Reading Wrap-Up: March 31-April 6, 2025

I've been on Spring Break for the past week and boy howdy did I spend a LOT of that time reading. Because I could. Because a teacher's work is never done, so I'm going to guilt-free zoom through as many books as I can in this one wild and precious life on these days off I have earned and deserve. And without further ado...

Finished Reading:

• The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - I'll give the Queen of Crime this, I didn't see that coming. I'm not immediately eager to jump into another one of her many, many stories, but I can for sure tell I'll keep an eye out for her titles when I'm at the used book sales and do want to read a Ms. Marple tale in the future.

• Free: My Search for Meaning by Amanda Knox - You couldn't make up this woman's life story if you tried. As I said last week, I'm so impressed by her ability to share and open up. The world does not deserve her given what it put her through but I'm glad we can learn from her.

• The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami - This science fiction novel taking place in a near future where people can be detained for the likelihood of committing future crimes feels more inevitable than I am comfortable. I thought the concept was fascinating, but then about 2/3 of the way through, the author made some choices with the story I found odd. Combine that with the abrupt ending and I'm just left thinking, "Huh. Okay..." Liked it, would read future books by this author.

• The Anatomy of Magic by JC Cervantes - This book is actually a companion/sequel to the author's previous novel The Enchanted Hacienda which follows a family whose women each have magical gifts related to flowers. In this book, readers follow Lily, a doctor who has come back to the family homestead in Mexico after a tragedy with a patient and runs into the only many she ever loved who broke her heart a decade ago. I don't think you have to read the previous book to understand what's going on in this one.

• A Day at the Beach by Gary D. Schmidt and Koertge - Two middle grade masters have teamed up for a book that's not really a novel and more like a collection of short stories connected by all taking place on the same beach on the same day. The chapters are incredibly short, and more like vignettes than short stories. They're snapshots of very specific moments, and there's occasional overlap of characters from one story to another. Good for reluctant readers who want something speedy.

• A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight over Science in Schools by Debbie Levy - The more things change, the more they stay the same. Literally 100 years ago in 1925, John Scopes was put on trial for violating the law in Tennessee that forbid teachers from from teaching any human origin story that contradicted the creationist story in the Bible. The result was a spectacle in a small town temporarily occupied by some of the biggest personalities in the country. I remembered reading the play inspired by this story, Inherit the Wind, when I was in junior high, and getting into the specifics of this case while also trying to survive the current nightmare that is America was not exactly the best way to un-wind on my time off. However, it's an important read and I think it's important for people to remember that as much as it may feel like we are in unprecedented times, there's a lot about it that's actually pretty par for the course. May we all have the sense to learn from history rather than repeat it.

Currently Reading:

• Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - I'm continuing my reread of The Lunar Chronicles and right off the bat I was gobsmacked by some major plot points I had forgotten! This is a fun series to revisit, and I'll probably finish this up tomorrow.

• Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green - Okay so I technically haven't started this one yet, but I plan on picking up my autographed (and doodled!) copy after dinner. Close enough. VERY excited to jump into this!