Adrian's Top Five

Here are five books I'm reading this summer.

My ever-growing stack of (mostly) library books.

After the first year of the pandemic, John Spencer created a continuum to think about finding rest after a tough year of teaching. I often refer to his graphic to help guide me in what I need from a break. Luckily, despite having some challenging years, I remain in the rest, recovery, restoration section of the continuum. During extended breaks from teaching, I disconnect from work and begin to decompress from the stress of the year. I sleep, read, hike (or walk around my neighborhood), listen to music, work in my yard, try to exercise, drink bourbon, dance in my kitchen, write, and reflect. This summer, I want to read as much as possible, finding books where I can lose myself for an afternoon. I started collecting a stack of books to read this summer back in April. I’ve been so eager to unplug from this school year, that I sought out books to help me escape. Whenever your break begins, I hope you do things that bring you joy and rest.

Here is my shortlist of five books I plan to read this summer.

1. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann

In March, I was wandering around a bookstore looking for inspiration. I couldn’t seem to find anything that looked interesting. I passed a David Gann display a dozen times before finally stopping to browse. Within a couple of pages of the preface, I was hooked! I picked up The Wager and The Devil and Sherlock Holmes. I love Sherlock and I’m a sucker for nonfiction and a good mystery, and Gann checks both these boxes with his latest book. I’m already 80 pages into the book and am captivated about the British warship HMS Wager. The audiobook, narrated by Dion Graham, is incredible.

2. The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

I’ve read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water, and I loved them both. I’ve been looking forward to Turton’s latest murder/mystery novel for a year. I can’t wait to jump into this post-apocalyptic, Agatha Christie-esqe story set on an island! The world is destroyed by a deadly fog, save 122 villagers and 3 scientists living peacefully on an island. When someone is murdered, it throws everyone into a rush to find the murder and prevent the fog from reaching the island.

3. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

I stumbled upon this time-traveling escapist fiction while scrolling through my recent email from BookPage. I read this interview with the author, Kaliane Bradley, and decided that this book is exactly what I need to cleanse my mind from a stressful year. Graham Gore was an English officer of the Royal Navy and Victorian polar explorer that died on a doomed Arctic expedition in 1847. In the novel, Graham doesn’t die. Instead, the British government developed the ability to time travel and decides to bring him from the Arctic into the 21st century. I love author interviews because I get to see how excited they are to talk about their book. Listening to Bradley discuss Gore will convince you to pick up a copy of this time-traveling romance, spy thriller.

4. The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery by Adam Gopnik

I’m always reading some sort of education-related book. I learned of Adam Gopnik’s work after reading John Warner’s interview with him discussing student achievement. I quickly checked out a copy from my local library, throwing in a copy of Gopnik’s 60-page manifesto, All That Happiness Is for good measure. I want to better understand the concept of mastery, flow, art, and genius so that I can encourage my students toward a version that helps them feel successful both in and out of the classroom.

Accomplishment vs. Achievement

5. The Power of Student Agency: Looking Beyond Grit to Close the Opportunity Gap by Anindya Kundu

I’ve been watching Anindya Kundu’s video posts on LinkedIn for a number of months. He is a sociologist and assistant professor of educational leadership at Florida International University. I recommend his two TED talks about student agency and leadership, specifically around individuals' abilities to create positive social change. The Power of Student Agency challenges deficit perspectives in public education; exactly what I need before starting up a new school year. I want to help my students build more agency so that they thrive in my classroom. “When true agency is exercised”, Kundu says, “positive change can happen both individually and collectively.”

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Do you have any book recommendations? Send me a quick message!

I sincerely hope that you get what you need this summer. I will continue writing each week, sharing resources and inspiration for creating memorable learning experiences.

Have a great summer! I’ll see you next week.

— Adrian

https://spencerauthor.com/blog/

Resources

• I love all of Trevor Muir’s videos! They are inspiring and thought-provoking and you can usually find one that fits perfectly with what you’re experiencing.

“I will always be on the side of the libraries”: A Conversation with Neil Gaiman

• With my teacher’s budget, I spend most Sundays picking up books from my local library instead of purchasing my own copy. Public libraries are supportive, safe, and sacred spaces. I’ve been taking my own kids to the Arapahoe Public Library every Sunday, since they were babies. We would always load up on books for the week. They have an incredible summer reading program and after all these years, my teenagers are still excited for their free book. Librarians are incredible!

Need a book recommendation?

• Need a good book recommendation? If you are looking for a fun way to get a great book recommendation, check out John Warner’s recommendations. He’ll recommend a book based on your last five reads. I’ve participated and Warner’s recommendation was a perfect fit for me. I loved Skippy Dies by Paul Murray.

Summer reading assignment

• Take Austin Kleon ‘s advice: "Get thee a library card!”