In order to stave off depression, despair, and violence (I've had really, really strong urges recently to punch my mother in the face...she hasn't done anything, but I just feel like punching her...I'm sure the feeling is mutual), I've taken to reading. I haven't been able to read a book in a little over a year. We had silent reading in my school, but I spent most of that class period peering over my book to make sure my students were doing some kind of reading. Silent reading was the bane of my existence last semester...how can you force kids to read?

The benefits of being a teacher is that you've got an entire summer to do whatever you feel like doing. I've spent most of the summer catching up on books. Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies" is the best collection of short stories I have ever read and I finally got around to reading "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns".

I was really resistant to reading "Kite Runner". I had actually refused to even buy it because everytime someone learned I was Egyptian and Muslim, they'd ask me if I'd read "Kite Runner". They'd follow up by saying how much they learned about my culture by reading that book and would want to pick my brain. Explaining to them that Egypt and Afghanistan were two distinct countries miles away from each other seemed to upset them. It's as if I were raining on their parade.

It's a great book though and I wish I hadn't waited so long to read it.

Up next is the most highly anticipated book, the one, the only "Harry Potter". I've reserved two copies at my local Border's (a couple of months ago my brother suggested we only get one copy and share it...I laughed at him) and will be first on line Saturday morning to get my copy. Two years ago I was nearly run over while crossing the street in Paris finishing the last couple of pages.

I've got a long summer ahead...any book suggestions?