I’m hoping to clean up my shelf of ‘to read’ books and have recently enjoyed three FICTION, three MEMOIR and three PROFESSIONAL TITLES published fairly recently. There’s still about a dozen more titles which I hope to get to as springtime unfolds. I don’t usually write about movies, plays and TV series I’ve enjoyed but in this posting I strongly recommend an unmissable Netflix series.
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>>>>> FICTION <<<<<
GOING HOME by Tom Lamont (2024)
The premise of this book intrigued me. The fate of a young toddler, Joel, is questionable when (spoiler aler) his mother, Lia, commits suicide. Ben and Teo were part of Lia’s friendship circle and because he offered to babysit one day, Teo know bears the responsibility of taking care of Joel. Ben and Teo have enjoyed a strong friendship since their youth. Teo has a responsible job that he rather enjoys. Ben is a rich self-indulgent chap. Are either of these two single guys prepared to be fathers? Will they? Two other characters add some dimension to the story: Sybil Challis is the rabbi at a local synagogue who’s duties to her congregation is wavering and Vic, Ben’s father who’s health is ailing. The setting is North London. Yes, an intriguing premise but as the novel plods on I became less and less interested in how fatherhood changes these two central characters. Skipping to the end to find out who Joel ends up would have been enough for me, but I avoid reading the ending of a book. I often like books where different sections are devoted to different characters but this device didn’t seem to add anything, especially as told from the third person voice. The author has readers do lots of inferring (sometimes from sentence to sentence). For example, we never learn much about Lia’s suicide (not that we need gruesome details), but I wondered about the shift from Joel’s life with his mother to coming to live in a new home. Why wasn’t there a chapter entitled ‘Lia’? Can’t say that I loved this novel. Oh well.
WHAT I KNOW ABOUT YOU by Eric Chacour (translated from the French by Pablo Strauss) (2023 / 2024)
Tarek’s life -map seems to be one that is pre-destined by his Christian father, mother and sister. He will get a proper education, become a doctor like his father, he will marry and have children. Those plans become topsy-turvy when Tarek meets Ali, a young man from a world that is different from the one Tarek leads.This beautifully written book by French Canadian author, Eric Chacour is the winner of several French literary prizes and was also shortlisted for a number of book awards, including Canada Reads, 2025. Originally published in 2023 it was a bestseller in its original Quebec edition which was then translated from the French by Pablo Strauss in 2024. The construction and choice of voices are intriguing and appealing strengths of this novel. Part One (You) is told in the 2nd person voice, Part Two (Me) in the first person and a Part Three (Us)serves as an epilogue to the story. There are 50 chapters in this 222 page novel. The story spans the years 1961 – 2001 and is presented in passages that go back and forth in time travelling from Egypt to Montreal to Boston. I was totally immersed in the life of Tarek as I learned about his loyalty to family, his work as a doctor, his troubled marriage and his life as a gay man. What I Know About You is a love story, albeit a sad, heartbreaking one. where shame and secrets smother the lives of a man, his lover, and a son that is unknown to him. Chacour’s writing is precise and masterful and deserved of any awards consideration. This book was highly recommended to me by two friends. I’m so glad I read it.
Excerpt (p. 76)
“It’s not my place to say what happened that night. I’ll never side with those who judge, but at the same time I’ll do my best not to imagine it. That part belongs to you, that’s all. I’ll settle for specualting on how obsession took hold in the days that followed.”
SHOUT OUT!
THE TREES by Percival Everett (2021)
“There is something really strange going on,” Jim said. “”I realize that’s obvious. but I mean something really, really strange.” (p. 250)
Percival Everett’s book JAMES, winner of several book awards (The National Book Award, Kirkus Prize, Carnegie Medal), was one of my favourite fictional reads in 2024. I figured it was time to dig into some other Everett books (He’s written over 30) and a friend recommended, The Trees, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, 2022. I’m grateful for my friend’s recommendation. I loved this novel. It is the story of brutal murders that began in Mississippi and quickly spread throughout the country. Not only are bloody bodies of white men discovered, but an unexpected second dead body is found in each crime scene, a body of a Blackman that resembls Emmett Till. Something strange is going on and a remarkable quirky cast of characters – and readers – are in for a wild ride to find out what that something is. The author digs into the history of racist White folks and the legacy of lynching in the United States. I was intrigued a from page to page and appreciated the rather short chapters that informed and entertained me. Are you ready for a satirical look at White Supremacy? The Trees is gruesome, provocative and funny, funny funny! More Percival Everett for me!
FYI: These characters names provide evidence of the author’s sharp wit: Hot Mama Yeller; Junior Junior; The Doctor Reverend Cad Fondle; Mama Z; McDonald McDonald; Herberta Hind; Helvitica Quip; Pick L. Dill.
>:>>>> MEMOIRS <<<<<
PLAYING WITH MYSELF by Randy Rainbow (2022)
Playing with Myself is a memoir that answers the question, “Can an introverted musical theatre nerd with a MacBook and a dream save the world, one show at a time?” (from book jacket)
Randy Rainbow (real name) is a remarkable talent. Randy Rainbow is wickedly funny. His satirical videos (particulary those criticizing Donald ‘Jessica Trump) have captured the attention of hundreds of thousands. Playing with Myself the ups and downs story of Randy’s (dare I say we are on a first-name basis?!) is fascinating indeed. The comedian digs into his early family life, his over-imaginative, introverted childhood, his love of his mother, his adoration of his grandmother, Nanny Irene, and his tumultuous relationship with his father. When he decides to make the brave leap to move from Florida to New York, Randy reveals himself to be a tenacious, spirited, hard-working individual as he pursues his dreams of ‘making it there’. Recounts of taking odd jobs (e.g., Hooters host), delving into the world of showbiz (working in a production and management office) and taking any come-what may opportunities to perform are worthy of applause. Embarking on the world of making videos in his apartment provided the opportunity to critically comment on politics and the news of the world (e.g., COVID) . Musical theatre runs through Randy’s blood and has given him a lifeline to take risks and make us laugh through his brilliant inventive lyrics and joyful (i.e., gay) productions. Reading this book has taken me through a rabbit hole of digging into some of popular YouTube video spoofs. His recent piece, “Defy Democracy”, taking another stab at DJT, , is hysterical. His ‘interview with Barbra Streisand is hilarious and last night at 1 a.m, iI woke up at 1 a.m to watch his lip-synching rendition of Patti Lupone’s audio book of her memoir. Funny! Funny! Funny!. Randy you are an entertainment hero. You are a hero for gays. Courageous and audacious, you are! (“Weird is good. Be weird.” (p. 23).I look forward to seeing you perform live some day. I look forward to reading your newest publication, Low Hanging Fruit. Carol Burnett, Patti Lupone, Audra Mcdonald and Stephen Sondheim are fans. I am too!
SHOUT OUT!
ALL THE LITTLE MONSTERS: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety by David A. Robertson (2025)
Brilliant author, David A. Robertson, has opened up his heart and his mind to describe his journey of living with – and through – anxiety. This memoir takes a plunge into the depths of confronting and competing with ‘all the little monsters’ who whisper in his ear ‘you can’t do this!’ Readers learn about the fears, the compulsions, the depression of Robertson struggles to get out of bed, to climb those stairs to ‘get on with it’. The honesty that Robertson sticks to as he recounts his experiences with anxiety and a heart condition, are presented, not only to get to learn about what the author is going through but is moreover written, to help others who are going through similar trials and let them know that they are not alone. There but for the grace of God, I do not suffer from anxiety, or know someone who does, but this book helped me understand in some way what those who deal with anxiety and depression might be going through. It also raised awareness to look around me and become aware of what someone, like Robertson, might be experiencing, even though I might never know that they are struggling with mental health issues. All the Little Monsters is a brave, intimate book. Accounts of family and friendship supports, therapy sessions, hospital visits , breakdowns, panic attacks and medications are heart-squeezing. I found myself turning down the corners of over a dozen pages as I read wise philosophical views of what the author was / is going through. As I read this book, I wanted to reach and out shake this mans and I was lucky enough to do so when I listened to him share his stories aloud during a conference session. David A. Robertson, you are a hero. This revelatory memoir is VITAL reading.
Astonishing to me is the fact that despite his mental health issues (because of them?) David A. Robertson continued to write and write and write. He is at the top of the heap of Canadian authors. As a Cree author his revelations of Indigenous issues are essential for readers young and old. He is prolific. He has won awards for his picture books When Were Alone and On the Trapline. His Misewa Saga series is enjoying popularity for middle-grade readers. I am very fond of a recent publication The Kodiaks which is a terrific novel about playing hockey, about being on a team and about confronting anti-Indigenous racism. His novel, The Theory of Crows and his memoir Black Water are staring at me from my book shelf and I look forward to reading both of them soon.
Some excerpts
“As far as I’ve come in my journey with mental health, Im intimately aware that its a journey with no finish line, and one that often has wrong turns that lead you back to a place you’ve already been.” (p..105)
“Sharing what I’ve been through and what I’m afraid of and then facing those fears by ignoring the voice that tells me to be afraid have all been a boon to my mental health.” (p. 143)
“I can do hard things. I repeat that in my mind these days, like a mantra, each time the voice in my ears tells me I can’t do something, even the smallest thing, even the most ridiculous things every day. / I can do hard things, and so can you.” (p. 173)
“I live with depression that comes and goes like the tide. Anxiety is always there with me, no matter what time of day, no matter what is going on in my life, and no matter where I am. I pack it in my suitcase with my socks and shirts and jeans, both what it was and what it is.” (p. 248)
SHOUT OUT!
SHATTERED by Hanif Kureishi
While I was browsing in. book store, the jacket cover caught my attention. A sombre beige background with the hanif kureishis name, the title of the book and the word memoir featured in a deep plum colour font, all in lower case. Filling the page in grey font are the words ‘two weeks ago a bomb went off in my life which has also shattered the lives of those around me. at least I haven’t lost the one thing that was most valuable to me which is the ability to express myself.” I was somewhat familiar with the author’s name: The Buddha of Suburbia (novel) ; My Beautiful Launderette (screenplay). Late in the year 2022 while relaxing in his apartment in Rome, Hanif Kureishi stood up, fell flat on his face, breaking his neck. Paralyzed, he could no longer walk. Over the next year, Kureishi was confined to hospital wards and was totally dependent on the care of others. Unable to move his hands to compose, the author , with the ability to speak, relied on family members to record his thoughts and feelings about what is happening to him as well as reflections on is life as a father, husband and creative life. Shattered is the results of this extraordinary process where the author reveals his views on parenthood, immigration, sex, psychoanalysis and the art of writing and his faith that he will one day be able to return to his home. The dispatches were edited, expanded and interwoven into the publication I held in my hand, a book that left me shattered, astounded by the heartbreaking honest account of loss, of pain, of dependency, of gratitude and hope. Fate is a funny thing. Ahh, the things we (I) take for granted! Strange how life can change in an instant and Kureishi’s memoir is a testimony to how resilience and love that can help to conquer calamity. This powerful book – harrowing and inspiring – will be on the list of my favourite reads of 2025.
Some excerpts
“It took some time to get used to the utterly serious nature of my injury and how life-changing and permanent it is. There’s no going back, though I wish all the time there was.” (p. 112)
“I exist in a constant state of panic, fear and tearfulness. I want to escape myself.” (p. 114)
“Wit is the brilliant expression of a truth, a way of exposing something with concision and effect, making the world seem like a brighter place…If I am funny, in conversation, it is something I had to learn and cultivate; it is a form of creativity, as is all conversation.” (p. 279)
“We are in constant development, never the same as yesterday. All the time we are changing, there is no going back. My world has taken a zig where previously it zagged; it has been smashed, remade and altered, and there is nothing I can do about it. But I will not go under; I will make something of this.” (p. 323)
>>>>> PROFESSIONIAL TITLES <<<<<
FAIL-SAFE STRATEGIES FOR SCIENCE AND LITERACY by Sandra Mirabelli and Lionel Sandner (Pembroke Publishers, 2023)
This is an excellent – important – teacher resource where the two authors connect science and language arts by focusing on how students use literacy strategies to learn key science concepts. Mirabelli and Sandner share their expertise and provide research designed to introduce thinking routines in the classroom (Chapter 3). Especially noteworthy is the offering of 25 hands- on science-literacy strategies where students are encouraged to Observe and Wonder; Predict and Infer; Sort and Categorize; Analyze and Interpret; Conclude and Apply. Activities such as ‘Can You Lift This?’; ‘Kissing Candles’; ‘Piercing Pencils’ and ‘Reaction in a Bag’ are outlined with clarity, step by step instructions and accessible reproducible graphic organizers. Fail-Safe Strategies for Science and Literacy an engaging resource that gives teaches confidence as they strive to integrate reading, writing, listening and speaking into science content in order to help students make sense of the world.
THE HEART-CENTERED TEACHER: Restoring Hope, Joy and Possibilities in Uncertain Times by Regie Routman
(An Eye on Education Book / Routledge, 2024) / available through Pembroke Publishers in Canada.
This title was outlined in a previous posting but I have since re-visited the book in order to dig into Routman’s wise views about striving to be a teacher with heart.
In the book’s opening, ‘A Letter to Readers’, the author’s lead sentence reads: “My goal, dear reader is to write to you like I’m talking to you, as a fellow traveler on life’s winding road, to share my journey with candor and humility.” I’m always eager to dig into a new Regie Routman publication, and when I read over the table of contents, I knew that this recent release would be a must-read. With chapter headings such as ‘Loving Our Students’, ‘Promoting Equitable Opportunities’ ‘Championing the Reading/ Writing Connection’, and ‘Becoming our Truest Selves’, I knew that the author would help us to think carefully about “developing, nurturing and sustaining caring relationships — in our teaching lives, our home lives, and in the happy intersection of both.” Routman conveys such topics as Telling Our Stories, Science of Reading, Seeking Mentors, Libraries, Living with Loss, The Importance of Friendships, Reading Aloud, Choosing and Using Literature, and Establishing a Reading Life.Particularly noteworthy is Chapter 5, ‘Developing Professional Knowledge’, which is essential reading for classroom teachers, consultants and administrators.
At the heart of Regie Routman’s professional and personal journey are stories; stories of working with young people (particularly marginalized children) tutoring an adult, professional experiences as a writer, speaker, and consultant in residency projects, tributes to friends, colleagues and family. Noteworthy too is the wealth of practical strategies that I (we) need to consider to improve our practice and our relationships. A new Regie Routman publication is not only a cause to “nourish the heart, mind and spirit” but a cause for reflection and celebration.With The Heart-Centered Teacher, she invites us to consider where we are and points toward the path for what we could be, what we should be, as educators. Routman has abs0lutely met the challenge of providing a professional title that helps us consider the importance of ‘Restoring Hope, Joy and Possibility in Uncertain Times’.
Reading this book with pencil in hand, I chose to put check-marks, question marks and asterisks in the margin alongside ”aha’ passages that invited me to pause, to wonder and to question. Here are a few of Regie Routman’s pearls of wisdom:
Considering a Joyful Inclusive Culture
“… a welcoming and caring culture is a necessity for high, schoolwide achievement and that we all have the opportunity and responsibility to work to make the culture a positive one for learning and living.” (p, 83)
Considering the Human Element
“…first and foremost – before any subject matter – we are teaching unique human beings and relating content to their strengths, knowledge, interests, needs and culture.” (p 101)
Considering the Science of Reading
“From the start, we must view learning to read asa language and thinking process,not just a sounding-out words process. Reading and comprehension must be our first and primary goal in teaching reading, and phonics is but one necessary tool in this multi-dimensional process. (pp. 114-115)
Considering Delight and Meaning
“However and wherever we teach, I believe delight, wonder and meaning must be at the center of creating an intellectually, and emotionally environment for all learners.” (p. 146)
Considering Great Literature
“You can’t make a great fruit tart from a second-rate fruit, just as you can’t teach reading well without first-rate literature.” (p.181)
LITERACY INSTRUCTION: Practical evidence-ebased classroom strategies to inspire studnet readers and writers by Karen Filewych (Pembroke Publishers) (2025)
Karen Filewych newest publication provides a practical, clear overview of the components of an effective literacy program. The book elementary teachers a guide to a wide range of strategies grounded in research.Chapter titles include ‘Preparing your Classroom for Literacy Instruction’; The Role of Language in Our Classrooms’; ‘Planning: Your Year, Your Week, Your Lessons’. Literacy Instruction is accessible and comprehensive by providing a wealth of reading and writing and talk and word study lessons the book. Key terminology, methods and research are woven throughout It’s a terrific resource to help teachers to not only reflect on their programs but to plan effective literacy instruction to help enrich literacy success for all. Hooray for Karen for providing novice and experienced teachers a gem of a professional book.
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SHOUT OUT!
>>> NETFLIX MINISERIES <<<
ADOLESCENCE
This is a four part miniseries. It received 100% favourable ratings from the crtitics. Each episode is filmed in one continuous shot (Amazing!). The story is centred on a a 13 year old boy, Jamie Miller who is arrested for murdering teenage girl in his school. Episode #1 unpacks the boy’s arrest and police questioning; Episode #2 is the detectives searching for the knife that was used and also searching for a motif; Episode #3 features an interview between a therapist and Jamie (Note: This one hour is the most staggering one hour to be seen on Television this year… the critics agree). Episode #4, explores the impact of the crime on family as well digs into the guilty feelings of the mother and father. Each performance in the series is deserved of an award. Kudos to the writers, Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham (who also plays the father – brilliantly!) .Adolescence is harrowing, tough stuff that has viewers thinking about many tough issues, i.e. social media, parenting, bullying, nature or nurture, toxic masculinity and incel culture (incel =_ involuntary celibate, usually heterosexual males who are frustrated by their lack of sexual experience and so blame, objectify and denigrate women). Adolescence is not a ‘whodunit’ crime, but probes the why of killing acts. I’m sure I won’t see a better streaming series this year / this decade. Powerful- and and unmissable!