Books I Have Read in the Past Year

• Night by Elie Wiesel
• The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
• Typical American by Gish Jen
• Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter by Adeline Yen Man
• Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan
• One Man's Bible by Gao Xingjian
• The Lost Daughters of China by Karin Evans

I have to say I have enjoyed each of these books. I think my favorites are The Good Earth and Night. Though I really like the way Gish Jen writes. Typical American was a very different story that had a nice rhythm to the writing. I am currently reading One Man's Bible. Gao Xingjian is the first Chinese recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. I am on chapter 6, so I have a long way to go. The writing style has taken a little getting used to.

Now, I have many, many other books with my children and students as well. A few of the children's books... not pictures books, I have read this year are:

• The Ravenmaster's Secret: Escape from the London Tower by Elvira Woodruff
• How Tia' Lola Came to (Visit) Stay by Julia Alvarez
• Granny Torelli Makes Soup
• The Million Dollar Kick by Dan Gutman
  
• Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry
• The Power of Un
• Owen Foote Super Spy by Stephanie Greene

Now, for picture books, since I read these with Riley, it is so different. He loves to have the same books read over and over again. A few of his favorites are:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Bob's Birthday
  
• Blue Goes to the Dentist
• Firetrucks
• Shaoey and Dot
• ANYTHING Elmo