Writings, Wanderings

Being a Spanish teacher, I am always looking for online resources to support my students especially these past two months when all instruction has been done virtually. Here are three sites that have been helpful for language practice. They are all free (or have large portions that are free) and the first two address multiple languages. Plus, they aren't just written vocabulary or grammar practice; there are also opportunities for reading and listening practice too. I've used these sources for both myself and my students. Hope you enjoy! Duolingo : available through a web browser or as an app, this free website has dozens of languages to practice from the most popular Spanish to less-studied Dutch, Hebrew, and Swahili and even the fictional Klingon. Each lesson is short, most little segments taking me less than five minutes. Lessons focus on specific topics although will pull from previous vocabulary (also sometimes unexpected like when the word "duck" popped up ...

My newsletter takes a look at books where August plays a role either as Part of the title Name of author or character Time of the story actions After researching traditionally-published books that fit one of these criteria, I thought it would be fun to reach out to the indie writing community and see what books they had to offer. Take a look below and maybe you'll discover a new read for the month! Dog Days of August (Twelve Months of Romance-August) by Margaret Lake is 8th book in a women contemporary's fiction novella series (this length book is perfect for a lazy afternoon!). All Jan wants to do is get her mother a puppy to help her get over her grief at the loss of her husband, Jan’s father. But when she gets to the shelter to pick up the girl puppy she had her heart set on, Kevin, a freak with a Mohawk and earring, is getting ready to walk away with her dog. Jan is still fuming when she gets to work the next morning, and it doesn’t help that she’s expe...

May was a rather abysmal reading month for me. If you're looking at this list of five books and thinking that is about the norm for me so this being a low book-count month sounds off, full disclosure: most of these books were started in April or earlier (one was picked up for the first time back in 2018...) May marks the end of my school year and while my extracurricular responsibilities tapered off in the first half of the month, I was mentally burnt out. I am proud of this school year but I was too busy between work and my own life. Unfortunately, I drifted into reading fanfiction instead of novels which while fun doesn't add to my book totals. What I did read is a pretty random mix but here goes. The Lost Duke of Wyndham  by Julia Quinn. I really liked her Bridgerton series so I am always looking for another enjoyable read. I got this book at a library book sale along with another one of hers. While this one does not measure up to my favorite series, it certainly had i...

Published in 1955 by Elizabeth Cadell, The Lark Shall Sing  is a delightful novel that intertwines the story of a family with a romance. After their parents' deaths, the Wayne siblings moved away from home for a year, the older ones into the workforce and military, the youngest with an aunt and uncle. One year to postpone making any big decisions and then they were to come back again as a family. However, situations change in a year, and engaged Lucille, the oldest, now plans to sell the family home. What she expects to be a straight-foward move--put the house on the market and move on--quickly grows complicated as each of her siblings finds their way home, bringing with them acquaintances met along the journey. Soon Lucille finds herself facing emotions and realizations that make her question her once-solid plans for her future. I adored this book the first time I read it and am now proud to be the owner of a secondhand version that once graced the shelves of a high school lib...

There are so many good books to read out there and so little time that choosing can be hard. I love following Instagram but I've noticed most of the books featured in those photos are fairly recent releases. While new books definitely deserve our attention, I also want to highlight books that have been around a bit longer that probably will never fall into the classics category but could be just the read someone is looking for. So read on for my first installment in Throwback Thursdays: Books. Dee Henderson is a well-known author in the Christian romantic suspense world but in the early 2000's, I had never heard of this author. My roommate bought the first book of her O'Malley series for me--in Spanish. I borrowed an English copy from the library to make the reading easier and soon fell in love with this family (I now own all the books in the series). These are my favorite books from Henderson. Kate is a fierce protagonist. She knows she is good at her job, is una...

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate is one of my favorite reads for the year so far. Based on a true scandal out of Tennessee over half a century ago, the story is heartbreaking. The mystery of who Mae and Judy really were kept me guessing until closer to the end. I did find the romance angle a little cliche but if I ignore that part, this is a 5-star book (4 1/2 when considering the romance). Another audiobook by Janet Evanovich made my list this month: Plum Lovin'. This was a great choice for a road trip since while there were multiple storylines, none of it was complicated. I didn't really like how the narrator approached some of the voices, but the three CD's made my twelve hours on the road pass much quicker. I enjoyed seeing Stephanie hold her own in a different setting than the usual bounty hunting. I also read a co-written book by Evanovich and Lee Goldberg The Job, the third book in the Fox and O'Hare series. I'm really liking this series following ...

I read four children's books this month and really enjoyed three of them. The Museum had an enjoyable rhyming pattern to it but the gem was how it introduced young readers to several art masterpieces. Children who love to paint would enjoy this book and there are multiple options for incorporating this book into a cross-curricular classroom setting. Mango, Abuela, and Me combined my love of Spanish with a genuine look at the question of how to handle the concerns of aging parents (or in this case, an aging grandmother). The story also infused parts of Hispanic culture. I would love a copy of this book for my Spanish classroom and will look for other offerings by the author. Just Add Glitter is simply a fun book. Any young child who loves bright, sparkly things will adore the illustrations. I even found myself gently touching the pages to feel the glitter! Clothesline Clues to Sports People Play was my least favorite book. It had a neat premise--look at what clothing ...

Looking to buy a book for a child for Christmas? Check out what I've read in the last month to get my opinion on some choices! Dinosaur vs Santa is my top pick for reading with little ones for this season. This book followed an adorable if slightly mischievous dinosaur kid as he prepared for Christmas. I had a lot of fun reading this story out loud with its dinosaur sound effects as he made presents, decorated the tree, and more. The illustrations are simple but engaging. Enrichment idea: discuss Dinosaur vs Halloween (or another holiday). What activities would he need to successfully conquer for this holiday? Draw some of your own pictures. Wombat Walkabout was another fun read although it did have me nervous about the fate of the wombats until nearly the end! What I loved about this book was its integration of words used in Australia. There was a glossary at the front of the book, but I actually missed it until I had read the story. However, the story and ...

How did your November reading go? I finished four novels (one as an audiobook). My favorite one was the audiobook and happened to my book club's choice for the month which means I never would have picked this one up on my own. It is my favorite because the author did such a good job with her research but the book itself was gut-wrenching. Placed in the 1920's and 30's, Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women  by Kate Moore traces the struggle faced by the women who worked for the radium companies to have their health problems diagnosed and then compensated as the ugly truth surfaced that they had become sick through their jobs. I was amazed to learn how radium had been considered healthy enough to add to their water, paint on their faces, and put in sandboxes. With this public perception, it was not surprising that it took doctors so long to pinpoint the source of the women's problems, but the companies' avoidance of their responsibility an...

September has been a rough reading month for me. I've struggled to make time to read to start with, work, coaching, and marathon training eating up most of my energy. Adding to my low book count is the fact that I had not one but two books that went into my DNF pile. I try very hard to finish any book I start (there was one that took me two years but I finally finished it over this past summer). *My reviews may include spoilers.* I began the month by finishing Dark, Witch & Creamy, the first book in the Bewiched by Chocolate Series by H.Y. Hanna. This had been a free download to my Kindle and falls into the fluffy read category. I loved the chocolate connections and appreciated the overall clean feeling to the book. For some reason I expected more romance even though the blurb does not lean that direction. I would pick up the next book in the series if I saw it was available at the library. However, I could not get into my book club this month: Answer as a Man by Ta...