Why aren’t you Reading……Top Thirteen Books to Read

Thirteen Thirteen Books You Should Read Friday Night Lights, (of course the book is better than the movie…God help us now with the TV show!) This is such a vivid description of what it must be like to be a part of a team that is an empire. Favorite Quote? “…the words of a father with a son who had gone to Permian and had later become a world class sprinter in track. He saw the irresistible allure of High School sports but he also saw the inevitable danger in adult’s living vicariously through their young. And he knew of no candle that burned out more quickly than that of the High School athlete. ‘Athletics lasts for such a short period of time. It ends for people. But while it lasts, it creates this make believe world where normal rules don’t apply. We build this false sense atmosphere. When it;s over and the harsh reality sets in, that;s the real joke we play on people….’ Everybody wants to experience that superlative moment and being an athlete can give you that. It’s Camelot for them. But there’s even life after it.” That resonates with me everytime I read it. My Losing Season This book shows the power of a good coach, the importance and what happens to a team that does not have a good coach…. It reminds me of a quote from another Pat Conroy book, Prince of Tides:”A coach occupies a high place in a boy’s life. If they are lucky, good coaches can become the perfect, unobtainable fathers that young boys dream about and rarely find in their own homes.” The Water is Wide It is all about this first year teacher (in Georgia) and how he learns to deal with crap….see my favorite quote. Failure is Not an Option Remember watching the Tom Hanks Apollo XIII movie? This is by the guy in the white vest & it is EXCELLENT! Remember the scene from the movie where they “have to fit a square peg in a round hole“? Well, the WHOLE BOOK is riddled with those goosebump moments…..from Mercury to Apollo. Longitude; The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time Wow, this combines old world Europe and science in the old country…….fab read! Undaunted Courage Stephen Ambrose is an all time fav, true, but the story itself! Jefferson dreamed such a big dream and Lewis & Clark carried out the seemingly impossible. All the scientific details of “undiscovered” flora and fauna – - – amazing! The Giver This book is set in a utopia and will blow your mind. Drop me a line when you read about the apple. All Harry Potter books – Don’t make me explain that they are not evil, they are well written and have gotten MANY children to turn MANY pages. 1776 This gave me a new appreciation for the fragility of the American Revolution from a military point of view – - and it drew me straight into the recent The Revolution Sunday evening episodes on the History Channel. This is only a history of that one year, but includes details I did not retain from American History. The DaVinci Code Okay, I do love a good controversy – it involves The Church too as a bonus! Seriously, you set in Europe, invoke centuries past, and write a good narrative on top of it and I will buy it. The Poisonwood Bible Yes, I found it through Oprah. This combines a few interesting themes for me: missionaries and colonial Africa…… a good historically based fiction read. Anything by Jane Austen (start with Pride & Prejudice, end with Emma); all young girls shoudl read this during middle school and beyond…….. I love Mr. Darcy! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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