Gary Paulsen

My husband read me excerpts from a book by this author about his dream to participate in the Iditarod. Now, I am reading HATCHET for the first time by the same author about a boy who crashes into the Canadian wilderness and survives for about 54 days. It is an incredible story. The story was so popular that he wrote a few more books about the same boy, some additional stories and some "what if" stories...BRIAN'S HUNT, BRIAN'S WINTER, BRIAN'S RETURN, THE RIVER...all good. If you want to read stories about survival, these are the books for you. It is said that the author based his stories on things that actually happened...though the stories are not true.

APOLOGIES

I misspelled Bram Stoker... ( I said Bram Stokes) and spellcheck didn't catch it! UGH! I apologize! I attribute it to trying to rush around and get things done...not proof reading which is a BAD habit!

Recent Reads - Young Adult

So, I went to Iowa this weekend and took some books along to keep me occupied on the plane trip. I finished the first one the night before I left.

HIGH SCHOOL BITES by Liza Conrad, this is a new version of an old story...Lucy finds out that she is a descendant of the Lucy that the Dracula of Bram Stokes time was obsessed with, as was her mother before her...but with high school, friends and boys, who wants to worry about Dracula coming after her? Her best friend Mina is also involved in this long time obsession...and the boy she likes may also be involved...what is a girl to do? This was a cute story and a quick read! I enjoyed it!

Then, my reading took a turn, the next three books are a little more on the serious side. The first one, LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL by Jo Knowles, talks about a friendship between two girls, one of them has died and the other is looking back at their friendship and the lessons learned from her dead friend. This really discusses the difficulties of wanting to be liked and what you may be willing to overlook to be accepted. I was so fortunate not to have a situation like this in my life, but I know some girls who experienced the pressure of being liked and gave up some of their freedoms to be accepted.

My next read was about a 13 year old girl who is sold into prostitution by her family...but she thinks she is being sent to the city to become a maid...from her mind, she doesn't understand what is happening to her...you meet her family, very poor and just barely surviving, her mother has remarried and feels fortunate to have a man in their lives...you meet the other girls and those who would manipulate her into thinking what she is doing is helping and she is paying off a debt. The chapters are short and most of the story is told from a poor 13 year old's point of view, innocent and not knowing what the world is really like. SOLD by Patricia McCormick is an incredible read!

My last one is TAMAR by Mal Peet. I have always loved books about World War 2 and this isn't any different...a 15 year old girl has been named by her grandfather, and he has just committed suicide. He leaves her a box and it is up to her to find out what he was trying to tell her. The book bounces back and forth from present day to World War 2 where men and women are trying to form a resistance to the German army. This book keeps you on the edge right up until the last page!

Cultural Reads

So, I just finished THE YEAR OF THE DOG by Grace Lin, ideal for juvenile readers and written, according to the author, for kids trying to fit in a mainly Caucasian society. She writes about Taiwanese and Chinese specifically and we follow Pacy through the year of the dog, a lucky year for family and friends. She meets new people and experiences new things, it is cute and funny but also addresses some of the issues surrounding those who move to the United States from other countries. This was a great read!

And, I also finished AMERICAN BORN CHINESE by Gene Luen Yang, a graphic novel with some of the same themes, but written in a slightly different way, with incredible pictures to go along with it. This novel addresses both the old country and being in the new along with self-image in a place where one is different. This book was also a Pacific Northwest Association Young Reader's Choice.

Swapping Lives

So, I just finished a book recommended to me by my co-worker. It was soooo good. Imagine that you are a successful working woman but there is something missing in your life...a family, home husband. Imagine now that you are a happily married housewife, your husband makes good money and your house nearly runs itself...you are involved in charities and associations, but you feel like maybe you are missing something in your life, a career or? Anyway, two women decide to live each other's lives for a month...and it gets really interesting. The author is Jane Green. I haven't read any other of her books, but I loved this one. It was a light read and very interesting.

The Afterlife

So, I have read two young adult reads recently. I loved both of them and wanted to share them.

The first one is ELSEWHERE by Gabrielle Zevin. This book opens with Liz waking up feeling like she is trapped. She is on a boat with a lot of other people. No one seems to know where they are going and some of them can't remember what they were doing before they got on the boat. What I found humorous about this book is that we are introduced to Liz's dog Lucy and some of here thoughts. When Liz finally realizes what has happened she goes through a variety of emotions. I listened to part of this book on CD and read the rest of it.

The second is JACOB'S LADDER by Brian Kearny. In much the same way, the main character finds himself traveling with no idea where he was before and no one seems to know where they are headed. Everything is grey, dusty and dirty. The boys he meets are solemn and spend every day going to a rock pit to haul stones. When he refuses to go he is haunted by a woman crying. This is a little darker than the first book but interesting none the less.

What I want my girlfriends to read

So, here are a few books that I want my girlfriends to read. Maybe they will inspire you, or make you feel good, or maybe even just take you away...

1) Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - I know I mentioned this in my top ten...but I still think this is worth the read. The author talks about her experience with a failed marriage, international travel, and finding herself. I think it is perfect for any woman no matter where you are in life. I really enjoyed the book, I confess I listened to it first, then I have gone back to re-read it.

I really think all of you will like it. It will make you laugh and cry!

2) Animal, Mineral, Vegetable by Barbara Kingsolver, et al. - I read this book but was told it was good to listen to as well. This will inspire you...it did me. I wanted to start gardening, purchase locally, and recycle more. If anything, it made me realize that every little bit helps. Her family was involved in this book as well, so that made it very interesting. They go and decide to live off the land and purchase locally. It was an interesting experience for them...and for me as the reader.

3) Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes - This book made me want to travel, more specifically travel to Italy, purchase a house and live in the Italian countryside. It was an incredible experience seeing Italy from the eyes of the author. She also has recipes and some interesting stories about the people who lived around her. It made me want to eat al fresco, drink some good wine, go to an outdoor market to get food and hang out with my friends both old and new.

Recent Reads

So, I am reading BREAKING DAWN, but I am taking my time. So I read a couple books the other night. I had never read NUMBER THE STARS by Lois Lowry...so I thought I would read it. It was really good. It is the Nazi Invasion in Demark and this tells the story of one family who doesn't agree with the treatment of the Jews. They decide to help a family of their friends and it leads to something greater. For a child wanting to know a little more about the Holocaust, this is a good choice. The other interesting thing is the addition of fairy tales to help deal with what is going on in the real world.

I also read ANA'S STORY by Jenna Bush. I had heard different things about this book. It was a very sad, true story about a girl who was born with HIV/AIDS. This chronicles only a portion of her life and her struggles. At the end there are a lot of resources about AIDS, abuse, etc. I felt it was well written, short chapters and pictures. I wasn't sure what to expect from Jenna Bush, but this was a pleasant surprise.

When I finish BREAKING DAWN I will write about my thoughts! But, I will warn about spoilers!

Non-Fiction Titles Part 1

So, a lot of people ask me about non-fictions titles. I will admit. I haven't read a lot of non-fiction unless it was for school. When I was younger I read biographies and things about history...but that was about it. I wasn't really interested in non-fiction. So...I started a few years ago, first it was one, then two, and now, I keep my eye out for the next non-fiction read. Some of my criteria for a good non-fiction include, interesting topic, reads like a novel and shows me something new. So here are a couple titles that I have really enjoyed. Feel free to recommend your own...and I will continue to add titles periodically.

1) THE GOOD GOOD PIG by

Sy Montgomery

Did you enjoy CHARLOTTE'S WEB? This is a true story of a pig who grows up never to be eaten and loved by both the owners and the town. There are even some pictures of the pig and some of its adventures.

2) STIFF by Mary Roach - okay this book is not for the weak stomached, did you ever wonder what happens to a body once they have died? Every chapter in this book talks about one of the options to a cadaver. Sometimes gross, sometimes funny, and sometimes serious, this is a great book!

3) UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN - by Frances Mayes

Do not confuse the movie with this book....if you saw the movie, you did NOT experience this book. Yes, a writer/professor from the states goes to Italy and purchases a house, but that is where my recollection of the book ends and the movie takes a completely different turn. There are recipes, interesting run ins with the locals, repairs on the house, and friends enjoying time with one another. I really enjoyed reading this book and have enjoyed several of the rest of her books.

Eclipse

So, I finished re-reading ECLIPSE so I would have a refresher before BREAKING DAWN was released. It was released today at midnight...and I was there, at Barnes and Noble at midnight to get my copy. Of course I couldn't sleep until I had read some of it. Now, I just finished my ECLIPSE re-read and I am ready to dig in. For those of you who haven't read these books, they are GREAT...no matter your age, it doesn't matter if you are male or female...this book will touch EVERYONE in a certain way. I had several friends recommend it to me, I was hesitant as I often books geared towards young adults cannot hold my attention and make me lose myself in the same way that more mature fiction or nonfiction can. But, they were all good...and re-reading them has been a joy. I felt this way about Harry Potter too...I know that many people out there STILL haven't read the books...they hook you, and you get caught up in the plot and characters in a way that makes you want more.

Without giving away the plot at all...this has romance, incredible fight scenes, graduation from high school, parties, love triangles, and yes, some history. This book could be read by itself, although I would recommend reading all of the books.

"He's like a drug for you Bella." His voice was still gentle, not at all critical. "I see that you can't live without him now. It is too late. But I would have been healthier for you. Not a drug; I would have been the air, the sun." Jacob page 599 ECLIPSE.

Enjoy!