2024 #55 Specifications Grading (Nilson)

 

Specifications Grading by Linda B. Nilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a great intro to specs grading, albeit maybe a bit dated. I would love to see an update that integrates UDL (Universal Design for Learning) in an overt way. Some of it is implicit, especially in the models that offer options/choice of assignments in learning bundles. I would have liked a better representation of counterargument literature, particularly as I still have questions about those students who sell themselves short already due to things like internalized racism. I'm also questioning the fairness of the specific model wherein "more work" = A, because students have different socio-economic circumstances and it may not be an option for some students to devote the extra time. I suppose it is then incumbent upon the professor to make sure that the "more work" levels are attainable by students just as they would (we hope) in traditional grading. It is a tricky business, on the other hand, because some students have to work so much just to pay their tuition and the cost comes at not being able to fully engage in that which they are paying for. I realize that issue goes beyond specs grading, but I do think it is part of the larger conversation.

Those questions aside, however, there are plentiful examples of application and syllabus language that are very helpful. Nilson explains relevant terms and makes the text very accessible. The index makes the book helpful as a reference.

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2024 #54 The Women (Hannah)

 

The Women by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5

This is a really important book that takes as its context the approximately 10,000 women who were in Vietnam during the war as nurses, doctors, air traffic controllers, etc, and focuses it on the life of one Frankie McGrath. Motivated by her brother's service in the Navy, a twenty-year-old Frankie (almost 21!) finds herself at an Army recruitment office, eager to put her nursing skills to use as part of the war effort. She longs to be on her father's "Wall of Heroes" and after a short and successful stint in boot camp, bounds off to serve as a nurse in Vietnam.

The book is as much about what happens upon her return home as it is what happens over there, but Hannah manages to create characters and relationships that are so vibrant and recognizable in their messy truths. Hannah definitely honors these women who were so crucial to helping the injured, and while the narrative does get a bit preachy at times, there are plenty of raw and unadulterated ugly-cry moments. I have not yet read The Nightingale, but I was reminded of Hannah's The Four Winds in how multi-dimensional and real the women characters are. The lack of conflict between Frankie and her two best friends didn't always ring true for me, and I found myself slightly annoyed at Frankie's naivete, but that's a lot of privilege on my part.

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2024 #53 The Twist of a Knife (Horowitz) - Hawthorne and Horowitz #4

 

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I did not know when I started that this book was part of a series. I got to know Anthony Horowitz's work through the PBS/Masterpiece Magpie Murders, which I enjoyed so much I watched it twice (second time through for my husband's benefit). So when I saw this in a Little Free Library, I picked it up. The front cover gives no indication that it is part of a series, but I'm also happy to report that it didn't matter much, and I love that. Hawthorne is, presumably, a fictional detective, but Horowitz writes himself into the stories--I imagine with a fair bit of truth. As this is the fourth book in the series, references are made to the other three books, by title, within the narrative. This creativity with narrative is what I loved about Magpie Murders so I was happy to see that it seems to be a trademark.

The story is an entertaining, fairly "cozy" mystery, and Horowitz manages to blend enough naivete, self-deprecation, but also a sort of good-natured crankiness (if that can be a thing) into himself as the narrator, and the characters have enough tried-and-true cliches to be memorable, but not completely predictable. No doubt those familiar with the series will enjoy certain characters and interactions even more (such as those with Cara Grunshaw), but Horowitz really does a great job of bringing the uninitiated up-to-speed without resorting to that backfill that mars many a good story. Theater references abound, but again, not to a saturated level at which one feels they are missing out on all the inside "wink-winks". Truly entertaining, and I didn't even mind the big clichéd "reveal" at the end because it was a self-conscious nod to the age-old practice in mystery writing.


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2024 #52 Pines (Crouch) - Wayward Pines #1

 

Pines by Blake Crouch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The premise is great, typical of Blake Crouch. However, the chapters upon chapters of Ethan running and rock climbing I could have done without. I almost gave up, but luckily all is revealed and I'm in for the trilogy.

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2024 #51 Burial of Ghosts (Cleeves

 

Burial of Ghosts by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Really, this is a 2.75 for me. At first I thought perhaps I was jaded by the fact that I read this before bed, so therefore only got a few pages in at a time. But after reading the reviews of others, I feel my complaints are valid. I generally like Ann Cleeves' work, however, so that's why this is a three, instead of a two.

First, everything from the cover art to the blurb on the front and the back oversell this story. Lizzie Bartholomew's terrifying secrets? Still not sure what they are. I found her character very unlikeable, or at least inconsistent, and none of the other characters were that interesting. Her "past" pops up at the strangest of times, but I didn't care enough about her in the present to be invested. I truly didn't care about either of the main deaths, and the whole premise seemed a bit flimsy. Not my favorite.

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2024 #50: Monk's Hood - Brother Cadfael #3 (Peters)

 

Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was so excited to see Derek Jacobi as the reader, I failed to notice that this edition is abridged. Still, worth it to hear Jacobi's reading (and no doubt fans of the TV series will enjoy it even more). I much preferred Monk's Hood to the previous One Corpse Too Many as it returns to the cast of characters at Cadfael's abbey, including the imperious and somewhat comical Prior Robert. I'm very pleased to know that Hugh Beringar, introduced in the second book, will be a recurring character in the series. I understand that this second book was the first in the TV series to allow them to introduce Beringar, and I can see why. The subtle quips and dry humor makes this series particularly engaging.

As the book was abridged, I won't comment too much on the pacing or the plot. We do get more of Cadfael's backstory in the form of a new character, Richildis. The reveal was not hugely surprising, but still complex enough to be interesting! Sadly, while I will miss Jacobi's reading, I will return to the unabridged audiobooks read by narrated by Patrick Tull, as I enjoyed his reading of the first in the series.

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2024 #49 The Five Keys to Mindful Communication (Chapman)

 

The Five Keys to Mindful Communication: Using Deep Listening and Mindful Speech to Strengthen Relationships, Heal Conflicts, and Accomplish Your Goals by Susan Gillis Chapman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While there are five keys, the entire book centers upon an idea of stoplights:

Go with the green light.
Stop when the light is red.
Be careful when the light is yellow.

The author returns to this model in each of the segments of the book so there is some continuity. There are plentiful examples of what constitutes these green, yellow, and red light moments, and the walkthrough of mindful presence, mindful listening, mindful speech, mindful relationship, and mindful action is pretty clear. If the reader is new to mindfulness practice, this should be used in tandem with a book on basic meditation and mindfulness practices, as Chapman does not provide detailed suggestions. She does mention metta (aka "loving-kindness meditation), and it gets fairly spiritual, with images of "loving Mother" and such. She peppers in plentiful metaphors and analogies, some that work better than others, although mileage will inevitably vary on that front. What seems most crucial is to understand the "Stop when the light is red" not as a call to withdraw or freeze, but to turn inward and to recognize what she calls "closed conversation" patterns. There are some concrete "tips" and ultimately, as is the case with almost all books on mindful communication, it really is about practicing so that things like "speaking from the I" become habitual. I found the "seasons" analogy least helpful (applied in regard to relationships), but again, I think some parts will resonate differently with others. She did offer something about wedding vows that I thought quite potent: vows are statements of intention, but the import of those statements is no at the moment they are uttered, but when you come to those places in the road where those vows are inevitably tested. Seems obvious, but perhaps mindful attention to those vows as operating in this way could curtail (for some) a trip down the wrong path.

The audiobook was narrated by Gabra Zackman, and I had to keep reminding myself that I was not listening to the author. She has the perfect voice for the material, and keeps even the more ethereal/spiritual topics at an even keel, without that saccharine vibe that infects other books in the genre. The book has journal exercises, but what I found most helpful are the "seven stepping stones" at the end of the book. Others may benefit more from the self-reflection. As with most of these books, there is nothing earth-shattering that defies common sense, but Chapman does an admirable job of providing the stoplight anchor as a metaphorical model to encourage us to put mindful communication into practice.



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