My Booklist

  • The book list provided below accomplishes a few things. It shows you some of my history as a reader, including some childhood favorites that I still love, and it lets you know which books I've recently tackled. This list also includes books that past students have asked me to read. Please offer titles for me and for your peers to enjoy, and I'll post them in the classroom or on this page.

    Reading is good for you. When you read, you strengthen your intellect and build your imagination. You also become a better user of language. Good readers become good writers who make interesting word choices and give thoughtful responses. 

    Do yourself a favor. Pick out a book and start reading.  : )

My Favorites

  • A Tale of Two Cities

    by Charles Dickens Year Published: Challenging
    Believe the hype about Dickens. This book is that good.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • All the Light We Cannot See

    by Anthony Doerr Year Published: Average
    The novelist won the Pulitzer Prize for this novel, and truly, it lives up to (and perhaps beyond) its hype. I loved this book so much. It is so beautiful and so meaningful. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
    Comments (-1)

  • Brave New World

    by Aldous Huxley Year Published: Average
    In this classic dystopian novel, Huxley creates a future world where people are made, not born, and raised communally to prepare them for the roles that they will inhabit as adults. For me, this book is endlessly fascinatimg. I first read it when I was 17, and it remains one of the most important books I've ever read.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • Catch-22

    by Joseph Heller Year Published: Challenging
    Set in Italy during World War II, this is an eye-opening anti-war novel with a complex plot. For me, this is a book I'd need if I were stranded on a desert island. It's that good.
    Comments (-1)

  • Empire Falls

    by Richard Russo Year Published: Average
    This book was assigned in one of my graduate English classes, and I loved it. It follows a few families in Maine through hard times, tragedy, and triumph.
    Comments (-1)

  • Ethan Frome

    by Edith Wharton Year Published: Average

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • Fahrenheit 451

    by Ray Bradbury Year Published: Average
    Another dystopian novel! (Can you tell this is my favorite genre?) In this novel, owning a book is bad, very bad. "How bad is it?" you ask. Bad enough to get you arrested and your house burned down...
    Comments (-1)

  • Frankenstein

    by Mary Shelley Year Published: Challenging
    You've no doubt heard of Frankenstein's monster, so why not read the book? It's outstanding.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • Gilead

    by Marilynne Robinson Year Published: Average
    This is a beautifully written book that has readers examine the love of a father for his son.
    Comments (-1)

  • Jane Eyre

    by Charlotte Bronte Year Published: Challenging
    If you enjoy rooting for the underdog and like the classics, read this book!

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • Just Kids

    by Patti Smith Year Published: Average
    I had to read this book for the Babel series, and I am so thankful that I did! It was a surprise delight, and I missed Robert and Patti when it was over. I still do. What a gift this book is!
    Comments (-1)

  • Let the Great World Spin

    by Colum McCann Year Published: Challenging
    This is the first book in the Babel reading series, sponsored by the Just Buffalo Literary Center.
    Comments (-1)

  • No One Is Here Except All of Us

    by Ramona Ausubel Year Published: Challenging
    This beautifully written and thoughtful book tells of one village's struggle to escape Nazi detection during World War II.
    Comments (-1)

  • Of Mice and Men

    by John Steinbeck Year Published: Average
    I love John Steinbeck! What an enormous talent he was.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • Pride and Prejudice

    by Jane Austen Year Published: Average
    What can I say? I'm a sucker for British literature and books with strong, likeable female characters.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • Slaughterhouse-Five

    by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Year Published: Challenging
    A quirky anti-war novel set in Germany during World War II. Vonnegut's voice is wonderfully unique. I'm convinced the man was a genius. I must read more of his work.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Art of Racing in the Rain

    by Garth Stein Year Published: Average
    A gripping read told from the perspective of the faithful family dog. I couldn't put it down!
    Comments (-1)

  • The Book Thief

    by Markus Zuzak Year Published: Average

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Catcher in the Rye

    by JD Salinger Year Published: Average
    This book is on our 11th grade reading list, and it's one of my faves. I love Holden Caulfield!

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Fault in Our Stars

    by John Green Year Published: Easy Reading
    John Green is a very talented YA author, and I've read a few of his books now. In my view, this one's the best.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Last Days of Dogtown

    by Anita Diamant Year Published: Average
    In this book the author imagines the slow dissolution of a small community in Massachusetts. Diamant also wrote "The Red Tent" -- another great book!

    Comments (-1)

  • The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates

    by Wes Moore Year Published: Easy Reading
    This nonfiction work follows the lives of two boys who grew up poor and fatherless in the inner city. One made it out and became successful. The other is currently serving a life sentence in prison. This book examines how the two took such different paths in life.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Road

    by Cormac McCarthy Year Published: Average
    I couldn't put it down. It's terrible and beautiful, stark and unforgettable. McCarthy is a master craftsman when it comes to using our language.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Secret Life of Bees

    by Sue Monk Kidd Year Published:
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  • The Things They Carried

    by Tim O'Brien Year Published: Average
    Fantastic collection of reflections on military service during the Vietnam war, life after war, family, friends, love, death, and everything that matters in life. A brilliant work. Beautifully written.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)
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Past Student Assignments

  • Camille

    by Alexandre Dumas Year Published: Average
    A great and tragic love story with a lot of interesting and relevant commentary on women in society.
    Comments (-1)

  • Catching Fire

    by Suzanne Collins Year Published: Easy Reading
    This was my personal favorite of the trilogy.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • Divergent

    by Veronica Roth Year Published: Easy Reading
    This is part I of a very popular trilogy.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • Little Bee

    by Chris Cleave Year Published: Easy Reading
    A British author creates a Nigerian girl who is an illegal alien in England with a haunting story to tell.
    Comments (-1)

  • Looking For Alaska

    by John Green Year Published: Easy Reading
    A popular book by a popular YA author. Worth reading!
    Comments (-1)

  • Mockingjay

    by Suzanne Collins Year Published: Easy Reading

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • Okay for Now

    by Gary D. Schmidt Year Published: Easy Reading
    YA literature. I'm so glad that one of my students handed me this book and asked me to read it. It was great!
    Comments (-1)

  • The Darkest Minds

    by Alexandra Bracken Year Published: Average
    This is a work of dystopian literature recommended to me by one of my students.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Hobbit

    by JRR Tolkien Year Published: Average
    The wonderful prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. I am so glad several students told me that I had to read this.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • The House of the Scorpion

    by Nancy Farmer Year Published: Average
    I read this based on a student's suggestion, and I'm glad I did. If you like "Brave New World," you will enjoy the concept of cloning that this book addresses. It is a very interesting story with well-developed characters.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Hunger Games

    by Suzanne Collins Year Published: Easy Reading
    This is the first book in a popular trilogy for teens. The other titles are "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay."

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Legend Series

    by Marie Lu Year Published: Easy Reading
    I read Legend, Prodigy, and Champion, and they were all good.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Rum Diary

    by Hunter S. Thompson Year Published: Average
    I would have avoided the work of this writer had a student not encouraged me to read this book.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Sense of an Ending

    by Julian Barnes Year Published: Average
    In his sixties, protagonist and first-person narrator, Tony, gets a mysterious blast from the past... Now that I've finished, I can say that I enjoyed this book immensely. It made me think from beginning to end.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Society of Others

    by William Nicholson Year Published: Average
    Dystopian fiction - one of my favorite genres!
    Comments (-1)

  • The Twilight Series

    by Stephenie Meyer Year Published: Easy Reading
    I wasn't going to go there, but I did. :)

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • Thirteen Reasons Why

    by Jay Asher Year Published: Easy Reading
    Comments (-1)

  • We Were Liars

    by E. Lockhart Year Published: Easy Reading
    A few of my students suggested that I read this book, and I'm glad I did. It was a thoroughly enjoyable, page-turning summer read.
    Comments (-1)

Multicultural Literature

  • Americanah

    by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Year Published:
    Follow Ifemelu from Nigeria to America and back again.
    Comments (-1)

  • Breath, Eyes, Memory

    by Edwidge Danticat Year Published: Easy Reading
    A book about a Haitian girl who moves to NYC at age 12. The story tracks her life in New York and Haiti, and it examines female relationships and tragedies.
    Comments (-1)

  • By the Light of My Father's Smile

    by Alice Walker Year Published: Average
    Gorgeous!
    Comments (-1)

  • Grace Land

    by Chris Abani Year Published: Challenging
    An amazing, eye-opening book about a 16-year-old Nigerian boy who is an Elvis impersonator.
    Comments (-1)

  • Invisible Man

    by Ralph Ellison Year Published: Challenging
    Amazing, dark, and incredibly important.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

    by Sherman Alexie Year Published: Easy Reading
    This young adult book details the trials and tribulations of Junior, a 14-year-old boy living on the Spokane Indian Reservation. I wish I could give this book more stars. Junior is one of the best characters ever, and author Sherman Alexie ROCKS!

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Faith Club

    by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, Priscilla Warner Year Published: Easy Reading
    A memoir of three women -- one Muslim, one Christian, and one Jewish -- who come together to understand each other's religions. It's interesting and uplifting without any residual cheesiness.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Inheritance of Loss

    by Kiran Desai Year Published: Average
    Comments (-1)

  • The Moor's Account

    by Laila Lalami Year Published:
    This is the second book in this year's Babel author series, sponsored by Just Buffalo Literary Center. So far, it's a good book!
    Comments (-1)

  • The Namesake

    by Jhumpa Lahiri Year Published: Average
    Coming-of-age novel that tells the story of a boy named Gogol who is born in the U.S. to Indian parents. If you wonder what it's like to grow up belonging to two worlds, read this book.
    Comments (-1)

  • Their Eyes Were Watching God

    by Zora Neale Hurston Year Published: Average
    Beautifully written book with a female protagonist.

    Note: This book is available in our Library.
    Comments (-1)

  • Waiting

    by Ha Jin Year Published: Easy Reading
    Modern Chinese literature.
    Comments (-1)

  • White Teeth

    by Zadie Smith Year Published: Challenging
    Comments (-1)

Kid Lit

  • But Not the Hippopotamus

    by Sandra Boynton Year Published: Easy Reading
    If you like rhythm and rhyme and you need a laugh, read this.
    Comments (-1)

  • Fantastic Mr. Fox

    by Roald Dahl Year Published: Easy Reading
    The movie stinks. The book is awesome. Read this book!
    Comments (-1)

  • Library Lion

    by Michelle Knudsen Year Published: Easy Reading
    One day a story-loving lion shows up at the library. What happens next is whimsical, funny, poignant, and completely charming. I love this book!
    Comments (-1)

  • The Frog and Toad Series

    by Arnold Lobel Year Published: Easy Reading
    When frog goes out in search of "the corner that spring is just around," how can you not be charmed by that? These stories are delightful.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Lorax

    by Dr. Seuss Year Published: Easy Reading
    I have had an abiding love of all things Seussian since I was three, but this story is my favorite.
    Comments (-1)

  • The Secret Garden

    by Frances Hodgson Burnett Year Published: Easy Reading
    This is a beautiful, hopeful book.
    Comments (-1)