
Happy St Patrick’s Day! Usually, we make corned beef and cabbage and have soda bread but this year is a bit more regular and simple. I wore my green to a workshop on Friday.
An app called Readwise is linked to my Amazon account and therefore my kindle. I receive a once a week email including some of the highlights I have made in the books that I have read.
Here are some of the highlights I received this week. It is an interesting look into my reading history.
As a writing exercise, I will take a couple of these quotes and use them as freewriting prompts.
10% Happier by Dan Harris Working for Peter was like sticking your head in a lion’s mouth: thrilling, but not particularly safe. (Location 182)Y |
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This book was recommended to me by a coworker. It was interesting and I liked reading about meditation but it did not change my behavior around the practice. I did really like this line though.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah She wanted to bottle how safe she felt in this moment, so she could drink of it later when loneliness and fear left her parched. (Location 284) |
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I read The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See right after each other. I wished I could bottle safety myself and wish I would have written this line!
Dear Life by Alice Munro In fact they embraced it, diving into it and wrapping the familiar words round their tongues as if they were a candy that could last forever. (Location 209) |
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Being a short story writer I love Alice Munro. I only recently learned of her so this is a more recent read. I love words and the idea of them being candy like resonated with me.
Inside the Box by Drew Boyd and Jacob Goldenberg Subtraction works by eliminating an essential component of a system (a product or process). (Location 706) |
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This book was recommended by a speaker at the International Reading Association conference. It was about problem solving and was fascinating. I have gone back to this book on many occasions.
A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman Year’s resolution was to live his life like it’s an art project. (Location 2175) |
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Ah! Emily! If you are a reader of my blog you know I LOVE Emily P Freeman. I love projects and challenges and loved the equation of life to the project.
We Wanted to Be Writers by Eric Olsen, Glenn Schaeffer, and Bill Manhire Or try to walk, a walking meditation. Don’t talk. That scares away the light. (Location 3293)Y |
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I found out about the Iowa Writing Workshop from Oprah actually. Once I learned about this writing mecca I searched for everything I could read about the program and the writers. This book is only one of them.
A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit The stories shatter. Or you wear them out or leave them behind. Over time the story or the memory loses its power. Over time you become someone else. (Location 1348) |
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Solnit is a beautiful writer. I adore her patterns and style. Her words speak to me in a very mindful way.
Tangerine by Christine Mangan Tangier and Lucy were the same, I thought. Both unsolvable riddles that refused to leave me in peace. (Location 1632) |
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This was a book about friendship – or the illusion of it at least. I loved this line.
Creative Schools by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica Effective teaching is a constant process of adjustment… (Location 1724) |
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Ken Robinson! Oh yes! His books are fantastic and I love to hear his presentations on YouTube. He is brilliant.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford He’d do what he always did, find the sweet among the bitter. (Location 4260)Y |
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Such is life, yes? I read this book for a book club years ago. I would have never picked it up otherwise.
Thanks for reading and looking into a slice of my reading life! It is fun to revisit lines that struck me as I read. I am looking forward to the writing later too!
Happy Irish Sunday!
Note: I wrote my coffee share post yesterday – if you are looking for it it is day 16 this week.
Thanks for this post. Your reading list is impressive! I most love the thought of bottling a feeling of safety. So many students share that wish.
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Interesting, I’ve never used the facility to notate and save passages from my Kindle books, I’m certainly going to take a look at the Readwise app.
And well done on such a huge amount of reading! Great post x
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Wow – love your favorite lines. I was amazed at how many of these books I have read. I never save my favorite lines — you have inspired me to give that a try. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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If I read more digital books I would be SO into that app. I’ve created a readers’ notebook of #DeliciousWords where I jot down the lines like this to savor. I’m so impressed with your volume of reading-was this a week’s worth? My post today was on quick writing book reviews-I feel like we are so in sync! Do you ever tweet out and tag the authors with some of these free writes? They would be SOOOO appreciative that someone took time to celebrate their words. (and you’ve done it so marvelously) I’m going to check out a few of these titles I haven’t read yet. Thanks!!
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I write lines down too. The app just generates a certain number of lines and sends the email weekly. It isn’t a weeks worth of rdg. At one point in my life it could have been!!! I don’t tag authors but that is a wonderful idea!!!
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How cool that the app tracks your highlights and sends some back to you. What a great way to keep track of lines that speak to you. I haven’t yet taken the kindle plunge. Not sure why. What a great list of books.
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It took a lot of convincing from a teacher reader friend. I don’t just use it but I can check out library books and save lines. You can also access a book immediately if you are eager to read it NOW!!!!
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I do read occasionally on my Kindle but never to think to use the highlighting feature to save favorite lines. I need to try this! (And look for a couple of these books!)
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I don’t just use the Kindle for reading but it did make it easier to move books!!! Multiple bookshelves fit in my purse essentially
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A very kind post – not only book recs, but a reminder of this wonderful practice of lifting lines to inspire our students. Thank you for this.
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Those are sweet words. Thank you
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Okay, just copied this post! 🙂
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In this world, if we can remember Jamie Ford’s words z”to find the sweet among the bitter” and there is so much of that, we’ll find our way through. Thanks for this!
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This is awesome! You are quite the reader. I don’t use the app, but I do write down lines (of books that I have read) in my writer’s notebook (I read a ton of middle grade and young adult – so I have a ton of lines by Jason Reynolds, Cynthia DeFelice, and Kathryn Erskine – they all have a beautiful way with words). I am inspired by your post. Thank you!
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I am not an ebook reader, but your comment about having multiple bookshelves in your purse is certainly persuasive! I have heard so many things about Nightingale that I really do need to find that one! I need to be more consistent in writing down lines from books. Have you seen some of the work Penny Kittle has shared with beautiful words? Amazing!
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Coolest app ever and great way to write a slice – almost makes me wish I read more electronically. I like how you reflect on each quote and/or book. We seem to have similar reading tastes, so I’ve written down some of the books you recommend that I haven’t read. Love recommendations.
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I have been educated! Thank you for sharing this knowledge.
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Wow, what a Reading list! The quotes are inspirational; thank you for sharing the perks of this app!
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Amazing list. All of them!
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Some really good quotes in here, and I had to track this post down because I knew it had a name or two I’d want to check out myself. 😉 Alice Munro is one of them, so thanks for the recommendation!
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