A whirlwind week! If I am ever tempted to schedule part of the kids’ annual standardized testing for the Monday after a weekend full of sleepovers, remind me that this is NOT a good idea. This is a stressful thing for me each year. The kids always score at or above grade level, so I don’t know why I get stressed about it, but I do – it’s like the test scores have to be that good to validate our decision to homeschool. Oh, well, they got two-thirds of the testing done this week, and will finish up tomorrow morning.
They also started their enrichment classes for second semester, which means more time in the car shuttling them back and forth. That also means more audiobook time while driving, and print reading while waiting for them to get out of class, though, so there are some benefits. 
Today will be busy – church in the morning, then straightening up the house. We’re taking my folks out to dinner and then they’ll come over and visit, so it moves our usual Monday morning chores up to Sunday after church, but that’s okay – it will be nice to chat with them. It’s been busy, and though I’ve been down to visit them a couple times, we haven’t all been together since Christmas, even though they only live a half-hour away.
If I do find some down-time for reading, these are my current choices:
In print:
~ Divergent by Veronica Roth – I love it! Why did I wait so long?
~ In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination by Margaret Atwood – Buddy read with Kelly
~ Pretty by Jillian Lauren – Very good so far, but I’m a bit worried about how it might end.
~ The Last Storyteller by Frank Delaney – Love, love, love, love it.
On audio:
~ Digging to America by Anne Tyler – Really enjoying this one.
I also just finished A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd, the first in the Bess Crawford WW I mystery series, on audio – and it was excellent. A review will be coming soon – and I can’t wait to listen to the second book in the series.
Bookish posts this week:
~ Mini-reviews: The Annotated Persuasion by Jane Austen and David M. Shapard; The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman; and Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
~ Movie review: One for the Money – based on the Janet Evanovich novel
And now, I’ll leave you with the links I’ve been collecting the past couple of weeks – I didn’t have time to post them yesterday.
Author news:
~ I was privileged to welcome author Jonathan Maberry for a guest post yesterday: The Literary Zombie
~ Beth Kephart on the future of YA fiction
~ Sarah Jio revealed the cover of Blackberry Winter, her new book due out in September. She has fantastic luck with her book covers – they have all been gorgeous!
Discussion starters:
Reviews and blog posts that have me adding to my to-read list:
~ The Chalk Girl by Carol O’Connell, reviewed by Jenn at Jenn’s Bookshelves
~ The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, reviewed by Kelly at The Written World
~ The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy, reviewed by Sandy at You’ve Gotta Read This
~ The Slap by Chris Tsiolkas, reviewed by Heather at Book Addiction
~ The End of Everything by Megan Abbott, reviewed by Jen at Devourer of Books
Book to movie news:
~ The Beautiful Creatures movie is finally getting started! The brilliant Viola Davis from The Help will portray Amma. Ethan and Lena have also been cast. I don’t know anything about the actors, but they have the right look.
~ Lifetime is planning a mini-series based on Columbine by Dave Cullen.
Other bookish links:
Twitter: MargReads
says:
The cover for the next Sarah Jio book looks good!
Enjoy your week!
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Marg – isn’t it pretty? Love her covers!
Twitter: Marleen (Meentje63)
says:
I’m glad to see you’re planning on reading The Fault in Our Stars. I read it in January and thought it was wonderful, John Green’s best so far by a long way. Here’s a link to my review, if you’re interested, although my 18 year old daughter thinks it’s a bit spoiler-ish, so you may want to wait until after you’ve read it: http://meen-readingjournal.blogspot.com/2012/01/fault-in-our-stars.html
Marleen Kennedy´s last post ..BEAR IN MIND THESE DEAD
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Marleen – I’m glad to hear you loved the newest Green, too! I’ve read several of his books, and love the way he writes. I will definitely check out your review, but wait, just in case it is too spoiler-y for my taste.
Twitter: bookjourney
says:
I am so glad to see you loved Divergent too! Your Sunday sounds crazy busy like mine! Enjoy
Sheila (Book Journey)´s last post ..Morning Meanderings…. Sunday Salon?
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Sheila – I hope you enjoy your Sunday as well!
Twitter: youvegottaread
says:
Oh, you of all people would LOVE The Baker’s Daughter!!! Thanks for the mention! I can’t imagine the stress of being in charge of those tests. I get anxious when my kids are taking them at school! Especially because my daughter is not a good standardized test taker, even though she is a straight A student. Gah! I also need to comment about the mini-series about Cullen’s Columbine. I loved that book, in fact I think it made my top lists the year I read it. But I’m just not sure it is going to translate to TV. It will be interesting to see if it does.
Sandy´s last post ..Sunday Salon: A Jackson Kind of Awesome
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Sandy – I thought Columbine was amazingly done, but I’m not sure it will translate well. And if they do actually do it justice, it would be so freaky – I don’t know if I could handle watching it.
I’m amazed at how organized your are, obviously you are much younger than I. I anxiously awaiting our read along. And March for my authors. I trying to go through all the Maeve Binchy this March. I’ve been reading some prettty dark books and just need a little Irish for a few weeks. Have a great week.
irene´s last post ..Just a suggestion…
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Irene – I’m looking forward to our March read-along, too – that reminds me I need to get a post up about the schedule in the next week or so!
Twitter: unfnshdprsn
says:
I didn’t realize home-schooled students had standarized testing too. Is that just a Washington “thing”? Or wait, am I thinking of charter schools? Hmmm. Well, anyway, you (meaning I, in this case) learn something new ever day.
unfinishedperson´s last post ..About Whitney, Eve and Tina
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Bryan – all states have their own regulations for homeschooling. In Washington, we are required to administer a standardized test every year to our kids and keep the records just in case we’re audited. I homeschool through a public school alternative learning program- so even though I do all the teaching at home, the kids have access to enrichment classes, I upload their monthly progress to the web site, and we have a teacher that is available for questions and oversight. They administer the test each year via remote control of our computer, so it’s all done online. Even if I wasn’t in a state that required testing, though, I would still have them take one, just to make sure we’re staying on track.
Twitter: bermudaonion
says:
Who doesn’t hate standardized tests? Teachers, schools, kids, and parents all stress out over them. Makes you wonder why we administer them.
bermudaonion (Kathy)´s last post ..Weekend cooking: Touchdown Pinwheels
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Kathy – Yes, it does!
Twitter: laurelrainsnow
says:
OMG! I can’t wait to visit those links, about Beth Kephart and Sarah Jio. Loved the books I’ve read by them…I preordered Beth’s newest book.
Thanks for sharing….
Here’s MY SUNDAY SALON POST
Laurel-Rain Snow´s last post ..AUTHOR’S HOME PAGE
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Laurel-Rain – I can’t wait for both Sarah’s and Beth’s latest books!
Twitter: Vasilly
says:
As usual, Carrie, your links looks amazing! I can’t wait to read the NY Times letter about standardized testing. In my opinion, there are so many things about school that kills a child’s love of reading.
Have a great Sunday.
Vasilly´s last post ..Sunday Salon
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
V – I know – it makes me sad to think of how many people come out of the school system hating to read.
Twitter: BurgandyIce
says:
That’s funny about the sleepover. I’m nervous about the testing. My boys are not into paying attention to any sort of “test” especially and I’ve rarely found a test that reflects their knowledge and I’m not just saying that because I WISH they tested better, either. Really. It’s been a big frustration this year that one of the mid-school teachers bases all her grades on two tests each trimester. She’s basically asking my boy to put up with nasty grades or else. Grrrrrrr. (That’s Momma-Bear growling for more variety. Don’t I wish I could growl at State tests?!) Nevermind… Divergent is so fun. Enjoy your week!!! Here’s my Sunday: Colorimetry
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Burgandy – That’s my biggest problem with most standardized tests – they are not an accurate reflection of a child’s ability to learn – they only show the ability to regurgitate or fill in the correct bubble.
I hope you do read A Fault In Our Stars. I was very impressed by it!
I actually am finished the Margaret Atwood, so ready when you are. (No rush, of course. I am done early.)
Kailana´s last post ..Week in Review (6)
Twitter: booksandmovies
says:
Kelly – I’m almost done with the Atwood – have about 50 pages or so to go.