You’ve almost made it through a hectic semester and winter break is right around the corner! We know you will enjoy some relaxing time with family and friends and maybe a pajama/ hot cocoa marathon of Christmas movies.
We also know that many of you, like us, like to spend some time with a great book. In the spirit of encouraging you to relax and do some reading just for fun, we thought we would share some of our favorite books from the last year. We purposely left off books about teaching – you deserve a break!
If you are looking for a good book, here are 10 good books to read over winter break:
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
When their father dies, Danny and Maeve’s stepmother kicks them out of their family home. Once wealthy, they are now reduced to poverty with only each other to lean on. Ann Patchett is a great writer and we loved exploring the themes here- love, loss, memories, forgiveness and learning to define family on your own terms.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Reese Witherspoon recently chose this book for her book club, and it is easy to see why. This book is at once heart-breaking and uplifting. A young girl is abandoned by her mother and basically left to raise herself in isolated marsh. Intelligent and resilient, Kya manages to survive as she learns to use the resources she finds in the natural world. There is a murder mystery, romance, nature, friendship and a beautiful exploration of the human need for belonging.
This book got a lot of buzz this year and we found it a worthy read. We get a peak into the life of the first lady- her early years, schooling and first career steps. She also speaks candidly of her romance with Barack Obama, her doubts about him running for president, and her life in the white house.
This memoir is one of the best books we read last year or any year. Raised in an isolated area of Utah, with survivalist, religious fanatic parents, Tara Westover did not attend school until age 17. Her story of attending college without any formal education and not knowing about the Holocaust to finally earning a PH.D. is a story of personal triumph and the power of education. If you haven’t yet read this- don’t wait!
At first it seems as if this book is about a high school hockey team, but ultimately it is about a small town and the people who live in it. As in many small towns, sports are a tie that bind people together, until a tragedy divides the town and changes everything. The book explores human behavior and relationships at their best and worst.
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
Spoiler alert- this book is the equivalent of Hallmark Christmas movie. It is predictable, easy to read and goes down like candy. It’s set in a sleepy Scottish village, with sheep, a book bus, and a young heroine trying to escape life in London. Nina creates a new life by helping villagers find just the right book- who couldn’t admire that?
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
This book is for you if you like psychological thrillers. A wife shoots her husband and then goes silent, refusing to speak at all. A psychologist is determined to treat her and get her story. The plot twists and turns will keep you up at night. Brad Pitt has already bought the movie rights.
This one is for science lovers. If you like audio books, it is read by the author herself, a brilliant award -winning scientist. Her memoir will open your eyes to the life and work of a scientific scholar as she discusses plants, soils and trees and her triumphs and missteps traversing the world of science.
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Another work relating to the natural world, The Overstory is a novel about trees and their power to unite us and divide us. We meet a wide cast of characters who all work in one way or another to understand trees, and to save us from the devastation of deforestation. Reading this book an ambitious undertaking, but if you choose to read it you will never see tress the same way again.
Miller does for Greek Mythology what Gregory Maguire’s book Wicked did for the Wizard of Oz – it gives the back story of characters in a famous tale. You know Circe from The Odyssey, the famous siren who lured sailors to their death. Now you can learn how the banished daughter of the Sun God Helios becomes the Circe of legend. Love, war, Gods, monsters, treachery, and betrayal it’s all here as Circe tells her version of the myths we grew up with.
Do you have any great book suggestions to add to this list? We would love for you to head over to our Facebook Groups Teacher Warriors or Thriving Young Teachers and share your ideas. We’re always looking for the next good book!
Our Best,
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