Looking Back on My Books of 2018

My book reading goal for 2018 was 12, and to be fair, I came really close. By year’s end, I had finished 11, with probably a dozen more titles in various states of progress.

This was the best reading year of my life, thanks to my beloved Kindle and my decision to permanently ban my phone from the bedroom at night. I’m hoping for 15 books in 2019.

But without further ado, here is my look back at the 3,471 pages I read across 11 books in 2018. For each title, I’m sharing my reason for reading, a quick review, and a quote that captures something of the book’s message.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell (3 stars)

Why I read it: I thoroughly enjoyed 1984 by Orwell, so this book seemed like a good pick in terms of classic fiction. It’s required reading in many high schools, so as an English teacher this was a logical choice.

My Review: Animals on a farm form a revolution and run the farmer (read dictator) off his property. The initial ecstasy of freedom in the aftermath gradually gives way to sadness and oppression as the pigs slowly increase their dominance over the remaining animals. The story is a thinly veiled political allegory that resonates with coups and revolutions in modern history. The book was interesting and I’m glad I read it, but this plot won’t keep you on the edge of your seat.

Key Quote: “Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer — except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs.”

Crushing It, by Gary Vaynerchuk (4 stars)

Why I read it: Gary has been a huge source of inspiration in terms of the kinds of content that it is possible to create in today’s world.

My Review: The old gatekeepers on media (think publishers, cable networks, record labels) are losing their control in an age when absolutely anyone can create, publish, and promote their own creative content. Gary tells stories of entrepreneurs who showed enough creativity, determination, and vision to overcome adversity and win. He makes the case that we can crush it, too, and calls out our fears and hesitations. I consume a lot of what Gary puts out on podcasts and YouTube because he inspires me to take action and create. This was no different.

Key Quote: “Put your stuff out in public so you have to live up to it. As long as it’s valuable and you know it’s true, don’t judge it. Let the market show you whether you’re good or not. There’s always something new, and the only way to win is if it’s your truth. Just produce. Become that personality, and own it.”

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury (4 stars)

Why I read it: Like Animal Farm, this was another fiction classic on my reading to-do list. This was an itch that I’d been waiting to scratch for the last 15 years, ever since Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 911 was released in 2004 and I never quite understood the reference.

My Review: In a society of the future, ideas and books are considered dangerous. Any reports or sightings of books lead to a complete incineration of the property where they’re found. When the protagonist begins to question this rationale and pilfer a few titles for his own review, he becomes a wanted man. Bradbury’s predictions of the future are shockingly accurate, and I would recommend this read for that reason alone.

Key Quote: “School is shortened, discipline relaxed, philosophies, histories, languages dropped, English and spelling gradually neglected, finally almost completely ignored. Life is immediate, the job counts, pleasure lies all about after work. Why learn anything save pressing buttons, pulling switches, fitting nuts and bolts?”

For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway (4 stars)

Why I read it: Yet another classic on the list, this was a title I’ve seen and heard about for years by one of America’s greatest writers.

My Review: Robert Jordan is an American who somehow got involved in the Spanish Civil War. As he colludes with a ragtag bunch of rebels to destroy a bridge, he meets a girl and falls in love. Some thrilling combat scenes fill the late stages of the book as Jordan attempts to achieve his mission and escape Spain with Maria. Although a little slow at times, this was written with passion, imagination, and great character development. A great read.

Key Quote: “Instead of the surety of failure he felt confidence rising in him as a tire begins to fill with air from a slow pump. There was little difference at first, although there was a definite beginning, as when the pump starts and the rubber of the tube crawls a little, but it came now as steadily as a tide rising or the sap rising in a tree until he began to feel the first edge of that negation of apprehension that often turned into actual happiness before action.

The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien (3 stars)

Why I read it: I was looking for some new bedtime reading with my second stepson (aged 12). I had never read this classic, so it seemed about time.

My Review: A hobbit accompanies a wizard and some dwarves on a dangerous journey across mystical lands. Strange characters appear and threaten them at seemingly every turn. Spiritual analogies abound. Because I’m not a big fantasy fan, I had to work hard to keep my mind focused during Tolkien’s length descriptions.

Key Quote: “Where there’s life there’s hope.”

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King (4 stars)

Why I read it: This title was on a list of optional readings for my MEdL program, and classmates spoke highly of King as an authority on the indigenous experience in North America. I also really enjoyed The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew, and this was a natural follow-up.

My Review: This reads like no history book you’ve ever read, and that’s just the way King wants it. Although his telling of indigenous stories is far from linear or chronological, he weaves a sometimes sarcastic, sometimes funny, always authentic tale that puts it all into perspective. More importantly, King shows how Canadian and American histories of colonization have affected indigenous societies, and discusses the pathway forward.

Key Quote: “When we imagine history, we imagine a grand structure, a national chronicle, a closely organized and guarded record of agreed-upon events and interpretations, a bundle of “authenticities” and “truths” welded into a flexible, yet conservative narrative that explains how we got from there to here. It is a relationship we have with ourselves, a love affair we celebrate with flags and anthems, festivals and guns.

Leaders of Their Own Learning: Transforming Schools Through Student-Engaged Assessment, by Ron Berger, Leah Rugen, and Libby Woodfin (5 stars)

Why I read it: This was another optional title from my list of course readings for my MEdL program. When my first year studies started to look at the pedagogy of learning targets, a colleague recommended this work. I’m so thankful she did.

My Review: This book turned out to be one of the best education books I’ve ever read. In one thought, it shows how student agency, ownership, and metacognitive practices can dramatically improve student learning. It’s so good and so logical that any school could adopt this as a guidebook to better learning and teaching practices.

Key Quote: “Student-engaged assessment encompasses a wide array of practices that bring students into the process of assessing their growth and learning. They gain a deeper sense of their progress and ultimately become more independent learners. Through student-engaged assessment, students learn the language of standards and metacognition, set academic goals and monitor progress, identify patterns of strengths and weaknesses, become self-advocates, and assess their own work with a striking degree of honesty and accuracy.”

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding (5 stars)

Why I read it: I was looking for a book we could read in the car as a family, something to occupy those 25-minute drives to the beach. This was another story I’d missed in my childhood, and another title that comes up frequently as a reference in pop culture.

My Review: When a plane full of schoolboys goes down on a deserted island, the boys must figure out a new social order on their own. This book wrestles with ideas of empathy and cruelty, leadership and dominance, loyalty and betrayal. It’s an intriguing story and we were on the edges of our seats through a lot of it. Some of the lines from the story still ring in our ears.

Key Quote: ‘If I blow the conch and they don’t come back; then we’ve had it. We shan’t keep the fire going. We’ll be like animals. We’ll never be rescued.’

Money Rules: Rule Your Money, or Your Money Will Rule You, by Gail Vaz-Oxlade (3 stars)

Why I read it: As I’ve shared in past posts like this one, I’ve made more than my share of financial mistakes. With Gail I was looking more for motivation than know-how, although I always want to learn more about wise money management.

My Review: This book is a collection of financial rules listed one after the other in no apparent order, so don’t look for thematic chapters here. Gail writes with refreshing candour, and she isn’t afraid to call us out for our stupidity. Overall, it was an encouraging experience to read this one.

Key Quote: “If you don’t know what you want, if you don’t lay a plan for getting from one point in your life to another, you’re just wandering in the woods blindfolded.”

Teach Like a PIRATE: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Your Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator, by Dave Burgess (5 stars)

Why I read it: If you engage with other educators in today’s professional learning networks for very long, you’ll hear about this legendary author and the movement he’s begun. After this title was recommended by multiple podcast guests and professional connections, I knew I had to see for myself what Teach Like a Pirate was all about.

My Review: Dave Burgess completely redefines what is possible in the classroom. He also discusses the idea of creativity a lot, pointing out that creative ideas come from work, sacrifice, and intention — there’s nothing magical about the creative process.

Key Quote: “Grow! Try new things and do those bucket-list items. Notice the world around you and treat it like the bountiful supply of creative ideas that it is. It’s not just good for your life…it’s great for your teaching. Exploring the world and your passions allows you to bring a new perspective and energy into the classroom. It allows you to become a powerful role model for your students. We always say we want them to be life-long learners, so we must show them what that looks like.”

This Present Darkness, by Frank E. Peretti (4 stars)

Why I read it: I was looking for a new bedtime story to read with my older stepson, and I decided to revisit a novel I enjoyed in my own childhood. Given the 25+ year gap between reads, it was almost like getting into it for the first time.

My Review: Peretti pulls back the curtains on the spiritual warfare happening in and all around the town of Ashton. The story bounces back and forth between the natural and the supernatural as forces of darkness and light battle in an epic struggle.

Key Quote: “Spirit, who are you?’ Andy demanded. Bobby remained silent, his entire body strained, his lips tightly together, his eyes bulging out. He was taking frantic, short breaths through his nose. His face was crimson.”

In Summary

That was it — my year of reading in 2018, including fiction classics, education, entrepreneurship, personal finance, and history. Some were awesome, some were okay, but all were interesting and instructive in their own ways.