Where were we?

I promise, I haven't abandoned this little project, nor have I forgotten about it exactly. I have, however, been a bit distracted. Between moving (an ongoing project, though the actual move was completed 2 weeks ago) and student teaching, I've had time for little else. I haven't stopped reading, though. I've got a few books to talk about - enough that I think we need a few different posts to cover everything.

First of all, when I finished Pride and Prejudice, I moved on to another book that had been mocking me from my shelves for a while: Jean Hanff Korelitz's Admission. I bought the book after I saw the trailer for the movie - last November-ish. I saw the movie, but I just didn't have time for the book. (The movie, if you're curious, was fine, but rather unmemorable. Tina Fey and Paul Rudd deserve better, really. More importantly, in the context of this blog, differs quite radically, and unfortunately, from the book.)

Anyway, in the midst of my move, I made the time for the book and I'm so happy I did. My copy has a quote on the cover describing it as "compulsively readable," and I think that's perfect. It isn't the best book I've ever read, but I couldn't put it down - it was just the right amount of soapy academia to close out the summer and a delightfully adult novel in a year of YA.

Second. This week was my last week in the elementary school. I had been flipping through the books on the Maud Hart Lovelace Award list in my spare time and decided to grab the opportunity to take one home and plow through it. The book I chose was Sharon M. Draper's Out of My Mind. SUCH A GOOD CHOICE!

If you aren't familiar (and you should be), Out of My Mind is the story of Melody, a 6th grader with severe cerebral palsy. Melody is confined to a wheelchair and has almost zero control over her body - she slips out of the wheelchair if she isn't strapped in, she needs to be fed and changed, and, most importantly, she can't speak. As a result, most people think Melody is not just physically handicapped, but mentally handicapped as well. It isn't until she gets a computer that helps her express herself that she can prove how brilliant she really is.

So, what do I love about this book? I loved Melody and I ached for her. I loved her neighbor, Mrs. V. I loved the way Draper filled the book with all of the words that Melody had been holding inside of her. I hated the way that Melody was treated, and I loved how deeply it made me feel.  When people talked about Melody as if she couldn't understand them, I wanted to crawl into the pages and throttle them and when Melody's team abandoned her, I was crushed. It isn't an easy book - Melody's life has improved by the end of the book, but in a measured, realistic way. I admit, I was a little frustrated by the ending - it was honest and real, but a little part of my wanted just a little fantasy, just enough to ensure that we were leaving Melody with a friend her age, a true confidante. That said, Draper's ending is right.

Third, and back to the aforementioned "few different posts." I have also been re-reading my Madeleine L'Engle collection. I want to give her a post of her own (I hope to do the same for a few other authors in the future). I also want to talk about the music I've discovered because of books, and since some of that music is in some of these L'Engle books, this seems like as good a time as any. Things to look forward to!