Here in America, November is a time when we give thanks. This tradition goes back to one of the founding groups of our country, a religious group called the Pilgrims, who after they barely escaped mass starvation, got together with the American Indians who helped them learn to farm and gave thanks. It’s halfway a harvest celebration, halfway a religious observance of thankfulness, halfway an excuse to eat WAY too much traditional food, and halfway the bringing in of the Christmas season.
Other countries have similar holidays, but perhaps in an attempt to ward off premature Christmas spirit, we’ve taken to focusing on thankfulness for the whole month of November!
This year I’m thankful for so many things. I’m thankful that my family is happy, healthy, and employed. I’m thankful that though my pregnancy hasn’t been easy, it’s been complication free. I’m thankful that my football team hasn’t just had winning season, something that was a pipe dream back in August, they’re having an AMAZING season! And I’m thankful for you guys. Both my followers and the friends I’ve made. Y’all have really helped me stay positive through a difficult school year. So this November, I really want to say THANK YOU.
But books, too. There’s a couple of books I’m thankful for this year, and every year.
Harry Potter
While this might seem obvious to some of you, I can’t even begin to express all the reasons I’m thankful to J.K. Rowling for writing the Harry Potter series. If it weren’t for HP neither my brother or my mom would be people you would describe as “readers”. I was heavily involved in the HP fandom back when Pottermore was in its heyday, and I made some really good friends that way.
And, of course, Harry Potter changed who I am as a person. I learned so much from those books, and I grew so much while reading them. I’m especially thankful that Harry Potter was popular during my formative years, because I got the opportunity to read them when they were still new and popular, but while I was still impressionable enough to be shaped by them. There’s so much research out there showing how kids who read Harry Potter are more accepting and empathetic toward those who are different.
Plus, you know, just great, fun reading.
Everything by Rick Riordan
As a teacher, I’m so thankful that Uncle Rick is continuing to write books that kids enjoy and look forward to reading, but that are at a harder reading level than Captain Underpants or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I also appreciate how his books challenge how kids see the world. Much like Harry Potter, there is so much to be learned about acceptance of yourself and others from Rick’s books. My kids with learning disabilities, dyslexia, and ADHD identify with Percy and his friends, and can learn so much about how their struggles aren’t weaknesses, but strengths.
Plus, again, fun reading. I’m hoping to re-read the original Percy Jackson series while I’m on maternity leave in 2018!
Pride and Prejudice
While not the first piece of classic literature I read, Pride and Prejudice is the first classic I remember falling in love with. It inspired me to read other classic novels, and that’s become my favorite genre. I love the old fashioned romance and sense of humor, and I love how so many different people are able to identify with the characters. There’s something universal about Darcy and Elizabeth, isn’t there?
And there have been so many amazing adaptations over the years! I don’t think I’m alone in enjoying some of those almost as much as the original. The Lizzy Bennett Diaries, anyone?
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and The 7 Habits of Healthy Kids
Maybe it’s a little inaccurate to say I’m thankful for the 7 Habits book, since I didn’t even make it through the first chapter. But I am beyond thankful for the Covey foundation and the training in the 7 Habits I’ve received. Habit 1 alone (being proactive) has literally changed my life. I am making such huge progress both in mental health and interpersonal skills. I love being part of a school that allows me to share all of this with my students, and I can’t wait for my kids to be old enough for me to share it with them. If all kids learned what my students are learning, the world would undoubtedly be a better place.
Prince Harry Boy to Man
This was my first ever ARC! While I don’t really have any plans to be one of those book bloggers who reads tons of ARCs or even exclusively ARCs, having read the couple I’ve had the chance to read has been very exciting. Prince Harry was especially exciting for me because I was contacted directly by William Kuhn based on a review I’d written of his first novel, Mrs. Queen Takes the Train, which I absolutely adored. I’m very thankful to have been involved in the release of his book. I really enjoyed it (it’s still in my Top 10 of 2017!), and if you like laughing or the royal family, you should give it a try.
What a wonderful idea for a top! I haven’t read the latter two, and I am reading my first Rick Riordan novel right now! Quite excited to see so much love given to the author!
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I hope you enjoy it! A lot of people I know didn’t like them as adults, but I think the key is to read it with a kid’s perspective. Just fun, not serious.
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What a sweet post! Harry Potter definitely plays a big role on who I wanted to become and fed my imagination as a kid, and I’m so thankful for it ❤
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Nice post 🙂 Pride and Prejudice did the exact same thing for me. It was a real struggle at first considering English in not my native language and it is written in that typical 18th century way. But once I got used to the language I fell in love and started reading other classics!
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It was a hard read for me at first too. I honestly don’t think I understood in any way that it was funny until the second time through.
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I too am thankful for Harry Potter and everything by Rick Riordan. Oh, and I absolutely agree about Pride and Prejudice and adaptations like The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Speaking of–have you read the books based off of the web series? The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet is nice because it expands on some of what happens during the show, but the real winner is The Epic Adventures of Lydia Bennet because it takes place after the show has ended and delves into how Lydia is growing and changing following the events of the show. It is definitely worth the read.
Oh, and good luck with your Uncle Rick reread during maternity leave in 2018.
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I think we’ve talked about the Lizzy Bennett books before. If not, then you think uncannily like one of my IRL friends! Lydia’s sounds like more fun. I’ve always hoped they would get together and do a “reunion” video, but I guess that’s probably a pipe dream.
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We may have discussed it before. Actually, we probably have. Then again, I’ll gush about LBD to anyone who shows the slightest interest in the show, lol.
Well there were the two videos with Lizzie and Darcy a year after the series wrapped, but that’s about it. I’d love a reunion video. Or a Jane book would be cool too, see how she and Bing are doing.
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I haven’t read the original 7 Habits, but I enjoyed 7 Habits for Teens by Stephen Covey’s son!
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His son wrote the Happy Kids book too, which is the one I read in school every week. The habits are the same, but the teen book is just less horribly dense.
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Oh cool! I didn’t know he wrote a kids version too.
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Love your selection. HP and P&P are forever part of me. I look forward to sharing Rick Riordan with my boys eventually.
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I can’t WAIT to read Percy Jackson with my son! Unlike HP i will probably save it until he’s old enough to read it with me.
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Lol. I hear ya.
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hehe bring on the eating too much 😉 Wish we had that in the UK 😉 And yup, I’m the same with HP- I’m so grateful to it for starting me off on my reading journey 😀 And I wish I’d read Percy when I was younger- I tried the first one recently and really enjoyed it, but I think I’d have liked it even more if I was ten years younger 😉 And I love Pride and Prejudice and omg I’ve watched that webseries more than once- it was so so good!! Love these choices so much 😀
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Great minds love the same things. 😀
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