[Lindsay 24-37] Massive Update!!

Since I'm extremely far behind on my blogging, I'm just gonna do a list post with a few short comments to catch up:

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
I really hate this series, and the movie franchise, and the fangirls, but for some reason I felt the need to re-read this one. You can find plenty of blog and LJ posts about how terrible the writing is, and how it's chock full of Mormon ideals, so I don't feel bad about not going into it here.

How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler
I think my expectations of this book were way too high, so I don't know how much I really enjoyed this one. The first half of the book talks about different levels of reading, and the second half discusses different ways to read texts in different academic fields. I consider myself a fairly good reader, so I didn't really get much out of it for myself, but as the book itself suggested, it's a good organizing tool for a course on academic reading.

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien by J.R.R. Tolkien
I don't think I can relay just how much I loved reading this. A lot of information about the characters, themes, and linguistic elements in his writing, as well as a nice glimpse into his role as father, husband, and professor. As a more-than-casual fan of Tolkien, I found this book to be extremely insightful, and can't believe it took me this long to finally read it.

The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
Please, if you have kids, read aloud to them. This book shows the lifelong benefits of out loud and silent reading, and cutting down on television. Good readers = brighter students. Start 'em young!

Teaching Adult Second Language Learners by Heather McKay and Abigail Tom
This book is a great teaching resource. Tons of lesson plans organized by themes such as family, food, housing, health, and work. Definitely more oriented toward survival English than academic, which is good for me since I've worked more in the latter than the former. Gives me some nice ideas.

Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little by E.B. White
I've always loved CW, but was considerably less impressed with SL. It just . . . ends. Kind of a letdown.

Wayside School series by Louis Sachar
Sideways Stories from Wayside School
Wayside School is Falling Down
Wayside School Get a Little Stranger

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede
Dealing With Dragons
Searching For Dragons
Calling On Dragons
Talking to Dragons