Sunday, October 31, 2010

Weekly Wrap-up for October 31, 2010: Monthly Wrap-up and My Really Good News. :)

Wow, I cannot believe that October is over. It seems like a whirlwind thinking back on all of the things I accomplished here on the blog and personally. November is going to be even crazier with my park job ending, NaNoWriMo, and moving into a new apartment!

So, what did I do in October? Well, I participated in the 24-Hour Read-a-thon for the second time and was fairly happy with the reading I did. I also felt that it helped me connect to the book blogging community more than I have in the past. I also made it a goal to comment more on the blogs I follow, which is something I am always working on, as well as searching for new bloggers that catch my interest. I added quite a few to my blogroll and while it is becoming a lot of posts to read each day, I love all the bookish posts.

I also read a great number of books! Here are the titles I completed:
  • Villette by Charlotte Bronte
  • Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
  • The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot
  • Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  • The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery
  • A Separate Peace by John Knowles
  • Bleak House by Charles Dickens
  • Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
I am THISCLOSE to finishing A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, so I might be adding one more title by the time I hit my pillow tonight. It was a great reading month and I am proud I made it through some heavy titles.

I just decided to go back and revisit some of my childhood favorites as a way to relax during this coming month. I made a nice big list, but I'm not sure how many I'll get through by the end of November. I'm already feeling a pull to a couple titles off my classic list, so this little diversion might not even last that long.

I am also making plans to tackle one of the scariest books on my list in December. Rebecca is taking on War and Peace by the one and only Tolstoy, and I think I am going to read it with her, after I get a copy of course.


But nothing tops what happened this week, and why I have been a little absent.

I interviewed for a long-term sub job at a high school in my home town on Thursday morning. Friday afternoon I accepted a job subbing for the teaching who is going on maternity leave. :) I'll be working and teaching for at least 12 weeks in January. I get to do my own lesson plans and have a classroom of my own for awhile. :)

I was jumping for joy when I got the call. This is an excellent opportunity to get some more experience for the resume in a great school district.

I'm going to be teaching a combination of English and history. I already know that besides teaching a research paper, I'll also be teaching The Crucible and Of Mice and Men.

I am really, really excited. :)

This is probably going to mean less reading time during those weeks, but it will be well worth it.

Anyway, I am going to go edit some more posts and finish A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Happy Reading everyone!

15 comments:

  1. Congrats on the good news!!!! That's awesome!

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  2. Wow, congratulations! What an incredible month for you. I hope November is just as great :)

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  3. Congratulations! And I'm in awe of your October reading list.

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  4. congrats on your good news great read-athon results

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  5. That is great news! Sounds like it will be a really good experience. Yay!

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  6. Oh, Allie, I am so glad for you!!
    My mum and I send you the best wishes!
    It seems like 2011 is going to be a great year for you, CONGRATULATIONS!

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  7. Congratulations on the upcoming job! I just finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn this week as well. I'm looking forward to your review.

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  8. Congratulations!!! I'm so happy for you.

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  9. Congratulations Allie. I'm so happy and proud of you. The kids in this school are going to be so lucky to have you as a substitute teacher. They could not be put into better hands. Looking forward to a great New Year-2011. Love, Mom

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  10. Congrats on the teaching job, and i'm impressed by how much you have read!

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  11. Congratulations! I'm so happy for you. Of Mice and Men should be fun to teach, and I remember enjoying The Crucible when I was in school.

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  12. Congrats on the new job! I hope it leads to another great (and permanent) opportunity. :)

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  13. Congratulations on the job! I know how hard you have worked to get one and this sounds like a good opportunity to expand your CV.

    As for the books you read, it looks like you had a great month. I know you complained about not reading enough, but look at the kind of books you finished!

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  14. So glad to hear about the job! Congrats! You can always come to us to help you grade the papers :D

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  15. That's awesome!! I know how badly you want to teach, and to get to teach literature? Excellent news! Congrats!!

    Also, I'm really excited you're doing a person kids' book challenge in November. Can't wait to read your thoughts. :-)

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