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Stuff You Missed in History Class
Stuff You Missed in History Class
Society & Culture
9
9.0 (7 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Stuff you Missed in History Class is all the things I wish I would have actually learned in school. From the stories you think you have already heard to things you would not think to look into this podcast covers them all. In the coverage, the overviews are often more informative then hours in the classroom. I love listening to Tracy and Holly tell the well-researched and well thought outlines full of what is promised history. This podcast leaves out most of the personal feelings of the hosts, which is very nice as well. Episode suggestions: New England Vampire Panic and Building Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Homegoing in Books

Jul 24, 2017  
Homegoing
Homegoing
Yaa Gyasi | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Extraordinary novel spanning seas and generations
A rather melancholic and at times bitterweet read, describing the journey of one family split into two lineages as a result of colonialism and slavery. It is rather horrific read to tales of rape and torture, but there is no way of skirting around the issue. What is more telling is the effects that eight generations of brutality has on a modern generation and how easy it is to dismiss today's problems without looking at the context.

Yaa Gyasi has really excelled in bringing the narratives together coherently. An important piece of literature worth putting as part of the school curriculum.
  
I was given this book by a high school friend who is related to the author. I love history and disasters so this book was right up my alley. It was well researched and written, as well as filled with information. As a non mariner some of the language was a bit over my head but I could follow it in context. I could almost put myself on the storm swept beaches with the rescuers, perhaps growing up on the Jersey Shore had something to do with that. Anyone who likes maritime history or history of the Jersey Shore should put this one on their list.
  
RC
Reality Check in Detroit
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Screech Owls are back with a new adventure and lesson. I love how [Roy MacGregor] mixes hockey with a life lesson in his books. In [Reality Check in Detriot] the team is asked to be on a reality show but they quickly learn that reality tv isn't that real.

The characters that [MacGregor] creates all blend well and keep a good balance in the story. Although I personally can't stand Nish and his ego but he is typical of boys that age. Travis is a good balance. I will be passing this book off to my niece to read and recommending that my school library get it at well.
  
H2O (The Rain, #1)
H2O (The Rain, #1)
Virginia Bergin | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
6
5.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
H20 is a different type of post apocolyptic read. First off the killer is bacteria in water, not really something you can avoid. Secondly the main character, Ruby, is not a prepper, survival type but a regular self centered teen. She only survives long enough to figure things out becuase of the people around her but that makes her more realistic. How many teens do you know are preppers or care about anything but their cell phones? As a long time middle school teacher I can tell you not many.

It was a steady paced quick read. I plan on reading the next in the series. It is in my "pile".
  
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
1989 | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Excellent adventure
The story of two senior high school students who need to pass their oral history exam who get an time traveling phone booth to go and borrow historical figures to help them pass the exam in a really excellent fashion. The movie is full of fun and laughs even though the science is a little bit stretched. The fun of seeing Napoleon at a water park or Gengis Kahn go psycho in a mall dressed like a linebacker is worth the time. George Carlin plays the futuristic man who is tasked with getting them on their way and it makes a nice star cameo.
  
LS
Love Songs & Other Lies
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Vee and Cam have a love story that takes the long way round. High school sweethearts until it all goes wrong. Years later they find themselves trapped on a tour bus together. Forced to confront the past and their feelings all while trying to be civil.
I adored this book and the raw emotions it brought out. It wasn't just your typical love story where everything goes right the first time. This took time, guts, and a bit of heartbreak to get to the end. The songs and lyrics fit and made you a part of their world.
Perfect for fans of music, romance, and alternating view points.
  
LS
Love Songs Other Lies: A Novel
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Vee and Cam have a love story that takes the long way round. High school sweethearts until it all goes wrong. Years later they find themselves trapped on a tour bus together. Forced to confront the past and their feelings all while trying to be civil.
I adored this book and the raw emotions it brought out. It wasn't just your typical love story where everything goes right the first time. This took time, guts, and a bit of heartbreak to get to the end. The songs and lyrics fit and made you a part of their world.
Perfect for fans of music, romance, and alternating view points.
  
Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1)
Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1)
Kami Garcia | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry, Paranormal, Romance
8
7.4 (34 Ratings)
Book Rating
Development of characters (0 more)
Slightly too long and drawn out (0 more)
I really enjpyed this book, i have been meaning to read it for some time. I watched the film first which I don't usually do but that inspired me to buy the book. I have given it eight stars because i enjoyed the storyline and the development of the characters, even down to the school bullies. I love the character of Macon Ravenwood as much as I loved Jeremy Irons playing the role of him in the movie. My only criticism would be that it is perhaps a bit too long and drawn out, especially as it is part of a series.
  
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Samantha (0 KP) rated Before I Fall in Books

Jan 29, 2018  
Before I Fall
Before I Fall
Lauren Oliver | 2017 | Children
9
7.6 (60 Ratings)
Book Rating
Grounding day with a twist (0 more)
Takes a while to get going (0 more)
YA fiction for any age
Contains spoilers, click to show
I hated this book, and loved it. It’s cruel, and frustrating, unfair, and yet it’s also sad, and hopeful, and honest and authentic. I’m not sure how everyone else feels about their High School experience, but I despised mine. You couldn’t pay me to go back. However, this story was so vivid, that I felt as though I could smell the grease from the cafeteria, feel the rough tile on the bathroom floor and the chill of that cold fateful night. This is the story of a mean girl done good.