery Queen
     8. Ellery Queen's And on the Eighth Day
Hugh 
     1. Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
     2. Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
     3. Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

Karen/Mom

     1. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
     2. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet

     3. World Without End by Ken Follet

     4. Essays in Idleness and Hojoki by Yoshido Kenko and Kamo No Chomei 

Katja

     1. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Kevin

    1. The Martian by Andy Weir 
Kim
     1. Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother: Stories of Loss and Love by Xinran
MG
     1. Paper Towns by John Green
Nathan
     1. The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
     2. The Claw of the Conciliator by Gene Wolfe
     3. The Sword of the Lictor by Gene Wolfe
     4. The Citadel of Autarch by Gene Wolfe
     5. Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning by Doug Buehl
     6. "You Gotta Be the Book" by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm
     7. I Read it, But I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani
     8. In the Middle by Nancie Atwell
     9. Mosaic of Thought by Keene and Zimmermann
     10. Reading Diagnosis for Teachers by Barr et. al
     11. Strategies That Work by Harvey and Goudvis
     12. Building Reading Comprehension Habits in Grades 6-12 by Zwiers
     13. A Handbook for Classroom Instruction that Works by Marzano et al
     14. Once Upon a More Enlightened Time by James Finn Garner
     15. On Caring by Milton Mayeroff
Ryan
     1. Swan Song by Robert McCammon
     2. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
     3. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
     4. Company by Max Berry
     5. Machine Man by Max Berry
     6. Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman
     7. Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
     8. An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage
     9. Cooked by Michael Pollan
     10. Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard
     11. Fool on the Hill by Matthew Ruff
     12. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut
     13. A Bone to Pick by Mark Bittman
     14. The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
Simon
     1. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Vincent
     1. Erak's Ransom by John Flanagan (B)
     2. The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan (B)
     3. Halt's Peril by John Flanagan (B)
     4. The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan (B)
     5. The Lost Stories by John Flanagan (B)
     6.  The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan (B)
     7. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede
     8. Searching for Dragons by Patricia Wrede
     9. Calling on Dragons by Patricia Wrede
     10. Talking to Dragons by Patricia Wrede
     11. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
     12. King's Dragon by Kate Elliott

Lost Stories by John Flanagan

Wahoo! I made it. 50 books in three months. If I keep going at this rate, I'll read 200 books this year. I almost feel like my old self.

Unfortunately, Lost Stories was not, by a long shot, my favorite book in the series. It is, in fact, a series of short stories bound together by a weak frame. In theory, these stories tie up loose ends and fill in gaps. While they do answer some unresolved questions, it's clear that Flanagan is not comfortable in short formats.

A couple of the stories err on the side of maudlin and a couple rely on premises that seem out of character for the main characters. Out of the eight stories, three of them were really good. "The Roamers" is about what happens when Will's dog, Ebony, is nabbed by Roamers, a gypsy analog. "Dinner for Five" is about Gilan and Jenny who are two of the lesser used characters in the series. I really like Flanagan's vision of Jenny. He turned her from something two dimensional into a dynamic and interesting character. "The Bridal Dance" is about Horace and Evenlyn's wedding and Will's development into a full ranger. It was cute.

In a loose kind of way, several of the stories string together in a time line that runs from the end of book 10 to the wedding of Will and Alyss. So, I'm left wondering if Flanagan was caught in the middle of trying to find the next book when it was time to publish.

*shrug* anyway. Book 50, yay!

Racing to 50

So I'm closing into the end of March and I'm sitting at 49 books. I'd really like to make 50. There's something nice about the symmetry. Half way to my goal at a quarter of the way through the year. Unfortunately, the end of the March is hitting at one of the more challenging times of the year. THe week before spring break is always a tough time for discipline issues at school. The 12 week grade report goes home on Friday.  All in all, pretty crazy.

This is the time of year I start to feel really worn down. The kids are tired and impatient; we are too probably. It's hard to remember that it will start to feel better soon.

Which is why I'm really trying to make it to 50. It would be good to have something to celebrate this week.

Parenting Tip #1

If your toddler becomes attached to an item, make sure you have at least two of them. (10 would be better)

It sounds silly. Or at least if you don't have a kid, it sounds pretty silly. However, toddlers can't communicate very effectively yet and this is the age where they develop preferences. It's not a happy combination.

Big deal, I remember myself thinking before I was parent. How hard can it be?

plenty.

Everything is incalculably harder with a crying/whining/screaming toddler. You can't even walk away for minute! They've learned to walk. They follow now. *frowny face*

So, imagine your twisty red-faced screaming bundle of love refusing to cooperate unless he or she has item X. Trust me, in that situation, with a surprisingly strong and viciously flailing toddler, you look for item X. You look under couches, in cars, beneath furniture, and under beds despite being dressed for work in a skirt and knowing your ass is up in the air as you check under the bed one more time. Trust me on this, you look for it.

Bad news: item X could be anywhere including the trash, day care, or stolen by closet gnomes.

Good news: most things toddlers like are cheap. They really like brightly colored plastic. So if they have something that they really love and pitch tantrums over, do yourself a favor and get more than one.

The Emperor of Nihon-Jan by John Flanagan

I've mentioned Matt before. He's one of my freshmen and he is unbelievably stoked that I'm reading his favorite series. As I get closer and closer to the end of the extant series, he and I have had a series of discussions about what I think of it all. Surprisingly, these are pretty mature and critical discussions for a 14 year old.

Last friday was a kind of reward day for the kids and Matt took the opportunity to corner me at lunch to discuss what I thought of the series so far. Here's the highlights.

• I think this book, book 10, was originally envisioned as the end of the series (true apparently according to Matt)
• This book and book 7 (Erik's Ransom) both are really, I mean really, slow starting. They pick up and are otherwise two of the strongest books in the series, but that first 50 pages are a doozy. Matt suggested that it could be because those two books introduce new lands and cultures. I agree.
• Flanagan does a good job with character development.
• The next two books aren't as good apparently. (thanks Matt :-P )
• I should totally read the associated Brotherband series.

For a hopeless fanboy, he did a pretty good job. Clearly he's waiting, rather impatiently, for me to finish off the last two books so that we can have "the long conversation" about them.

If I sound like I'm complaining, I'm really not. This is why I became a teacher. It's really encouraging to see a kid enthusiastic about literature.

As a series ender, I can't really ask for an author to do a better job than this book. All the plot and character threads tie up pretty neatly and in a satisfying way. Horace finally gets his father figure and so, since the series starts off with five orphans, that means that they've all found parental figures. As young adults they are both happy and competent. Flanagan really did a good job. I'm not sure I want to acknowledge the existence of the next two books.

*frowny face*

But if I don't read them, Matt will pester me. *sigh*

Green and Yellow Curry

I've been making a lot of curries lately, but somehow ran into a recipe rut with them. I was following the same pattern a little too consistently. Bittman has, in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, a recipe of brussels sprouts braised in coconut milk. In this recipe, I took that basic idea and modified it into a full main dish by adding protein and more vegetables. The results were lighter tasting than my usual curries and worthy of overindulgence

1 Tbs peanut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound turkey or chicken breast, chopped into small bite sized pieces
2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half through the stem
2 zucchini, scrubbed and diced
2 Tbs curry powder
1 15 oz can chickpeas
1 15 oz can coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

saute the onion in the oil over medium heat. When the onion begins to soften, add the turkey/chicken stirring occasionally until the meat is browned all over.

Add the Brussels sprouts. Stir Occasionally. It's ok if the brussels sprouts get brown in a few spots. The idea is that they need a head start cooking. Let them sizzle for 10 minutes. Add curry powder, zucchini, and chickpeas. Stir until the curry powder is fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add coconut milk and enough water to almost cover. Add salt.

Turn down the heat until the contents bubble gently. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve over rice.

20 minutes a day

At the risk of sounding like a motivational speaker, it's amazing what can be accomplished in twenty minutes a day.

Starting up the positive habits has been only limitedly successful. Most of the  limits, though, are caused by external forces. (School got crazy. . . always does sooner or later.) One thing I've really gotten into place is the 20 minutes, or so, of time in the yard. I really enjoy working in the yard. Tending to growing things is very satisfying.

I have a little herb garden plot in front of my bay window. (It used to be the bird garden, but I had too many squirrels and rats jumping from the roof onto the feeders. So, now it's an herb garden.) Too late in the last season I planted two types of rosemary, oregano, and a curry plant. I didn't really expect more than one of them to make it through the winter. We had really mild winter though and they all made it!

I already had some ornamental alliums, crocuses, and chrysanthemums  in the same plot which I will probably eventually move. I spent about a half an hour this afternoon pulling out weeds. Mostly dandelions, violets, and cat briar. And even though it's not a lot of time, I nearly cleared the whole plot. I also discovered some wild ferns that I plan on encouraging.

Earlier in the week I started weeding the boxes. All they'll need is a couple bags of compost and some fertilizer. I plan to finish them up this weekend and plant in some early spinach and calendula. I'll also plant out the last of the radish and lettuce seeds from last year and see what comes up.

Can I just say, at this juncture, that as pretty as violets are right now with their purple blooms, they are satan spawn. The things just won't die, and they get everywhere.