Kurt Mason
Bio
Teacher • Writer • Reader
Stories (72/0)
Imaginary Friend
This one has taken me quite a while to write. To be honest, I fell away from reading for a little bit over the last month, and this book took me longer to finish than it should have. “Imaginary Friend” had been sitting on my shelf for quite a while, but I’m glad that I picked it up and finally read it. Although it was a little confusing in places, I was hooked, and the desire to figure out exactly what was happening kept me reading.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Geeks
What If It's Us
I don’t really know where to start with this one because I am still processing the overwhelming feeling of enjoyment washing over me. I could not put this book down! I thought that this book was brilliantly written, fabulously executed, and brought a genius concept to life. Written by two amazing authors, “What If It’s Us” is an absolute pleasure to read from start to finish.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Humans
The Wednesday Wars
I have been a fan of Gary D. Schmidt for a long time. My first introduction to him as an author was during my YA Literature class in college when we read his novel, “Okay for Now.” These books are written with young adults in mind, but I find that a lot of the topics that are addressed in Schmidt’s work are very adult in nature: war, racism, mental health, death, and teen parenthood just to name a few.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Education
The Other Wes Moore
I came across this book while preparing a thematic unit on survival for my students, and I thought that it seamlessly coincided with the conversation currently happening throughout the country. Survival takes on many different shapes and forms, as my students will learn, but this particular tale of survival shows just how closely we are connected to one another, and--whether you want to call it fate, chance, or even luck--how the smallest slivers of choice and opportunity have to power to drastically alter every aspect of the human condition.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Education
There's Someone Inside Your House
This book is every person’s nightmare turned into a reality. Whether you believe in intuition or not, everyone has those moments in life when you feel as though you are being watched, as if there is someone just out of your line of sight that is keeping tabs on your every move. Some people feel this more strongly than others, and for those of us, myself included, who feel this so strongly that the hairs stand up on the back of our necks, I would offer a word of caution before reading this book; this book takes the illusion of your home representing safety and security and smashes it to pieces. A lifetime of horror movies have taught me to trust my intuition and that you never investigate mysterious sights/sounds, especially if it’s coming from your dark, musty basement.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Horror
Winger
Without a doubt in my mind, I feel as though I have finally found the answer to the question that seems to befall every book lover: who is your favorite author? I have always struggled with this question because I have always enjoyed such a variety of authors and genres, but I have finally figured it out--Andrew Smith. Andrew Smith has woven his way into my heart, and he has taken on the title of my favorite author.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Education
Plague Land
To be honest, I picked this off of my shelf because I figured that it was a fitting time to dive into a virus-based, apocalyptic narrative. Amid all this drama with Covid-19, this book was calling to me. I didn’t know what to expect from this book because I don’t typically find myself leaning toward plague narratives, but I figured that I would give this a try--and I’m glad that I did.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Geeks
Leave it to the Amateurs
This was a random find for me. During one of my many forays through the bargain stacks at the bookstore, I found myself picking this book up off of the shelf. I have always loved a good mystery, and when this book was touted as a modern day Nancy Drew, I figured I would have to give it a try. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized why the author’s name, Sara Shepard, had seemed so familiar to me; I had never read the books, but I did watch the first few seasons of the television adaptation of Shepard’s series “Pretty Little Liars”. Now, this may be an unpopular opinion, but I was never really a huge fan of the show, so after I made this connection I was apprehensive to crack open this book.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Criminal
Hunted
I’m really not sure where to start with this one because I absolutely loved every minute of it! I have been a fan of Darcy Coates ever since I read her book “Craven Manor” last summer. There is just something about the way that she writes that can beautifully and so vividly pull you into the universe that she creates on the page. With Coates’ amazing ability to craft a story that sucks you in, I found myself unable to put this book down.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Horror
What Would Dolly Do?
Taking a much deserved break from Greek mythology, I decided to dive into another passion of mine--Dolly Parton. The embodiment of southern charm, Dolly Parton has a career that has not only spanned decades, but she has also managed to seamlessly weave her name throughout all different genres of entertainment and popular culture: music, film, television, cooking, real estate, philanthropy, education, and so much more.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Beat
Witches and Gods and Monsters, Oh My!
I’m beginning to think that my recent mythology kick is bordering on obsession. Of my most recent reads, at least four of them have been focused on Greek mythology, and my latest read fit quite nicely into that category as well. After reading Madeline Miller”s “The Song of Achilles,” I was aching to get my hands on another of her books. After digging around on Goodreads and making my way to the bookstore, I grabbed myself a copy of “Circe”--and I was not disappointed.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Geeks
The Song of Achilles
Thanks to the brilliant work of Madeline Miller, I’ve been able to add another novel to the long list of titles that helped to fuel my obsession with Greek mythology. I have always been obsessed with Greek mythology, and I have always enjoyed finding novels that take classic stories and view them through a different lens. In her debut novel, “The Song of Achilles”, Madeline Miller re examines the myths of the Trojan War from the point of view of Patroclus, a characters whose role has been shrouded by mystery and wavering opinion, but who is known for his place at the side of the great Greek hero, Achilles.
By Kurt Mason4 years ago in Geeks