One of my classic reading conundrums involves choosing books that take place in the education world. On one hand, it’s not always much of an escape due to my own career teaching. On the other hand, it’s kind of fun to read different perspectives and stories that still share similarities with my own. Luckily, Prep has a great balance – I could relate and laugh at many shared insights, but the protagonist’s reality is very unique and significantly different from my own experiences. Sittenfeld is an expert at pulling her readers into her superbly crafted worlds, whether they be education or political, and Prep is no exception.

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And now for the best of the best! My top four (okay, five) favorite books to teach high school students…

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It’s that time of the year filled with candy, costumes, pumpkins, and maybe a black cat or two, but I for one have not read any scary novels lately! I actually don’t find myself reading much (or any) horror, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved a good suspense story.

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If I thought preparing papers and projects and planning (alliteration unintended!) for finals last week was crazy-busy, boy was I in for a treat this week, which I spent GRADING the papers, projects, and exams previously assigned, finalizing quarter grades, and working on next quarter’s curriculum. In other words, it’s been a tough, exhausting week. Thankfully, second quarter brings about the unit study over one of my favorite pieces of literature to teach, Romeo and Juliet (#6). Before we discuss our favorite tragic, Elizabethan-era tale (unless you have another?), we’ll start with an excellent, spooky, perfect-for-fall read.

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It’s first quarter finals time for this teacher, so I’ve been busy creating essay assignments, projects, exams, and reviews. Oh, and let’s not forget the time spent on the piles and piles of work to be graded (at least the tic in my eye from last year’s finals time has not made another appearance – yet!). Anyway, I haven’t had as much time to read as I usually like. Right now I’m working on Anne Fortier’s Juliet and have been really enjoying her modern-meshed-with-historical retelling of Shakespeare’s classic tale. So, in honor of the sure-to-be-classic I’m currently reading as well as my present and total immersion in all things teaching, I decided a list of my favorite books and plays to teach would be the perfect post for today.

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Sometimes after a rough day, you need a book to just be really, really funny. Kristin Gore’s pair of books, Sammy’s Hill and Sammy’s House, certainly fits the bill. And because Gore is a Harvard grad, former SNL writer, and of course, the daughter of VP Al, she has an intelligent, hilarious, and insightful style when writing about life and politics.

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Here’s another example of a terrific read I found simply strolling the bargain bin, this time at Books A Million. However, it’s definitely worth full price as it will stick with you for a while. I had to grab it when I saw that the setting is small-town Kansas. I feel like I often read books starring glamourous, independent and plucky heroines set in big cities or far away locations, so reading this bildungsroman (or coming-of-age novel), set in the Midwest during the 1980s, was a great change of pace.

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The premise of One Day sounds completely intriguing: the relationship of two friends, confidantes, and possible soul-mates is revealed with a peek at just one day – the same day – over the course of twenty years. I gave myself a good two weeks to read One Day before the movie came to theaters, and hoped to love it enough to eagerly anticipate the movie (author Nicholls is the screenwriter too, always a good sign). Unfortunately, the book was such a disappointment that I could barely finish reading it, much less even consider watching the movie. Saved a good 20-30 bucks on movie tickets – my husband thanks you, Mr. Nicholls! In fact, I probably won’t even spring the dollar for Redbox – that’s how much I don’t want to see this movie (and of course, how much I did not like the book).

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I can’t help but to compare The Measure of a Lady to Redeeming Love; the setting is 19th century San Francisco, during the California gold rush decadence; the protagonist is a headstrong, young single woman, trying to navigate romantic and family relationships; and at the center of the story is a message of God’s love and forgiveness that extends to all. However, The Measure of a Lady is decidedly better, offering an original and applicable story, relatable, realistic, and more nuanced characters, a snappier and more absorbing pace, and simply higher quality story-telling.

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What would it be like to be stuck in a child’s body forever as a result of a genetic abnormality? How do others deal with various conditions that define their lives? How do you reconcile your adult life with your childhood and familial identity? The Condition explores all of these questions with sensitivity and depth.

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