School reopenings, a new team member, and books that evoke the summer heat
Plus a nostalgic watch and how to beat a reading slump
Hey, readers!
This week has been an emotional one for me. As our country and my school continue to debate the merits and dangers of fully opening school campuses this fall, I’m getting more anxious and scared as politicians and pundits discuss my livelihood and well-being with little to no knowledge of what actually happens in schools. As a teacher, I can tell you definitively that of course I want to be in the classroom with my students. We’ve heard a lot about how students don’t learn as effectively online. And that’s true for most students. However, it’s unfair to base the potential effectiveness of online learning on what teachers were forced to cobble together in a week’s notice at the onset of a pandemic. I also want people to understand that teaching online is pretty unfulfilling for teachers too. I miss connecting with my students and actually getting to see them learn.
But our desire to be in person in the fall doesn’t make it safe or the right decision. I’ve been incredibly frustrated listening to the news because I haven’t heard a single teacher interviewed even though we’re the experts on how schools actually function. Every school and district is different, but here are some of the realities of my day as a teacher. My school is overenrolled (a good problem for a private school to have but a real problem nevertheless). That means class sizes are big and no teacher has their own classroom. I teach in 2-3 different rooms every year and I share each room with 2-4 other teachers. That means I will be in and out of rooms having no idea what safety precautions have or have not been followed. Our classrooms are small. I’d say I could maybe fit 8-10 kids in those rooms and have them be 6 ft apart—if no one moves (including me). The windows of our classrooms do not open. There are about 750 students in my building and 1600+ students in the school overall. Because there aren’t windows, walking through the hallways at the end of the day will be akin to standing in a room with a thousand other people. Parents have already expressed their opinion that their children shouldn’t have to wear masks at school. I can remind students to wear their masks and sanitize their hands a hundred times a day, but if merely reminding teenagers to do something worked, I’d be out of a job.
These are just some of the very basic concerns I have about going back. This doesn’t even get at my questions about how to teach well when students need to be in rows all facing the same direction, when I can’t put them into groups or walk over to a student to check in with them when they’re struggling. Or how I’m supposed to teach in person and provide online instruction for students who want to stay home—all while taking a pay cut. There are no good answers here, but I wish that, at the very least, people discussed the realities of a school day. I know I’m a good teacher and I want to be present for my students, but I shouldn’t need to be willing to sacrifice my health and my life to prove those things.
I have heard some great creative solutions to the problem of schools, but it seems like most schools and districts are ignoring innovative options in favor of returning to “normal.” I’m holding out hope that schools around the country make the right decision, otherwise teachers are going to have really hard decisions of our own to make this fall.
I have an intern!
Today I am super excited to introduce you to Michelle, the newest (read: only other) member of the FictionMatters team. Michelle is a former student of mine who was in the first group of high school students I taught. I loved teaching Michelle for her thoughtful commentary on texts and energetic curiosity about books and the world. Six years later, I still use her paper deconstructing the concept of immigration in My Ántonia as an exemplar literary analysis paper to show current students. Now Michelle is majoring in English and minoring in Wellness and Psychology at the University of Denver and hopes to pursue a career in publishing after she graduates.
Over the next couple of months, Michelle will be helping me with newsletter and podcast tasks to help me free up some time for Aspen Words reading and getting my head around what the school year is going to look like. Michelle has fantastic taste in books and a great eye for publishing trends. I’m looking forward to all of you getting to know her better and for her to help you find your next great read!
This week in books.
This week I read…
The Last Flight by Julie Clark. Sometimes it takes a thriller to get me excited about reading again; there’s nothing like a that heart-pounding pace to keep me plugged into my audiobook for hours on end. This one is about two women who are both trying to escape the terrors of their own lives; Claire from her abusive politician husband and Eva from dangerous secrets that reveal themselves throughout the novel. When they happen to meet at the airport, they switch tickets and leave their pasts behind them forever, but starting over is just the beginning of their troubles. The Last Flight was certainly one of the better thrillers I’ve read recently, but it still included a lot of the tropes that annoy me about thrillers: plots built on coincidence, characters making unrealistically dumb decisions, bad guys relying on technology that bad guys would know not to use. I also found Claire’s story line a lot more compelling than Eva’s. Clark really hits the reader over the head with Eva’s backstory and why she’d make the decisions she does and it all got a little tedious for me. Still, I kept reading and truly wanted to know how this one ended. If you tend to love thrillers, I’d say this is a good one to pick up. If you are really picky about them, this might not be the one to sell you on the genre. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amazon | Bookshop
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. Weirdly this is another dual perspective story involving a plane crash, but this YA novel in verse was a five star read for me. I absolutely adore Acevedo’s writing. She brings poetry to life and into the 21st century, and she is the queen of capturing the inner lives of teen girls. This is a book about complicated sisterhood, the power of family, and the dangers that loom at the periphery of girlhood. The narration alternates between Camino, who lives in the Dominican Republic with her aunt counting down the days until her father’s annual summer visits, and Yahaira whose recent discovery of her father’s secret life has shattered her comfortable Brooklyn life. When the plane carrying Papi from New York to Puerto Plata goes down, the two sisters lives will be further intertwined. I adored this book, particularly Camino’s sections (I have family who live in the D.R. and enjoyed learning more about life in Puerto Plata). Even if you’re not usually a YA reader, I would absolutely recommend this, especially on audio! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amazon | Bookshop
Pale by Edward Farmer.* A generational story of race, secrets, revenge, and betrayal set in the 1960s American South. Amazon | Bookshop
Little Scratch by Rebecca Watson.* A stream of consciousness day-in-the-life of a working woman in London. Amazon | Bookshop
*These books were submissions for the Aspen Literary Prize. Due to my participation on the selection committee, I will not be able to fully review these works until the long list is announced.
Now I’m reading…
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. I’ve never read this series, but I’m picking up book one for an August episode of Novel Pairings. There are a lot of people I love in my life who count this trilogy as forever favorites, so I’m trying to give it the time and attention it deserves, even as I’m struggling to focus on it. Amazon | Bookshop
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London. Oh my god is this book fun! Bea is a plus-size fashion blogger who writes a tirade against the lack of diversity and realistic body representation on a Bachelor-like series called Main Squeeze. When her post goes viral and Main Squeeze’s ratings tank, Bea is asked to be the show’s next star and take a chance at finding love among a pool of 25 eligible men. It’s the perfect antidote for heavy reading and a heavy world while still addressing the importance of representation in our entertainment. Amazon | Bookshop
And I set aside…
Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams. I adored the first book in this series, The Bromance Book Club, for its smart commentary on the romance genre and gender norms so I was very much looking forward to picking up the sequel. Unfortunately, there’s only so much to do with that level of meta-commentary and once that’s played out its course I didn’t find myself compelled by the story or caring about the characters. Amazon | Bookshop
This week Michelle read…
I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman. This book came out about a month ago and I ran to the bookstore to get it right away. I love the way Waxman’s novels follow relationships, whether that be mother-daughter, friendships, or romantic involvements. I Was Told It Would Get Easier tells the story of Jessica, a high-powered LA attorney and her high-school-aged daughter Emily as they tour colleges. Their relationship has been strained for many years but this trip is Jessica’s chance to reconnect with Emily before she’s out of the nest. Emily, however, has her own idea of what she wants out of this trip and unexpected events along the way test both of these women. I’m guessing a lot of mothers and daughters will relate to and chuckle at this book. Amazon | Bookshop
Now Michelle is reading…
Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory. Coincidentally, all of my current reads are novels I heard about on the Novel Pairings podcast. Chelsey and Sara discussed Party of Two on their “Buzzy Summer Books and Backlist Titles” episode right after I had purchased it! I haven’t yet read Guillory’s other books in the series (The Wedding Date, The Proposal, The Wedding Party, and Royal Holiday) but I have a feeling I’ll be getting my hands on those next. Party of Two is about a young woman, Olivia, who moves to LA to start her own law firm. She is laser-focused on her career success so is caught off guard when she meets a handsome stranger at a bar one night and ends up chatting with him for hours. This handsome stranger turns out to be the high-powered junior senator Max Powell and in the pages that follow, Olivia must not only figure out how (and if) Max fits into her life, but also how she feels about being in the public eye with him. I’m looking forward to the feels this contemporary romance novel will evoke! Amazon | Bookshop
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Sara paired this novel with Jane Austen’s Emma on Novel Pairings. Such a Fun Age has been a hot book, especially since it was the January pick for Reese’s Book Club this year. Kiley Reid earned her MFA from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop where she was awarded the Truman Capote Fellowship so you know she is the real deal! The novel centers around Emira Tucker, a 25-year-old African-American woman who babysits Briar, a little girl from a wealthy white family. When Emira is grocery shopping with Briar one night, she is accused of kidnapping the child. Over the course of the book, Emira and Briar’s mother, Alix, must navigate this outrageous and humiliating event. I’m glad to finally be picking this one up! Amazon | Bookshop
7 books that evoke the heat of summer
I don’t know about where you are, but it is hot, hot, hot in Denver right now. I’ve been waiting until the evenings to brave reading outdoors, but I do like it when my reading matches the atmosphere. Here are seven books to read if you want your book to feel as hot and intense as a summer day.
The Dry by Jane Harper. For a murder mystery set in the blistering Australian heat. Amazon | Bookshop
Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. For a YA read featuring a forbidden romance and a trip to Hawaii…who doesn’t want to go to Hawaii right now!?Amazon | Bookshop
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. For that unforgettable scene where the gang rents a hotel room and the blasted heat leads to life-altering arguments. Amazon | Bookshop
Out East by John Glynn. To vacation in the Montauk with the friends you wish you had in your early 20s. Amazon | Bookshop
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. For a sensual story that will transport you to a sweltering Florida with a cast of unforgettable characters. Amazon | Bookshop
Rules of Summer by Joanna Philbin. For a YA romance set in the glamorous world of East Hampton. Amazon | Bookshop
Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver. To luxuriate in the beauty in the most mundane and forgettable elements of the natural world. Amazon | Bookshop
Bookish reading.
You can filter Book Riot’s Best Books of 2020 So Far list which makes it a fantastic tool for finding your next great read.
These suggestions for how to beat a reading slump are incredibly useful!
This love letter to narrations in the collective “we” also includes a great list of books that use that style.
2 Dope Queens co-host Phoebe Robinson is getting her own imprint at Penguin Random House!
Find out which BSC member you are based on your astrological sign.
Because I’m deep in Lord of the Rings right now, these links to LOTR art and this list of high fantasy books coming out this year both caught my eye.
Novel Pairings.
This Tuesday we’re releasing the second Short Story Club episode of the podcast, this time about Ray Bradbury’s sci-fi classroom staple, “All Summer in a Day.” There’s still time to read it before the episode drops (it’s literally four pages long!) so click here to find a PDF copy of the story.
Next week, our Their Eyes Were Watching God episode will drop. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting these characters—and finishing the book for the first time (more on that in the episode). Janie Crawford is an unforgettable character and Hurston’s writing is breathtaking. While we do discuss “spoilers,” I truly think going into this book with an understanding of the plot only helps readers get more out of their reading. I hope you’ll give it a listen!
End notes.
Watching: For some of you, The Babysitter’s Club novels by Ann M. Martin were a beloved piece your childhood, for others you may just be discovering Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, and Stacy. Either way, you can travel down memory lane or find a new group of besties with the Netflix show based on the series that just premiered on July 3rd! I am absolutely loving the nostalgic feelings this show brings up for me, but I’m also really impressed with the updates the series is making.
Listening: One of my favorite book podcasts, Sarah’s Book Shelves Live is taking a little hiatus for the next couple weeks, which means it’s the perfect time to catch up on past episodes. Sarah’s episodes are evergreen so you can certainly enjoy them even months later!
I hope Michelle and I have successfully added a few new reads to your to-be-read stacks this week. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the FictionMatters, please feel free to email fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or respond directly to this newsletter. I love hearing from you!
Happy reading!
Sara
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