What’s on Your Nightstand? #SOL17

One of the most wonderful unexpected pleasures of participating in my first SOLC this year has been getting to know all of you. I’ve learned about your families, struggles, triumphs, favorite foods, and so much more. One of my favorite ways to get to know people is by sharing what we are reading. Books are terribly revealing, aren’t they? Our choices tell much about us — our interests, passions, weaknesses, and guilty pleasures. I don’t know about you, but quite of bit of the reading I do happens while snuggled under the covers and propped up against a pillow or two. Depending on the time of day, I make it through several chapters — early morning — or just a paragraph or two — bedtime. Either way, I love to read. I’ve had my nose stuck in a book since probably 2nd or 3rd grade. I have many fond memories of visiting the library to stock up and combing through the children’s section of a favorite bookstore while on vacation in Maine.

So here’s what’s on my nightstand to read at the moment.

The Child in Time (McEwan) — I’m currently reading this novel by the author of the Imitation Game, and can’t put it down!

Mae and June and the Wonder Wheel (Harper) — I love wondering, so this early reader title jumped out at me.

Wonder (Palacio) — I think I’m the only teacher that hasn’t read this! My librarian said, “Every human needs to read this book!”

Notes from a Small Island (Bryson) — As you know from yesterday’s post about London, I’m madly in love with England. I loved Bryson’s Road to Little Dribbling, which was actually a Part 2 or revisiting of Notes.

Burning Bright (Chevalier) — This is the only book of Tracy Chevalier’s that I have not read. (See my post on Remarkable Creatures.)  I love historical fiction and poetry, and it features English poet William Blake, so I need to read this!

Walden (Thoreau) and Silent Spring (Carson) — Two environmental classics which I am embarrassed to confess I have not read in their entirety.

Maria Mitchell and the Sexting of Science: An Astronomer Among the American Romantics (Bergland) — Author/Poet Jeannine Atkins got me hooked on learning more about Maria Mitchell after I read her Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science — another wonderful read. I’m excited to learn more about the female astronomer from Nantucket who became the first professor hired at Vassar College.

The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars (Sobel) — I was very lucky to see author Dava Sobel speak last Monday at Harvard’s observatory. (If you haven’t read Sobel’s Longitude or Galileo’s Daughter, do!) If you loved Hidden Figures, you won’t want to miss learning about these amazing female human computers from the mid-19th century — some of whom were trained by Maria Mitchell at Vassar (see above)!

In Search of Kings and Conquerors: Gertrude Bell and the Archaeology of the Middle East (Cooper). I’ve been fascinated by archaeology since I was a kid. In 2012 I received a teacher fellowship to work on a dig on Hadrian’s Wall in England, living out a lifelong dream. It’ll be fun to learn more about this 19th century female pioneer in the field.

The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations (Vardell and Wong) — Excited to uncover more poetic treasures to share with my students!

What are you reading? Share your reading list or favorites in the comments!

This post is part of the annual month-long Slice of Life writing challenge organized by Two Writing Teachers. Join us! It’s my first time slicing, I’m a slice planner, and an early morning slicer, too!