Welcome to Litsy!

I just did not enjoy this one that much. Something with the authors style bothered me.

#BookNDinner! #TexasRoadhouse Edition. Accompaniment this cold and busy evening was: 12 oz. ribeye with mushrooms, loaded baked potato (minus the sour cream), garden salad, rolls, and iced tea. MMMMmmm 😋! Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

Reading with Patrick wasn't at all what I was expecting. It was really helpful in humanizing everything I learned in The New Jim Crow and showing the effect the system has on people and how hard it can be to change the possibilities of people stuck in it. It's a good book for anyone who needs to see how it all plays out in life in order to understand the changes that need to be made.

Felt more like a cathartic writing exercise for Kuo than a book about Patrick, et. al. I found myself bored with the extended sections about her and wanted more about him, his family, history, culture, current state of affairs in the Delta etc. Perhaps this would have been better suited to a pared down essay.

#QuotsySept18 Day 6: #Read this memoir written by Michelle Kuo. Powerful. Eviscerating. Profoundly moving. I used a great deal of quotes from her book in my keynote speech this morning when I talked about Reading for Resistance, Reading for Emancipation, Reading for Transformation.

❤️

#QuotsyJune18 Day 26: Michelle Kuo has raised so many incisive and soul-searching questions that all teachers should definitely #Ponder on in this immensely powerful reading memoir. Never have I been so deeply moved by a memoir written by an educator.

In this moving and inspiring memoir of a teacher that didn't give up on her student, Kuo shares the story of her mentorship of Patrick and his incredible journey of self-discovery through literature and writing. Kuo is also taken on her own journey as she is forced to navigate through several broken systems, racism, social standing, privilege, and relationships. Friendship comes unexpectedly and you never know your impact on someone else's life.

Finally, a fierce Asian American voice that approximates my truth, articulates my shame, and pierces the seemingly impenetrable armour of what it means to be educated - or be an educator navigating one‘s way along a land that does not claim you as one of its own. Ultimately, I find comfort in the truth that Home is where the books are. I have only just finished reading Part 1 and I already feel that my heart has been ripped out of my chest.

#JuneItsElectrifying Day 19: This nonfiction book definitely has a #ForOurCountry vibe with a Harvard-educated Taiwanese-American who chose to teach around the Mississippi Delta to make meaning of her life, and uphold a grassroots-initiated revolutionary movement through literature and education with the country‘s poorest of the poor.

Happy National Independent Bookstore Day!!

“One can only face in others what one can face in oneself. What an enlightening book that taught me a lot about the Mississippi Delta which is an area I knew very little about. It has been such an inspiring book.

This book is about the combined power of human connection and education and the impact that can make on individuals and ultimately on society. I was inspired by Michelle Kuo's approach to teaching and loved to watch Patrick find meaning in some of the texts they studied. This a quick and easy read that leaves you feeling hopeful.

A memoir of a young idealistic teacher working in the Mississippi Delta, Reading with Patrick interacts with systemic racism, inequality, and injustice against the backdrop of literature. When her student, Patrick, is charged with first degree murder, Michelle Kuo returns to the rural town of Helena Arkansas to support and teach Patrick from within the jail walls. I found this thoroughly engaging, devouring it in one sitting.

Excellent look into teaching, criminal justice and cultural differences in the US.

#newyearreads #Underrated
Went with an article for this post maybe a book or so in the link to add to you TBR list
www.google.com/amp/s/www.newyorker.com/culture/2017-in-review/four-books-that-deserved-more-attention-in-2017/amp#ampshare=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2017-in-review/four-books-that-deserved-more-attention-in-2017
@bookloo @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

The more things change...

I did not know Arkansas celebrated Lee and MLK, and on the SAME day! Turns out Arkansas repealed this law on May 2017; only Alabama and Mississippi still celebrate a confederate general and a slain civil rights leader on the same day: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/03/arkansas_ends_dual_holiday_for.html

This book is a raw, authentic look at what it‘s like to volunteer with Teach for America in the Southern Delta. Michelle gives a fresh perspective about what it‘s like to teach in a low income area though the lens of her student Patrick. It‘s a beautiful account that is much-needed. We have a Q&A on the blog today where Michelle talks more about the book, her process, and what it‘s been like since the book came out.
readingwomenpodcast.com/blog

Just tell stories. #epigraph #ToniMorrison

This book reminded me of the incredible people that devote their lives to minimal pay & thanklessness because they have a passion for kids that trumps their monetary desires. It‘s a story of heartbreak & despair, but also one of hope. It continues the conversation of institutional racism & the devastating consequences of our educational system - especially in the more disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Touching and honest book about Michelle Kuo's time teaching in Arkansas and her relationship with a student, Patrick. After she has left teaching and completed her law degree, she finds out that he is in jail for murder. She delays her start at her job and goes back to Arkansas to find out what happened. The time they spend together while he is in jail focus on reading and writing and his love of books is a key element in their friendship

The 2017 #ReadingWomenAward nonfiction shortlist continues with READING WITH PATRICK by Michelle Kuo⠀

“A compelling story that is well-researched and thoughtful. Kuo doesn‘t over glamorize or sentimentalize the student-teacher relationship she has with Patrick – it‘s refreshing and thought provoking. I don‘t know why more people aren‘t talking about it.”⠀

Very interesting story.

Loved this memoir - so well grounded in social scientific research about race, inequality, education, and mass incarceration. And it‘s about books and reading. ❤️ Wanted to learn even more about Patrick and his family and community, but I also respected Kuo‘s reflective process of considering to what extent Patrick‘s story was hers to tell. She wrote with great care and respect but was also brave enough to examine many painful realities.

Dusk from my hammock. One of the palm trees is showing signs of life. I'm finally getting around to reading this one which #NetGalley approved a while ago.

This is a memoir - about the authors experience as a teacher with Teach-America in the Delta of Helena Arkansas. In it she touches on many insights to racial, social, criminal and educational injustices and how her bond with a student, Patrick, impacts her as she attempts to impact his life and others she teaches. Hers is a story that holds your attention. I felt inspired as much as I felt disbelief. I highly recommend. Teachers are special people

Packed this book for my return flight back to Florida from California. Have been wanting to read since I found it on the shelves in August. recommended by the manager of the Avid Bookshop in Athens, Ga. what a great place!

#TBRtemptation post 4! Recently released. After graduating from Harvard, Kuo went to Helena, Arkansas--in one of America's poorest counties--as a Teach For America volunteer. After a couple years, she heads to law school; but then, she learns that her student Patrick Browning has been jailed for murder. She returns to help him in his cell. For 7 months, they read classics, poems, and history. This is their journey. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Little Free Library finds!

#BookHaul at an awesome #independentbookstore in Athens Georgia. Avid bookshop. Tow from my list - #TearsWeCannotStop and #TheLanguageofFlowers plus a staff pick that I immediately had to have in my hands. Reading with Patrick.

I was a little leary about reading this book--highly educated woman goes to teach in poor rural Arkansas for 2 years--but Kuo addressed so many of my concerns. (Is 2 years enough to make her feel good but accomplish nothing for the students/community? Is the school doing nothing for the kids by cycling through teachers on 2-year schedules?) she also addresses the horrific "justice system" in this county. But this quote sums up what she learned.

This book was not what I had been hoping for. There is more about the author and her career decisions than there really is about her actually reading with Patrick. A lot of important messages are included but for me this would have been more impactful as a shorter piece without all of the personal filler.

I love books about books. This was a fascinating and sobering account of the poverty still endemic in the Delta. It didn't quite deliver on all fronts for me but nevertheless was a compelling read.

#bookmail!

On whim I signed up for Just the Right Book, a personalized book shopper. This is my first of 4 shipments. They nailed it.

https://justtherightbook.com

"I had not spelled out how a book could be personal and urgent..."

Such a strong lens for teaching reading to students, especially students who've felt disenfranchised in their education. This book has me stopping and highlighting and note-taking.
#TeachersofLitsy

It wasn't until about halfway through this book before they really started reading together. I think the title Reflecting With Patrick might be a bit more apropos. It addresses more of his notebook writing and poetry memorization than the reading. Overall, I left it wanting less of Kuo's ponderings on her life choices and more about her actual interactions with Patrick. I lean a little towards a so-so but am going to hesitantly rate it a pick.

I am really excited to read these in August before the new school year starts! Kushiel's Dart is pretty long for me so summer vacation is a great time for me to dive in. Really excited for Jason Reynolds new book that comes out today. The Hate U Give has been sitting on my bookshelf for far too long. Reading with Patrick is right in my wheel house! 👩‍🏫

#backtoreading #mostanticipated @Tiffy_Reads

As I walked into my favorite independent bookstore, Anderson's Bookshop, this book was the first thing I saw. I was there to get a gift certificate and take a few photos of books that I inadvertently deleted from ALL my devices 😬 I do that--take photos of what I want when I can't take it home right away. I am proud to say I left the store with ONLY WHAT I WENT FOR! This is HUGE -- and very likely a first 😊

Next up for nonfiction! Nice breeze on a gorgeous day--but I really need to do some housecleaning first.

Spent my Saturday morning finishing the last 50 pages of this. And balling my eyes out. 😭😭😭 But in a good way.
Will post a review once I've processed and my eyes are less puffy, but this is a book worth reading.

#junemostanticipated #junebookbugs @RealLifeReading

Absolutely loved this. If you have a teacher in your life, this will make the best gift. It's a great homage to teaching and learning and the most important thing teachers do- be that caring adult in the lives of children who need it.

Book mail! I'm excited about both these ARCs :) have any one of you already read any one of these? I have high hopes for 'Reading with Patrick'.

I just started this on my kindle and am loving it!