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Weekend Pick for November 24, 2023

11/24/2023

Weekend Pick for November 24, 2023

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As we close out the Weekend Picks for the month of November, I would like to send a heartfelt thank you to Sonja our guest curator. I know she is busy teaching, attending doctoral school and being a new mom, but she took the time to suggest some great titles! I would also like to thank Dr. Bickmore for allowing me to take over his blog for the past few years to share some of my favorite books and post some wonderful people's picks. Leilya, you've been awesome guiding me through this process and I'm grateful for you as well.

Happy Reading!
Nikki ❤

Murtagh by Christopher Paolini

Earlier this month, I embarked on an enchanting journey through the world of Alagaesia with Eragon and Saphira. Now, I close this chapter with Christopher Paolini’s latest and fifth book of The Inheritance Cycle series, “Murtagh”. This latest addition diverges from its predecessors by shifting focus from Eragon to his half-brother, Murtagh, and his ruby red dragon, Thorn.

My husband and I had the privilege of attending Paolini’s book tour in San Francisco, where we met the author and got our copies signed. This personal experience enriched the narrative, allowing us to delve deeper into Murtagh's complex character.

Unlike the previous books, "Murtagh" explores the aftermath of King Galbatorix's fall. Once seen as an ally then a foe, Murtagh's story is one of redemption and self-discovery. He and Thorn, previously subjugated to commit heinous acts under the king's influence, are now free but not forgiven by the people of Alagaesia. Their journey through the wild lands, haunted by past tortures and misconceptions, forms the crux of this narrative.

Paolini masterfully uses flashbacks to reveal the extent of Murtagh and Thorn's suffering, offering new perspectives on events from the earlier books. These glimpses into their past paint a picture of a character forced into impossible choices, often picking the lesser of two evils.

The plot thickens with Murtagh's quest to expose a magical cult threatening the new kingdom. His actions, driven by a desire to assist Queen Nasuada and protect Alagaesia, are misunderstood by many who see him as a villain. This misperception adds a layer of tragedy to Murtagh's character, as he and Thorn grapple with PTSD and strive to aid a kingdom that views them with suspicion.

Paolini’s writing in "Murtagh" is calculated and emotive. He delves into themes of redemption, the burdens of past actions, and the struggle for acceptance in a world quick to judge. This narrative shift provides a fresh and compelling perspective, making "Murtagh" a must-read for fans of the Inheritance Cycle and a testament to the complexities of character development in fantasy literature.

BIO-Sonja Howard is a passionate educator specializing in English Language Arts for 9th and 10th graders. She is obtaining a doctoral degree in literacy education with a focus on novel study and English curriculum from UNLV. With her expertise, Sonja aims to instill a love for literature in her students, making a positive impact on their educational journey.

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Weekend Pick for November 17, 2023

11/17/2023

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Weekend Pick for November 17, 2023

The Cat I Never Named: A True Story About Love, War, and Survival by Amra Sabic El-Rayess (2020)

I know this isn’t the first time this book has appeared on the blog, but I’m bringing it back for many reasons: 1) to solidify the value of diverse and nonfictional YA literature 2) relay the importance of teaching empathy 3) how this is the perfect example of a cross-curricular opportunity for English and social studies classes. Using multiple critical lenses, I will interpret my thoughts and its pertinence to the novel.

From former Yugaslavia, my parents immigrated to the states before the war in the 90s. I have families living in both, Serbia and Bosnia i Herzegovina, and have seen the aftermath of the bombings; multiple bridges collapsed into the Danube River, buildings partially standing in old Beograd due to the structural damage from the explosions; my grandmother had a bomb land in her yard, luckily, something with the wiring was wrong so it never went off. My experiences of the war are secondhand, and when I read about Amra’s experience it offers a perspective that I can empathize with.

For example, Amra provides insight into what it really means to be a female teenager. Alone. On a train. With vulgar and haughty men. I can feel her emotions of discomfort just seep off of the page and onto my skin. The hardest part to accept of this teen’s reality was that these men were Serbian soldiers. The soldiers assumed she was Serbian, not recognizing that she is Bosnian-Mulsim. However, the conversation she heard amongst themselves was disturbing and frightening. It was undeniably difficult for me to visualize that my own people, the people I identify with, would discuss persecuting innocent people. Yet, this is why diverse and nonfictional literature is significant because Amra’s experiences solidify the hard truth of a person’s reality and validates perceptions different from others.

Furthermore, Amra opens the discussion on ethnic issues by delicately incorporating the dialogue between herself and Tata (slavic for Dad). Tata’s explanations to Amra’s inquiries of why her friends don’t want to see her anymore are more words of wisdom than anything else. He explains that war changes people and not to blame them for it because they are all merely trying to survive. Metaphorically, I imply his teachings as a chess game that the political agendas are the strategies of the larger and stronger pieces on the board whereas the men, woman, and children in towns and villages are pawns - not as strong, but are the first to feel the effects of the game…

For the final analysis, I would recommend this novel for ELA 10/ World Literature courses with the hope that it is cross-sectioned with Social Studies 10/ World History. Using critical lenses (reader’s response, feminist, new historicism, and psychoanalytic), English lessons would pertain to characters, their relationships, and how each sees the world in that moment of time while social studies can focus on the historical, political, cultural context to supplement the background knowledge of Amra’s life before, during, and after the war.

Although I chose not to focus on the cat who was never named, it is worth mentioning that it will tug at your heart strings!

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Weekend Pick for November 10, 2023

11/10/2023

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Weekend Pick for November 10, 2023

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Claire (2012)

As one who encouraged her students to never judge a book by its cover, I will be the first to admit the only reason why I grabbed Lady Midnight was because of the cover. Simply put, it looked cool - a sleeping beauty unconscious as she is submerged in water with her sword slipping away from her hand just screamed courage, consequence, power, and a little bit of romance (I think it is the nightgown and the weightless, flowing hair everywhere). Either way, I read it and was immersed in the world of Shadowhunters instantly!

This weekend’s pick is another fantasy novel and this time the main protagonist is a female shadowhunter named Emma Carstairs. She’s about seventeen, trains really hard to be a badass demon crusher, and has the stereotypical “tall, dark and handsome” parabatai that goes by the name of Julian Blackthorn (or in Emma’s case, “Jules”). To give you an insight about these two, you’ll have to know what parabatai is.

Per my description, parabatai is essentially one’s warrior soulmate; the best friend that has sworn to be the lifelong partner in battle. Having a parabatai makes shadowhunting that much better - it sharpens fighting skills, markings scribed in runes make supernatural abilities more enhanced, and healing runes work more effectively than if another shadowhunter scribed them. However, there is only one forbidden rule for parabatais… They cannot fall in love. This is due to the strong bond between the two individuals that their engrossed love will eventually wield into dark magic. Dark magic, as always, is perilous because it is known for shadowhunters to become deranged or begin turning against one another, and in due time turn utterly mad! As parabatai, Emma and Jules not only have to face the unsolved mysteries of their supernatural world, but battle the boundaries of their love...

I call the author clever Claire because Lady Midnight entails all the great fight scenes a reader wants to envision, but more so for the helpless romantics out there, there’s nothing better than a Romeo and Juliet situation especially when destiny is indubitable yet Fate says otherwise.

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Weekend Pick for November 3, 2023

11/3/2023

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Weekend Pick for November 3, 2023

Hi YA Book "Lovers" (yes, that was inspired by my obsession with TSwift),

I'm so happy to introduce my friend Sonja Howard as our Weekend Picks contributor for the month of November. She is an amazing teacher, new mother and still finds time to read the best YA titles. Can't wait to take a peek at all her amazing suggestions.

Happy Reading!
Nikki ❤

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
(2003, 2005, 2008, 2011)

Reading is an immersive experience, one where I can leave my world to join another and my favorite worlds to be a part of are the ones filled with an epic adventure, mythical creatures, and magic! The four part series The Inheritance Cycle has all the traditional elements of fantasy yet more action than a Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible movie! Okay, maybe not quite that much but it’s definitely more than what a reader bargains for. For someone who likes to strike deals, I got super lucky and had my very own, personal and live audiobook! With a newborn to take care of and married to a die hard fan, my husband was delighted to feed two birds with one hand. As he read to us and I played with the baby, we found a new way to enjoy our time together as a family.

Initially, my husband was the one who introduced me to the series. From his perspective, he loves the idea that readers could “grow up” with Eragon. As the main protagonist goes from farm boy to learning how to become a dragon rider, he has a lot of learning and growing up to do. Eragon faces endless battles and overcomes many challenges, he progressively matures and shapes into a courageous warrior. Paolini does such a fantastic job creating these scenarios that captivate emotions experienced by Eragon yet pertinent to us as well. We all experience our own coming of age story. It’s just unfortunate that we can’t use magic spells and our best friends aren’t legendary creatures that can telepathically send their energy to support us in the most difficult of times…

Personally, I couldn’t help but fall in love with something so magnificent as the one and only female dragon, Saphira. Eragon’s most loyal confidant and companion, Saphira is a whole lot of sass with a dollop of flirt and sprinkle of funny. Her love for Eragon is undeniable as she calls him little one and doesn’t miss a beat with the “I told you so” lecture every time trouble finds him. Most importantly though, she is ferociously dangerous and knows it too - blasting blue flames from her mouth as she spirals through the air with Eragon on her back, she makes it known that this dragon rider couple are not to be reckoned with.

Switching teacher mode, I must say the first book Eragon would be so enjoyable to read with students in grades 8-10! Paolini’s writing is calculated and strategic. From multiple characters developing in a timely fashion to the vocabulary and descriptions of the land, Alagaesia, I can think of at least one project based learning assignment and three creative writing tasks to encourage students to put thoughts from mind to paper. Although students might not be as enticed as I am about doing work for this novel study, but beyond doubt I know students would be encouraged to continue reading the series on their own. As an English teacher that’s all I could hope for, right?

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