Last Week
My name is Mary Lee Hahn, and I’m a member of the Nerdy Book Club. I could tell you the entire story of my membership, from my bookish childhood to the present, but instead, let’s pretend there’s a bookmark in my story and let’s open to one particular spot. Let’s start with last week.
Last week I finished listening to Monsters of Men in the Chaos Walking series.
If you are a member of the Nerdy Book Club, the above sentence will tell you volumes (pun intended) about me. You can empathize with the emotional rollercoaster Patrick Ness has taken me on over the past few months as I listened to all three books in the Chaos Walking series. You’ll know exactly when I cried, and you’ll know what moral and philosophical issues we could talk about into the night.
Two of the readers I most admire in the world recommended this series to me, and recommendations are one of the hallmarks of the NBC – if it weren’t for the joys of convincing another reader to fall in love with our (new or long-beloved) favorite books, there would be no CLUB in the Nerdy Book Club. Not only do we read, we talk about books, blog about books, and tweet about books. Now that I’ve completed Ness’ series, I’m connected to those two readers (and all the NBC readers who’ve read the series) in deep and complicated ways. We share a reading history.
Books build connections between readers and readers build connections between books. After finishing Monsters of Men, I needed to listen to a book that would heal my soul. On my Audible.com bookshelf was Charlotte’s Web, read by E.B. White – the perfect antidote for a dystopian future on a fictional planet: the cycle of life and friendship, anchored in the concrete details of Zuckerman’s farm. That’s another benefit of membership in the NBC: the knowledge that books can heal us. And did you notice what kind of shelf I went to in order to find my next read? It was my audio shelf. As a card-carrying member of the NBC, I have many shelves for my books: audio, e-book, poetry, cookbooks, adult, professional, and classroom, to name a few.
Not only do I have shelves, I have piles. Most NBC members do. There’s a To-Be-Read pile…and another, and another and another.
Time to stop writing and read. I finished Charlotte’s Web today, and I’ve already downloaded my next listen – Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks. Now…which TBR pile should I tackle…
Mary Lee Hahn
Mary Lee Hahn teaches 4th grade in Dublin, OH. She has belonged to the Nerdy Book Clubs know as the Cybils (she’s a round two poetry judge this year), the NCTE Notables, and the Central Ohio Kidlitosphere Bloggers. Ten years ago she wrote Reconsidering Read-Aloud. These days she blogs with Franki Sibberson at A Year of Reading, and writes occasionally for Choice Literacy.
Monsters of Men series is in my to read stack with Knife of Never Letting Go up to read over holiday break. I hear you on the book recommendations – my entire TBR shelf keeps growing instead of shrinking because of all of the wonderful NBC members on Twitter. Loved looking at your book stacks. Saw some familiar books there.
For those so inclined, I have a Chaos Walking Series discussion group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/109855269768/. All are welcome. Loved your post!
Somehow I have never heard of Audible, so I guess a thank you is in order for potentially adding to my monthly expenses. Also I probably just lost a NBC “point” by admitting that.
I too have found that I need to switch gears completely when I finish a “tough” read. However, I typically end up with something filled with humor. You are so much more literary by choosing E.B. White.
Thanks for sharing today.
Lately, as I’m reading a book I’ll think about my fellow #nerdbookclub members who I know have read the book and try to imagine them as they were reading the part I’m reading. It’s so cool to think how books connect us all over the world. Books are just cool. I love your bookstacks!!!! So cool to see them all in pictures like that.
I loved the Chaos Walking Series. I read it after The Hunger Games series and thought it was way better. You’ll enjoy Caleb’s Crossing. I read it over Thanksgiving break and loved it.
I find I have a hard time listening to audio books, I don’t get lost in the story like I do when I’m reading because I’m busy doing other things while I’m listening and I miss pieces.
I’m trying to imagine the pile that we haven’t mentioned yet–the missed titles pile (I’ve been going back and trying to read more of the “classic” children’s lit late this year). Oooh, or the “I Wish” TBR pile. My goodness, Mary Lee. So much to read. I just started a book by Feynman that Cindy Minnich sent to me. It just never ends, right? Thank you for sharing your post with us. You’re one of my go-to folks for new titles and for titles to use within the learning community!
I loved Monsters of Men and I’m still haunted by it a year after reading it. I appreciate what you had to say about readers connecting to books and building connections to other readers. I know that we share Monsters of Men (and Charlotte’s Web), and that tells me things about you. We share a bond because we both carry these books inside us. Wonderful post!
By the way, I saw Hound Dog True in one of your piles. You should read that next!
I have heard so much about the Chaos Walking series that I think I might just take my birthday money to Books-a-Million Wednesday and spend, spend, spend! I have found so many good books by being a member of the NBC and through tweeting (which I just found recently!). Thanks for your inspiring post!
Shannon
http://extremereadingandwriting.wordpress.com/