tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584906667547196352024-03-14T01:15:59.696-07:00Confessions of a Hopeless BookwormOne working mom's journey through the many, many books in her life.sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-2617945962296535172017-10-29T11:39:00.001-07:002017-10-29T11:39:49.962-07:00Lioness Arising "These people rise up like a lioness; like a majestic lion they stand." - Numbers 23:24<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Amazon.com</td></tr>
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My church has done some studies by an incredibly gifted author named John Bevere, and as I was searching out more of his stuff, I found out that his wife is also an author, and I wanted to find out more about what she had written. I requested some of her books for my birthday, and my kids got me her book <i>Lioness Arising</i>. <br />
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Eager to delve in, I began reading it within a few days of receiving it, and immediately I was discouraged. Not by its message. Its message is powerful and enlightening. It is full of awe and wonder. That's what was discouraging. As I read it, all I could think was "wow...this sounds exhausting. Is this really what God wants for my life? Because I'm already exhausted. I can't handle this."<br />
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This line of thinking set off some alarm bells in my head...why was a call to action causing nothing but exhaustion and resentment in my heart? That ain't right.<br />
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I felt the tug of the Lord calling me to come away from everything - responsibilities and events and plans and the BUSYNESS and the stress - and have a weekend practicing the concept of being still. I kept putting it off - there is no way I could do that! I'm a wife! I'm a mom! I teach! I have responsibilities at church! I'm a den mom! We have soccer! We have baseball! I DON'T HAVE TIME TO BE STILL!<br />
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We have time for the things we make time for. And it was high time I made some time for being still.<br />
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Finally, I shared with my husband that I needed to take this weekend, and he helped me rearrange some things to make a weekend for me to go away. My in-laws were going to be out of town for a weekend, so I hid in their house to have a weekend with me, my journal, and my God.<br />
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And this book - <i>Lioness Arising</i>.<br />
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Once I cleared the clutter, I was no longer discouraged by the message of this book. I was empowered by it. <br />
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This is a book that every woman should read. It's a call to be what we are. It's a charge. It's an encouragement that we, as women, are not second-rate characters in this story - we are joint heirs in the Kingdom. We are God-answers. We are the Daughters of the Most High, and we need to take our place. We are lionesses. <br />
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Lioness are "at ease with strength and at rest with power." They are strategic. They work together for the common good of the pride. They are powerful. They are stunning - and they know it.<br />
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You, dear ones, are stunning. You are powerful. And we need you. We need you to walk in the mighty power God has granted you. We need you to be dangerous and fully awake. My confession is that I spend too much time thinking about how tired I am. What's holding you back? I want to be dangerous to the enemy and fully away. I want to live in the light and hunt in the dark. <br />
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I am a lioness. So are you. Walk in the destiny God has for you.<br />
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Also, read this book.<br />
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Order it here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lioness-Arising-Wake-Change-World/dp/0307457796">Lioness Arising</a><br />
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Next up:<br />
1. <i>Without Rival</i> by Lisa Bevere<br />
2. <i>The Paradigm</i> by Jonathan Cahn<br />
3. <i>Written in My Own Heart's Blood</i> by Diana Gabaldon<br />
4. <i>Behind the Shattered Glass</i> by Tasha Alexander<br />
5. <i>Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne</i> by David Starkeysarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-8288780857894818232015-01-21T12:05:00.003-08:002015-01-21T12:05:41.078-08:00The 39 Clues <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture source: Amazon.com</td></tr>
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As a teacher, I feel like it's part of my job to keep up with young adult fiction so I know what kids are reading and what to recommend to my students.<br />
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It also gives me an excuse to read fast, fun easy books that I enjoy. <br />
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The series I just finished, <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Collection-Digital-Emperors-Gauntlet/dp/B00865BU0A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421870333&sr=8-2&keywords=the+39+clues"><span style="color: #660000;">The 39 Clues</span></a></i></b>, falls squarely into this category. It is a 10 book series that I recently acquired for my classroom. The premise was intriguing - two orphaned kids set out on a clue hunt that promises to change the world and give them some sort of unlimited wealth and power. Along the way they discover secrets about their family's role in the history of the world and come to realize the Clue Hunt that began with their grandmother's will is not just a game or a treasure hunt - the future of the world depends on their ability to stay ahead of their competitors and take home the prize. <br />
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The series is particularly interesting because it isn't written by just one author. Each book is written by a different YA author - Rick Riordan, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Gordon Korman, just to name a few. The novels are increasingly intricate as you go along, so it's pretty amazing that so many authors could have a part in the same story line. Each author adds their own flavor, but ultimately they are all headed towards the same climax in then final book, <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-Gauntlet-39-Clues-Book/dp/0545060508/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421870421&sr=1-1&keywords=into+the+gauntlet"><span style="color: #660000;">Into the Gauntlet</span></a></b></i>. <br />
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The series, to me, started out somewhat slow. I wasn't terribly impressed, but some of the pieces seemed interesting. However, as I kept going, the story began to unfold like an onion, layer upon layer. By the time I reached<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-Gauntlet-39-Clues-Book/dp/0545060508/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421870421&sr=1-1&keywords=into+the+gauntlet"> <i><b><span style="color: #660000;">Into the Gauntlet</span></b></i>,</a> I couldn't put it down. It was a breathless race to see what was going to happen next. <br />
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In addition, the books are heavy laden with historical references. Amy and Dan, the main protagonists, travel the whole world following clues, most of which bring them face to face with major historical figures and events. Being the history buff that I am, I absolutely loved the tie-ins. Being the teacher that I am, I immediately starting thinking about all the many possibilities these books could bring in the classroom. Cross-curricular material is very big these days. Using these books in a reading class to talk about history would be a pretty awesome unit. <br />
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What's more, these ten books are not the end. They segue into another series,<span style="color: #660000;"> <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clues-Cahills-vs-Vespers-1-6/dp/0545604354/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421870507&sr=1-1&keywords=cahills+vs+vespers+box+set">Cahills vs. Vespers</a></i></b>,</span> which leads to another series, and another and another...it's an endless story. A story that has it's own website, set of cards, and secret codes <i>hidden in each book!</i> I don't know who dreamed up this series and all the details behind it, but it is ENORMOUS, and if you got a kid hooked to it, they would be hooked to it for YEARS. There's so much involved. <br />
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Overall, this is a great YA series that I recommend to anyone who likes a good mystery and a good story. If you are a fan of movies like <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/National-Treasure-Nicolas-Cage/dp/B003QSPQ3O/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1421870550&sr=1-1&keywords=national+treasure"><span style="color: #660000;">National Treasure</span></a></b>, </i> or treasure hunts, or conspiracy theories, or history, or secret codes, this series is for you. <br />
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<b>Catching up on reading...</b><br />
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School started, and I haven't had much of a chance to update this thing. That's mostly because I haven't had much of a chance to read. Hate that! Between school and this terrible, awful flu season, reading for pleasure has taken somewhat of a back burner. But here are some books I am currently trying to dig my way through:<br />
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.1.<b><i><span style="color: #660000;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/AHA-Moment-That-Changes-Everything/dp/0781410495/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421870657&sr=1-1&keywords=aha"><span style="color: #660000;">A-HA</span></a></span></i></b> by Kyle Idleman<br />
2. <b><i><span style="color: #660000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Written-Own-Hearts-Blood-Outlander/dp/0385344430/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421870683&sr=1-1&keywords=written+in+my+own+heart%27s+blood">Written in My Own Heart's Blood</a> </span></i></b>by Diana Galbaldon<br />
3. <b><i><span style="color: #660000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/As-You-Wish-Inconceivable-Princess/dp/1476764026/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421870708&sr=1-1&keywords=as+you+wish"><span style="color: #660000;">As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride</span> </a></span></i></b>by Cary Elwes<br />
<br />sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-90658976572307547042014-08-31T10:56:00.004-07:002014-08-31T10:56:55.725-07:00FourWhen I get into a book series, I like to look up the author's website, join their Facebook page, and read interviews with them. I like exploring the characters in a way closer to how the author really sees them. I enjoy back stories. It's my understanding, from reading these interviews, that an author generally these characters living with them all the time, kicking around in their heads, taking charge of a scene without the author really controlling the actions and motivations of these make-believe people. This fascinates me. I've written many stories and pieces, but it's all been non-fiction or stories based on real people. I've tried writing fiction, but I don't have all these characters dancing around in my head. I enjoy other people's characters, but I don't have any of my own. I have a lot of respect for a storyteller's ability to spin a tale and create a world.<br />
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So is it any surprise that, given Amazon money for my birthday, I jumped at the chance to grab up <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-Divergent-Collection-Series/dp/0062345214/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507439&sr=8-1&keywords=four"><i>Four</i></a> </b>by Veronica Roth?<br />
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<a href="http://confessionsofahopelessbookworm.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-divergent-series.html"><b>I've already reviewed the <i>Divergent</i> series</b>.</a> I'm a fan. No, it's not<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Jane-Austen-ebook/dp/B008476HBM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409507512&sr=1-1&keywords=pride+and+prejudice"> <b><i>Pride and Prejudice</i></b></a> or <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/David-Copperfield-Charles-Dickens-ebook/dp/B004GHNIQQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409507538&sr=1-1&keywords=david+copperfield"><i>David Copperfield</i></a></b> or anything, but not everything has to be high literature. Wal-Mart shelf fiction is good too, especially when it's clean and allows you to ponder truths of life. (Confession: <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/David-Copperfield-Charles-Dickens-ebook/dp/B004GHNIQQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409507538&sr=1-1&keywords=david+copperfield"><i>David Copperfield</i></a> </b>is actually one of two books I "Cliff-noted" in my English 12 AP class. It was assigned summer reading and I ran out of time. But I spent so much time the night before the test reviewing the Cliffs Notes that I failed to review the books I HAD read and failed the test anyway. Ah, lessons learned.) <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507341&sr=8-5">Divergent</a></b>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Insurgent-Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024043/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507374&sr=8-2"><b>Insurgent</b>,</a> </i>and <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Allegiant-Divergent-Series-Veronica-Roth/dp/006202406X/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507407&sr=8-1&keywords=allegiant"><i>Allegiant</i> </a></b>were fast paced, fun reads. I enjoyed them all, although <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Allegiant-Divergent-Series-Veronica-Roth/dp/006202406X/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507407&sr=8-1&keywords=allegiant"><b><i>Allegiant</i></b> </a>kinda wandered around. And the end was...well, let's just say I think she could have made all her points without doing what she did. <br />
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But I digress.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-Divergent-Collection-Series/dp/0062345214/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507439&sr=8-1&keywords=four"><b><i>Four</i></b> </a>is a collection of stories from the world of <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Complete-Collection-Veronica-Roth-ebook/dp/B00BW3AY64/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507221&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent+series">Divergent</a></b>, </i>but they are all told from the perspective of Tobias instead of Tris. The first three stories happen before the events of <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Complete-Collection-Veronica-Roth-ebook/dp/B00BW3AY64/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507221&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent+series"><i>Divergent</i> </a></b>while the fourth one overlaps with Tris's experience. According to the introduction, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Complete-Collection-Veronica-Roth-ebook/dp/B00BW3AY64/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507221&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent+series"><b><i>Divergent</i></b> </a>series was actually birthed in Roth's mind through the eyes of Tobias, not Tris. Over time, Tobias didn't have quite the right tone she wanted, and eventually the right narrator of the story came along in the form of Tris. However, Tobias's story was always very important to Roth and her development of the story she wanted to tell, so once the trilogy was complete, she went back and told pieces of the story from Tobias's voice. <br />
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First, let me say this. Read <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Complete-Collection-Veronica-Roth-ebook/dp/B00BW3AY64/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507221&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent+series"><i>Divergent</i></a></b> first. The whole series. <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-Divergent-Collection-Series/dp/0062345214/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507439&sr=8-1&keywords=four"><i>Four</i> </a></b>will be a much more meaningful experience if you already know what's going on. I fear that future generations will look at the series and do what they did to the Narnia series and "put them in order." Yeeech. Sometimes things are written out of order for a reason. (Someday I'm sure I will use my blog space for a published-order argument for the Narnia series. Because doing the other way is STUPID.) <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-Divergent-Collection-Series/dp/0062345214/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507439&sr=8-1&keywords=four"><i>Four</i></a></b> is meant to be read after you've finished the trilogy.<br />
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However, if you've read the trilogy and enjoyed it, you will absolutely love <i>Four</i>.<br />
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One of the draws of the <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Complete-Collection-Veronica-Roth-ebook/dp/B00BW3AY64/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507221&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent+series"><i>Divergent</i></a></b> world is the character development. If you enjoy the series, you love Tris and Four. (The same cannot be said for <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Suzanne-Collins-ebook/dp/B004XJRQUQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409507588&sr=1-2&keywords=the+hunger+games">The Hunger Games</a></b>.</i> I enjoyed that series for the action, but I spent a lot of time wanting to smack Katniss.) Tris and Four are one of the best couples I've read. They are like a younger version of Claire and Jaime for you fellow <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outlander-A-Novel-Diana-Gabaldon-ebook/dp/B000FC2L1O/ref=wp_bs_1_B00HUUOM9I_kindle_edition"><i>Outlander</i></a> </b>fans. Seeing the events you've read and enjoyed through Tris's eyes turned around and seen through Four's is a lovely literary experience. Suddenly the experience of reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Complete-Collection-Veronica-Roth-ebook/dp/B00BW3AY64/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507221&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent+series"><b><i>Divergent</i></b> </a>becomes richer. You become much closer to the story. It feels like you are there in the midst of it all because you know more of the ins and outs. You begin to see the story the way Veronica Roth see it - intricate and complicated. One character only gives you a straightforward, 2-D perspective. Adding another major character's point of view turns it into a 3-D experience. It's well written, and Tobias's traits and motivations are well explored. It was a highly satisfying experience.<br />
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I enjoy the world of <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Complete-Collection-Veronica-Roth-ebook/dp/B00BW3AY64/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507221&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent+series"><i>Divergent</i></a></b>. If you enjoy it too, you need to read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-Divergent-Collection-Series/dp/0062345214/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1409507439&sr=8-1&keywords=four"><b><i>Four</i></b> </a>to round out your journey with the factions of dystopian Chicago. It won't take you long - the book's pretty short - and you'll feel thoroughly satisfied once you've finished, like finishing the dessert of a good meal.<br />
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<br />sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-4552930820406417002014-08-05T20:07:00.002-07:002014-08-05T20:07:30.467-07:00The Stolen CrownSorry about the absence last week, folks - I had a kid in the hospital. With PNEUMONIA. Who the heck gets pneumonia in August? My 8 year old, that's who. So that's how we spent our last week of summer - sitting in a hospital room watching an IV drip drugs and fluid into my kiddo. Not so much fun. <br />
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But he is healing and I am back!<br />
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Ahem.<br />
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Did Richard III kill his nephews in order to seize the throne?<br />
Why did the Duke of Buckingham rebel - unsuccessfully - against Richard?<br />
Was Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville legitimate or bigamy?<br />
Am I a total and complete history geek? <br />
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(The answer to that last one is yes, and I am ok with that.)<br />
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If you are an average American, you have never once pondered the top three questions. However, if you are an Anglophile who reads books about the Wars of the Roses for fun, like me, then they are questions you have seriously wondered about. This period of English history is a particularly controversial one. There was so much intrigue at the time that it is hard to determine what was fact and what was slander. <br />
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This makes it a great era for historical fiction writers to take apart and examine. What really happened and why did people do what they did? We know some things for certain, but the rest is up to which theory you believe. What really happened before, during, and after the reign of Edward IV in the England of the 15th century?<br />
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<i>The Stolen Crown</i> by Susan Higginbotham takes us back to this period and explores the events of the time through the eyes of two real-life characters - Katherine Woodville Stafford, Duchess of Buckingham, and Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. Katherine was the youngest daughter of Elizabeth Woodville, whose secret marriage to Edward IV rocked his government and was the source of yet another rebellion during a time when the crown bounced back and forth between two feuding branches of the same family. Katherine was married off to Henry at the age of eight, and the two were raised in King Edward's household. They eventually had four children together, and the Duke went on to be a key member of King Richard III's government after Edward's death. However, in one of those moments of history that historians cannot agree about, the Duke suddenly turned on Richard and led a rebellion trying to put Henry Tudor on the throne. The rebellion failed and the Duke was executed...and in an ironic twist of history, Henry Tudor went on to mount another sucessful rebellion and became King Henry VII. <br />
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Did you follow all that? Probably not. I had to read, like, eight books on the Wars of the Roses before things started to make sense, and I still get confused. It doesn't help that every male is named Richard, Henry or Edward, and every female is named Elizabeth, Anne, or Katherine. It also doesn't help that, due to titles, everyone has about three different names. <br />
<br />
But I digress.<br />
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<i>The Stolen Crown</i> was interesting to me because Higginbotham took me to a perspective I'd never read before, that of the Staffords. I didn't know much about them before reading this book. The Duke of Buckingham is usually presented in novels about this period as a true bad guy - evil and scheming and such. This story presented an entirely different perspective on who Henry Stafford might have been. Since there is no way of knowing, it's fun to read novels that speculate, and this gave an entirely different viewpoint than that I have read before.<br />
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I also enjoyed the back-and-forth perspective between Katherine and Henry. Higginbotham refers to the same event seen through both sets of eyes, and this makes for a fascinating read. It keeps the story moving and gives the reader much to think about as they read. It allows for different perspectives on history to be shared and different theories to be offered.<br />
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Along those lines, I will say that I do not agree with Ms. Higginbotham's stance that Richard III killed his nephews, the Princes in the Tower. After doing my own research, I came to my own conclusion years ago that he was innocent of that crime. This did not, however, keep me from enjoying this novel immensely. I like reading perspectives that differ from my own. It's good to challenge your own ideas, even if it's just theories on 15th century mysteries. It's a good thing for your mind and character to take your own ideas out for a walk and see how they hold up to others. It can solidify your own stance or help you see things in a new way. <br />
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<i>The Stolen Crown</i> was a good, fun, quick read, a great little break from the non-fiction I have been tackling lately. For anyone who is a fan of this genre - and really, even if you've never tried it - it's a good solid venture into the tumultuous Wars of the Roses and a fun, different perspective on the lives of the people of those times. sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-64295040391671298962014-07-25T22:26:00.000-07:002014-07-25T22:26:47.958-07:00Current ReadsI seem to have hit one of those periods where I have many, many books going at once. I can't seem to settle down into one. So rather than my usual quick 5 TBR list, I thought I would take a moment to discuss all the books I have going at the moment. I often read more than one book at once. Other bookworms will understand.<br />
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Here's what I've got going on at the moment:<br />
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1. <i>The Civil War, A Narrative, Volume 1 </i>by Shelby Foote. I recently watched Ken Burns' epic documentary <i>The Civil War</i> and, being the geek that I am, I wanted to find out more about Shelby Foote, the author that is interviewed throughout the series. I discovered he had written a three volume narrative on The American Civil War, so I checked it out from my library. And I LOVE IT. Very easy to read, not at all dry, written in narrative form, it is incredibly intriguing. Mr. Foote certainly did his research. I don't know how long it's going to take me to finish it, but I will, eventually. (It's very, very long. The Prologue, which I just finished, is 72 pages.) And then I will move on to Volume II. <br />
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2. <i>Team of Rivals</i> by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Apparently I am on a Civil War kick. I have started this one so many times, and it is fascinating, I don't know why I can't finish the thing. But it's coming along, and it's a nice complement to Shelby Foote's narrative. I'm going to be quite the Civil War expert when I am all done.<br />
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3. <i>The Stolen Crown </i> by Susan Higginbotham. This is a historical fiction I found in Kindle form for $2.99. The author is one recommended on the Sharon Kay Penman FB fan page (yes, I follow it, don't judge), so I am giving her a try. It's about Edward IV's secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville. So far it's very good. <br />
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4. <i>The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes</i> by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This is actually several books in one, and currently I am working my way though <i>The Return of Sherlock Holmes</i>. I do love Sherlock, and these are great short stories, which makes for good reads. They are great for reading in line at the checkout counter at Wal-Mart. This is another one I am reading on my Kindle. (I told you I was slowly coming around to the ebook craze.)<br />
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5. <i>Lost in Translation</i> by John Klein and Adam Spears. This book examines the Bible from a Hebrew perspective - which was, after all, how it was actually written in the first place, for the most part. Absolutely fascinating, and it's shaking up my 33 years of Western Civilation-y interpretation of the Bible. Which is an EXCELLENT idea, I highly recommend it. God loves to shake up our preconceived ideas!<br />
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6. <i>The Prime Minister's Secret Agent</i> by Susan MacNeal. This is the next Maggie Hope novel. It just came out in paperback. I splurged and ordered it from Amazon. Should be here this afternoon. I bet I have it finished in three days. <br />
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7. <i>Four Blood Moons</i> by John Hagee. I actually don't know much about this one, but it has been recommended to me by multiple Christian brothers and sisters that I respect, so I'm reading it soon, it's on the short list. <br />
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8. <i> Cinder</i> by Marissa Meyer. This is a YA book that I am trying to read because I like to keep up with the books my students are reading. The premise is intriguing - it's a futuristic telling of Cinderella where Cinderella turns out to be a cyborg. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get into it. I'll get through it soon, it's sitting on my nightstand, but I seem to be easily distracted from it by all these other reads.<br />
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9. <i>Written in my Own Heart's Blood</i> by Diana Gabaldon. This is book 8 in the <i>Outlander</i> series. I love the <i>Outlander</i> series. I have waited for this book for three years. I am totally pumped to read it...but I keep getting interrupted, and it was annoying me, so I put it down for a bit. I have a vacation weekend coming up, that will probably be a good time to get going on it. <br />
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So there's my to-be-read list. No wonder my to-be-folded laundry pile is so high...sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-25559675913809503162014-07-17T11:46:00.000-07:002014-07-17T11:46:24.329-07:00In Case You Didn't Notice......I quit rating the books by stars.<br />
<br />
Why?<br />
<br />
Well, to tell the truth...I kind of forgot. <br />
<br />
And then, once I remembered, I realized it was kind of stupid anyway. Our society loves ranking things. We live by it. But it's not really necessary. How can I really compare one book to another? Books are written for different purposes and mean different things to different people. How can I say one's a two-star and one's a four-star? <br />
<br />
They are works of art. They aren't meant to be ranked. They are meant to be pondered and discussed.<br />
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So...that's why I quit. Maybe I'll start back up. But in the meantime, I prefer to just discuss. sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-51764284906710831982014-07-17T11:21:00.001-07:002014-07-17T11:21:43.880-07:00The Divergent Series I was glancing over previous posts of mine, and I suddenly realized I had never written a review of a book series that consumed most of my reading time this semester: The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Series-Complete-Box-Set/dp/0062278789/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405620866&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent+series"><i><b><span style="color: #660000;">Divergent</span></b></i> </a>series! How could I have let this one slip by! Probably because of the crazy spring semester I had. Well, time to right the wrong. The movie came out just a few months ago, so the series is very hot and popular right now. A good time to put in my two cents. <br />
<br />
I picked up <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405621076&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Divergent</span></b></a></i> off the bargain shelf at Wal-Mart because I needed a hospital book to read while sitting with my mom in the ICU. It was a good pick - it's a fast read, keeps the reader enthralled, but it doesn't require <i>too </i>much brainpower to keep up with the story line. It's pretty straightforward, as are its sequels, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405621076&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent"><i><b><span style="color: #660000;">Insurgent</span></b></i> </a>and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405621076&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Allegiant</span></b></a></i>. It's definitely the kind of series that kept me up all night reading and calling friends desperate to borrow the next one. It's that kind of exciting series. <br />
<br />
The <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Series-Complete-Box-Set/dp/0062278789/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405620866&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent+series"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Divergent</span></b></a></i> series tells the story of Tris, a teenager living in post-apocalyptic Chicago whose society had created a unique way to keep the peace. When you reach a certain age, you choose which "faction" to belong to, according your aptitude and desire. Your choices are Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Erudite, and Dauntless. There is a sort of virtual reality test given to indicate which faction you would fit into the best, and the idea is that you live out the rest of your life within this faction, happy to have your place in society. Each faction contributes in some way to their society, and everyone just lives happily along, locked into the life they have chosen. That is, of course, unless you wash out of your faction and get rejected, in which case you wind up living with the Factionless, and you are an outcast for life, living on the streets and off the charity of others. And everyone gets along. Right?<br />
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Well, of course not. This is dystopian young adult fiction, after all. There are no happy endings. <br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1405620866&sr=8-5&keywords=divergent+series"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Divergent</span></b></a></i> introduces you to Tris's world and the world of the Dauntless, the faction Tris chooses against her family's expectations as they are from Abnegation. From then on, Tris's life is on a breathless fast-track through danger, suspense, backstabbing (sometimes literally), and love that thankfully manages to be passionate without being explicit. The story ends in a major cliffhanger, and the next book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Insurgent-Divergent-Book-Series/dp/0062024043/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405620866&sr=8-2&keywords=divergent+series"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Insurgent</span></b></a></i>, picks right up where <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1405620866&sr=8-5&keywords=divergent+series"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Divergent</span></b></a></i> left off - and then turns everything upside down. You begin to realize that nothing you thought you knew was true. Then <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Allegiant-Divergent-Series-Veronica-Roth/dp/006202406X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1405620866&sr=8-3&keywords=divergent+series"><b><span style="color: #660000;"><i>Allegiant</i> </span></b></a>starts - and you realize that NOTHING YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW WAS TRUE. It twists, it turns, loyalties are challenged, the factions are blown apart - and Tris ultimately learns the truth about her society.<br />
<br />
Honestly, it's all very exciting up to this point. I liked to storyline better than <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Box/dp/0545670314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405621016&sr=8-1&keywords=the+hunger+games+series"><b><span style="color: #660000;">The Hunger Games</span></b></a></i> trilogy, and I like Tris much better than Katniss. (I'm not sure you're really supposed to <i>like</i> Katniss.) Tris is unendingly brave and loyal - to a fault, really. She is stubborn and independent and willing to do what it takes to save the people she loves. She's hard, but she's good, and I liked her. <br />
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The story itself is good too - it messes with your head and makes you play "what if?" a lot. What if everything you knew to be true was wrong? What if all the authority in your society was really about something else? What's really going on behind the scenes? Every time you think you are comfortable with how things are progressing, you find out what you thought you knew was wrong. It kept things very exciting.<br />
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However, like most dystopian literature, the ending left me feeling...bereft. I needed more closure. It feels like most dystopian novelists write themselves into a corner and then don't know what to do. So...they just kind of end things. That's how I felt at the end of <i><b><span style="color: #660000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Box/dp/0545670314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405621016&sr=8-1&keywords=the+hunger+games+series">The Hunger Game</a>s</span></b> </i>and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Matched-Trilogy-box-Ally-Condie/dp/0525426264/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405621056&sr=8-2&keywords=matched+series"><i><b><span style="color: #660000;">Matched</span></b></i> </a>series, and the feeling was repeated again when I finished <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Allegiant-Divergent-Series-Veronica-Roth/dp/006202406X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1405620866&sr=8-3&keywords=divergent+series"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Allegiant</span></b></a></i>. It was highly unsatisfying, and I think the author could have made some of the points about bravery and loyalty without some of the plot turns she chose. I also wanted to know more about what happened to each character and about what was going on in the rest of the world. This is an aggravating aspect of most dystopian books today - they tend to focus solely on the United States. What about the rest of the world? I live in a very global community. Why is the future suddenly so only-us focused? <br />
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That being said,<b><span style="color: #660000;"> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Series-Complete-Box-Set/dp/0062278789/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405620866&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent+series">Divergent</a> </i></span></b>is not a bad read at all. The series goes fast, stays interesting, and gives you a lot to think about while not being too taxiing on the brain. It's fun and not too draining. <br />
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And...in the interest of total honesty...Four, Tris's love interest...is...shall we say...Smokin'. Hot. It is not easy to create a character this hot without a visual. But...yeah. Veronica Roth pulled it off.<br />
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These would make a great summer read. If this is the genre that interests you, you will enjoy <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Series-Complete-Box-Set/dp/0062278789/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405620866&sr=8-1&keywords=divergent+series"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Divergen</span></b>t</a>.</i>sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-22559430093126897262014-07-15T12:14:00.001-07:002014-07-15T12:14:32.837-07:00Some Thoughts on Rereading<b>"If you would tell me the heart of a man, tell me not what he reads, but
what he re-reads." - Francois Mauriac </b><br />
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I love to own books. My poor husband knew this when when he married me, but I am not sure he knew the extension of my book-owning frenzy. Do not mistake me - I adore our local library and avail myself of it on a weekly basis. However, I truly do love owning books. I love the sight of my full bookshelves and the feeling of my books my in hands. I love being able to fold the pages if need be, or write notes in the margin. But my favorite part of owning my own books is a phenomenon known among most hopeless bookworms: rereading! <br />
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<b> </b><br />
I am a chronic re-reader. I read the same books over and over again. This may seem strange to some readers, but many will know what I am talking about. To me, the ability to reread a book is the ability to, at any given moment, meet up with a dear old friend and know their deep companionship all over again. You know the feeling of getting together with one of your dearest friends for coffee and catching up? That's what picking up an already read book is like. It's a marvelously comforting thing to be able to do. <b></b><br />
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In addition, rereading books is not really reading the same book over and over again. My sixth grade teacher taught me this. We were given a choice of two different books to read for a class assignment, and one of the book options was <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lion-Witch-Wardrobe-Chronicles-Narnia/dp/0064404994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405451373&sr=1-1&keywords=the+lion+the+witch+and+the+wardrobe"><span style="color: #660000;">The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</span></a></b> </i>by C.S. Lewis. (One of my favorite rereads.) My father had read this to me when I was about six, so I was going to read the other one, but my teacher - who was very intentional about knowing her students - strongly suggested that I reread it, telling me it would mean something completely different to me know. She was right. As a young child,<span style="color: #660000;"> </span><i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lion-Witch-Wardrobe-Chronicles-Narnia/dp/0064404994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405451373&sr=1-1&keywords=the+lion+the+witch+and+the+wardrobe"><span style="color: #660000;">The</span></a></b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lion-Witch-Wardrobe-Chronicles-Narnia/dp/0064404994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405451373&sr=1-1&keywords=the+lion+the+witch+and+the+wardrobe"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</span></b></a></i> is just a fantasy story - but if you reread it again and again as you get older, you start to see other themes and messages emerge, and you begin to appreciate the message C.S. Lewis was really trying to communicate. I never forgot this lesson, and I am eternally grateful to my sixth grade teacher for it. We change as we grow older. As we change, the meaning of books change as well. Although I may know the story line of a book, I see it from a different perspective each time I read it. I am married with children now; that mean one of my favorite books, <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Up-family-tree-Teresa-Bloomingdale/dp/0385170327/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405451436&sr=1-1&keywords=up+a+family+tree"><span style="color: #660000;">Up a Family Tree</span></a></b></i>, is far more meaningful now than it was when I first read it as a teenager. (See my previous review <a href="http://confessionsofahopelessbookworm.blogspot.com/2013/06/up-family-tree.html"><b><span style="color: #660000;">here</span></b></a>.) This phenomenon of books changing as we change happens every time I reread a book. <br />
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I reread different books for different reasons. For example, I probably reread <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Wind-75th-Anniversary-Edition/dp/1451635621/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405450778&sr=8-1&keywords=gone+with+the+wind"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Gone With the Wind</span></b></a></i> two or three times a year. This book, which I have reviewed <a href="http://confessionsofahopelessbookworm.blogspot.com/2012/07/gone-with-wind.html"><b><span style="color: #660000;">here</span></b></a>, has been a perennial favorite of mine since middle school. I know it so well that I can pick up any one of my multiple copies - yes, I have multiple copies - drop it open to any given page, and I am back with my old pals Scarlett, Rhett, Melanie, and that Captain of All Wimps, Ashley. This is a book I like to reread and play out scenarios in my head. I can <i>see</i> each scene clearly as if they were being played out on stage in front of me. Then I like to imagine how I would have reacted in those scenes and how I would really like to sit down all four main characters and knock some sense into their heads. Rereading <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Wind-75th-Anniversary-Edition/dp/1451635621/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405450778&sr=8-1&keywords=gone+with+the+wind"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Gone With The Wind</span></b></a> </i>is a very active experience for me, and it allows the imagination to run wild.<br />
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The<b><span style="color: #660000;"> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mitford-Years-Window-Canaan-Common/dp/0147717795/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405450873&sr=8-1&keywords=mitford">Mitford</a></i></span></b> series, on the other hand, is a series I reread when I need something soothing. It is just about as perfect a series as you can possibly find. There are nine books, which means there is plenty to revisit, but each book (unlike <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Wind-75th-Anniversary-Edition/dp/1451635621/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405450778&sr=8-1&keywords=gone+with+the+wind"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Gone With the Wind</span></b></a></i>) is a manageable size. You can pick up any of the nine novels and simply pick up the story line. Father Tim, Cynthia, and the citizens of Mitford are deal old friends of mine. I don't really play out scenarios or rerun scenes in my mind from this series - each scene is perfect within itself. You just soak in Mitford. It isn't controversial and it doesn't get me blood going. It's just...relaxing. <b><br /></b><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/And-Then-There-Were-None/dp/0062073486/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405450838&sr=8-1&keywords=and+then+there+were+none"><b><span style="color: #660000;">And Then There Were None</span></b></a></i> by Agatha Christie is a book that I have not yet reviewed, but I plan to soon. It is another perennial reread of mine. This may be the absolute most perfect mystery book ever conceived. There is nothing to change, nothing to alter. The plot is something beyond genius. It is a literary masterpiece. I can figure out most mystery novels that I read before I get to the end, and then once I finish it, there's not much to revisit, so I don't reread them. Why reread a mystery when you know the solution? Somehow, though,<b><span style="color: #660000;"> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/And-Then-There-Were-None/dp/0062073486/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405450838&sr=8-1&keywords=and+then+there+were+none">And Then There Were None</a></i></span></b><span style="color: #660000;"> </span>draws me back again and again. There are so many details that I forget things from year to year, so there are always surprises. The summation in the next-to-last chapter, and the grand solution in the end, are my favorite parts, and they are so intricate that it continues to be exciting every time I read it - and I have been reading it since my teen years. My copy is quite bedraggled. But it never ceases to be fascinating. <br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hiding-Place-Corrie-Boom/dp/0800794052/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405450893&sr=8-1&keywords=the+hiding+place"><b><span style="color: #660000;">The Hiding Place</span></b></a></i> by Corrie Ten Boom is another book I revisit on a regular basis. This tells the story of Corrie Ten Boom's family in the Netherlands during World War II. This Christian family risked torture and death under the Nazi regime in order to hide Jews in their home. Eventually they were caught, and Corrie and her sister were sent to a concentration camp. This is one of those books I believe everyone should read at some point in their lives. Corrie's courage and faith is both inspiring and humbling. Her life is an example of that kind of life I want to have - not necessarily requiring a trip to a concentration camp, but unswerving faith in the face of great horror. She is one of my heroes, and God has used her story in my life numerous time to teach me lessons about His love for His people. It is not an easy book to read, but it is a necessary one, and one for which I have a special place in my heart.<br />
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There are many, many more books out there that I love to pick up and read again and again, all for different reasons - to live the adventure, to soak in the goodness, to experience a great story, for great inspiration, and more. This is just a small snapshot of my rereading habits, and this is why my bookshelves are overflowing and only continue to grow. (Sorry, husband!) Rereading allows me to meet with the same thrills over and over again. So my confession for the day is: rereading is one of my favorite pastimes. If you've never tried revisiting a favorite book, give it a shot. You will find that your favorites will renew themselves and give you a new meaning all over again.<br />
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<br />sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-835674680563377172014-07-06T20:22:00.003-07:002014-07-06T20:22:59.174-07:00The Hound of the BaskervillesI am slowly accepting the arrival of the ebook. I have nothing against them, I just don't prefer them over actual, physical books. One of the things I like best about books is being able to flip through pages, start here or there, and go hither and yonder among the chapters (if I've read the book already, that is). I love picking up books off shelves and opening them to any page and re-reading them. It's like meeting an old friend for coffee. You can't do that with an ebook. When I'm reading a book for the first time, I like glancing towards the back with satisfaction as to how much I have left. There just isn't the same amount of satisfaction to be had in that little "46%" in the corner of the screen. I also love the feel of a book in my hand, the smell of it, the texture of the pages. It's all part of the reading experience for me. <br />
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I am coming around, however, to reading the occasional book on my Kindle. I have a Kindle Fire, not so much for reading, but for tablet purposes. I do, however, occasionally download a book onto it, especially if the book is free. (I also resent paying for books I can't actually see.) And I will say this - reading on my Kindle has solved my lifelong problem of how to read while cooking. It is easier to prop up a Kindle and read it while stirring than it is to hold open a book. I will give you that. <br />
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So I will confess that my most recently finished book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hound-Baskervilles-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486282147/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404703264&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hound+of+the+baskervilles"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> </b></span></a>by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was read on my Kindle. I have the complete set of Sherlock Holmes on my Kindle, and I am working my way through them with great enjoyment. I still would love to have a hard copy on my shelves. A lovely leather, or even fake leather, edition of the complete works. And hey, I have a birthday coming up. I mean, I'm just putting facts out there in the universe...who knows where they may land...<br />
<br />
But I digress. Back to Sherlock Holmes.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hound-Baskervilles-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486282147/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404703264&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hound+of+the+baskervilles"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> </b></span></a>is perhaps the best-known Holmes story. It is quintessential Sherlock. it has been adapted for the stage, for TV, and for film numerous times in numerous languages. Pieces of it are well-known parts of the Sherlock canon. It is here that the hardcore Sherlock fan finds the Vatican Cameos reference, among others. It is a timeless story that defines the characters of Holmes and Watson. <br />
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When you read the novel, you realize why. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hound-Baskervilles-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486282147/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404703264&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hound+of+the+baskervilles"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></b></span></a> is mystery and suspense at its finest. Intrigue, mistaken identities, false clues, mysterious noises, villains, heroes - all there. It is suspenseful without being gory or weirdly supernatural, something with which today's writers seem to struggle. It leads the reader down one path and then expertly pulls them down the other. The mystery of the unfortunate death of Sir Charles Baskerville, and the fate of his heir Sir Henry, grabs the attention of the reader and does not let it go until the last line. At the same time, it is a fabulous portrait of Holmes at his finest. Everything you love about Sherlock is there, and everything you love about his faithful companion Watson is there. The two of them take on the case with a singular energy and apply both of their skill sets towards sorting it all out - though Holmes, of course, always has the upper hand...being Holmes, after all.<br />
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I read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hound-Baskervilles-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486282147/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404703264&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hound+of+the+baskervilles"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></b></span></a> in about 48 hours. It would have taken me less time had I not fallen asleep this afternoon for a much needed nap. It's a fast read because you can't put it down. Written over 100 years ago, and yet the modern 21st century reader can't put it down. That's the sign of true genius in writing. That's the genius of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and that's what makes it timeless. (Incidentally, it originally appeared as a serial story in a magazine, stretching from August 1901 to April 1902. Can you imagine have to wait months and months for the conclusion to your favorite can't-put-it-down novel? It's like the early 20th century form of torture that Moffat and Gatniss, today's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-1-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004132HZS/ref=sr_1_4?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1404703349&sr=1-4&keywords=sherlock"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Sherlock</i> </b></span></a>creators, are putting us fans through now!)<br />
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If you've never read any classic Holmes, check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hound-Baskervilles-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486282147/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404703264&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hound+of+the+baskervilles"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> </b></span></a>and experience what read literary genius is like! <br />
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TBR update:<br />
I am still reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Written-Own-Hearts-Blood-Outlander/dp/0385344430/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_har?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404703227&sr=1-1&keywords=written+in+my+own+heart%27s+blood"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Written in my Own Heart's Blood</i>,</b></span></a> but it has taken a slight backseat because I am trying to complete my local library's adult reading challenge. They have a list of 12 genres, and if you read books in six of those genres, you get a prize and you get put in a drawing for the grand prize. You can enter up to three times. I am trying to complete the thing by the end of the summer, so I haven't been able to attack Diana Gabaldon with quite the fierceness that I would like. I have one entry completed and I am halfway through my second entry. So here are my current TBR, other than her book:<br />
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1. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_35?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the%20political%20genius%20of%20abraham%20lincoln&sprefix=the+political+genius+of+abraham+lin%2Caps%2C5133"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln</b></span></a> </i>by Doris Kearns Goodwin<br />
2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cinder-Book-One-Lunar-Chronicles/dp/1250007208/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404702770&sr=1-1&keywords=cinder"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Cinder</i> </b></span></a>by Marissa Meyer<br />
3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maisie-Dobbs-Book-Jacqueline-Winspear/dp/0142004332/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1404702819&sr=1-1"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><b>Maise Dobbs</b></i></span></a> by Jacqueline Winspear <br />
4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Translation-Vol-Rediscovering-Hebrew/dp/1589301994/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404702939&sr=1-2&keywords=lost+in+translation"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Lost in Translation</i> </b></span></a>by Adam Spears and John Kline<br />
5. And...other books. I need to find a Romance, a Western, an Inspirational Fiction, or a book about Kansas. Or any mixture of the above. And I am open to suggestions! sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-27603553670259279552014-07-01T21:34:00.001-07:002014-07-01T21:34:41.449-07:00Me, Myself, and BobAnyone who was involved in American ministry in the 1990s is familiar with that all-important children's video series, Veggie Tales. Doesn't matter if you didn't do children's ministry. EVERYONE knew about VeggieTales, and most people - myself included - LOVED them. Bob and Larry were a refreshing change from most children's video series. Instead of goofy or campy names and songs and so-sweet storylines that adults were left gagging, Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber brought humor, Monty Python references, French Peas, and songs about water buffaloes. While kids were learning that God made them special and loved them very much, adults were rolling and asking their kids of they could watch it again. My own mother sat in a Christian bookstore and watched an entire episode without any of her children around, she was so caught up in the hilarity. The creators, Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki, were legends of the Christian publishing world. Their website proclaimed their goal of being in the top 5 children's production companies in the country. Yay for Big Idea! Yay for Veggie Tales! Go God!<br />
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Funny how we have one perception of reality when the truth of what's going on is so very different. <br />
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A few years ago, I found a book called <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Me-Myself-Bob-Talking-Vegetables/dp/1595551220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404275563&sr=8-1&keywords=me+myself+and+bob"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Me, Myself, and Bob</i> </b></span></a>by Phil Vischer, telling his story of the rapid rise - and then, unknown to me, destruction - of Big Idea studios. While I had noticed that VeggieTales had undergone some changes in recent years, I had no idea of the behind-the-scenes story. Phil's story - testimony, really - filled my heart with both joy and pain and gave me a whole new perspective on what it means to follow your dreams. <br />
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<a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Me-Myself-Bob-Talking-Vegetables/dp/1595551220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404275563&sr=8-1&keywords=me+myself+and+bob"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Me, Myself, and Bob</i></b></span></a> is Phil's story of a man with a dream to be the next big thing in Christian media. His goal was literally to become the next Walt Disney. Phil had a passion for storytelling, a passion for teaching kids about the Bible, and a passion for humor. These all came together in the phenomenon of VeggieTales, which worked wonderfully for a time. However, as time wore on, Phil failed to do something key: keep his dreams before the Lord and have Him guide the way. As a result, the vision of Big Idea became blurred, people were hired that did not have the same passions as Phil, and things came apart at the seams. The result was the implosion of a company, the laying off of hundreds of employees, and the death of a dream - a dream that turned out to be killing Phil, his friendships, his family, and his company, because he kept trying to do it all on his own and cling to closely to what he thought was supposed to happen. It was only when it all came crashing down that he began to learn what God was really telling him all along and how to pursue his dreams in the way God intended.<br />
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It's good to have dreams. It's good to have ambitions. God places desires in our hearts and He wants us to pursue them with passion - but success comes when we pursue them with HIS passion and direction, not our own. That's the story of Phil and his band of veggies. Phil doesn't even have rights to his own characters anymore. Legal and financial issues tore them away. But in the tearing down came the building up of his own faith and the ability to let God take over. <br />
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Phil now writes and produces what I believe is the best children's series of all time, <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_14?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=what%27s%20in%20the%20bible%20set&sprefix=what%27s+in+the+%2Caps%2C144"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>What's in the Bible?</i> </b></span></a>This series is a 13 DVD journey that literally takes kids through the entire Bible and simply tells them what's in it. No interpretations, not really a lot of commentary, and no translating stories into "softer" versions for kids. This series has given Phil the ability to pursue the real dreams that God has placed in him and do things that VeggieTales never could let him do. The series is wonderful, and I highly recommend it for adults as well as children. But it is all the more wonderful for having read <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Me-Myself-Bob-Talking-Vegetables/dp/1595551220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404275563&sr=8-1&keywords=me+myself+and+bob"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Me, Myself, and Bob</i> </b></span></a>and having a greater understanding for what God has done in Phil Vischer's life. <br />
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<a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Me-Myself-Bob-Talking-Vegetables/dp/1595551220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404275563&sr=8-1&keywords=me+myself+and+bob"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Me, Myself and Bob</i></b></span></a> is a great story of letting go and letting God. It is hilarious and heart wrenching and teaches some all-important life lessons. If you are pursuing your dreams - or even if you're not there yet - I highly recommend it for your summer reading list. <br />
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<br />sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-75378589881585190722014-06-26T20:04:00.000-07:002014-06-26T20:04:07.009-07:00Elephant and Piggie I love taking my kids to the library. We have a fantastic library in our little town, and it is chock-full of ways to help kids enjoy reading. Great selection, huge play area with educational toys, busy reading summer reading program with incentives and story times and activities - it's just wonderful. My kids love library day.<br />
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Wandering through the library with them one day, we stumbled upon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=elephant+and+piggie"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>Elephant and Piggie</b></span></a>. I can't remember the first Elephant and Piggie book we read because as soon as we read one of them, we checked out ALL of them from the library and read them ALL repeatedly. Mo Willems, author of another set of children's books we love, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Its-Busload-Pigeon-Books-Willems/dp/1423175891/ref=la_B001JRXJX8_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403837859&sr=1-6"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>the Pigeon books</b></span></a>, has created two opposite, delightful characters that tell their stories through the use of dialogue balloons. The two are best friends, but they often hilariously find themselves on opposite sides of an issue. Gerald, the elephant, (yes his name is GERALD...that right there should tell you it is awesome) is the more cautious, nervous friend while Piggie is carefree and will try anything. Their adventures include the great moral dilemma of whether or not to share your ice cream, the trepidation that comes with being invited to a party, the celebration of Pig Day, and the horror of discovering you might be allergic to your best friend. Although silly, the core problem will usually be some basic issue, like breaking a new toy, that kids can identify with. Some of their stories have moral lessons woven in...and some are just ridiculous, because, you know, not everything has to be a teachable moment. Sometimes you just want to read a book about an elephant with a bird stuck on their head. Or, as in my favorite, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Book-Elephant-Piggie/dp/1423133080/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y"><i><span style="color: #660000;"><b>We Are in a Book!</b></span>,</i> </a>sometimes you discover that you are actually the subject of a book - so NOW what do you do?!<br />
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This books are amazing to read out loud to kids. I have read hundred, maybe thousands, of books out loud to my children. Since this blog is called "confessions," here is a confession of mine: it gets old. It seriously does. By the 5th Berenstain Bears book or the 8th Dr. Seuss book, you can be totally worn out with reading out loud. (As a kid, did you ever realize how freaking LONG Dr. Seuss's books are?! Ai yi yi!) <i><b> Reading out loud to your kids is incredibly important </b></i>- every study done anywhere on the issue says that it is a major contributor to kids' academic success later on. It also builds memories and bonds between you and your children that you just can't get watching TV together. It is an incredibly, indescribably important part of childhood and parenting.<br />
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It can also...get old. Come on...admit it. Sometimes it does.<br />
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This is part of the beauty of Gerald and Piggie - you don't get worn out reading them. The voices are fun to do, the actions are fun to, and by the end of the book, I usually wind up wishing it was just a little longer. It's the perfect break from Clifford. Whom I love. Truly. Clifford, Curious George, Madeline, Fancy Nancy - love them all. But sometimes you need something fun and funky and a break from everything else. That's where Elephant and Piggie save the day. Kids love them, adults love them, and they are so super-fun that it's hard to put them down. I have found myself flipping through them and laughing long after the kids go to bed. Yes, more confessions. That has happened.<br />
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If you have kids, are around kids, or are a kid at heart yourself, check out the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems. But if you get in trouble for laughing out loud standing in the library, don't say I didn't warn you! <br />
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Some titles to get you started:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Book-Elephant-Piggie/dp/1423133080/ref=la_B001JRXJX8_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403837859&sr=1-5"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>We Are in a Book!</i></b></span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Should-Share-Cream-Elephant-Piggie/dp/1423143434/ref=la_B001JRXJX8_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403837859&sr=1-3"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Should I Share My Ice Cream?</i></b></span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Took-Ball-Elephant-Piggie-Book/dp/1423174917/ref=la_B001JRXJX8_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403837859&sr=1-11"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>A Big Guy Took My Ball!</i></b></span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/There-Bird-Your-Elephant-Piggie/dp/1423106865/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1TJ4KX3PP6MQV7KET31G"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>There is a Bird on Your Head!</i></b></span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Elephants-Cannot-Dance-Elephant-Piggie/dp/1423114108/ref=pd_sim_b_8?ie=UTF8&refRID=16BD9VRDH1C61ASPWE6C"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Elephants Cannot Dance!</i></b></span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Invited-Party-Elephant-Piggie-Book/dp/1423106873/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=10KQ94FWKM9T68SDPAH5"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>I Am Invited to a Party! </i></b></span></a>sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-36561543446528467042014-06-20T04:58:00.001-07:002014-06-20T05:04:36.564-07:00Literary Quotes <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I have been attending literary workshops all week, so I don’t have a new review for you. (Ironically, because I am attending classes on literacy, I have not been able to read as much. Chew on that on.) I do, however, have a “related to reading” post to share. One of the presenters this week used this article as a prompt for a collaborative activity:</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #660000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://theamericanscholar.org/ten-best-sentences/#.U6QgEPldWSp"><b>The 10 Best Sentences (according to American Scholar)</b></a></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Obviously, this is a list that could be widely debated, although I do like their picks. But it got me thinking about my own favorite literary quotes. I do not pretend to have read everything, and I don’t have my mother’s or my brother’s memory to remember everything I ever read. However, there are times when a sentence just really grabs you and sticks with you in a special way. So I thought I would share with you some of my favorite quotes from literature. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and it is not ranked. These are just the ones I could come up with today. It’s the kind of list that can easily shift and move with time. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments!</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So without further adieu...these are a few of my favorite things:</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again.” - Daphne duMaurier, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rebecca</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.” - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, <i>The Sign of the Four</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The ships hung in sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.” - Douglas Adams, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place</span>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The flood may bear me far, </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I hope to see my Pilot face to face</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I have crost the bar.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- Lord Tennyson, "Crossing the Bar"</span></div>
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“No pit is so deep that God is not deeper still.” - Corrie Ten Boom, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Hiding Place</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny old attics. Even if they dress in rags, even if they aren’t pretty, or smart, or young. They’re still princesses.” - Frances Hodgson Burnett, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A Little Princess</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.” - Douglas Adams, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Do not go gently into that good night.</span>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Old age should burn and rave at close of day;</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- Dylan Thomas, "Do Not Go Gently"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“She was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world.” - Kate Chopin, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Awakening</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“When the day shall come that we do part,” he said softly, and turned to lookt at me, “of my last workds are not ‘I love you,’ you’ll ken it was because I didna have time.” - Diana Gabaldon, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Fiery Cross</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, this was the great ploy of Satan in that kingdom to his: to display such blatant evil one could almost believe one’s own secret sin didn’t matter.” - Corrie Ten Boom, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Hiding Place</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried. - Gilbert K. Chesterton , </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What’s Wrong with the World </span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“All wars are sacred,to those who have to fight them. If the people who started wars didn’t make them sacred, who would be foolish enough to fight? But, no matter what rallying cries the orators give to the idiots who fight, no matter what noble purposes they assign to wars, there is never but one reason for a war. And that is money. All wars are in reality money squabbles. But so few people ever realize it. Their ears are too full of bugles and drums and the fine words from stay-at-home orators. Sometimes the rallying cry is ’save the Tomb of Christ from the Heathen!’ Sometimes it’s ’down with Popery!’ and sometimes ‘Liberty!’ and sometimes ‘Cotton, Slavery and States’ Rights!” - Margaret Mitchell, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gone with the Wind</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does, and that is his.” - Oscar Wilde, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Importance of Being Earnest</span></b></span></span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;">
</b></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“God hath given you one face, and you make yourself another.” - William Shakespeare, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hamlet </span></b></span></span><br />
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Rosencrantz: I don't believe in it anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Guildenstern: What?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rosencrantz: England.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Guildenstern: Just a conspiracy of cartographers, then? ” - Tom Stoppard, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #181818;">And for my final word for today...</span><br />
<br />
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” - C.S. Lewis, <i>The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</i></div>
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</b></span></span>sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-12611035236198066522014-06-16T21:01:00.004-07:002014-06-16T21:01:35.879-07:00The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion Authors can be great for different reasons. Some authors are thrilling and gripping. Others write majestically with grace and beauty. Other authors are great simply because they are, at heart, storytellers, and they can just plain tell a good story.<br />
<br />
Fannie Flagg is among one of the greatest storytellers of our time. You are probably most familiar with her work <span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>F<a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Written-Own-Hearts-Blood-Outlander/dp/0385344430/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402977606&sr=1-1&keywords=written+in+my+own+heart%27s+blood">ried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe</a></i></b></span>, although you may not have realized this was hers. That's a great story that was turned into a great movie. But she has so many other books, and I will warn you, once you start a Fannie Flagg novel, you won't stop till you're done. (Fortunately, they are not as long as, say, Diana Gabaldon's, so you can finish them in a timely manner.)<br />
<br />
Flagg's latest novel, <span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/All-Girl-Filling-Stations-Last-Reunion/dp/1400065941/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402977381&sr=1-1&keywords=the+all+girls+filling+station"><i>The All Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion</i></a></b></span>, does not disappoint. In is, as her other novels are, a great story. It involves the stories of multiple women across generations that are tied together by a tightly kept secret. It twists and turns and keeps the reader on their toes. Every time I think I have a Fannie Flagg story all figured out, she jerks it in an entirely different direction. It's like riding a roller coaster. You just hang on and go with it, having fun along the way. <br />
<br />
It is also the telling of a true story, that of the WASP corps, the women Air Force pilots that flew domestic missions during WWII. For decades this all-important piece of American history has been tucked away, kept under wraps by the military until the 1970s. Now we are learning about these courageous women who contributed to the war effort and broke barriers for future women by taking on a job that many thought only belonged to men - flying military airplanes. It's a remarkable part of our heritage, and the story needs to be told. Flagg tells it masterfully in the context of her characters' lives, because one way or another, the WASP corp affected each and every characters' lives.<br />
<br />
Characters are one of the best parts of a Flagg novel. She creates people that are so real, you can hear them talk in your head and feel like you're sitting down to have coffee with them yourself. This main character of this novel, Sookie, is someone you just want to hug and reassure that everything's going to be all right. You find yourself deliciously and righteously angry with her mother Leonore, a mother you love to hate and love. Fritzi, a tough WASP veteran who takes life by both hands and does everything her own way, will have you laughing and cheering all the way through, even when you don't agree with the choices she is making. These are marvelous, lovable, flawed, real characters that draw you into their lives and invite you to stay a while.<br />
<br />
All of Fannie Flagg's books take place in the South, and the culture of the South that she brings into her works have both charm and stark reality. It is obvious that Flagg loves the South, but she is aware of its faults, and she boldly tells the truth where it needs to be told while also painting a magical background for the telling of her story. The South itself is a character of her books. <br />
<br />
This is a lovely book. Check it out for a great summer read. You will not regret it!<br />
<br />
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars<br />
<br />
Still reading <i><span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Written-Own-Hearts-Blood-Outlander/dp/0385344430/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402977606&sr=1-1&keywords=written+in+my+own+heart%27s+blood">Written in My Own Heart's Blood,</a></b></span> </i>but here are some links to other Fannie Flagg novels in case you get hooked:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Still-Dream-About-You-Novel/dp/0812977165/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0AZXC3C562WFTFCJM71Z"><i>Can't Wait to Get to Heaven</i></a></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Still-Dream-About-You-Novel/dp/0812977165/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0AZXC3C562WFTFCJM71Z"><i>I Still Dream About You</i></a></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><b><i><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Standing-Rainbow-Ballantine-Readers-Circle/dp/0345452887/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y">Standing in the Rainbow </a></i></b></span><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i><br />
<i> </i> sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-30092712712067898102014-06-14T10:00:00.006-07:002014-06-14T10:00:31.304-07:00A King's Ransom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l5UcjaCXzfA/U5x-xWSZdlI/AAAAAAAABEg/MEUsu3qIINE/s1600/a+kings+ransom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l5UcjaCXzfA/U5x-xWSZdlI/AAAAAAAABEg/MEUsu3qIINE/s1600/a+kings+ransom.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
Oh, Sharon Kay Penman. You have done it again. <br />
<br />
I will admit. It is very difficult for me to review a book by SKP with any kind of objectivity because I LOVE HER SO MUCH. Ever since the day I stumbled onto <em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/When-Christ-His-Saints-Slept/dp/0345396685/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402765030&sr=1-1&keywords=when+christ+and+his+saints+slept"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">When Christ and His Saints Slept</span></strong></a></em>, I was completely hooked. She is such a phenomenal writer, and she writes about a time period I love. It's a literary match made in heaven. <br />
<br />
I'll try to keep my head screwed on straight for your sake, dear readers. But it will be hard. Because once again THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD.<br />
<br />
<em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Kings-Ransom-Sharon-Kay-Penman/dp/0399159223/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402765070&sr=1-1&keywords=a+king%27s+ransom"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">A King's Ransom</span></strong></a></em> is Penman's final book in her Plantagenet series (or at least she claims it is). It covers the second half of King Richard I's reign. Her previous book about Richard,<em> <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Lionheart-Novel-Sharon-Kay-Penman/dp/0345517563/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402765130&sr=1-1&keywords=lionheart"><span style="color: #660000;"><strong>Lionheart</strong></span></a>,</em> covered the crusade years. My review of that one can be found <a href="http://confessionsofahopelessbookworm.blogspot.com/2012/01/lionheart.html"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">here</span></strong></a>. As Richard left the middle east and tried to come home to England (to stop his brother, Prince John of Robin Hood infamy, from taking over), he was kidnapped by the Duke of Austria and handed over to the Holy Roman Emperor. It was years of treachery and whatnot before his mother managed to arrange for his release. The book also includes his turbulent marriage with his Spanish princess, the double dealings of his brother Prince John, and the continuation of the life of my favorite woman from history, Eleanor of Aquitaine, the only woman in history to be queen of both England and France in the course of her life and whose descendants went on to rule most of Europe for centuries to come.<br />
<br />
You can't make this stuff up. History itself is much more exciting than fiction.<br />
<br />
Once again, Penman keeps you turning every page - <em>even though you already know what's going to happen</em>. The fact that I knew the outcome of Richard's life before I read the book was irrelevant. I still couldn't put the book down. Penman's brilliance as a historical novelist just keeps the reader coming back for more - and aching once the book is over. <br />
<br />
Her meticulous research also keeps me coming back. I have mentioned this before, but she has ruined me for many other historical writers. I am now a historical fiction snob. If it's not well researched, or certain events are changed for no apparent reason, then I don't consider it worth my time. Penman is passionate about being as factual as possible, and I love that about her. Just makes me want to read her work all the more. <br />
<br />
I waited over two years for <em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Kings-Ransom-Sharon-Kay-Penman/dp/0399159223/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402765070&sr=1-1&keywords=a+king%27s+ransom"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Ransom</span></strong></a></em>, and it was well worth the wait. Come read this book and dive into the world of the Middle Ages. The intrigue and drama found there is far more interesting than any soap opera you can find today. <br />
<br />
Rating out of 5 stars: oh come on, like a book like this can be confined to 5 stars...<br />
TBR:<br />
<em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Written-Own-Hearts-Blood-Outlander/dp/0385344430/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402765181&sr=1-1&keywords=written+in+my+own+heart%27s+blood"><span style="color: #660000;"><strong>Written in My Own Heart's Blood</strong></span></a> </em>by Diana Gabaldon. That's pretty much it for a while.<br />
<br />sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-20493962871351856212014-06-11T10:18:00.001-07:002014-06-11T10:18:25.849-07:00A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qcTNuZ8HEeU/U5iND_PmasI/AAAAAAAABEM/-BGmNclJEuk/s1600/a+higher+call.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qcTNuZ8HEeU/U5iND_PmasI/AAAAAAAABEM/-BGmNclJEuk/s1600/a+higher+call.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
My father likes to take walks at night. Around 10:00 pm at night, he will head out the door into the darkness and walk the entire neighborhood. He likes the quiet and the coolness of the night. He can ponder his day and clear his head while getting some great exercise. Generally he does this alone, but I have been known to join him when I am in town visiting my parents. It's a great time to have a long, uninterrupted talk with my dad, something that becomes increasingly difficult as schedules and kids get in the way. <br />
<br />
On one of these walks, Dad told me one of his favorite "character" stories that he uses as a scout leader with his young troops. The story is about a World War II bomber pilot named Charlie Brown who was shot up while flying a B-17 bomber over Germany. As he was struggling to get his plane back to England, a German fighter pilot flew up by his side. The two enemy pilots stared at each other while Charlie waited for him to finish him off, but instead of killing an already wounded crew, the German pilot escorted the American pilot out of Germany to the North Sea. The German pilot then saluted the American pilot and then veered off. Neither pilot was entirely sure of what happened, but it was clear that the German pilot had made a choice not to include that particular plane in his kill list that day. Dad uses the story with his scouts to talk about character, honor, choices, etc. <br />
<br />
Adam Makos, who wrote the original story for a magazine (where Dad first saw it), has researched and expanded the story into an entire book, <em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Higher-Call-Incredible-Chivalry-War-Torn/dp/0425255735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402506956&sr=8-1&keywords=a+higher+call"><span style="color: #660000;"><strong>A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II</strong></span></a></em>. The book tells the story of two men, Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler, fighting opposite sides of a war but finding themselves in a moment of history on December 20, 1943, that would go on to become one of the greatest military stories ever told. Eventually, decades later, the two men find each other, and a friendship is formed that defies our prejudices about what the enemies of that war were supposed to be.<br />
<br />
We like to think of World War II as the simple war. Ask the average person on the street about World War I, and they will likely give you a blank stare. That one's hard to understand, although there is a hilarious-yet-accurate description of the conflict <a href="http://themetapicture.com/if-world-war-one-was-a-bar-fight/"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">here</span></strong></a>. But World War II? Oh, that one's easy. Japanese - they attacked us. Bad. And in Europe? Please. Nazis are bad. All Germans were Nazis. Therefore all Germans were the bad guys. We fought on the sides of the angels. And we won. Because we were right. On to the Cold War. <br />
<br />
However, war is never simple, and it is never easy. <br />
<br />
<em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Higher-Call-Incredible-Chivalry-War-Torn/dp/0425255735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402506956&sr=8-1&keywords=a+higher+call"><span style="color: #660000;"><strong>A Higher Call</strong></span></a></em>, while telling both men's stories, really focuses on the story of the German pilot, Franz Stigler, a commercial pilot who never wanted to be in the war in the first place and who certainly was not on the side of the Nazis. Did you know the National Socialist Party only won 44% of the vote when they came to power? The majority of Germany voted against them. However, they still won the most votes over the other 11 parties vying for power in the 1930s, so in they came. Many, if not most, of the armed forces in Germany in World War II were not defending the Nazis. They were fighting for the survival of their country, and many, like Franz Stigler, found themselves stuck between the enemy to the West and the enemy within their own borders. In an army where telling a joke about Hitler could put you in front of the firing squad, loyalties are often fuzzy, and the struggle to be faithful to your country while hanging onto your humanity becomes a life or death situation. The winners get to write the history books, and it is easy to paint the Germany of the 1940s with the same paintbrush. The truth is far more complicated. <br />
<br />
This book gave me a fresh perspective on multiple sides of a war I previously thought of as a black-and-white issue, and it left me weeping at the end at the strength of mercy and friendship in the face of war. I would highly recommend it as a quality way to spend your reading time.<br />
<br />
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars (just because I didn't always follow the technical stuff)<br />
<br />
TBR:<br />
Umm...I just received <em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Written-Own-Hearts-Blood-Outlander/dp/0385344430/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402507024&sr=1-1&keywords=written+in+my+own+heart%27s+blood"><span style="color: #660000;"><strong>Written in My Own Heart's Blood</strong></span></a></em> by Diana Gabaldon...that's right, book 8 of the <em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Outlander-Diana-Gabaldon/dp/0440212561/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402507056&sr=1-1&keywords=outlander"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Outlander</span></strong></a></em> series...814 pages of delight...so that's pretty much my TBR list for the next little bit. I hope I remember to eat something...<br />
<br />
sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-16917510954295173052014-06-09T05:58:00.001-07:002014-06-09T05:58:39.959-07:00Revenge Wears Prada
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By
rights, I shouldn't actually call this a review.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn't actually finish the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So let me say right off the bat that I am not
"rating" the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
the truth must be shared so that future readers may be warned...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
have previously reviewed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong><a href="http://confessionsofahopelessbookworm.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-devil-wears-prada.html"><span style="color: #660000;">The Devil Wears Prada</span></a></strong></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an ok book that made a
better movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was still an ok
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I saw that Laura Weisberger
had written a sequel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Revenge Wears
Prada, </i>I was interested enough to check it out from the library and attempt
to read it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
tried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But...ewww.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As
far as I can tell, Andy, the main character, has not grown up at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I think she may have regressed a
little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She seems to have become
everything she hated in the first book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still, somehow, she manages to start a successful publication of her own
and find what appears to be the perfect husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On her wedding day, she finds a note from her
future mother-in-law to her husband-to-be begging him not to marry Andy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This understandably shakes Andy up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story is ok up to this point - which is,
like, page 6 or something.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Then
Andy proceeds to marry the husband but go for PAGES AND PAGES AND PAGES of
agony before she actually talks to him - and when she does, she acts like a two
year old and stomps off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Somewhere
in there she gets tested for STDs, but it turns out she's just pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because, you know, those two things are hard
to tell apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Have
you noticed yet that there is no "revenge" that the title has
promised us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No appearance of the
villain we all love to hate, Miranda Priestly?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For all that revenge might wear Prada (a title that actually makes no
sense, when you think about it), there doesn't seem to be a lot of revenge
going on, just Andy acting like an idiot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
got about 30 pages in and then got on Goodreads to see if I was the only one
with this reaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I found was
that almost every reader on there who had tried to read the book had the same
experience I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah, so it's not just
me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
decided that life was too short for bad books and took the thing back to the
library.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next book I picked up was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Girl-Filling-Stations-Last-Reunion/dp/1400065941/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402318616&sr=1-1&keywords=the+all+girls+filling+station"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #660000;"><strong>The All-Girls Filling Station's Last Reunion</strong></span></i>,</a>
and it redeemed my faith in the written word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Review to come!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So
my advice to you all...please don't read this book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like you shouldn't waste calories on bad
chocolate, you should not waste precious reading time on bad literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is bad, bad, BAD literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Reading now: <em><strong><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Higher-Call-Incredible-Chivalry-War-Torn/dp/0425255735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401885022&sr=8-1&keywords=a+higher+call"><span style="color: #660000;">A Higher Call</span></a></strong></em> by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">TBR:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">1.<strong><span style="color: #660000;"> <em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Queens-Man-1-Sharon-Penman-ebook/dp/B007FU8DZ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885115&sr=1-1&keywords=the+queen%27s+man+by+sharon+kay+penman"><span style="color: #660000;">The Queen's Man</span></a></em></span></strong> by Sharon Kay Penman</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">2. <em><strong><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Follow-River-JAMES-ALEXANDER-Thom/dp/0345338545/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885186&sr=1-1&keywords=follow+the+river"><span style="color: #660000;">Follow the River</span></a></strong></em> by James Alexander</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">3. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Lost-Translation-Vol-Rediscovering-Hebrew/dp/1589301994/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885242&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=lost+in+translatation"><span style="color: #660000;">Lost in Translation Volume 1</span></a></em></strong> by John Klein and Adam Spears</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">4. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Four-Blood-Moons-Something-Change/dp/1617952141/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885318&sr=1-1&keywords=four+blood+moons"><span style="color: #660000;">Four Blood Moons</span></a></em></strong> by John Hagee</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">5. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Autobiography-Henry-VIII-Notes-Somers/dp/0312194390/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885406&sr=1-1&keywords=the+autobiography+of+henry+viii+with+notes+by+his+fool+will+somers+by+margaret+george"><span style="color: #660000;">The Autobiography of Henry VIII</span></a></em></strong> by Margaret George </span></span></div>
</span><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</span><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-61152557306388659122014-06-06T05:03:00.002-07:002014-06-06T05:03:54.439-07:00While We Were Watching Downton Abbey <br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uZFkeqdi8OU/U5Gt020S4LI/AAAAAAAABDw/3xE--BZOUhQ/s1600/while+we+were+watching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uZFkeqdi8OU/U5Gt020S4LI/AAAAAAAABDw/3xE--BZOUhQ/s1600/while+we+were+watching.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Sometimes
what you need is to gather with some gal pals, break open a bottle of wine (or
sparkling grape juice, as would be the case with me), and watch a good British soap opera
to bring the bonds of friendship around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And sometimes it's those friendships that prove to help you become the
woman you want - and need - to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Thus
is the premise for the delightful chick lit, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/While-Were-Watching-Downton-Abbey/dp/0515154695/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402055950&sr=1-1&keywords=while+we+were+watching+downton+abbey"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">While We Were Watching Downton Abbey</span></strong></a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plot revolves around three women, all
experiencing different crises in their lives, who have moved into a downtown
Atlanta apartment building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
concierge of the building, a British transplant to the American South who runs
his own service business,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>decides to try
to create a sense of community in the building by airing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Masterpiece-Downton-Abbey-Season-1-4/dp/B00I2Y9QQ0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1402055991&sr=8-9&keywords=downton+abbey"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Downton Abbey</span></strong></a></i> every Sunday night in the clubroom in anticipation of
Season 3's arrival to the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He strongarms several of the women into coming, and as a result,
friendships begin to form that change their lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ok,
the story is not going to win any literary prizes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plot is somewhat predictable and the
writing is simple enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the
characters are delightful, and the buildup to the big climatic scene where all
the storylines come together is nail-bitingly, deliciously anxiety inducing. I
think all women can identify with at least one of the female characters in some
way, and for sure all women can understand the need for female companionship
and bonding over such things as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Masterpiece-Downton-Abbey-Season-1-4/dp/B00I2Y9QQ0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1402055991&sr=8-9&keywords=downton+abbey"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Downton Abbey</span></strong></a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a phenomenon among
women in which we come together over such stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women need common ground, and they need
socializing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, women need each
other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The friendships formed in the
book begin to strengthen each woman in a different way and help them realize
they are stronger than they think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
the end of the book, you want to stand up and cheer for each of the three
leading ladies for what they have discovered about their lives and about
themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
would have liked to have seen more of the show incorporated into the book's
plotline - even though it is sort of the string that holds the book together,
it doesn't really play a strong role in the story, and I think the book
characters could have spent more time relating to the TV characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would have made it more fun for those of
us reading the book that are obsessed with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Masterpiece-Downton-Abbey-Season-1-4/dp/B00I2Y9QQ0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1402055991&sr=8-9&keywords=downton+abbey"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Downton</span></strong></a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the story moved along nicely enough
on its own, so I suppose all the plot elements served the purpose they were
supposed to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If
you like chick lit, and you like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Masterpiece-Downton-Abbey-Season-1-4/dp/B00I2Y9QQ0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1402055991&sr=8-9&keywords=downton+abbey"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Downton Abbey</span></strong></a></i>, this is a fun little quick read that would be perfect summer reading
while we all anxiously await Series 5!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Rating: 2 1/2 stars out of 5 (hey, it's not exactly high literature) <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Reading now: <em><strong><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Higher-Call-Incredible-Chivalry-War-Torn/dp/0425255735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401885022&sr=8-1&keywords=a+higher+call"><span style="color: #660000;">A Higher Call</span></a></strong></em> by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">TBR:</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">1.<strong><span style="color: #660000;"> <em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Queens-Man-1-Sharon-Penman-ebook/dp/B007FU8DZ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885115&sr=1-1&keywords=the+queen%27s+man+by+sharon+kay+penman"><span style="color: #660000;">The Queen's Man</span></a></em></span></strong> by Sharon Kay Penman</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">2. <em><strong><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Follow-River-JAMES-ALEXANDER-Thom/dp/0345338545/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885186&sr=1-1&keywords=follow+the+river"><span style="color: #660000;">Follow the River</span></a></strong></em> by James Alexander</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">3. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Lost-Translation-Vol-Rediscovering-Hebrew/dp/1589301994/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885242&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=lost+in+translatation"><span style="color: #660000;">Lost in Translation Volume 1</span></a></em></strong> by John Klein and Adam Spears</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">4. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Four-Blood-Moons-Something-Change/dp/1617952141/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885318&sr=1-1&keywords=four+blood+moons"><span style="color: #660000;">Four Blood Moons</span></a></em></strong> by John Hagee</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">5. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Autobiography-Henry-VIII-Notes-Somers/dp/0312194390/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885406&sr=1-1&keywords=the+autobiography+of+henry+viii+with+notes+by+his+fool+will+somers+by+margaret+george"><span style="color: #660000;">The Autobiography of Henry VIII</span></a></em></strong> by Margaret George </span></span></div>
</span><o:p></o:p><br /><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-9229915566823317142014-06-05T04:53:00.001-07:002014-06-05T04:53:30.643-07:00Crossed, Reached
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4gTpaONeI4o/U4_zdI_YgNI/AAAAAAAABDY/jbQ7aOn89jE/s1600/crossed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4gTpaONeI4o/U4_zdI_YgNI/AAAAAAAABDY/jbQ7aOn89jE/s1600/crossed.jpg" height="320" width="202" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">I am currently working on
an entry solely devoted to the current fascination with dystopian literature,
and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Matched-Trilogy-box-Ally-Condie/dp/0525426264/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401942979&sr=8-2&keywords=matched+series"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Matched</span></strong></a></i> series will certainly
be a part of that post. The trilogy, as mentioned in my previous review,
takes place in a world where everything is run on data and predicted
outcomes. The Society, which runs civilization as the characters know it,
has taken away most choices in life, including the opportunity to be creative
and create, in the name of safety and control. The citizens are all but
guaranteed a long, healthy life up to the day they turn eighty - but at what
cost to their culture and soul? What is a world with no new poetry, or music,
or books? What kind of place would this be if we had no choices and our
lives were dictated entirely by probability and statistics?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">And what if there was a
resistance movement that rose up in the midst of that society - but it was not
all what it seemed?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">AND - what if you were
caught in the middle of a love triangle while trying to save the people you
love from certain death?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">These questions give you
the basic crux of what the Matched series is all about. Cassia, the</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0sQ_CwBWb9s/U4_zpxPIAdI/AAAAAAAABDg/_PnAQDTIrHE/s1600/reached.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0sQ_CwBWb9s/U4_zpxPIAdI/AAAAAAAABDg/_PnAQDTIrHE/s1600/reached.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
heroine
of the trilogy, learns that the perfect world she has always known is not so
perfect, and she has choices to make about what she is going to do about
it. <em><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Crossed-Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/0142421715/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401943006&sr=8-1&keywords=matched+series"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Crossed</span></strong></a></span></em>
is centered around her search for the love of her life, Ky. It's actually
told from both Cassia's and Ky's perspectives as they journey separate from
each other but moving ever closer to one another. <em><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Reached-Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/0142425990/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401943039&sr=1-1&keywords=reached"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Reached</span></strong></a></span></em> adds the
perspective of Xander, Cassia's perfect society Match, and as the three
storytellers unfold the tale together, all questions from the previous books
are answered, and you discover that, indeed, nothing is quite a it seems, and
sometimes that which we thought was our salvation is really nothing more than
another scheme to grab control of our lives. What choices will Cassia, Ky
and Xander make to change their world? <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Overall, this is a good
series, and a nice alternative to <em><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Boxset/dp/0545626382/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401943162&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hunger+games+series"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">The Hunger Games</span></strong></a></span></em> and <em><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Divergent-Complete-Box-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062278789/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401943128&sr=1-1&keywords=divergent+series"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Divergent</span></strong></a></span></em>
series. For one thing, there is so much less violence. Much less
shooting. For another, I like the approach of examining the loss of a
culture. I can't imagine living in a world where there are only
100 books available, and no one is writing anything further. Poetry has a
huge place of importance in all three novels, and Cassia becomes not only a
voice for change but a voice for the resurrection of creating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While different groups vie for power, the one
thing that has been lost entirely is creativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even those that deal with pieces of art from
the past are bewildered at the idea of creating new things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creativity has become one of the greatest
causalities of the war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The series, in
this way, is a commentary on what can happen to society when no one is allowed
or encouraged to make anything new - an endless cycle of power struggles and
complacency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">The series does have its
weak points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt strangely
unsatisfied at the end of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Reached-Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/0142425990/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401943039&sr=1-1&keywords=reached"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Reached</span></strong></a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I did appreciate the author answering
many questions - and pulling together loose threads from the two previous
novels - I felt like the conclusion was not quite the resolution I was looking
for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The big question - who is The
Pilot? - sort of gets lost in the confusion, and the original meaning of the
poem from which the reference came seems to be lost as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt like we didn't really get to find out
what happens to Cassia and the men in her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What do they all go on to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What does the new society looks like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wanted more than was given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
seemed to end in a soft thud rather than a resounding clang of conclusion.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">If you're into dystopian
literature, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/014241977X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401943079&sr=1-1&keywords=matched"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Matched</span></strong></a>, <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Crossed-Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/0142421715/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401943006&sr=8-1&keywords=matched+series"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Crossed</span></strong></a> </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Reached-Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/0142425990/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401943039&sr=1-1&keywords=reached"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Reached</span></strong></a></i> would be good books to act to
your reading list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will be a
refreshing break from all the bullets and bloodthirstyness of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Divergent-Complete-Box-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062278789/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401943128&sr=1-1&keywords=divergent+series"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Divergent</span></strong></a></i><strong><span style="color: #660000;"> </span></strong>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Boxset/dp/0545626382/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401943162&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hunger+games+series"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">The Hunger Games</span></strong></a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will
also spark some thought-provoking questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But in the end, it may leave you just wanting more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Rating: 3 out of 5 stars <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Reading now: <em><strong><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Higher-Call-Incredible-Chivalry-War-Torn/dp/0425255735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401885022&sr=8-1&keywords=a+higher+call"><span style="color: #660000;">A Higher Call</span></a></strong></em> by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">TBR:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">1.<strong><span style="color: #660000;"> <em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Queens-Man-1-Sharon-Penman-ebook/dp/B007FU8DZ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885115&sr=1-1&keywords=the+queen%27s+man+by+sharon+kay+penman"><span style="color: #660000;">The Queen's Man</span></a></em></span></strong> by Sharon Kay Penman</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">2. <em><strong><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Follow-River-JAMES-ALEXANDER-Thom/dp/0345338545/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885186&sr=1-1&keywords=follow+the+river"><span style="color: #660000;">Follow the River</span></a></strong></em> by James Alexander</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">3. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Lost-Translation-Vol-Rediscovering-Hebrew/dp/1589301994/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885242&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=lost+in+translatation"><span style="color: #660000;">Lost in Translation Volume 1</span></a></em></strong> by John Klein and Adam Spears</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">4. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Four-Blood-Moons-Something-Change/dp/1617952141/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885318&sr=1-1&keywords=four+blood+moons"><span style="color: #660000;">Four Blood Moons</span></a></em></strong> by John Hagee</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">5. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Autobiography-Henry-VIII-Notes-Somers/dp/0312194390/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885406&sr=1-1&keywords=the+autobiography+of+henry+viii+with+notes+by+his+fool+will+somers+by+margaret+george"><span style="color: #660000;">The Autobiography of Henry VIII</span></a></em></strong> by Margaret George </span></span></div>
</span><o:p></o:p> </span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-12180864136975155822014-06-04T05:37:00.004-07:002014-06-04T05:37:51.004-07:00Maggie Hope
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6t6SPFe2yys/U48Pw5Ty5kI/AAAAAAAABDI/sjiYc3xUUIk/s1600/maggie+hope.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6t6SPFe2yys/U48Pw5Ty5kI/AAAAAAAABDI/sjiYc3xUUIk/s1600/maggie+hope.JPG" height="320" width="205" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Last
summer I attended a series of literacy education workshops, which actually was
a lot more fun than this sentence makes it sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>favorite workshop was about teaching kids to love reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The presenter began her session with just
getting us to recommend books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone
shared what books they were reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Being a hoarder of recommendations, I wrote them all down and have been
working my way through the list for the past year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the books recommended, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Mr-Churchills-Secretary-Maggie-Mystery/dp/0553593617/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401884675&sr=1-1&keywords=mr.+churchill%27s+secretary"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Mr. Churchill's Secretary</span></strong></a></i>, was particularly
intriguing to me because it incorporated two of my favorite things: Great Britain
and history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">About a
month or so, I finally got the book started - and finished it in 24 hours
flat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then immediately went to the
library, turned it in, and got the second book in the series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Princess-Elizabeths-Spy-Maggie-Mystery/dp/0553593625/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401884703&sr=1-1&keywords=princess+elizabeth%27s+spy"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Princess Elizabeth's Spy</span></strong></a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That one took me two or three days simply
because I chose to do silly things like feed my children and sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as I inhaled that one, I went back to
the library for #3 in the series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/His-Majestys-Hope-Maggie-Mystery/dp/0345536738/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401884726&sr=1-1&keywords=his+majesty%27s+hope"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">His Majesty's Hope</span></strong></a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Locked myself in my
room for an entire Sunday afternoon to finish that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next book in the series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/The-Prime-Ministers-Secret-Agent/dp/0345536746/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401884837&sr=8-1&keywords=the+prime+ministers+secret+agent"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">The Prime Minister's Secret Agent</span></strong></a></i>, comes
out in July, and only my training as a<em> <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-1-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004132HZS/ref=sr_1_5?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1401884797&sr=1-5&keywords=sherlock"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Sherlock</span></strong></a></em> fan is keeping my afloat until
it comes out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">I have,
quite frankly, fallen in literary love with the young, talented and beautiful heroine
named Maggie Hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Maggie
Hope is a 1940s British citizen who, because of the tragic death of her
parents, was raised in American by her aunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As was preparing to begin work on her doctorate in mathematics, her
English grandmother died and left her an Edwardian house and a whole lot of
paperwork to deal with, so off Maggie went to England...where she was swept up
in the fervor of pre-war Britain and decided to stay on indefinitely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the bombs begin to fall all around her,
she secures a job as a secretary at No. 10 Downing Street, and suddenly her
life blossoms out into a world of spies and codes and secrecy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that, but she soon discovers that
nothing she has ever believed about her family is precisely the truth, and as she
seeks out what really happened to her family, she finds herself in the middle
of a web of intrigue that only her brilliant brains can her help her make sense
of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Susan
MacNeal has created a wonderful female character that the reader feels like
that could sit down and be friends with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maggie is smart, funny, doesn't take anything from anyone, and is an
entirely likable character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What's more,
MacNeal manages to write a fantastic plot that keeps you guessing clear till
the end of the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During all three
books, there were times I was sure I had it all figured out, only to be
completely fooled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MacNeal also managed
to weave in true historical figures without being campy or disrespectful at
all, and her research on the time period in question is very well done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She examines different aspects of war, the
culture of 1940s Britain, what was really going on in Germany at the time - all
while keeping you enthralled in a mystery thriller that makes it impossible to
go to sleep before you finish the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Trust me. I tried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">On a side
note, because I like to give my readers the whole picture, I will state for the
record that the book is of the PG-13 variety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are a few instances of language, violence, and sex scattered
throughout the series, and I certainly don't agree with all the life choices of
Maggie and her friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That being said,
the series is still quite enjoyable, and I don't have to agree with everyone in
order to enjoy their story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";">Maggie
Hope was worth my time checking out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you like history, mystery and fast reads, she'll be worth your time as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Reading now: <em><strong><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Higher-Call-Incredible-Chivalry-War-Torn/dp/0425255735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401885022&sr=8-1&keywords=a+higher+call"><span style="color: #660000;">A Higher Call</span></a></strong></em> by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">TBR:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">1.<strong><span style="color: #660000;"> <em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Queens-Man-1-Sharon-Penman-ebook/dp/B007FU8DZ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885115&sr=1-1&keywords=the+queen%27s+man+by+sharon+kay+penman"><span style="color: #660000;">The Queen's Man</span></a></em></span></strong> by Sharon Kay Penman</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">2. <em><strong><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Follow-River-JAMES-ALEXANDER-Thom/dp/0345338545/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885186&sr=1-1&keywords=follow+the+river"><span style="color: #660000;">Follow the River</span></a></strong></em> by James Alexander</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">3. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Lost-Translation-Vol-Rediscovering-Hebrew/dp/1589301994/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885242&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=lost+in+translatation"><span style="color: #660000;">Lost in Translation Volume 1</span></a></em></strong> by John Klein and Adam Spears</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">4. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Four-Blood-Moons-Something-Change/dp/1617952141/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885318&sr=1-1&keywords=four+blood+moons"><span style="color: #660000;">Four Blood Moons</span></a></em></strong> by John Hagee</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">5. <strong><em><a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Autobiography-Henry-VIII-Notes-Somers/dp/0312194390/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401885406&sr=1-1&keywords=the+autobiography+of+henry+viii+with+notes+by+his+fool+will+somers+by+margaret+george"><span style="color: #660000;">The Autobiography of Henry VIII</span></a></em></strong> by Margaret George </span></span></div>
sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-71627953007581841412014-06-03T21:08:00.001-07:002014-06-03T21:08:09.971-07:00I'm Making a ComebackSo here is what my past few months included:<br />
<br />
- A mother who nearly died of pneumonia and wound up in the ICU on a respirator for a week.<br />
- The dreaded flu working its way through my entire family. SO. MUCH. VOMIT.<br />
- A husband who lost his job.<br />
- A standardized testing season that was, shall we say...interesting.<br />
- An epidemic of strep that ran through our house...THE ADULTS IN OUR HOUSE. (Note: having strep throat is like a zillion times worse than having it as a kid.)<br />
- Snow days. SO. MANY. SNOW DAYS.<br />
- Not one, but TWO puppies joined our household. (Not just dogs. PUPPIES.)<br />
- Oh...and I broke my foot. Ta-da! <br />
<br />
Yeah, these last few months have been a little stressful. And distracting. But we are coming out the other side, and God is still on His throne! <br />
<br />
So, all that to say, I abandoned the blog world for a while. I was doing good just to get out of bed in the morning and collapse back into it at night. But I am BACK, and I have been working on reviews, just for you! (I may have quit blogging for a while, but you didn't think I quit reading now, did you?)<br />
<br />
Starting tomorrow, I hope to get some reviews up on a daily basis. I have a backlog of books and reviews, so I should be good to go for a while.<br />
<br />
See you tomorrow morning - and happy reading! sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-51982614777591864652014-01-30T20:15:00.000-08:002014-01-30T20:15:03.764-08:00Matched<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z44lBpV6zh8/UuqUP9O7wqI/AAAAAAAABAo/t7b4YYj1BlY/s1600/matched.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z44lBpV6zh8/UuqUP9O7wqI/AAAAAAAABAo/t7b4YYj1BlY/s1600/matched.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
seem to have jumped into the dystopian stream with both feet lately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am already formulating a post discussing
the current trend in post-apocalyptic literature, but I want to read some more
first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's very popular among YA
readers these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Boxset/dp/0545626382/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391104794&sr=1-3&keywords=the+hunger+games"><span style="color: #c00000;">THG</span></a></span></i></b> opened the floodgates, and
now all dystopian novels, before Katniss and after, are prominent in
libraries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally I enjoy a good journey
into the "what-if," so I don't mind reading what my students are
reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(But no vampire books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I draw the line at vampires.)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Today's
book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/014241977X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391104720&sr=1-1&keywords=matched"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;">Matched</span></b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">,</span></span></a></i> is definitely in the same vein as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Boxset/dp/0545626382/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391104794&sr=1-3&keywords=the+hunger+games"><span style="color: #c00000;">THG</span></a></span></i></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391104771&sr=1-1&keywords=divergent"><span style="color: #c00000;">Divergent</span></a></span></i></b>, but it has its own
refreshing take on the questions of the post-WWIII world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of being focused on guns, violence,
and brute force, it takes a softer, more philosophical approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Society in which Cassia Reyes and her
family live is very ordered, very neat, very bright and very clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything appears to run smoothly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You almost start to think that this world
really wouldn't be so bad after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After all, there's no poverty, no violence, everyone gets along and has
what they need - really, what is so bad about all that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if we had a society where everyone just
did what they were supposed to and got along fine without possessions and
money? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But just about the time you start
to get as comfortable as Cassia is in her cocoon of a world, the underbelly of
such a culture starts to be exposed, and as Cassia does, you start to question
whether or not things are what they seem, and whether or not any of this is a
good idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About a third of the way
through the novel, an important person in Cassia's life tells her "it's ok
to wonder."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that moment on,
Cassia does wonder, about many things she has always accepted without question,
and the reader begins to wonder as well.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">One
of the things I enjoyed most about this novel is its examination of the
importance of creativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the ordered
world of the Society, all literature has been boiled down to the Hundreds - the
Hundred Songs, the Hundred Poems, the Hundred Stories, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The powers the be decided that their culture
was just too cluttered, so they decided what were the most important pieces of
art, and they eliminated the rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What's more, no one is allowed to add to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one writes songs, or poetry, or
books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, no one knows how to
write at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, they can type on a
touch screen, but no one knows how to pick up a pen and write something
longhand.*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It opens up the question of
how important such things are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it
important to keep imagining?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To keep
creating?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What happens to a society when
no one creates anything new any longer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How does that cut off the life of a people?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The storyline about the act of writing
intrigued me, because I have had this discussion with other educators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More and more handwriting is being discarded
as a part of the curriculum in favor of typing and technological ways of
communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that matter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should people be able to form letters with
their hands?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What importance does that
have to a person?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To a group?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To a society?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Interwoven
with these themes of wonder and creativity is a lovely little love story that
turns Cassia's ordered world upside down. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no "team this" or
"team that."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You realize
fairly early on just who Cassia needs to be with and what that is going to mean
for her life and the life of her family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It's an intense (but clean!) love affair that helps Cassia sees more of
who she is and who she could be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's a
beautiful storyline that promises to carry us into the second and third books.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Overall,
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/014241977X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391104720&sr=1-1&keywords=matched"><span style="color: #c00000;">Matched</span></a></span></i></b> is a nice addition to
the dystopian world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It asks different
questions than have been asked before and takes the reader to important places
in their minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm excited to read its
sequels and bring more reviews on the series, just as I hope to bring about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Insurgent-Divergent-Book-Series/dp/0062024043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391104647&sr=8-1&keywords=insurgent"><span style="color: #c00000;">Insurgent</span></a></span></i></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Allegiant-Divergent-Series-Veronica-Roth/dp/006202406X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y"><span style="color: #c00000;">Allegiant</span></a></span></i></b> as soon as I track
down copies of those and get them read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the meantime, I definitely recommend <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/014241977X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391104720&sr=1-1&keywords=matched"><span style="color: #c00000;">Matched</span></a></span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>to anyone looking around for a good read and who enjoys this line
of fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*OR
DO THEY?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Rating:
4 out of 5 stars<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Reading
now: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Higher-Call-Incredible-Chivalry-War-Torn/dp/0425252868/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391104493&sr=8-1&keywords=a+higher+call"><span style="color: #c00000;">A Higher Call</span></a></span></i></b> by Adam Makos<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">TBR:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crossed-Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/0142421715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1391104520&sr=8-2&keywords=crossed"><span style="color: #c00000;">Crossed</span></a></span></i></b> by Ally Condie<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Multiply-Disciples-Making-Francis-Chan/dp/0781408237/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391104590&sr=8-1&keywords=multiply"><span style="color: #c00000;">Multiply</span></a></span></i></b> by Francis Chan<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cleopatra-A-Life-Stacy-Schiff/dp/0316001945/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1391104610&sr=8-2&keywords=cleopatra"><span style="color: #c00000;">Cleopatra</span></a></span></i><span style="color: #c00000;">
</span></b>by Stacy Schiff<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-Blood-Moons-Something-Change/dp/1617952141/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391104630&sr=8-1&keywords=four+blood+moons"><span style="color: #c00000;">Four Blood Moons</span></a></span></i></b> by John Hagee<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">5.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Insurgent-Divergent-Book-Series/dp/0062024043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391104647&sr=8-1&keywords=insurgent"><span style="color: #c00000;">Insurgent</span></a></span></i></b> by Veronica Roth <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-84370029664269159482014-01-24T09:40:00.001-08:002014-01-24T09:40:38.527-08:00The Lightning Thief
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sqWgX_X-TaU/UuKlXXn3xmI/AAAAAAAAA_4/32d24Mkenyk/s1600/The_Lightning_Thief_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sqWgX_X-TaU/UuKlXXn3xmI/AAAAAAAAA_4/32d24Mkenyk/s1600/The_Lightning_Thief_cover.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I'm
on a kick lately of reading some of the popular YA fiction out there, as you
can tell from my most recent posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
teacher, this is advantageous because I know what the kids are filling their
heads with, and I am also able to make good recommendations to kids who can't find
anything to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, let's be honest...it's
really just an excuse to read more books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Truth be told, I enjoy YA fiction, and I love that it's part of my job
to read it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This
week I finished a book I've been wanting to read for a while, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Thief-Percy-Jackson-Olympians/dp/0786838655/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390578008&sr=8-2&keywords=the+lightning+thief"><span style="color: #c00000;">Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book One: The Lightning
Thief</span></a></span></u></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Percy is pretty popular with my students
these days, and I have seen the movie, so I have been anxious to read the
stories and find out what all the hype is about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I found was a really interesting take on
ancient stories and way to make kids interested in classic literature.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Thief-Percy-Jackson-Olympians/dp/0786838655/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390578008&sr=8-2&keywords=the+lightning+thief"><span style="color: #c00000;">The Lightning Thief</span></a></span></u></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">centers around
Percy Jackson, a troubled kid from new York that never quite fits in anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has ADHD and is dyslexic, and for some
reason, disaster just seems to follow him wherever he goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One minute he's minding his own business, and
the next minute he's being attacked by a giant monster in the middle of a
museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What's a boy to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it turns out, there's much for him to do,
for Percy is none other than Perseus, son of Poseidon the ancient Greek god of
the sea, a half-blood of both mortal and immortal stock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The revelation in Percy's life brings him to
Half-Blood Hill where there is a camp for others like him, children of the gods
who have hooked up with mortals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At camp
Percy learns that he is actually the center of attention of a war brewing
between his father and uncles, and he must go on a quest in an effort to save
civilization from mass destruction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh,
and maybe save his mom along the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Rick
Riordan started writing this book based off of stories he told his second-grade
son, another student who struggled in school due to ADHD and dyslexia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As middle school literature teacher, he knew
the stories of the Greek myths, and he started creating stories about a boy
named Percy who turns out to be the modern-day son of Poseidon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His son asked him to write down his stories
about Percy traveling across America to find Zeus's lightning bolt, and the
Percy Jackson series was born. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Riordan
obviously knows his Greek mythology in and out, and he does a masterful job of
weaving the old tales into new adventures for today's audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was fun to read the stories and make the
connections between the modern-day versions of the monsters and the ancient
stories I have heard throughout my schooling. Greek mythology is a huge part of
our culture whether we realize it or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So many modern-day books and movies make references to these ancient myths,
and yet it can be so difficult to make students care about learning them - you
get a lot of "this is stupid, why do we need to learn this?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Riordan has found a way to show modern
audiences the impact of these stories and hook them in to want to learn more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
book is well-written and fast-paced with plenty of action to keep the average
middle school reader enthralled...or the average 30-something reader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Percy is a great character, a not-so-perfect
teenage boy who is trying to find his place in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many readers can identify with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of these readers will NOT find out they
are a half-blood son of an ancient god, but that's where fact and fantasy
meet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The themes of heroism, perseverance,
and loyalty will also capture the heart of many readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all have a desire in us to do something
heroic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watching Percy learn how to be a
hero strikes a chord in all of us as we look for our own opportunities for
heroism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I
will say this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should be pretty
obvious to anyone who has read this blog that I am a Christian and that my
spiritual beliefs are very important to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Reading about "gods and goddesses", then, did bother me, even
as a fantasy idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do mention God at one point and
acknowledge His existence with the hint that He is something <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more</i> than Zeus and his family, and that
made me feel better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't regret
reading the book, and I plan to read the rest of the series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do believe it presents the opportunity to
have discussions about real and not real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don't think we have to avoid everything that is fantasy because it
contradicts what I know to be True.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading
books like this solidifies my own beliefs even further and can lead to
discussions about beliefs and truths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
one believes in these myths any more, but they did once, and I want to acknowledge
the importance of teaching at least my own children that while these are myths
and not true, there are powerful spiritual forces in the world that are
absolutely real and that do have control in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, however, the real God of the
universe is not selfish, petty or paranoid, and He does not use us as pawns in
power games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He doesn't have to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have real power, then you don't have
to be in constant fear of losing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These are the discussions I would like to have with readers of the book
series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus walked the earth in the
time when people believed these tales - what was the good news that He brought
that broke the chains of belief about these mythological creatures?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What freedom that must have brought to the
early Gentiles!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was a good read, and I am glad to be more up on what the cool kids
are reading these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gotta stay hip,
ya know!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Rating:
3 out of 5 stars<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Next
up: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Matched-Ally-Condie/dp/014241977X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390578118&sr=8-2&keywords=matched"><span style="color: #c00000;">Matched</span></a></span></u></i></b> by Ally Condie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">TBR:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Insurgent-Divergent-Book-Series/dp/0062024043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390578150&sr=8-1&keywords=insurgent"><span style="color: #c00000;">Insurgent</span></a></span></u></i></b> by Veronica Roth </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cleopatra-A-Life-Stacy-Schiff/dp/0316001945/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390584862&sr=8-2&keywords=cleopatra"><span style="color: #c00000;">Cleopatra: A Life</span></a></span></u></i></b> by Stacy
Schiff</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Higher-Call-Incredible-Chivalry-War-Torn/dp/0425252868/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390584894&sr=8-1&keywords=a+higher+call"><span style="color: #c00000;">A Higher Call</span></a></span></u></i></b> by Adam Makos</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Multiply-Disciples-Making-Francis-Chan/dp/0781408237/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390584926&sr=8-1&keywords=multiply"><span style="color: #c00000;">Multiply</span></a></span></u></i><span style="color: #c00000;"> </span></b>by Francis Chan </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">5.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-Blood-Moons-Something-Change/dp/1617952141/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390584968&sr=8-1&keywords=four+blood+moons"><span style="color: #c00000;">Four Blood Moons</span></a></span></i></b> by John Hagee <o:p></o:p></span></div>
sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-77669914688669029602014-01-20T19:14:00.003-08:002014-01-20T19:14:50.134-08:00I'M BACK, BABY!Sooo...crazy month around here. Super crazy. Like, what-happened-to-the-last-four-weeks-of-my-life crazy.<br />
<br />
First we bought a house. Then we prepped a house for move-in. <br />
And then...we didn't get to move in due to the weather.<br />
<br />
Then, we moved in, and promptly didn't have Internet for three weeks. <br />
<br />
Somewhere in there we celebrated Jesus' birthday at least five times. <br />
<br />
At last, we came home. Time to get back to real life! <br />
<br />
Then we had a snow/ice/cold storm - the "polar vortex." Have you ever tried to write a blog when three house-bound children are on their 17TH DAY OF WINTER VACATION?! <br />
<br />
Yeah...that wasn't going to work.<br />
<br />
So then we all went back to school and work. Routine was coming back. All was well.<br />
<br />
And then my mother landed herself in the ICU for a week with a walloping case of pneumonia. <br />
<br />
See what I mean? CRAZY!<br />
<br />
However, life around here has settled to a dull roar, and I am anxious to re-enter the world of reading and blogging. So fear not friends - for I am back!<br />
<br />
I will be kicking of 2014 with the book I read while my mother was in the hospital. If you're going to be spending a week sitting around an ICU hospital room, it is imperative to have a new book to read. Something that can grab your attention and give you some needed distraction from the ventilator through which your mother is trying to breathe. These books are often best chosen either 1) in the hospital gift shop or 2) on a 10pm trip to Wal-Mart. (Target is also acceptable, but they closed at 10!) Today's review comes from one of those 10pm trips to Wally-World. Sometimes the best books are found that way. <br />
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So without further adieu, I bring you...<span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Series-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273856&sr=8-2&keywords=divergent"><i>Divergent</i></a></b></span>.<br />
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Post-apocalyptic books are very in right now. Call it <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Boxset/dp/0545626382/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273952&sr=8-3&keywords=the+hunger+games"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>The Hunger Games</b></span></a> </i>effect or whatever. I'm not knocking <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Boxset/dp/0545626382/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273952&sr=8-3&keywords=the+hunger+games"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>The Hunger Games</b></span></a> </i>- they were pretty good books. I almost said excellent but...I downgraded it to pretty good. They are good, fun, fast reads that give you lots to think about and foster enjoyment of reading in young readers. That's a win-win-win. <br />
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A whole genre of what-if dystopian novels have sprung up since then, and like all genres, some of them are great, and some of them are not so great. I am happy to say that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Series-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273856&sr=8-2&keywords=divergent"><b><span style="color: #660000;"><i>Divergent</i> </span></b></a>falls firmly into the great category. To be honest, I thought it was a better book than <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Boxset/dp/0545626382/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273952&sr=8-3&keywords=the+hunger+games"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>THG</b></span></a>!</i><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Series-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273856&sr=8-2&keywords=divergent"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>Divergent</i></span> </a></b></span>tells the story of Beatrice, a sixteen-year old girl living in what used to be the city of Chicago in a society that had decided to eliminate conflict by dividing everyone into five factions according to their natural aptitude and inclinations. Beatrice soon finds out that she is Divergent, meaning she doesn't fall into any specific category. She is warned several times to keep this a secret because her society views divergence as a dangerous anomaly that must be eliminated. She hides her true self and joins Dauntless, a faction devoted to being brave and, quite often, brazenly risky. From there Beatrice, or Tris as she becomes known, begins to learn what it means to be Divergent, and she discovers that behind her seemingly smooth-running society lies a myriad of secrets and plots that she and others like her must uncover and fight back if they are going to survive. <br />
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Like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunger-Games-Trilogy-Boxset/dp/0545626382/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273952&sr=8-3&keywords=the+hunger+games"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>THG</b></span></a>,</i> the plot is written in present-tense, which gives the novel a breathless, up-to-the minute feel. These are not Beatrice's memoirs. You experience her life as she experiences, one death-defying moment at a time. It's well written and moves right along, and at some point comes that all-night stride when you stay up till 1am because you just HAVE TO FINISH THIS BOOK AND FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT NOW.<br />
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I love those moments.<br />
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Beatrice is a great heroine. It is wonderful to read a novel with such a strong female lead. She is uncertain and vulnerable, and yet there is a steel and a hardness to her that tells the reader that she's not going to be beaten down. It's quite easy to root for Beatrice - as a woman, it's easy to identify with her, and she will appeal to young teenage girls who are also looking for their place in the world, even if it's not so starkly defined as in Beatrice's world. <br />
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The book also raises good thought-provoking questions. Would a world like this work? What are the pros and cons of each faction? What does it really mean to be brave? Is bravery the absence of fear or simply the overcoming of it? Can anyone be truly and completely selfless? And ultimately - don't we divide ourselves into similar groups today? We might not define it by law, but how do we treat people that are "divergent" from our own norms? <br />
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As a teacher, I can see a plethora of ways to use this book in a reading class to start open-ended discussions and trigger new ways of thinking in students. As a sci-fi fan, I enjoyed the story. As a reader, it's intriguing to stay in the story and find out what happens to the characters. As a woman, it's fun to cheer for Beatrice as she takes on the world. As a member of the human race, it's interesting to read and consider what could be, what might be, and what is. <br />
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And finally...there's a love interest. A really, really good love interest. None of this "team whoever" crap. Love triangles are annoying. Beatrice and her guy are not perfect...but they are a lovely addition to the storyline.<br />
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Overall, <span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Series-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273856&sr=8-2&keywords=divergent"><i>Divergent</i> </a></b></span>is a fun ride. Head to Wal-Mart for a 10pm trip and pick yourself up a copy - quick, before the movie comes out!<br />
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Rating: 3 out of 5 stars<br />
What I'm Reading Now:<br />
1. <span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cleopatra-A-Life-Stacy-Schiff/dp/0316001945/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273612&sr=8-2&keywords=cleopatra"><i>Cleopatra: A Life</i></a></b> </span>by Stacy Schiff<br />
2. <span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Multiply-Disciples-Making-Francis-Chan/dp/0781408237/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273649&sr=8-1&keywords=multiply"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>Multiply</i>: <i>Disciples Making Disciples</i></span> </a></b></span>by Francis Chan<br />
3.<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Higher-Call-Incredible-Chivalry-War-Torn/dp/0425252868/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273699&sr=8-1&keywords=higher+call"> <i><span style="color: #660000;"><b>A Higher Call</b></span> </i></a>by Adam Makos and and Larry Alexander <br />
4. <span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Four-Blood-Moons-Something-Change/dp/1617952141/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273777&sr=8-1&keywords=four+blood+moons"><i>Four Blood Moons</i></a> </b></span>by John Hagee <br />
5.<b> <span style="color: #660000;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Insurgent-Divergent-Book-Series/dp/0062024043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390273826&sr=8-1&keywords=insurgent"><i>Insurgent</i></a></span> </b>by Veronica Roth...oh yeah, did I mention it's a trilogy?! sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-63030079764717805412013-12-19T13:24:00.002-08:002013-12-20T06:08:05.942-08:00The Land of Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What if the fairy tales you grew up hearing were, in fact, simply the history of another world? What if you favorite characters like Snow White and Cinderella were real flesh-and-blood people? What if all the fantasies you know and love were actually real?<br />
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And what if you could hop between your world and theirs and visit them?<br />
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This is the delightful premise of Chris Colfer's <em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Land-Stories-Wishing-Spell/dp/0316201561/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1387488175&sr=8-2&keywords=the+land+of+stories"><span style="color: #660000;">The Land of Stories</span></a></strong></em>. Alex and Conner Bailey, twin 12 year olds who have grown up hearing fairy tales read to them from their grandmother's book of stories. Upon their 12th birthday, their grandmother gives them the book as a gift, and Alex makes a startling discovery: the book can become a magical portal to another world. A world where fairy tales are real, with princesses and evil queens and wolves that speak. After they accidently fall into that world, they must go on a quest to gather the items necessary to make their way home. Along the way, they discover that not all is what it seems, and there are secrets to be uncovered everywhere they go. <br />
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This book was recommended at an education conference I attended, and the premise intrigued me, so when it came up on my daughter's book order for a few dollars, I grabbed it. I am so glad I did. The book is fun, fast-paced, and opens up some interesting perspectives on well-worn stories. Colfer's take on the way things could be is enjoyably refreshing. The language itself is nothing startling, and by about 2/3 of the way through it, I started successfully guessing what was going to happen next. None of that kept me from dropping everything for an evening to try and finish the book (after all, I had to figure out if I was right or not!). The idea of fairy tales being real is not a new one, and neither is the concept of characters having different back stories than originally intended. However, Colfer paints an interesting picture with his take on the tales, and it's worth reading the book to see where he takes the characters.<br />
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One fascinating - and controversial - topic addressed in the book is the idea of motives. The Evil Queen from Snow White is given a history that explains why she did what she did. Some have felt that by giving her a history, it is excusing the fact that she tried to kill Snow White multiple times. As I read the book, I did see the author excusing the behavior, but merely explaining it. I also think it gave the read something to ponder about news stories they read or gossip they hear - there is always more to the story at hand, good or bad. Understanding someone's history does not have to whitewash their behavior - but it can help one see that not everything is black and white, villains have feelings too, and situations are usually more complex than is seen on the surface. <br />
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I also appreciated the fact that Colfer chose to relate his stories with the <em>original</em> fairy tales. He does not mention the sanitized versions of stories unless it is to scoff at them - instead, he uses the old tales, such as The Little Mermaid turning into sea foam because she would not kill the prince, or the Evil Queen making four different attempts on Snow White's life. When we "clean up" these tales to make them "appropriate" for children, we lose the message of the original story as well as pieces of the culture from which it came. Colfer's choice to stay as true to the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson is one I was glad he made. <br />
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I plan to use this book soon with my students to talk about point of view and compare/contrast, so it has value on an educational level. It is also valuable for the pure enjoyment of it. Read <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Land-Stories-Wishing-Spell/dp/0316201561/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1387488175&sr=8-2&keywords=the+land+of+stories"><span style="color: #660000;"><strong>The Land of Stories</strong></span></a></em> and travel to the place and time of the fairly tales of your childhood. It's a ride that is worth your time.<br />
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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars <br />
<span style="color: #222222;">What I'm Reading Now: </span><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Myself-Embracing-Gods-Dream/dp/1434705358/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384123263&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+myself"><span style="color: #660000;">Becoming Myself</span></a></strong></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Stasi Eldredge<br /><br /> Top 5 TBR:<br /> 1. </span><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Sherlock-Holmes-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486474917/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382386661&sr=8-2&keywords=the+adventures+of+sherlock+holmes"><span style="color: #660000;">The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</span></a></strong></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle<br /> 2. </span><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shooting-Victoria-Madness-Rebirth-Monarchy/dp/1605985031/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382386589&sr=8-1&keywords=shooting+victoria"><span style="color: #660000;">Shooting Victoria</span></a></strong></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Paul Thomas Murphy<br /> 3. </span><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prophetic-Calendar-The-Feasts-Israel/dp/0768428270/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382386684&sr=8-1&keywords=a+prophetic+calendar"><span style="color: #660000;">A Prophetic Calendar</span></a></strong></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Jill Shannon<br /> 4. </span><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-God-Reversing-Tragic-Neglect/dp/1434767957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382386709&sr=8-1&keywords=forgotten+god"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Forgotten God</span></strong></a></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Francis Chan<br /> 5. </span><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Thief-Percy-Jackson-Olympians/dp/0786838655/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382386730&sr=8-2&keywords=percy+jackson"><span style="color: #660000;">The Lightening Thief</span></a></strong></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Rick Riordian </span>sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58490666754719635.post-46901131058481734662013-12-10T20:20:00.001-08:002013-12-10T20:20:53.369-08:00Moon Over Manifest <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently I received a box of books in my classroom through a program my school participated in involving Sunny D labels. The end result was me with 20 new books for my classroom library - who-hoo! It was like Christmas in October! And of course the most fun part was that I now had all these new books to read! I like to read as many of the books in my classroom as possible so I can recommend them to the right students. I haven't read every book on my shelves, but I have read most of them. I want my love of reading to spill over and splash my students, and I hope that in the years to come I can perfect the task of recommending books to students in a way that gets them excited about reading. There is such a vast world out there to experience through reading, it truly is extraordinary. <br />
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This is why I am now on my third review in a row that is on a book considered to be young adult fiction - and as much as I loved <em><a href="http://confessionsofahopelessbookworm.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-false-prince.html"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">The False Prince</span></strong></a></em>, today's book has surpassed it. It is one of the best stories I have read in a long time. It was the 2011 Newberry Award Winner, and I cannot imagine the competition was that close with any other book. It's that good.<br />
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<em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Manifest-Clare-Vanderpool/dp/0375858296/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386735451&sr=8-1&keywords=moon+over+manifest"><span style="color: #660000;"><strong>Moon Over Manifest</strong></span></a></em> is the story of Abilene Tucker, a 12 year old girl from the 1930s who has been sent to her father's hometown of Manifest, Kansas to stay while he works on the railroad. She is used to moving around and living on the road, and she lives every day with the expectation that her father is going to come get her. In the meantime, she stumbles across a box full of mementos and some mysterious letters, and through these items along with the help of some of the townspeople she meets, she begins to uncover the story of Jinx, a boy similar to herself in his life situation who was in the town two decade before. As their life stories overlap and intertwine with one another, Abilene begins to see the town, the people, and her own life in a different light. There is much to learn about Manifest, and as she uncovers truths that have been buried for many years, the town's sign begins to weigh with a much heavier meaning: "Manifest...A Town With a Past."<br />
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This is a magnificent story. It has it all. Well, not much romance, I suppose. But it has everything else. It is the kind of story I absolutely love. The author puts several lures out there to hook you right from that beginning. Everything mentioned has significant meaning, and you don't understand how it all relates until the very last page. The author does not leave out a single detail, and the story that unfolds is like an onion, unfolding layer after layer, until you are so overwhelmed with "a-ha!" moments that by the time you finish the book, you're exhausted. I LOVE THAT! This is the kind of book you can't put down. It's a walk-through-the-halls-reading-and-try-not-to-bump-into-walls kind of book. It's a be-careful-and-don't-burn-the-dinner-because-you-are-reading-while-you-cook kind of book. And it's definitely the kind of book that, upon finishing, you will start over and read again, because NOW everything is much more significant than the first time. <br />
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This book also holds a specific meaning for me because although the author names the town in the book Manifest, she states in the author's note that the book is really about the town of Frontenac, Kansas, which is a town just a few miles from where I live. It's not just a fantastic story. It's also the story of Southeast Kansas around the turn of the century. It's the story of my own immigrant ancestors and how they came here for a better life. It's about the control of the coal mines and the hold that they had over this area - and to some degree the hold they still have today, judging by what the mines did to the land and how they defined the people. Many will read this book and see a great historical fiction story. I read this book with personal pride knowing that the people on whom the characters are based are my people from almost 100 years ago. The story of Manifest is the story of Southeast Kansas, and I am proud of my ancestors and who they were and who they became. <br />
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In short: READ THIS BOOK. <br />
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Rating: 10 out of 5 stars! <br />
<span style="color: #222222;">What I'm Reading Now: </span><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Myself-Embracing-Gods-Dream/dp/1434705358/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384123263&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+myself"><span style="color: #660000;">Becoming Myself</span></a></strong></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Stasi Eldredge<br /><br /> Top 5 TBR:<br /> 1. </span><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Sherlock-Holmes-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486474917/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382386661&sr=8-2&keywords=the+adventures+of+sherlock+holmes"><span style="color: #660000;">The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</span></a></strong></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle<br /> 2. </span><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shooting-Victoria-Madness-Rebirth-Monarchy/dp/1605985031/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382386589&sr=8-1&keywords=shooting+victoria"><span style="color: #660000;">Shooting Victoria</span></a></strong></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Paul Thomas Murphy<br /> 3. </span><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prophetic-Calendar-The-Feasts-Israel/dp/0768428270/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382386684&sr=8-1&keywords=a+prophetic+calendar"><span style="color: #660000;">A Prophetic Calendar</span></a></strong></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Jill Shannon<br /> 4. </span><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-God-Reversing-Tragic-Neglect/dp/1434767957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382386709&sr=8-1&keywords=forgotten+god"><strong><span style="color: #660000;">Forgotten God</span></strong></a></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Francis Chan<br /> 5. </span><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Thief-Percy-Jackson-Olympians/dp/0786838655/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382386730&sr=8-2&keywords=percy+jackson"><span style="color: #660000;">The Lightening Thief</span></a></strong></em><span style="color: #222222;"> by Rick Riordian </span>sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14638403270040118840noreply@blogger.com0