READING LIST (3): Non fiction books

1. Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt: One of the best books of the 1990s-this beautifully written memoir tells of the suffering of a poverty stricken childhood in Ireland of the 1930s and 40s-written in such a way that it captures the sadness of the suffering of the family, and yet retains a seismic wit that will make you cry and laugh in turn.

2. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: A memoir of self-discovery, Eat, Pray, Love is about what can happen when you claim responsibility for your own contentment and stop trying to live in imitation of society’s ideals. It is certain to touch anyone who has ever woken up to the unrelenting need for change. AUDIO BOOK ON YOUTUBE, read by the author: PART 1 and PART 2.

3. Creative Schools by Sir Ken Robinson: Ken Robinson is one of the world's most influential voices in education, and his 2006 TED Talk on the subject is the most viewed in the organization's history. Now, the internationally recognized leader on creativity and human potential focuses on one of the most critical issues of our time: how to transform the nation's troubled educational system. A book for teachers, parents and students who are interested in creativity and positive changes in education.

4. Teach like Finland by Timothy Walker- 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms

5.  We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (essay -readable in 2 hours)
 What does “feminism” mean today? That is the question at the heart of We Should All Be Feminists, a personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from her much-viewed TEDx talk of the same name (watch the talk too, before or after reading the essay !: video below ) —by award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. With humor and levity, here Adichie offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century—one rooted in inclusion and awareness. 

READING LIST (2): NOVELS ABOUT FAMILY AND HISTORY

1. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan: The Joy Luck Club was formed of four Chinese women recently moved to San Francisco who meet to eat dim sum, play mah-jong and to share stories. Forty years on they and their daughters tell wise and witty tales of hope, loss, family and history.Watch the trailer of the movie adaptation here. 
 

2. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾. by SueTownsend (or any other of his diaries) . At thirteen years old, Adrian Mole has more than his fair share of problems - spots, ill-health, parents threatening to divorce, rejection of his poetry and much more - all recorded with brilliant humour in his diary.

3. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin: The novel is set in Brooklyn and Ireland in the early 1950s, when one young woman crosses the ocean to make a new life for herself. By far Tóibín's most instantly engaging and emotionally resonant novel, Brooklyn will make readers fall in love with his gorgeous writing and spellbinding characters. The movie adaptaion was nominated for several Oscars in 2016: 

4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies. Listen to an interview with the author here. 


5. Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde- LOOK INSIDE THE BOOK

READING LIST (1): THRILLERS AND DYSTOPIAN NOVELS

1. Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris: 
Joanne Harris, well known for Chocolat, presents this gripping psychological thriller set in a school. The background is inspired by her experience as a language teacher. Teachers of all kinds might find the atmosphere in the book slightly familiar... And the portrayal of Roy Straitley, old- school Latin master who ¨ doesn´t do email¨ is memorable.

2. The Handmaid´s Tale by Margaret Atwood: Atwood´s 1985 classic dystopian novel about a totalitarian society where women are forbidden literacy and valued only if they can bear children has been made into an Emmy winning TV series, just as good as the book (see trailer below). 

3. The Hunger Games (part 1) by Suzanne Collins: A novel of dystopian fiction for young adults (but not only), made into a blockbuster movie starring Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games is set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever... Even if you have seen the film the reading experience is well worth it too!

4. Room by Emma Donoghue:  An international bestseller as soon as it was published in 2010, Room has now sold well over two million copies. It is the story of a five-year-old called Jack, who lives in a single room with his Ma and has never been outside. When he turns five, he starts to ask questions, and his mother reveals to him that there is a world beyond the walls. Told entirely in Jack’s voice, Room is no horror story or tearjerker, but a celebration of the love between a mother and her child. The movie based on the book was nominated for several Oscars in 2016 (Brie Larson won for Best Actress)! Read the book first (the reviews might include spoilers!!) -and it is much better than the film.