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Just dropping by to recommend NOT reading The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver. It's YA Lit. I don't think I've read a more poorly executed book with a great premise (other than The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler). It was so bad. It was a South Carolina Book Award nominee for 17-18 (not seeing how).

The plot is identical twins are in an accident. One dies. The other takes over her life for the dumbest of reasons.




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What didn't you like about the Future of us? I remeber really liking it when it came out but its been years so I'm fuzzy on the details. Thanks for the heads out about The secrets wee keep. I had that on my goodreads list but was hearing mixed reviews
 
I just finished Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain – I'm maybe the last foodie in the world who hadn't read it until now. It's a weird mix of memoir, exposé, recipe book and Zagat guide, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now I'm streaming through the Hamilton biography by Chernow, because of course. And his Washington biography is next on the reading list.
 
What didn't you like about the Future of us? I remeber really liking it when it came out but its been years so I'm fuzzy on the details. Thanks for the heads out about The secrets wee keep. I had that on my goodreads list but was hearing mixed reviews

I don't remember. I read it over 3 years ago i'm sure. According to Goodreads, I gave it 1 star and said it was a great idea and great concept but ultimately fell short (basically what I said in my other post....so I'm consistent )

A lot of the other reviews say the generally the same thing


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I just finished Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain – I'm maybe the last foodie in the world who hadn't read it until now. It's a weird mix of memoir, exposé, recipe book and Zagat guide, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now I'm streaming through the Hamilton biography by Chernow, because of course. And his Washington biography is next on the reading list.

****Skip my post if you're sick of reading about Hamilton (because I'm getting there too)****

If you're not American History-ed out after those two books and want to keep reading from the "Books Lin Probs Read to Write Ham" reading list, you should check out "The Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis. It goes a little more in depth about things that were in the musical that aren't directly about Hamilton himself. Like they talk about "Code Duello" (The 10 Duel Commandments), how the founding fathers KNEW history was happening and KNEW history was watching them (History Has It's Eyes on You), and Burr's downfall (The Election of 1800/Your Obedient Servant/The World was Wide Enough). There are phrases in the musical that seem almost plagarised from this book so like, you know Lin has an annotated copy of this book somewhere.

My favorite part of the book/the part that was mind blowing to me was a part that was briefly discussed in the musical and that Lin got a LOT of flack about. It talks about why they couldn't address slavery at the founding of our country and how complicated it was for them to be declaring independence while keeping slaves. It was very, very interesting and I think Lin not blatantly talking about it in the musical was a very clever way of portraying the way it was handled (according to the book) in real life. Like, of all the things he wrote in the musical, it's what he didn't say and learning the reason behind it that really floored me.

But the book is a good read. It's not an expansive, detailed retelling of history like an autobiography - its more like a collection of tiny, in depth glimpses of the lives of the founding fathers and their character. Quite interesting.
 
I don't remember. I read it over 3 years ago i'm sure. According to Goodreads, I gave it 1 star and said it was a great idea and great concept but ultimately fell short (basically what I said in my other post....so I'm consistent )

A lot of the other reviews say the generally the same thing


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That's interesting. I might have to reread it and see what I think now
 
****Skip my post if you're sick of reading about Hamilton (because I'm getting there too)****

If you're not American History-ed out after those two books and want to keep reading from the "Books Lin Probs Read to Write Ham" reading list, you should check out "The Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis. It goes a little more in depth about things that were in the musical that aren't directly about Hamilton himself. Like they talk about "Code Duello" (The 10 Duel Commandments), how the founding fathers KNEW history was happening and KNEW history was watching them (History Has It's Eyes on You), and Burr's downfall (The Election of 1800/Your Obedient Servant/The World was Wide Enough). There are phrases in the musical that seem almost plagarised from this book so like, you know Lin has an annotated copy of this book somewhere.

My favorite part of the book/the part that was mind blowing to me was a part that was briefly discussed in the musical and that Lin got a LOT of flack about. It talks about why they couldn't address slavery at the founding of our country and how complicated it was for them to be declaring independence while keeping slaves. It was very, very interesting and I think Lin not blatantly talking about it in the musical was a very clever way of portraying the way it was handled (according to the book) in real life. Like, of all the things he wrote in the musical, it's what he didn't say and learning the reason behind it that really floored me.

But the book is a good read. It's not an expansive, detailed retelling of history like an autobiography - its more like a collection of tiny, in depth glimpses of the lives of the founding fathers and their character. Quite interesting.


Thanks for the reading list lol I am obsessed with Hamilton. I haven't gotten to Chernow yet but I want to read it before I see the show this summer. I must say my Hamilton obsession has made focusing in my American Political thought class very difficult lol Every time someone mentions one of the founding fathers my brain starts singing the soundtrack.
 
****Skip my post if you're sick of reading about Hamilton (because I'm getting there too)****

If you're not American History-ed out after those two books and want to keep reading from the "Books Lin Probs Read to Write Ham" reading list, you should check out "The Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis. It goes a little more in depth about things that were in the musical that aren't directly about Hamilton himself. Like they talk about "Code Duello" (The 10 Duel Commandments), how the founding fathers KNEW history was happening and KNEW history was watching them (History Has It's Eyes on You), and Burr's downfall (The Election of 1800/Your Obedient Servant/The World was Wide Enough). There are phrases in the musical that seem almost plagarised from this book so like, you know Lin has an annotated copy of this book somewhere.

My favorite part of the book/the part that was mind blowing to me was a part that was briefly discussed in the musical and that Lin got a LOT of flack about. It talks about why they couldn't address slavery at the founding of our country and how complicated it was for them to be declaring independence while keeping slaves. It was very, very interesting and I think Lin not blatantly talking about it in the musical was a very clever way of portraying the way it was handled (according to the book) in real life. Like, of all the things he wrote in the musical, it's what he didn't say and learning the reason behind it that really floored me.

But the book is a good read. It's not an expansive, detailed retelling of history like an autobiography - its more like a collection of tiny, in depth glimpses of the lives of the founding fathers and their character. Quite interesting.
Oh I doubt I'll get sick of reading about Hamilton and Washington any time soon.

American history is something I developed an interest in after school actually. At school it often felt like my teachers rattled on about the specifics of the Bill of Rights, and skipped over the stuff that I found more interesting (like the gory details of duels, and battles, and the insane personal lives of the Founding Fathers). So I love books and documentaries that focus on the background behind important events in our history, and admit that these people weren't saints, they were flawed and fascinating human beings.

Will have to pop the Ellis book on my reading list.
 
If anybody would like to cry their eyes out then I would recommend Mischling by Affinity Konar. I finished it a couple of days ago and I'm still thinking about it. It's about twins in Auschwitz who are under the care of Josef Mengele and then they get separated as the camp is liberated. One of the best books I've ever read. Trying to read The Mayor of Casterbridge right now, but I'm having a little trouble getting into it, especially after a long day of studying.

I semi-recently read The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (cried a bit too, but I LOVED that book) and finished His Bloody Project by Graeme MaCrae Burne a couple of weeks ago. His Bloody Project was fantastic! I read it in two days I couldn't put it down. Creepy, but a good psychological thriller.

Just realized I finished 3 of the books that I really wanted to read in my previous post. I started Hamilton, but didn't get very far and gave up haha (I think I'll pick it back up once I'm done with the CPA) and have yet to start 11/22/63.

What books are you guys reading this summer?
 
Just finished A Million Junes by Emily Henry as part of my book of the month club which was a quick, easy read; Also have The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid from my box this month to read next. (Shameless plug for BOTM membership referral link: Join Book of the Month today! | Book of the Month )

Also next up not from BOTM:
The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs because I like to torture myself with emotions
The Reminders by Val Emmich
 
I'm currently reading The Hate U Give and highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

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I'm currently reading The Hate U Give and highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

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It's so amazing. I bought it at the airport and spent my entire 5 hour flight reading without putting it down.
 
I'm currently reading The Hate U Give and highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

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My niece read it in one day over spring break and messaged the author (Angie Thomas) on Instagram and she replied. My mother is going to take her to meet the author this November at YALLFest


I literally just got finished creating a unit plan on it 2 weeks ago.
I'm co teaching this book with an ELA teacher to 8th graders this fall.


If you like THUG, I recommend How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon and Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil by Lesley Spann


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There are two books that I love - Stephen King's "Carrie" (it's way better than any screen adaptation) and Dante's "Divine Comedy".
 
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