The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Len gifted me with this book, thinking it would appeal to me, and he was right! I enjoyed it all the way through, despite some nagging gaps in the author's thinking. They were nagging to me, because Rubin draws on some excellent research and ideas, many of which resonated with me, and yet she missed so many other possibilities! The biggest miss for me was the idea of happiness being derived from service and unselfishness. These are similar ideas and were pretty much lacking throughout the book! However, her commitment to be happier in order to create more happiness in her family is somewhat unselfish and related to a sacrifice, I guess. And she is young! She only has two small children! Her life will get more complicated and her ideas more sophisticated. More wisdom and less self-centeredness will hopefully evolve! Having said that, there are many tips and tricks worthy of emulation...making and keeping resolutions, setting goals, and being consistent are among them. She admits in the book to being relatively untested and untried by tragedgy and serious challenges, so maybe this depth will come in time! Worthy of a read, and I plan to at least visit the website to see if the online tools might be useful for me. She encourages everyone to create their own "Happiness Project" and offers tools to get going. We'll see...some nuggets are definitely here...and I especially enjoyed the excerpts from the readers who contribute to her blog. One idea that has power is to "Be Gretchen." In other words, really find out what she enjoys and what brings her happiness. This becomes a theme throughout the book as she struggles to find out who she really is. I liked the openness of this struggle and her honesty about wanting to like things that she does not. That theme was refreshing and insightful and one from which I can learn!

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley

This is the third Flavia de Luce novel and it was as captivating as the first two! I am definitely hooked. I must have read it a little too quickly, though, first time through because I missed some important clues right up front. I wasn't paying attention! It's hard for me to slow down and enjoy the humor and subtleties when I'm driven by the plot to find out what happens next. The main plot twist I missed was about the Hobblers, so I'm ready to read it again so it will fit together better for me. Despite this gap in my understanding, it was a satisfying read! And I think Flavia's father and one of her sisters are showing signs of actual warmth! This is stunning, and makes me wonder if Flavia is growing up and recognizing these signs or if they are truly indicative of change in the family. This question motivates me to read the next installment, which I have, but have not yet allowed myself to pick up...maybe over Thanksgiving break when I can put my whole mind and time into it! Something to look forward to...

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

Fresh from my enthusiasm for the first book in this series, I was eager to try the second. I was not disappointed! It was every bit as captivating and funny as the first (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie). This author has a knack for quaint settings, quirky characters, and true wit. The new characters here are a couple of actors who put on puppet shows. Flavia and her family are in fine form too, as are the various inhabitants of Bishop's Lacey. Flavia continues her passion for chemistry and this is a neat learning opportunity as well.

The only thing that makes me hesitate to order the third book in the series is that I know it will take over my life! This is one of those delightfully addictive authors that can turn me into a hermit and a grouch when I'm interrupted. I'll have to time this carefully!

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

What a find! Wahoo! My friend Sue (whom I met in our Courage to Teach cohort) recommended this book to me, and it was better than I expected. From the first paragraph I was totally delighted and captivated by Flavia de Luce, the 11-year old heroine of the story.

I love mysteries. I love smart characters. I love England as a setting and 1950 as a time period. It has a dark humor that is just hilarious. It's seldom that I laugh out loud, but I did in this story. Yes, all of these are great qualitites, but even better are the intriguing characters. Flavia's father is a piece of work and their relationship is complicated...her sisters are entertaining as well. There isn't a shallow or flat character in the entire book!

I have lent this book to Sierra and my friend Gail. Both of them loved it! And these two have very diverse ages and tastes, so it's obvious this book has wide appeal. This mystery revolves around stamps and so you learn a lot about the history of certain English stamps. The other learning opportunity in this book is chemistry, of all things! Flavia is passionate about chemistry, and shares her ideas and thinking and connections about it throughout the book. I have recommended this book to high school Chemistry teachers and I hope one of them someday takes my suggestion! Reading an excerpt would be a great way to introduce or deepen a chemistry unit.

Having loved this first book in what is planned to be a series, I could barely wait to get my hands on the second!

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

This book captivated me right from the start! It was one of those books that called to me between chapters and made me want to stay awake to read more. Holling Hoodhood is a seventh grader in 1967 and he is hilarious, sensitive, real, and smart. He imagines his teacher, Mrs. Baker,  is at war with him, and details her dirty looks, quotes her, etc. Each chapter is a new month in the school year, and as their relationship develops, you can feel the mutual admiration. It’s wonderful! My friend Leslie gave me this book, and when she recommends a book, I have learned to listen! Our tastes are similar and I've learned to trust hers!

Another reason I liked it was the time…people are smoking, Viet Nam War is running in the background, and so are flower children. It’s richly and accurately done!

This is alternately tragic and funny…Holling’s parents, particularly his father, are dolts. They are heartbreaking! But Holling’s ingenuity and independence are developed because of this… There aren’t many books that make me cry real tears, but this one did, in several places. The caring teacher, the clueless parents, the big sister’s problems, the POW arriving home, the love between teacher and student, all were very sweet experiences for me.

One of Mrs. Baker’s tricks is to require Holling to read Shakespeare during their Wednesday afternoons together. He is the only Presbyterian student who doesn’t have to attend either Catholic or Jewish services on Wednesday afternoons. This gives him ample time for private tutoring from Mrs. Baker, and the reader gets a fresh chance to appreciate Shakespeare’s lessons as well. Totally delightful!

I was lucky enough to attend Gabriel's parent/student/teacher conference this week, and I was surprised to see this book on the shelf in his 4th grade classroom. I'm sure Gabe COULD read it, but the themes feel a little too sophisticated for him. I think I'll give a copy to Melissa and see what she thinks... I'm sure the Shakespeare allusions would all be lost on him, but perhaps it would kindle an interest for later?

Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute

This book builds on the powerful ideas in C. Terry Warner's book, Bonds that Make us Free. The ideas are explained in a scenario of a new employee in a company. As he is being oriented, the ideas of self-deception are illustrated and explained. It's a quick read and it's easy to follow the idea of the "boxes" we put ourselves in. It feels just a little pedantic or forced in some ways, but still, the ideas come through. And the ideas are quite freeing. This list is helpful (page 105):
Self-Betrayal

1. An act contrary to what I feel I should do for another is called an act of "self-betrayal."
2. When I betray myself I begin to see the world in a way that justifies my self-betrayal.
3. When I see the world in a self-justifying way, my view of reality becomes distorted.
4. So--when I betray myself, I enter the box.
5. Over time, certain boxes become characteristic of me, and I carry them with me.
6. By being in the box, I provoke others to be in the box.
7. In the box, we invite mutual mistreatment and obtain mutual justification. We collude in giving each other reason to stay in the box.

Now here's the list for knowing the material:
(page 174)

• Self-betrayal leads to self-deception and "the box."
• When you're in the box you can't focus on results.
• Your influence and success will depend on being out of the box.
• You get out of the box as you cease resisting other people.

And here's the list for living the material:
(Page 174)

• Don't try to be perfect. Do try to be better.
• Don't use the vocabulary--the box-- and so on, with people who don't already know it.
• Do use the principles in your own life.
• Don't look for others' boxes. Do look for your own.
• Don't accuse others of being in the box.
• Do try to stay out of the box yourself.
• Don't give up on yourself when you discover you've been in the box. Do keep trying.
• Don't deny that you've been in the box when you have been. Do apologize; then just keep marching forward, trying to be more helpful to others in the future.
• Don't focus on what others are doing wrong.
• Do focus on what you can do right to help.
• Don't worry whether others are helping you. Do worry whether you are helping others.

Sometimes these metaphors are too "cutesy" for me, but this one makes sense. It's tough to explain to people, and even tougher to live. But I am trying, and I am succeeding. Hooray!!!