2018 Reads

  • Hip-Hop Matters Book

    Rapper & DJ Dialogues in Song

    Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement by S. Craig Watkins Sometimes, I read a hip-hop book and don’t learn anything new. That was not the case with this book. S. Craig Watkins drops a lot of knowledge in this book. I already wrote about some of great…


  • Pictorial Radio History Book

    Canada’s Rich Radio History

    A Pictorial History of Radio in Canada by Sandy Stewart I found this book at a school library where I was supply teaching last month and it called to me. It’s an old book but the history in absolutely fascinating. I highly doubt that anything like this exists in a more modern work. That’s probably…


  • Hip-Hop Matters - Before Eminem

    Before Eminem . . .

    Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement by S. Craig Watkins Sometimes, I read a hip-hop book and don’t learn anything new. That was not the case with this book. Watkins has some great stories to tell and knowledge to drop. White Hip-Hop Eras Watkins breaks down…


  • #AmReading

    Hip-Hop Cannot Die

    Is Hip-Hop Dead? by Mickey Hess This was an interesting read and I learned a few things including . . . Why rappers have such strange names?  “Hip-hop naming grows out of larger traditions. The choosing of rap names reflects the on-air names of 1950s disc jockeys, the 1960s move for black athletes and entertainers…


  • Hip-Hop Matters Book

    Hip-Hop Matters – Yes, It Does!

    Hip Hop Matters – Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement by S. Craig Watkins Here are some of the things I learned while reading this book. The Story Behind the Message We all know “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. It is often heralded as the…


  • #AmReading

    Children’s Materials (8-12 yrs) Reads

    Last semester, I took a class for my Master’s of Library and Information Science program that focused on children’s material. The required reading list was quite long. Basically, I was expected to read two books a week over the course of term. Fortunately, I had already read some of the classics and we were given…


  • Little Clues Reveal a Lot

    The Tell: The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths about Who We Are by Matthew Hertenstein Little clues can reveal a lot. Here are some of the things I learned while reading this book. Hertenstein wrote about a study that observed the way couple talked to each other during an argument. By analyzing couples arguments,…


  • #AmReading

    Doctor Who Comics Continue the Adventure

    Doctor Who – Time Trials / The Terror Beneath I found this at the library and thought it would be great to read, especially because it was labelled “Volume 1” on the spine. Unfortunately, this is not the first chapter of the on-going series for the Twelfth Doctor. It is the first volume of the…


  • Art of the Start Book

    Tips for Leaders and Managers

    The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything by Guy Kawasaki. I just read finished reading this book and found it quite inspiring. You can look forward to a few teaching tip posts based on Kawasaki’s advice this month. Here are a few things for managers and CEOs to consider. Hire…


  • Doctor Strange Vol 1

    Doctor Strange and a Librarian

    Doctor Strange, Vol. 1: The Way of the Weird This is the first book in the 2015 series of trade paperbacks. It’s a pretty good jumping in point for anyone unfamiliar with the character. Although I would suggest watching the 2016 live action film featuring Benedict Cumberbatch first. It’s a great starting point and will…