Fall Into Reading Wrap up

I cannot believe that it is over already! I wish that it could keep going because I just arrived at the beach armed to the teeth with books to try and catch up from the few days last week where all I did was cross stitch and try to finish my sister's Christmas present by Friday when we celebrated Christmas.

Katrina suggested a few questions to answer so I will use those questions as the framework for this entry.

Did you finish reading all the books on your fall reading list? If not, why not?
For once I did actually finish all of the books on my original list. In past challenges either the library did not have the book when I needed to read it or I became so disgusted with the book that I chose not to finish it. Neither of those situations happened this time. (Perhaps because I got my requests in early this time. :D)

Did you stick to your original goals or did you change your list as you went along?
I did stick to my original goals and as always had in mind the idea of adding more books later as I read them and after I read all of the books on my original list. I got a little nervous towards the beginning of December when I hadn't finished everything on my list but as my reposted list at the bottom of this post shows I was indeed able to add books not originally on the list.

What was your favorite book that you read this fall? Least favorite? Why?
I would have to say that my favorite book that I read this fall was Backwater by Joan Bauer. See the question below for more info. I have a couple least favorites. The first of which was A Separate Peace by John Knowles. The second was The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I won't elaborate here on why I did not like them because I already did that in my review.
*Disclaimer* The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a strikingly beautiful book. I just hated how it ended.

Did you discover a new author or genre this fall? Did you love them? Not love them?
I actually did discover a new author this fall... Joan Bauer. I wish that I had encountered her books when I was in junior high and high school. Granted, I still thoroughly enjoyed the two that I read this fall but they are so good that I wish I had discovered them earlier. Great books!

What was your favorite thing about the Fall Into Reading challenge?
For me personally, this reading challenge kept me reading during a semester of school when I probably would have let it fall by the wayside in favor of other projects and things. Having the list and the internal motivation to finish by yesterday kept me reading.

Would you like to participate in another challenge here this spring?
Most definitely. I love these reading challenges. My spring list though will probably be even shorter than this fall list. I have to focus on real life and my student teaching after all. :D


Found by Karen Kingsbury (09/26/08)
Family by Karen Kingsbury (09/27/08)
Bachelor's Puzzle by Judith Pella (09/30/08)
Death's Door by Betsy Byars (10/05/08)
Disappearing Acts by Betsy Byars (10/10/08)
Randall's Wall by Carol Fenner (10/04/08)
The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline B. Cooney (10/11/08)
Shattered Justice by Karen Ball (10/25/08)
The Great Bridge by David McCullough (10/28/08)
Blue Like Jazz by Donald R. Morris (10/18/08)
The Washing of the Spears by Donald R. Morris (11/06/08)
The Revealers by Doug Wilhelm (11/07/08)
Ice Story: Shackleton's Lost Expedition by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (11/19/08)
The Living Stone by Jane Orcutt (11/08/08)
Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold by Jean Fritz (11/14/08)
Hitch by Jeanette Ingold (11/17/08)
Secrets of a Wildlife Watcher by Jim Arnosky (11/07/08)
My Face to the Wind by Jim Murphy (11/02/08)
Hope was Here by Joan Bauer (11/18/08)
Backwater by Joan Bauer (11/21/08)
The Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/04/08)
A Family Apart by Joan Lowery Nixon (11/25/08)
A Place to Belong by Joan Lowery Nixon (11/24/08)
Circle of Love by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/03/08)
A Dangerous Promise by Joan Lowery Nixon (11/29/08)
In the Face of Danger by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/01/08)
David's Search by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/02/08)
Nobody's There by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/05/08)
Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (12/11/08)
Last Shot by John Feinstein (12/10/08)
A Separate Peace by John Knowles (12/09/08)

Books added after the contest started
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (12/09/08)
What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper (12/09/08)
Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal by J. K. Rowling (12/10/08)
Social Studies in the 21st Century by Jack Zevin (12/12/08)
My Heart is on the Ground by Ann Rinaldi (12/12/08)
Rain Song by Alice J. Wisler (12/15/08)
A Rush of Wings by Kristen Heitzmann (12/16/08)
We Are Patriots by Kristiana Gregory (12/20/08)
The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann (12/20/08)
Little Wizard Stories of Oz by Frank L. Baum (12/20/08)

On... The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

I had already added this book to my list before my Social Studies Methods professor highly recommended it so I added the book to my Fall reading list. When I heard about the movie coming out soon based on the book I definitely looked forward to reading the book.

Disclaimer: There is such a twist at the end that my review might be rather cryptic because learning about this twist would definitely ruin the rest of the book.

I knew that there was a twist at the end but thankfully had not found out the details. Unfortunately I kept trying to figure out throughout the book just what that twist might be. Boyne still managed to surprise me.

The main character, Bruno, narrates a move that he was none too happy about from the family home in Berlin to what he and his sister suppose is the country side. Bruno is more than disappointed when he learns that he has to leave his three best friends and that there seem to be no other children around for him to play with.

That's when Bruno meets a boy born on the exact same day and year and strikes up a friendship.

As I read I kept getting sadder and sadder as I realized all of the details of the book that nine-year old Bruno simply misses because of his innocence. Case in point: Bruno pronounces the name of his home as Out-With. It took me quite a while to figure out his mispronunciation.

Boyne writes a beautiful story even with all of the sadness mixed throughout the entire book. I do not recommend this book if you do not like sad stories. I do recommend the book to those who want to read good literature.

On... Last Shot by John Feinstein

I thought I would enjoy this book. After all I love college basketball and especially March Madness but this book disappointed in many respects.

At the beginning of the book I held out high hopes because Feinstein set up a rather intriguing premise. Now, perhaps I started to develop a little bit of antipathy towards him because of the main character's anti-Duke bias. Of course I don't mean that literally but anyway.

While this book is a mystery I do not condone the rather unethical actions that Stevie and Susan Carol took to solve the mystery. Added to that the resolution of the mystery took quite a cliche turn and rather farfetched turn at that.

I don't recommend this book.

On... a Separate Peace by John Knowles

I knew nothing about this book before I started reading it but it still managed to disappoint me.

Knowles enticed me at the beginning with well-written reminiscing about a long ago summer during WWII but as I continued to read I failed to discover Knowles purpose in writing this book.

The protagonist, Gene Forrester, narrated the story in a meandering, aimless manner that lacked the focus he supposedly had as a student. Even though at the end Knowles threw something unexpected in at the end I still could not see the purpose of the whole book. Gene seemed to make epiphanies throughout the book but sometimes those epiphanies contradicted each other and really made no sense at all.

On top of all of that Knowles felt okay with throwing in the occasional expletive although the frequency increased as the end of the book approached.

I do not recommend this book at all.

On... Joan Lowry Nixon

I recently read several books by Joan Lowry Nixon and after the first few which were part of the Orphan Train series decided to write one review rather than one for each book.

I have mixed feelings about this author. All of her books that I read that were part of the Orphan Train series disappointed me. The writing was not bad. In fact I actually admired Nixon for her ability to avoid sinking into cliche literary techniques. Unfortunately the plot ideas for all of those stories I have read before. Because of this disappointment I did not hold out hope for the other two books of Nixon's that I had yet to read.

These other two books, The Haunting and Nobody's There impressed me perhaps because the bar was set so low. Now I reserve judgment on the supernatural aspect of The Haunting but the story captivated me especially with the historical aspect of the old Louisiana plantation house.

Of all of the Nixon books that I read I enjoyed Nobody's There the best. Nobody's There is a simple young adult mystery with appealing characters such as crochity old Edna.

I definitely recommend Nobody's There but can't say the same for the other books.

Nanowrimo Frenzy!

I am so excited about nanowrimo this year and the novel just waiting to come out of me.

I will have this post at the top of the page throughout the month and will update each day with a running total of my word count, hopefully leading to the end goal of 50,000 words! (or more)

Underneath this post will be a chronicle of the path of my story as often as I get a chance to update. Lord willing, I will try and post each day. This will help get my juices flowing and perhaps help me work out all of the nasty kinks that keep me from flowing as fast as they should be in order to reach my goal.

So... the count begins...

Day One: 1676 words 8:59PM goal met
Day Two: 3789 words 9:00PM goal met
Day Three: 6195 words 8:56PM goal met and a little extra
Day Four: nothing... election day
Day Five: 8368 words 8:45PM goal met for days four and five
Day Six: 10109 words 9:21PM goal met with extreme difficulty
Day Seven: 11857 words 9:15PM goal met
Day Eight: 13758 words 9:28PM goal met
Day Nine: 15547 words 9:32PM goal met
Day Ten: 17362 words 8:54PM goal met
Day Eleven: 19177 words 8:43PM goal met
Day Twelve: 21207 words 8:22PM goal met
Day Thirteen: 23043 words 8:17PM goal met
Day Fourteen: 24732 words 9:44PM goal met even though I left my plot at home :D
Day Fifteen: 26492 words 8:24PM goal met
Day Sixteen: 28171 words 8:05PM goal met
Day Seventeen: 30139 words 7:50PM goal met
Day Eighteen: 32171 words 7:05PM goal met
Day Nineteen: 34010 words 4:48PM goal met
Day Twenty: 36029 words 5:18PM goal met
Day Twenty-one: 38038 words 6:20PM goal met
Day Twenty-two: 40102 words 3:27PM goal met
Day Twenty-three: 42171 words 4:30PM goal met
Day Twenty-four: 44565 words 5:20PM goal met

On Backwater by Joan Bauer

I think I have found a new favorite author.

Bauer enchants with this novel. I have to admit though that I felt an extra affinity for the main character, Ivy, because of her ardent love of history. Ivy loves history even more than I do and with a dedication that I would love to have.

Ivy Breedlove, a lover of history in a family of lawyers, attempts to create a family history for the birthday of a beloved aunt. She battles the expectations of her entire family that all Breedloves should become lawyers as well as an aunt who hold much for being efficient at the sake of preserving history. In addition Ivy is determined to find out what happened to her father's sister, Josephine, another "misfit" in the Breedlove family.

This is an amazing book. I love Bauer's clever wit and all of her beautiful imagery and definitely recommend this book!

On... Hope was Here by Joan Bauer

What a beautiful book!

Hope, the main character, lives with her aunt after having been given up by her mother. Hope's aunt, Addie, works as a short order cook and often moves around to help struggling businesses.

Every time Addie and Hope leave a place Hope writes the three words "Hope was here" in a place where it would last for a long time. Hope also keeps a scrapbook of her life divided into sections for each city that she has lived in with the hope of showing her father when she finds him.

While Hope thinks that Addie has made a major mistake when she moves the duo to a small town in Wisconsin it is here that Hope truly finds a home and her father, the one she had really been creating that scrapbook for all of those years.

When Hope writes "Hope was here" at the end of the book she writes the phrase with the knowledge that she will be coming back and that she has a home.

I absolutely love this book!

On... Hitch by Jeanette Ingold

I absolutely loved this book.

In Hitch Ingold describes the journey of Moss Trawnley in becoming a man during the middle of the Great Depression. Moss deals with a father who struggles with alcoholism and commitment issues of his own before joining up with the CCC Civilian Conservation Corps one of the alphabet soup organizations created during the New Deal.

Though as a fiscal conservative sometimes I cringe at how Roosevelt drastically increased the size and scope of government in order to pull the country out of the Great Depression (think Social Security for one) I actually admire efforts like the CCC which put men to work, thus decreasing unemployment, and at the same time helped hardworking Americans like farmers to conserve and protect land devastated by drought.

Though Moss at 17 is a bit older than my future middle school students and thus struggles with issues that might not affect my students I definitely recommend this book. Applications definitely could be extracted for the current financial crisis among other things.

On... Traitor: The case of Benedict Arnold

I had to double check on this book when I started reading because I assumed, rightly as it turned out, that this book is a children's book. This book does not read like any children's history book that I have ever read.

I enjoyed the book, do not get me wrong. I actually learned a lot about the man known as probably the greatest traitor in American history, though technically I do not think he actually was such.

The book is well written and most probably aimed at an upper middle school age child or underclassman student in high school. The average student though would not pick up this book unless extremely motivated or simply a history buff like myself.

I recommend the book although the cover disturbed me just a bit when I realized what it depicted.

On... The Living Stone by Jane Orcutt

I approached this book with bittersweet anticipation. For many years Jane Orcutt has been one of my favorite authors specifically because of two of her books The Fugitive Heart and The Hidden Heart which I have read many times. Just a few months ago Orcutt lost her battle to cancer.

I enjoyed this book and have a hard time criticizing it for the above reason. At the same time I do not agree completely with how Orcutt dealt with some serious issues. I guess that on different theological points I differ with Orcutt but not on the fundamentals of the faith.

Both Leah and Jacobo are complex and believable characters. I felt for Leah as she struggled with the death of her husband and son and all of the different ways that suffering can affect a family. Because of circumstances going on in my own family I understand how suffering can be perceived in different ways and how just because one person's loss may look on the surface to be more traumatic than the other that does not diminish either suffering.

I definitely recommend the book.

On... Secrets of a Wildlife Watcher by Jim Arnosky

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have no idea how this book made it on my to be read list but I'm glad it did.

Arnosky, a wildlife watcher, wrote a simple guide to wildlife for children complete with cute illustrations. I guess the text appealed to the nerd in me, the science lover in me but at the same time Arnosky wrote in a very "cute" style (for lack of a better word).

I definitely recommend this book!

On... The Revealers by Doug Wilhelm

I sit down to write this review not knowing whether I think positively about this book or hesitantly (notice that I did not say negatively).

Having spent two months with beautiful little seventh graders I think that Wilhelm did an admirable job at portraying life in middle school from a kid's point of view. I do think that all of the adult characters seemed out of touch or downright authoritarian but perhaps that was because Wilhelm did such a good job at writing from the kid's point of view.

Wilhelm's style made me want to keep reading even when I was thrown out by some pretty blatant profanity thrown in. To be perfectly honest I find such profanity offensive especially when used, albeit like it is in a middle school, so casually. Growing up none of the authors of the books I read resorted to sprinkling in and occasional curse word or two. Even one of my favorite secular authors, Mary Higgens Clark, rarely uses profanity in her novels and those are written for adults.

Although the profanity (around 10 words but 10 too many in my opinion) is the only negative I have about the book its use makes me hesitate to recommend the book. I would not assign this book to my students. There are better books out there.

On... The Washing of the Spears by Donald Morris

I give a warning at the beginning. This is a book for history nerds only. :D

While this book took me quite some time to read (because of the enormous length--614 pages--and because of Election Day interruptions) I enjoyed the book.

At the same time it was quite a chore to read. The only reason that the book seemed to make sense to me was because I took a class on the history of Africa and watched a video of the battle that took nearly three hundred pages to recount... or at least I think it took that length.

I found myself confused as the chapters progressed and Morris sort of backtracked when he switched to a new chapter to tell about another flank or division of the British army. I apologize if I confuse anyone. I myself found myself confused by this.

In addition, the small print and large paragraphs also made the book more difficult to read through my normal method. (I tend to in depth skim :D)

I do recommend the book for anyone interested in African history, specifically South African history. I find it intriguing to consider that the province with the highest AIDS infection rate in South Africa (or pretty close to the top) is KwaZuluNatal... or the Zululand of this book.
Unless you have a history fascination or the above mentioned fascination I do not recommend the book unless you need material to fall asleep to.

On... The Great Bridge by David McCullough

I love every book that I read of David McCullough. He crafts history in such a way that makes me want to read about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge or the Panama Canal. This book focused on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.

McCullough's language creates such vivid pictures that I could easily imagine how it felt and what it looked like when I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge six years ago.

Even though I did not completely understand the technical details of the sinking of the caissons and other engineering details I found myself completely fascinated by the details and taking a deep gasp of breath as McCullough described a fire underwater in the caisson that nearly derailed the entire project.

At the same time I must warn that this book is not for the faint of heart. At 562 pages it makes for a formidable challenge for even the avid reader.

I definitely recommend this book for the lover of history and good reading, with the above caveat.

On... Shattered Justice by Karen Ball

I have to admit that I accidentally read the second book in the series first so I knew the outcome of the story at the outset.

While Ball creates a compelling story with moving characters I think that the time span of the story makes it a bit unbelievable. For instance, Ball starts the story when Dan was married to his first wife Sarah and sets up the "perfect family" situation. That in itself necessitates an added two years to the time line.

Other than that I loved the book and felt for the characters. I almost didn't want the story to end and know that I would have felt that way had I not known the ultimate outcome for the characters.

I definitely recommend this book and this series.

On... Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

I added this book to my list over a year ago after hearing good reviews of the book from girls I worked with at camp. Every girl that read the book raved about it.

I have to say that I will not rave about the book. The book is not bad. Don't get me wrong. Miller creates amazing word pictures as he describes his memories of the past in relation to his relationship to God.

I guess what threw me off the most was his seeming lack of passion about his relationship to God. In my own relationship with God I cannot imagine a lack of passion. I believe that any Christian should be passionate about that.

Blue Like Jazz is a good book on artistic/literary measures but I would not recommend it based on devotional merit.

On... The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline B. Cooney

I found this book intriguing but at the same time came away from the book a bit dissatisfied.

I'll discuss some of the negatives first. I don't think that this book is appropriate for most children at the middle school level. There is nothing inappropriate or gratuitous in the book but Cooney describes with a coolness almost the dispatching of various prisoners on the march. Of course I realize that such actions actually occurred on that march/capture. I don't want students to be unaware of what happened but I think that some aspects of history should be discussed at later ages.

Now for the positives. Cooney deals with a lot of serious issues with admirable ease. In Mercy Carter she creates a believable and likeable character that struggles with very real issues.

The book is an excellent book, a pretty good read.

On... Randall's Wall by Carol Fenner

This book made it onto my list when I added all of the recommended summer reading books for middle school students in my district. I knew nothing about the book before I started reading.

Fenner's style appealed to me in an unusual way. She tells the story from several different points of view, most from Randall of course. Normally a technique like that turns me off of the book. In this case, Fenner made it work. It's almost as if Fenner holds the plot like a rope and lets out necessary information only at crucial points.

Randall's wall, figurative though it may be, struck me in such a profound way. As a teacher in training I have to be willing to look past what might not be appealing in the first place (or at all for that matter) in order to reach the student.

I can't tell much more than that without giving away the book but I do strongly recommend this book.

On... Bachelor's Puzzle by Judith Pella

Each new book by Judith Pella that I read disappoints me even more. Pella used to be one of my favorite authors. To this day I adore the Stonewyke books, the Russians series and a more recent series (the name of which escapes me).

In the past couple years I have read three of her other books, including this one, and found myself questioning why I like the above mentioned series so much.

From the beginning of the book I could predict the final outcome. Of course, a few of the details I wouldn't have been able to predict but the final outcome, yes. This decreases my motivation to read the book and my overall interest in the book. In addition, Pella succumbs to the all too prevalent tactic usesd by many Christian authors, preaching through the character's mouth.

In my own opinion I do not think that sermons from a pulpit should be included either complete or in parts. When one of the main characters, Zack, in this story impersonates a pastor I knew that I would be subjected to at least one or two. Pella did not disappoint in that respect.

In addition, the change in the main character, Zack, did not convince me at all. Simply because he stopped living the "profligate" life he had before and started impersonating a preacher he discovered the wrong doing of his previous life. Also, the evil things were clearly evil. For instance, "shut up" was a heinous swear word.

I do not recommend this book.

On... Familiy and Found by Karen Kingsbury

Part of me wishes that I could respect Karen Kingsbury more than I do. At one point I collected her books avidly because I enjoyed them so much. Kingsbury writes with great skill and creates very believable, sympathetic characters.

However, a few years ago I read an article where she was interviewed about a recent book that did not mention God at all. Now, I do not believe that Christians are limited to writing only for the Christian market. I do believe, though, that a person cannot write from any perspective or world view other than that of a Christian. In the article, and I wish I could remember her exact words, Kingsbury basicly stated that it did not matter if she did not mention God because as long as she included some sort of love that would be alright because God is a God of love.

I agree. God definitely is a God of love and a Christian is not forced to mention God or preach a sermon in his or her books but at the same time I disagree with Kingsbury's mindset behind her writing.

For that reason I sold all of my Kingsbury books and will not buy any more.

On the other hand, I still enjoy reading the books and returned to Kingsbury with Forgiven, the second in her Firstborn series. Family and Found are the third and fourth books in the series.

I really enjoyed the book. Kingsbury crafted fully believeable characters that make me want to read both the first series that chronicled the Baxter family and the series that comes after the Firstborn series.

For the above stated reasons I cannot recommend these books but on the basis of writing alone I can recommend the books. If you disagree with me about the above than I can give you a strong recommendation for these books.

On... Fall into Reading

I'm doing it again, although this time with a smaller list than normal.

Without further ado... here is my list

Found by Karen Kingsbury (09/26/08)
Family by Karen Kingsbury (09/27/08)
Bachelor's Puzzle by Judith Pella (09/30/08)
Death's Door by Betsy Byars (10/05/08)
Disappearing Acts by Betsy Byars (10/10/08)
Randall's Wall by Carol Fenner (10/04/08)
The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline B. Cooney (10/11/08)
Shattered Justice by Karen Ball (10/25/08)
The Great Bridge by David McCullough (10/28/08)
Blue Like Jazz by Donald R. Morris (10/18/08)
The Washing of the Spears by Donald R. Morris (11/06/08)
The Revealers by Doug Wilhelm (11/07/08)
Ice Story: Shackleton's Lost Expedition by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (11/19/08)
The Living Stone by Jane Orcutt (11/08/08)
Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold by Jean Fritz (11/14/08)
Hitch by Jeanette Ingold (11/17/08)
Secrets of a Wildlife Watcher by Jim Arnosky (11/07/08)
My Face to the Wind by Jim Murphy (11/02/08)
Hope was Here by Joan Bauer (11/18/08)
Backwater by Joan Bauer (11/21/08)
The Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/04/08)
A Family Apart by Joan Lowery Nixon (11/25/08)
A Place to Belong by Joan Lowery Nixon (11/24/08)
Circle of Love by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/03/08)
A Dangerous Promise by Joan Lowery Nixon (11/29/08)
In the Face of Danger by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/01/08)
David's Search by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/02/08)
Nobody's There by Joan Lowery Nixon (12/05/08)
Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (12/11/08)
Last Shot by John Feinstein (12/10/08)
A Separate Peace by John Knowles (12/09/08)

Books added after the contest started
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (12/09/08)
What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper (12/09/08)
Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal by J. K. Rowling (12/10/08)
Social Studies in the 21st Century by Jack Zevin (12/12/08)
My Heart is on the Ground by Ann Rinaldi (12/12/08)
Rain Song by Alice J. Wisler (12/15/08)
A Rush of Wings by Kristen Heitzmann (12/16/08)
We Are Patriots by Kristiana Gregory (12/20/08)
The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann (12/20/08)
Little Wizard Stories of Oz by Frank L. Baum (12/20/08)

Summer Reading Thing Wrap up

Posted below is my updated list for the books that I read as part of this challenge. I definitely read more than I thought I would be able to during the majority of the challenge although I had to slow down once my practicum started in August.

I have to say that the author I discovered and loved the most is Cornelia Funke. I absolutely fell in love with her Inkheart trilogy and cannot wait for the third book to come out.

The most disappointing find out of all the books I read was David Almond. All of his books were so focused on death and darkness that they depressed me. I cannot imagine assigning any of those books to young adults.



Chicken Boy by Frances O'Roark Dowell (06/20/08)
Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen (06/21/08)
Mr. Tucket by Gary Paulsen (06/22/08)
Tucket's Ride by Gary Paulsen (06/22/08)
Call Me Francis Tucket by Gary Paulsen (06/22/08)
Tucket's Gold by Gary Paulsen (06/22/08)
Tucket's Home by Gary Paulsen (06/22/08)
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (06/24/08)
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (06/26/08)
The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood (06/26/08)
Shakespeare's Spy by Gary Blackwood (06/27/08)
Shakespeare's Scribe by Gary Blackwood (06/29/08)
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (06/29/08)
It's My Life by Melody Carlson (06/25/08)
Who I Am by Melody Carlson (07/04/08)
On My Own by Melody Carlson (07/10/08)
I Do by Melody Carlson (07/26/08)
My Name is Chloe by Melody Carlson (07/15/08)
Sold Out by Melody Carlson (07/21/08)
Road Trip by Melody Carlson (07/25/08)
Face the Music by Melody Carlson (07/26/08)
Just Ask by Melody Carlson (07/27/08)
Meant to Be by Melody Carlson (07/28/08)
Falling Up by Melody Carlson (07/28/08)
That was Then... by Melody Carlson (07/29/08)
Middlemarch by George Eliot (08/07/08)
Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury (06/29/08)
What-the-Dickens by Gregory Maguire (07/06/08)
Fair Warning by Hannah Alexander (06/30/08)
Grave Risk by Hannah Alexander (06/30/08)
Note of Peril by Hannah Alexander (07/01/08)
Necessary Measures by Hannah Alexander (07/01/08)
A Boy at War by Harry Mazer (06/29/08)
Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau (07/06/08)
J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter (06/30/08)
The Smugglers by Iain Lawrence (07/11/08)
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (07/09/08)
The Journal of Jasper Jonathan Pierce by Ann Rinaldi (07/08/08)
King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild (07/19/08)
Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson (07/15/08)
Lady of Palenque by Anna Kirwan (07/24/08)
Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia by Anna Kirwan (07/25/08)
A Corner of the Universe by Ann Martin (07/10/08)
Lord Kirkle's Money by Avi (07/15/08)
Mick Harte was here by Barbara Park (07/07/08)
Elisabeth: The Princess Bride by Barry Denenberg (07/12/08)
The Journal of William Thomas Emerson by Barry Denenberg (07/20/08)
So Far from Home by Barry Denenberg (07/16/08)
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen (07/12/08)
A Murder for Her Majesty by Beth Hilgartner (07/20/08)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (07/20/08)
A Girl from Yamhill by Beverly Cleary (07/21/08)
Voyage of Slaves by Brian Jacques (07/22/08)
Night Hoops by Carl Deuker (07/22/08)
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (07/06/08)
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke (07/13/08)
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke (07/23/08)


Books Added after the Beginning of the Challenge
The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung by Laurence Yep (07/01/08)
Survival in the Storm by Katelyn Janke (07/05/08)
The Journal of Douglas Allan Deeds by Rodman Philbrick (07/05/08)
Standing in the Light by Mary Pope Osborne (07/05/08)
The Escape From Home by Avi (07/14/08)
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (07/24/08)
Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis (07/27/08)
Perelandra by C. S. Lewis (07/29/08)
That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis (07/31/08)
Five Smooth Stones by Kristiana Gregory (07/31/08)
The Journal of Sean Sullivan by William Durbin (08/01/08)
Westward to Home by Patricia Hermes (08/01/08)
A Perfect Place by Patricia Hermes (08/02/08)
Valley of the Moon by Sherry Garland (08/02/08)
The Journal of Otto PeItonen by William Durbin (08/02/08)
The Dark Stairs by Betsy Byars (08/03/08)
Dead Letter by Betsy Byars (08/03/08)
King of Murder by Betsy Byars (08/04/08)
The Black Tower by Betsy Byars (08/04/08)
Skellig by David Almond (08/05/08)
Bound by Donna Jo Napoli (08/05/08)
Kit's Wilderness by David Almond (08/06/08)
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare (08/06/08)
Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konisburg (08/07/08)
The Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare (08/07/08)
The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio by Lloyd Alexander (08/08/08)
Airman by Eoin Colfer (08/08/08)
The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker by Cynthia DeFelice (08/09/08)
Shen of the Sea by Arther Bowie Chrisman (08/10/08)
Dreamers by Angela Hunt (08/10/08)
Brothers by Angela Hunt (08/11/08)
The Immortal by Angela Hunt (08/11/08)
Roanoke by Angela Hunt (08/12/08)
Jamestown by Angela Hunt (08/12/08)
Hartford by Angela Hunt (08/13/08)
Rehoboth by Angela Hunt (08/14/08)
Punished! by David Lubar (08/15/08)
From Rage to Hope by Crystal Kuykendall (08/15/08)
Freedom Train by Dorothy Sterling (08/16/08)
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (08/16/08)
The Hollow by Agatha Christie (08/17/08)
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (08/19/08)
On the Far Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (08/20/08)
Heaven Eyes by David Almond (08/23/08)
Secret Heart by David Almond (08/24/08)
Kaiulani: The People's Princess by Ellen Emerson White (08/24/08)
Meet Me in the Middle by Rick Wormeli (08/24/08)
The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges (08/24/08)
Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce by John Piper (08/26/08)
In Darkness, Death by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler (08/28/08)
Kaleidoscope Eyes by Karen Ball (08/31/08)
Silent Star by Tracie Peterson (09/06/08)
Beloved Stranger by Judith Pella (09/06/08)
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper (09/06/08)
When the Darkness Will Not Lift by John Piper (09/10/08)
Tools for Teaching by Fred Jones (09/13/08)
The Innocent Libertine by T. Davis and Isabella Bunn (09/13/08)
The Night Angel by T. Davis and Isabella Bunn (09/18/08)
A Lady of High Regard by Tracie Peterson (09/20/08)

On... Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

I approached this book with great enthusiasm. Something about the cover definitely appealed to me and I had had a decent exposure to Levine the first time around with Ella Enchanted even though I do like the movie better than the book.

Thankfully, even though this is placed in the same world as Ella Enchanted the book does not have a movie to compete with. I would have liked to see the "ugly" version of the main character, Aza, because the cover image does not portray what Levine's words describe.

Fairest is yet another book written for young girls about beauty being internal, not external. As much as this topic has been trumpeted and touted Levine creates a story that does not seem trite or cliche. The topic is important, so finding another new way to tell the story is an admirable goal.

I recommend the book, good reading.

On... Punished! by David Lubar

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book after a disappointing initial exposure to Lubar through Hidden Talents. I'm actually quite thankful for the disappointing exposure because it lowered my expectations and made it much easier for Punished! to easily surpass them.

Lubar creates a witty little tale full of fun literary devices. The main character, Logan, after running in the library and getting a face full of magical dust, must complete three missions, all of them missions to "capture" in various methods things such as anagrams and palindromes, a fun way to teach children about those literary devices.

I definitely recommend this book.

On... the Keepers of the Ring series by Angela Hunt

Oh. My. Word. This series is incredible! Of Hunt's three historical series I have to say that this is my absolute favorite.

This series explores the relationship between the English and Indian during the colonial period. The main characters, after the first book, are for the most part of biracial which allows Hunt to explore the choices that such a person would have to face... whether to be English or to be Indian.

At the same time some of the most profound issues Hunt dealt with had to do with whether worship has to have a certain look, whether the worship habits of the Indian or of the Puritan had to be exclusive for the sake of the other.

In addition to the serious issues Hunt also weaves several beautiful love stories, the most poignant being that of Fallon and Gilda in the second book, Jamestown. I have to admit though that I have not read the fifth and last book of the series and thus, though I do not expect to, may find a more beautiful love story.

I strongly recommend this book for any lover of history and excellent writing.

On... The Immortal by Angela Hunt

When I first started to expand my reading taste to authors previously unknown it was about the time that Hunt published this book. I read the summary of the book and dismissed it as too science fiction like for me. I had yet to experience all that I currently love about Hunt's now trademark "expect the unexpected" and her ability to push the limits to tell beautiful truths about God.

After having read the book I can't believe that I ever passed it up. Hunt did it again. I definitely did not expect the twist at the end but I could see a bit of foreshadowing, and almost expected the twist and held my breath for it to occur. Of course, I am a forgetful person so I forgot that little inkling until after I read the outcome of the twist. (Of course I can't say what the twist is, otherwise I would give away the plot of an excellent book that I strongly recommend).

Hunt tells a breathtakingly beautiful story of salvation for both of the main characters who struggle with issues common to many Christians or I should say people that grow up speaking the Christian lingo in the typical American Christian world. Well, the main character grew up in America but the title character did not. (I'm terrible... I've already forgotten his actual name as well).

As mentioned before I definitely recommend this book, especially to the adventurous and those lovers of history.

On... the Legacies of the Ancient River series by Angela Hunt

I have loved every Angela Hunt book I have ever read. Thus it was with great delight that I embarked on reading this series and another to be reviewed next. Both of these series were published years before I become introduced to Hunt and her writing. I definitely enjoy playing catch up because other than that I would have to wait for her new books to be published.

Hunt has mentioned on her blog how writing for her is a process continually improved upon. She often comments on how she will go back and reread some of her older books and find all sorts of things that she would change and never write now.

I could tell with these two books, two out of the three in the series (I don't own the third and have yet to read it), that these are some of Hunt's first books. Her characteristic style has yet to develop.

Don't take that to mean that I didn't enjoy the books. I most certainly did. I have an affinity for well-written books that explore the stories of the Bible. Hunt has written several of my favorites.

I definitely recommend these books, based on the lives of Joseph and a few other Biblical characters from the time period.

On... Shen of the Sea by Arthur Bowie Chrisman

I couldn't believe how absolutely perfectly I timed the reading of this book of Chinese folk tales. I read and finished the book on the first full day of the Beijing Olympics. Quite appropriate.

Of course, none of the stories were particularly compelling but they did expose some traditionally held Chinese beliefs made more appropriate by the timing.

I recommend the book for any who enjoy folk tales or fables along the lines of Aesop.

On... The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker by Cynthia DeFelice

The title of this book does not give away anything of the true message/theme of the book. I almost appreciate that because I have to suspend any previous notions I may have about a particular subject.


I learned a great deal about at least one superstition that surrounded the spread of disease, in this case consumption or what is known today as tuberculosis. The doctor that Lucas Whitaker was apprenticed too stood on the cusp of change for the medical profession, one that made great discoveries about the tiny creatures invisible to the naked eye that we now know as microbes.

This is a great children's book to teach about history, science and superstition yet not too burdened with details that would bore a child or make a child put down the book.

I definitely recommend this book.

On... Airman by Eoin Colfer

So far only one book of Colfer's outside of the Artemis Fowl series has lived up to the excellence, in my eyes, of that series. This was not that book.

Now, that does not mean that Colfer's writing is any less excellent or that the picture and the characters he creates any less real or vivid. Sometimes I think though that Colfer's desire to create a hero with any number of complexes goes a little too far.

I felt great compassion for the Airman (once again I am writing this review over a week after having read the book so please forgive me for forgetting the character's actual name) and for the injustice. Colfer threw in so many plot twist that my head came away spinning.

The ending felt a little unfulfilled. All of the loose ends didn't seem to be quite tied up so I wonder if this is the first in another series for Colfer. If so then I would be willing to revisit this character and series because I can remember not liking the first book in the Artemis Fowl series for almost the same reason.

On... The Golden Dreams of Carlo Chuchio by Lloyd Alexander

Wow. Another excellent Lloyd Alexander book. I have to confess that I am writing this review a week after I read the book so I am a bit more fuzzy on the details than if I had written immediately post-read.

I remember eagerly scanning the shelves of the little library in my junior high for ever Alexander book that I could find. I have to admit that a few of Alexander's character names made their way into my own story that I wrote that year.

This book tells the journey of Carlo Chuchio, Chuchio being a nickname for a lazy bum, and his search for an immeasurable treasure. A lovable band forms around Carlo and in the end Carlo learns a lesson better than all the riches the world could ever offer.

Many of Alexander's books are like this but I still enjoy his writing and his clever wit expressed through at least one court jester like character in each story.

On... Middlemarch by George Eliot

I have added as many of the classics to my to be read list as I can. I hate to say though that I almost always dread opening the book when it comes time to reading it. I felt the same reaction when I picked up Middlemarch and discovered that the book was just over 800 pages.

I did come away with a positive opinion from the book. On one day in particular I invested a significant amount of time to reading the book without interruption, as opposed to on commercials at night as I had been and really got into the flow of the book. At the end though I felt I had been dealt a bad hand by the summary on the back of the book because I really didn't see what I had been lead to expect.

I enjoyed reading the book but I came to the realization that I get more enjoyment and understanding out of listening to the classics than reading them. I have the annoying tendency to skim over whatever texts I read and with classics much can be missed when this tactic is done. I try to slow down but I don't feel like taking hours to read these so called classics when I don't know if the book is actually good or not.

I recommend the book but from now on will look for audio versions of the classics in order to "read" them.

On... The Calico Captive by Elizabeth Geroge Speare

I have to say that I was disappointed by this book. I held out high hopes for this book because of the good experience with The Bronze Bow.

This book read like a preachy goody-two shoes type Christian novel. I know that the book was drawn from a captive diary and that obviously influenced the tone of the novel.

I predicted the end to this novel even after only two pages... before the Indian attack.

I don't recommend the book.

On... Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konisburg

I loved this book. I was not expecting to read a mystery book when I first opened the cover but found myself engrossed within pages.

The only thing that I didn't like about the book was the confusing switch between different times. Konisburg utilized flashbacks to tell the story but they weren't always clear.

Konisburg could have delved into some pretty icky subjects if he had chosen too but instead only alluded to those details because those details were important to how the story turned out.

In the end I had a suspicion of who the culprit had been all along but it was one of those nagging thoughts that I figured was misleading or some information dropped to mislead the reader and make the mystery harder to figure out. In the end my nagging suspicion turned out to be correct.

I definitely recommend this book.

On... The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

I knew nothing about this book before I picked it up and started reading. I hoped that this book would not disappointing like the previous read. I also expected that the book would have something to do with Native Americans or something like that based both on the title and one of the covers that displayed a Native American looking boy.

No, my expectations for this book turned out to be completely wrong. I ended up with a very positive read which was so wonderful after one of David Almond's books. The book is set in Jerusalem during the time of Roman occupation and Jesus' three year ministry.

I absolutely loved watching Daniel grow from the bitter, angry boy that he once was at the beginning of the book, so angry at the Romans who killed his parents and somehow (on this point I'm not quite sure) left his sister demon possessed and irrevocably damaged. Daniel makes quite a mature yet still young character that I think will appeal to many young readers both boys and girls.

I definitely recommend this book!

On... Kit's Wilderness by David Almond

I have to admit that I did not hold out high hopes for this book after having read Skellig. My expectation turned out to be accurate.

The whole book, from the very first page focused on Death and promoted a dark tone throughout the book. I kept looking for glimmers of life and light but none existed.

I have to say that after this book I hoped that the next book I read was far more positive in nature.

I do not recommend David Almond at all.

On... Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

I thought this book was fantastic. I didn't realize until near the end of the book that this was a Cinderella type story.

Napoli weaves together the typical traditions of the Chinese during the Ming dynasty but in such a way that the story is not clearly a Cinderella type story which for me would have ruined the plot of the story because I would have been expecting the twist that came within the last 20 pages and would not have received the "benefit" that I did from not expecting the twist.

I really did enjoy this book and would definitely recommend it.

On... Skellig by David Almond

I didn't know quite what to think about this book. I kept wondering where the book was going and what the point was. I thought at first that the message of the book was reaching out to the unlovable because the main character brought food as often as he could to this really disgusting creature.

Yes... creature

Skellig, the creature, turned out to be some sort of evolved creature, a cross between a human and some sort of bird. I don't really know what the message of the book and didn't really understand where it was supposed to be going.

I don't recommend this book.

On... The Herculeah Jones series by Betsy Byars

I enjoyed these books. I wouldn't say that these were the best mystery books I have ever read although I have to admit that I haven't read Nancy Drew books or other mystery books written for that age in a long time.

Personally I felt that the subject matter was a little series for the age group that the books were aimed for but Byars avoided telling any gruesome details and managed to tell a fairly good mystery although a bit convoluted and obvious.

I did find out something interesting. Byars mentioned in passing a local grocery store and I thought, "wait, I know that store. She has to be from somewhere around here." So, I flipped to the back and saw that indeed... she lives in the same relative area that I do. I found that quite interesting.

On... The Space Trilogy by C. S. Lewis

I am not much of a science fiction aficionado but I gave these books by C. S. Lewis a try because I love the Chronicles of Narnia so much.

I didn't really like these books. I never really got into them. the plot of all three of them while connected in some ways really had nothing to do with each other and really didn't seem all that connected within the books themselves.

I did enjoy the books but the plot took such a turn that often I really didn't understand the story. I guess I'm still not much for science fiction and found myself very disappointed especially when comparing those books to Chronicles of Narnia which I absolutely love.

On... The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

I really liked this book. I kept expecting characters from Artemis Fowl to pop out any minute. In my opinion that's a good aspect.

I fell in love with the characters although all through the book I could not figure out what the "aunt's" motive in the whole thing was. I kept expecting her to turn out to be something that she wasn't.

In the end all of the characters learned that what they were originally looking for was not what they actually wanted or what they ended up getting. I loved the lessons that Scipio, Prosper, and Victor all learned. Another minor character whose name escapes me right now got what he deserved in a laughable sort of way.

I definitely enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

On... Night Hoops by Carl Deuker

I have to admit that the cover art turned me off slightly to the book. I know better, though, than to judge a book by the cover. Some books that I know are not worth my time to read have such great covers that I want to read despite knowing what's inside. That is beside the point though.

I really liked this book. I have always loved sports even though the only sport that I played fairly decently was softball. This book tells the story of Nick Abbott, an aspiring basketball player with many different things pulling him in various directions: his parents' divorce, his father's desire to see him become an exceptional basketball player after giving up on Scott... Nick's older brother, a neighbor he wanted nothing to do with and various other things.

Nick, a fairly talented player, does not achieve immediate success. Instead he has to go back to the beginning and learn things the hard way. He had to learn teamwork and various other positive lessons. Although life doesn't always end up with championships Deuker creates a fairly realistic story that doesn't gloss over the ugly side of life.

I definitely recommend this book.

On... A Girl from Yamhill by Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary is such an entertaining author. This book has her telling the story of her life from as early as she could remember until she heads off to college.

Cleary tells things that at first glance might seem depressing but in such a way that made me laugh. She tells stories that illustrate just how active her imagination was and why she eventually became such a beloved children's author. In a way she also illustrated why she created such an obstinate character as Ramona.

Very good memoir. I definitely recommend the book.

On... A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Wow!

I added this book to my list after either watching or reading some very good reviews about the book. Other than knowing that the book was good I had no idea of the story contained within the covers.

The best comparison I can make style-wise is to To Kill a Mockingbird. Now Francie does not go through anything as significant as the trial highlighted in To Kill a Mockingbird but that is the best comparison I can make.

I absolutely fell in love with Francie Nolan. I felt the hidden pain of poverty though Francie when she was young thought that some of the things were the best in the world. I wanted to fix Katherine Nolan's world, working as hard as she possibly could to support her two children and her good intentioned drunkard husband.

I absolutely loved this book. I would read it over and over again. I definitely recommend it.

On... King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschield

I added this book to my want to read list after taking a course on African history during my last semester of college. I have always had a fascination with history and developed an increased fascination about African history after taking this class and learning just how little I actually knew about Africa.

Hochschield deftly weaves together a story about a harsh but very real story. The title is somewhat misleading though. I thought that Hochschield would be telling the story of the Congo after the passing of the infamous King Leopold. In fact, Hochschield did not tell of Leopold's death until the last third of the book, close to the end.

This story is not for the faint of heart but it is an excellent tale of caution. I could see modern day applications or I should say ramifications as I read.

I definitely recommend the book.

On... the Beyond the Western Sea Series by Avi

I have to say that I was rather disappointed with the series. I guess it comes from reading a ton of other books written in the same era and written poorly.

While these books were not written poorly neither did they sparkle and entertain. I almost know the end outcome of the books before I read more than a few chapters.

Avi also dragged the plot of the books down with too many extraneous characters and subplot lines. For a children's book I had trouble keeping track of who was good and on the side of the main characters and who wasn't.

The book is decent and would most likely give a child a sense of accomplishment for reading a 415 page book (the second in the series). I probably would not recommend it or assign the books for students.

On... Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

Wow. I absolutely loved this book. Unfortunately, I stabbed myself in the foot because I didn't realize that this is the second book in the series. Now when I go and read Inkheart, the first in the series, I'll have a jump start on where all of the characters end up. :D

Already I am eagerly anticipating the third book in the trilogy. (Just like the Christopher Paolini book)


Cornelia Funke weaves together such a beautiful fanciful world where words have such profound effect. I cannot imagine what it would be like to live in my own creation. of course, I hope I would have more of a conscience than Fenoglio, the author in this creation.

My heart absolutely broke at the end. I won't say why because that would give away a major plot point for those who might end up reading the book.

I was slightly daunted by the 635 pages but I could not put the book down.

Wow... just about sums up my reaction.

On... Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelson

I found myself utterly disappointed by this book. The ultimate lesson that Cole, the main character, learned from his time on the island... a punishment for his aggressive acts... could have been told with much less gore.

The first third of the book deals with Cole navigating through his sentence as part of the Circle of Justice, an alternative sentencing program, to a year alone on an island. Cole decides to rebel and try to escape but ends up getting mauled by a bear. That's where the gratuitousness comes in. Mikaelson tells about the mauling in very detailed form.

I pushed through the book and the last half wasn't as bad. Cole ended up learning a very important lesson but I couldn't enjoy this as much because of the first third.

I definitely don't recommend this book.

On... A Corner of the Universe by Ann Martin

I absolutely loved this book. I often struggle with how I perceive those with special needs. I don't want to look down on those people because they can't help the way that they were born but at the same time I am human and sometimes the habits are annoying.

A Corner of the Universe tells the story of a summer in the life of Hattie Owens who discovers an uncle she never knew about, an uncle with tendencies that seem to me to be autistic.

Though the time frame of the narration seemed a bit confusing--I couldn't tell whether Hattie was ten or twelve at the beginning of the book but the details were sorted out toward the end.

Very good book.

On... Mick Harte Was Here

I knew nothing about this book when I put it on my list. Of course I put the book on my list because the book is on the recommended summer reading list for the middle school students in my hometown.

Wow. The book almost made me cry. Death is such a real thing and it's something that some middle schoolers have to deal with.

Phoebe, through the course of this book, explored her own conflicting emotions of dealing with memories of her brother after he died and her desire to make sure that everyone remembered him, that they said his name instead of giving trite cliche sayings.

Great book.

On... what-the-dickens by Gregory Maguire

I'm glad that I gave Maguire another shot after reading Wicked. I really was disappointed with Wicked after hearing such great things about it. (The music for the musical is phenomenal. :D)

I loved Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and now I add what-the-dickens to that list.

I found the story within a story technique well handled even though other reviews I read found the technique confusing. I have to admit though I was confused just a bit with the lack of information given about the setting of the outside story but as the story continued Maguire dropped the information in the story that filled in the missing pieces. The story ends in a bit of a clif-hanger but from what I've read what-the-dickens is intended to be the first in a series. If so, the ending makes perfect sense.

I really loved the book (and even felt good vibes of Artemis Fowl :D). I highly recommend it!

On... Bud, not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

I absolutely loved this book! While I did not learn anything new about the historical time period, the Great Depression, I loved seeing it through a different perspective, that of an African American boy.

Bud has a great sense of wit, devising rules for getting through life and not making a fool of himself. These rules, interspersed in the text of the story, are absolutely hilarious!

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves to read!

On J. R. R. Tolkien: a biography by Humphrey Carpenter

I absolutely loved this book! For many years I have been an avid fan of all things Lord of the Rings. I have read Lord of the Rings (which is NOT a trilogy :D) many times. I have also read The Silmarillion , The Hobbit and several of the posthumously compiled volumes of the History of Middle Earth.

Carpenter weaves together the different facets of Tolkien's life with the mythology for which Tolkien was most known for and which was so close to Tolkien's heart. The part of the book I enjoyed most was the first part which told about Tolkien's earliest years. This time had the most profound effect on him, or so he says. I tend to agree with him. So many different individual aspects of all of his works can be traced back to Tolkien's childhood and early adolescence.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who loves Tolkien or learning about influential authors.

On... The Shakespeare Stealer series by Gary Blackwood

Once again I have discovered another young adult series that I absolutely love and wish had been around when I was that age. Of course, I didn't miss out completely because obviously I got to read the books now. :D

The series is narrated by Widge, who later takes the name of James Pope, an orphan who through a series of events ends up as a player in William Shakespeare's acting company.

Blackwood though writing for a young audience infuses the books with serious issues through written at an appropriate level. I fell in love with the books and the aspect of writing. As a writer I kind of have an affinity for anything that has to do with the process of writing and to go behind the scenes, albeit fictionally, of the writing of some of the greatest and certainly most well known plays of all times absolutely thrilled me!

This series definitely has a place on my want to own list and I strongly recommend it!

On... Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury

I learned something about World War II history that I didn't know before by reading this book. I am ashamed of this part of my history as an American.

This book is narrated by Eddy Okubo who lies about his age to enter the US Army before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After America declares war on Japan Okubo and his fellow Japanese American soldiers encounter various trials including being sent to Cat Island off of the Mississippi coast to serve as the bait in an ill-fated attempt to train dogs to seek out Japanese.

I had no idea that this part of history existed. As a student of history I of course know about the internment camps and various other types of prejudice executed against the Japanese Americans during that time but this felt like an all-time low to me. Just like Eddy and his fellow soldiers I couldn't believe it when their superior officer revealed what their duty was.

Even though the subject could have been extremely tense, sad and tragic Salisbury through Eddy infuses a sense of humor and lightness needed to keep the book from becoming a drudgery.

I absolutely loved this book!

On... The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

I had heard from my Dad that the book is definitely different than the movie. That certainly is true.

I have to say that I was very disappointed in how Leroux portrayed some of my favorite characters from the musical and the movie. Of course, those people changed Leroux's characters to begin with but I like the changes that they made.

Leroux while creating an interesting story wavered back and forth from one story line to another without smooth transitions and many confusing details. I missed several key transitions even reading rather slowly (for me at least) and had to go back to reread and still didn't get a few of those details.

I wouldn't recommend this book unless people want to read classics.

On ... A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

This book was a great read. All until the end that is. I closed the book and thought "now that's depressing". I won't say what that is because that might spoil the reading.

Hemingway wrote with such crisp style, absent of excess sentimentality. I could do without the few curse words sprinkled in throughout the book but other than that this book is definitely a must read for any connoisseur of the classics.

On Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I first became acquainted with Marquez in my Spanish Literature class in college. Of course, the piece I read in that class was in Spanish but this book was not. I read the English translation of one of his most famous works. Someday in the future when I bone up on my Spanish I will read the book in the native Spanish.

To be honest, I felt extremely sorry for the main character Florentino Ariza. He waited, although not that patiently, for fifty-one years, nine months and four days for the love of his life Fermina Daza. I never really understood the love story between Florentino and Fermina.

The two, although Florentino much more than Fermina, fell deeply in love when in their late teen years but Fermina rejected Florentino for Dr. Juvenal Urbino, a man with wealth and power... power that he used to to manipulate Fermina. Instead of maintaining his vow of celibacy until he can have Fermina, Florentino satisfies his basest desires for sexual pleasure with many different women who mean nothing to him. At the end when Urbino dies leaving Florentino free to pursue Fermina his current flame, a young school girl, commits suicide. Her family does not know why but Florentino does.

In the end to Florentino and Fermina marry? No. They continue in another reality of sorts, a relationship hidden on a boat coming and going to various locations. They never get off the boat to admit their relationship to the public and to Fermina's children with Urbino.

At the end I did not want Fermina to settle for Florentino. But... she did.

This was a very interesting book. I don't know that I would recommend this book to everyone but it is a thought provoking book and a worthy read of discerning readers.

On Summer Reading Thing 2008

I am a glutton for punishment. I love to read and I don't know what I would do if I didn't have a list of books to check out from the library or add to my own personal library.

Without further ado here is my list for Summer 2008. I'll be starting my practicum in August so I don't know how much time I'll have then but...


Chicken Boy by Frances O'Roark Dowell (06/20/08)
Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen (06/21/08)
Mr. Tucket by Gary Paulsen (06/22/08)
Tucket's Ride by Gary Paulsen (06/22/08)
Call Me Francis Tucket by Gary Paulsen (06/22/08)
Tucket's Gold by Gary Paulsen (06/22/08)
Tucket's Home by Gary Paulsen (06/22/08)
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (06/24/08)
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (06/26/08)
The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood (06/26/08)
Shakespeare's Spy by Gary Blackwood (06/27/08)
Shakespeare's Scribe by Gary Blackwood (06/29/08)
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (06/29/08)
It's My Life by Melody Carlson (06/25/08)
Who I Am by Melody Carlson (07/04/08)
On My Own by Melody Carlson (07/10/08)
I Do by Melody Carlson (07/26/08)
My Name is Chloe by Melody Carlson (07/15/08)
Sold Out by Melody Carlson (07/21/08)
Road Trip by Melody Carlson (07/25/08)
Face the Music by Melody Carlson (07/26/08)
Just Ask by Melody Carlson (07/27/08)
Meant to Be by Melody Carlson (07/28/08)
Falling Up by Melody Carlson (07/28/08)
That was Then... by Melody Carlson (07/29/08)
Middlemarch by George Eliot (08/07/08)
Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury (06/29/08)
What-the-Dickens by Gregory Maguire (07/06/08)
Fair Warning by Hannah Alexander (06/30/08)
Grave Risk by Hannah Alexander (06/30/08)
Note of Peril by Hannah Alexander (07/01/08)
Necessary Measures by Hannah Alexander (07/01/08)
A Boy at War by Harry Mazer (06/29/08)
Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau (07/06/08)
J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter (06/30/08)
The Smugglers by Iain Lawrence (07/11/08)
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (07/09/08)
The Journal of Jasper Jonathan Pierce by Ann Rinaldi (07/08/08)
King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild (07/19/08)
Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson (07/15/08)
Lady of Palenque by Anna Kirwan (07/24/08)
Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia by Anna Kirwan (07/25/08)
A Corner of the Universe by Ann Martin (07/10/08)
Lord Kirkle's Money by Avi (07/15/08)
Mick Harte was here by Barbara Park (07/07/08)
Elisabeth: The Princess Bride by Barry Denenberg (07/12/08)
The Journal of William Thomas Emerson by Barry Denenberg (07/20/08)
So Far from Home by Barry Denenberg (07/16/08)
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen (07/12/08)
A Murder for Her Majesty by Beth Hilgartner (07/20/08)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (07/20/08)
A Girl from Yamhill by Beverly Cleary (07/21/08)
Voyage of Slaves by Brian Jacques (07/22/08)
Night Hoops by Carl Deuker (07/22/08)
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (07/06/08)
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke (07/13/08)
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke (07/23/08)


Books Added after the Beginning of the Challenge
The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung by Laurence Yep (07/01/08)
Survival in the Storm by Katelyn Janke (07/05/08)
The Journal of Douglas Allan Deeds by Rodman Philbrick (07/05/08)
Standing in the Light by Mary Pope Osborne (07/05/08)
The Escape From Home by Avi (07/14/08)
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (07/24/08)
Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis (07/27/08)
Perelandra by C. S. Lewis (07/29/08)
That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis (07/31/08)
Five Smooth Stones by Kristiana Gregory (07/31/08)
The Journal of Sean Sullivan by William Durbin (08/01/08)
Westward to Home by Patricia Hermes (08/01/08)
A Perfect Place by Patricia Hermes (08/02/08)
Valley of the Moon by Sherry Garland (08/02/08)
The Journal of Otto PeItonen by William Durbin (08/02/08)
The Dark Stairs by Betsy Byars (08/03/08)
Dead Letter by Betsy Byars (08/03/08)
King of Murder by Betsy Byars (08/04/08)
The Black Tower by Betsy Byars (08/04/08)
Skellig by David Almond (08/05/08)
Bound by Donna Jo Napoli (08/05/08)
Kit's Wilderness by David Almond (08/06/08)
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare (08/06/08)
Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konisburg (08/07/08)
The Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare (08/07/08)
The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio by Lloyd Alexander (08/08/08)
Airman by Eoin Colfer (08/08/08)
The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker by Cynthia DeFelice (08/09/08)
Shen of the Sea by Arther Bowie Chrisman (08/10/08)
Dreamers by Angela Hunt (08/10/08)
Brothers by Angela Hunt (08/11/08)
The Immortal by Angela Hunt (08/11/08)
Roanoke by Angela Hunt (08/12/08)
Jamestown by Angela Hunt (08/12/08)
Hartford by Angela Hunt (08/13/08)
Rehoboth by Angela Hunt (08/14/08)
Punished! by David Lubar (08/15/08)
From Rage to Hope by Crystal Kuykendall (08/15/08)
Freedom Train by Dorothy Sterling (08/16/08)
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (08/16/08)
The Hollow by Agatha Christie (08/17/08)
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (08/19/08)
On the Far Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (08/20/08)
Heaven Eyes by David Almond (08/23/08)
Secret Heart by David Almond (08/24/08)
Kaiulani: The People's Princess by Ellen Emerson White (08/24/08)
Meet Me in the Middle by Rick Wormeli (08/24/08)
The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges (08/24/08)
Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce by John Piper (08/26/08)
In Darkness, Death by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler (08/28/08)
Kaleidoscope Eyes by Karen Ball (08/31/08)
Silent Star by Tracie Peterson (09/06/08)
Beloved Stranger by Judith Pella (09/06/08)
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper (09/06/08)
When the Darkness Will Not Lift by John Piper (09/10/08)
Tools for Teaching by Fred Jones (09/13/08)
The Innocent Libertine by T. Davis and Isabella Bunn (09/13/08)
The Night Angel by T. Davis and Isabella Bunn (09/18/08)
A Lady of High Regard by Tracie Peterson (09/20/08)

Spring Reading Thing Wrap Up

Things went so absolutely well this time around! I purposefully underestimated the number of books I wanted to read in this time period so that I wouldn't reach the last couple of weeks and end up trying to cram in the rest of the books on the list.

I also discovered that I had much more time than I thought I would once I started my Masters Program... which I started on June 2. I kept up at the same pace of reading a book or day (granted... they were kids books) or more.

I discovered many new authors which I love and continued in my love of a few. I think the greatest finds for me were in the realm of young adult or children's literature. Since I may end up teaching language arts at the middle school level I decided to add the list of recommended reading (from the school district in the area) so that I would be familiar with the books I will be assigning to my students The two that come to mind right away are Eoin Colfer and the Artemis Fowl series and Emily Rodda with the Rowan of Rin series.

Both of these series are so well written! I absolutely love them!

The challenges have always made me want to read more than I normally would although this reading has become a pretty solid habit for me. :D

I just barely finished all of the books on my list. I put a hold on Becoming Me by Melody Carlson at the library and have been waiting for it for months! I just wish I had realized that a copy was upstairs in my sister's bedroom. :D I'm finishing that in about half an hour.

Here's my completed list.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (03/22/08)
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer (03/25/08)
Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer (03/26/08)
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer (03/27/08)
Artemis Fowl: THe Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer (03/26/08)
Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer (03/28/08)
The Hitchhikers Guide the the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (03/24/08)
Hideaway by Hannah Alexander (03/29/08)
Safe Haven by Hannah Alexander (03/30/08)
Last Resort by Hannah Alexander (03/30/08)
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (03/24/08)
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (04/13/08)
By way of the wilderness by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Jeweled Spur by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Spider Catcher by Gilbert Morris (04/23/08)
The High Calling by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Golden Angel by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Unlikely Allies by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley (04/21/08)
Confessions of an ugly stepsister by Gregory Maguire (04/01/08)
Incidents in the life of a slave girl by Harriet A. Jacobs (03/31/08)
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien by J. R. R. Tolkien (04/06/08)
God's gift by Dee Henderson (03/31/08)
The poems of Emily Dickinson edited by R. W. Franklin (04/04/08)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (04/20/08)
American sphinx by Joseph J. Ellis (04/18/08)
Stoner's Crossing by Judith Pella (04/19/08)
Be My Neat-Heart by Judy Baer (04/14/08)
Halos by Kirsten Heitzmann (04/22/08)
The Breaking Point by Karen Ball (05/29/08)
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (04/28/08)
Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson (04/24/08)
Daughter of Joy by Kathleen Morgan (04/29/08)
Dreams in the Golden Country by Kathryn Lasky (04/27/08)
Seeds of Hope by Kristiana Gregory (04/25/08)
The Way of Women by Lauraine Snelling (04/30/08)
Kingscote by Linda Chaikin (04/26/08)
Handyman by Linda Nichols (05/04/08)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (04/24/08)
Escape by Lorena McCourtney (05/21/08)
Monday Morning Faith by Lori Copeland (05/02/08)
Holes by Louis Sachar (05/06/08)
Becoming Me by Melody Carlson (06/19/08)
Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgens Clark (05/10/08)
Never Too Late by Michael Phillips (05/01/08)
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Alborn (05/08/08)
Mary Poppins in the Park by P. L . Travers (05/07/08)
Look to the Hills by Patricia Mckissack (04/30/08)
Secrets, Lies and Alibies by Patricia Rushford (05/23/08)
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (05/11/08)
Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp by Philip Pullman (05/06/08)
Going Solo by Roald Dahl (05/22/08)
The Solitary Envoy by T. Davis Bunn (05/16/08)

Books added after the beginning of the challenge
A Fire Within by Kathleen Morgan (03/27/08)
Every Secret Thing by Ann Tatlock (04/02/08)
In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols (04/08/08)
The Scribe by Francine Rivers (04/17/08)
Betrayed by Jeanette Windle (04/26/08)
A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austing (05/01/08)
Kazunomiya: Prisoner of Heaven by Kathryn Lasky (05/12/08)
Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie by Kristiana Gregory (05/12/08)
Lullaby by Jane Orcutt (05/14/08)
All the Tea in China by Jane Orcutt (05/14/08)
The Gawgon and the Boy by Lloyd Alexander (05/17/08)
Gypsy Rizka by Lloyd Alexander (05/18/08)
A Season of Grace by Bette Nordberg (05/19/08)
Second Opinion by Hannah Alexander (05/20/08)
Urgent Care by Hannah Alexander (05/20/08)
A Most Begrudging Bride by Deeanne Gist (05/20/08)
Rekindled by Tamera Alexander (05/24/08)
Love Thy Neighbor by Ann Turner (05/25/08)
The Professor's House by Willa Cather (05/26/08)
The Listener by Terri Blackstock (05/27/08)
One of Ours by Willa Cather (05/27/08)
The Scarecrow and his Servant by Philip Pullman (05/28/08)
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (05/29/08)
The Braxtons of Miracle Springs by Michael Philips (05/30/08)
Wild Grows the Heather in Devon by Michael Philips (05/31/08)
Wayward Winds by Michael Philips (06/01/08)
The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo (06/01/08)
Kristina: the Girl King by Carolyn Meyer (06/01/08)
Early Sunday Morning by Barry Denenberg (06/01/08)
soul surfer by Bethany Hamilton (06/02/08)
Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (06/03/08)
Hidden Talents by David Lubar (06/04/08)
What She Left for Me by Tracie Peterson (06/06/08)
The Noble Fugitive by T Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn (06/07/08)
Forgiven by Karen Kingsbury (06/08/08)
Fifth Seal by Bodie and Brock Thoene (06/08/08)
When Will This Cruel War Be Over by Barry Denenberg (06/09/08)
The Journal of Ben Unchida by Barry Denenberg (06/10/08)
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway (06/13/08)
Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda (06/13/08)
Rowan and the Travelers by Emily Rodda (06/14/08)
Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal by Emily Rodda (06/14/08)
Rowan and the Zeback by Emily Rodda(06/14/08)
Rowan and the Ice Creepers by Emily Rodda (06/15/08)
Talking with God by Fenelon (06/16/08)
Three Plays by Euripides (06/17/08)
The Supernaturalists by Eoin Colfer (06/18/08)

On... The Supernaturalists by Eoin Colfer

I absolutely loved this book! I fell in love with Colfer's writing while I read the Artemis Fowl series. He created a character and world so utterly unique, like nothing I had ever seen before.

Also on my list by Eoin Colfer was Half-Moon Investigations. While Colfer's writing style enlivened the book and made it somewhat worth my while I did not enjoy it as much.

I did not know what to expect when I picked up The Supernaturalists. I think I figured out why I loved the Artemis Fowl books but not Half-Moon Investigations. In Artemis Fowl and with The Supernaturalists Colfer creates a completely new world. Half-Moon Investigations stuck to reality just a little too much.

I absolutely love how Colfer weaves in so many twists and turns, betrayals and acts of loyalty into the plot line. None of these unexpected happenings come close to reading like deus ex machina... something completely unbelievable... which makes it so enjoyable. I should have seem a couple of them coming, being familiar with Colfer's style, but I haven't read any of Colfer's books for a few months so I forgot about them until afterwards.

Definitely a great book! I highly recommend it.

On... Three Plays by Euripides

This is my first time reading any of the classic Greek plays. I have to say that I was not disappointed. I have read the Iliad and the Odyssey before and appreciated the great writing evident within but the gore really turned me off.

The plays by Euripides are free from gore but not from classical mythology and the great writing. The pathos of the husband in the first play (I forget the names) losing his wife yet still remembering to show hospitality is such a great story. Then in the end when his act of hospitality which everyone else looks down upon turns out to be the thing that brings his wife back to him from the dead I absolutely fell in love with the play. Such good writing!

I recommend these plays to anyone interested in the classics.

On... Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda

Rowan of Rin is the first book in a series on the assigned middle school reading list for the district where I live. Before I looked up the list to add to my grand to be read list I had never heard of the book.

I wish some of these books had been written when I was in middle school. I would have grabbed them off the shelf as fast as I could. When I was that age I absolutely loved fantasy and would have incorporated all kinds of aspects into my own writings.

This book deals with very basic issues in a very simple yet profound issues. While I as an adult could see the lessons written into the book by Rodda, Rodda weaved together very simple yet necessary lessons at a writing level perfect for many middle school students.

I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series. I love stumbling across a series after the series has been completed. I don't have to wait for the books to come out.

On... For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

I approached this book with my memories of John Steinbeck in my mind. I just realized that as I started to write this entry. I have found that while Steinbeck's writing can be impressive he often overloads his text with things gratuitous in nature. Hemingway is not like that.

I found myself strangely fascinated by this book. While I also found myself a little confused as to where the book was placed and how much time passed I can put that all aside because of my awe of Hemingway's writing style. The book is placed in Spain. the time period, though I should know this, escapes me at the moment. Hemingway infuses the text with stylistic turnings typical of imperfect translations of Spanish to English. A large majority of the characters are native Spaniards.

I could look at an awkward phrasing and realize exactly how that would have been stated in Spanish and why the translation felt so awkward. In addition, Hemingway peppered hundreds of Spanish words and phrases throughout the book, many of which stood untranslated.

I suppose that Hemingway's writing style alone redeems the book in my mind. If it had not been for the careful crafting of the language I probably would have put the book down before I got halfway through because I wouldn't have been able to find one end of the book from another.

I still don't understand the ending.

On... The Noble Fugitive by T. Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn

I found myself positively surprised by this book. I didn't like the first book in the series and compared it unfortunately to some of Gilbert Morris' better works. (Better but still not so great)

Although the Bunns confused me a little by deviating with multiple story lines they did condense the story into a time frame of a little less than a year. The first book spanned several years and didn't seem to have a coherent story line.

The only problem I had was a bit of confusion with the prologue and arranging the time line at the beginning of the book.

Overall the book was not bad but not something that I'll add to my personal library.

On... What She Left for Me by Tracie Peterson

I found myself pleasantly surprised by this book. I used to absolutely love all of Peterson's book but after taking a long break from reading her books I picked up one a few months ago and found the entire book entirely distasteful.

Judging from that experience I did not know what to expect when I started reading this book. I enjoyed the book. I found it on one of the shelves at my grandmother's house and she gave it to me. Originally I had decided to sell it as soon as I read it but I'm actually considering keeping it.

Although Peterson utilized a couple of techniques that separated me from the story momentarily she told a story that spanned three generations and thirty years in a way that made me come to love the characters.

I recommend this book.

On... Road Trips!

Finally, a post that is not a book review!
After I graduate from the Masters Program next spring my dad and I are going to take a cross country road trip. Although we have had to scale down our original goal of reaching nearly every state west of Indiana I will be able to add 17 states to my have been in list.

A few days ago my father mentioned to me that we should start looking for sponsors for our trip... to make it more affordable of course. :D I didn't know quite what to think of the idea because of course, he and I aren't famous at all. Hardly anyone even reads this blog besides my father. :D

Then I dropped by one of the blogs I frequently visit and noticed that Karlene at inksplasher.blogspot.com is going on a road trip with her daughter and has gotten sponsors! Of course... not big huge corporations but donations of all sorts and other such thing. I couldn't believe that I discovered this a day after my father brought the idea to me. Now I know that he isn't completely insane. :D

Thanks Karlene so much for planning this road trip and being so organized in offering all of these challenges!

On... Hidden Talents by David Lubar

I found myself very disappointed with this book. The first thing that jumped into my mind when I started reading the book was how much this seemed like Holes. The details are different but the concept is roughly the same.

Another detractor was Lubar's use of a curse word a couple of times when I found its usage rather gratuitous. The writing style is interesting but I don't like the ultimate message that the book communicates. I would not use this book in my curriculum as a future middle school language arts teacher.

On... Peril at End House by Agatha Christie

While most of Agatha Christie's books are intriguing on their own once many of the books are read a pattern is easily detectable. In fact, most of the Hercule Poirot books have a Sherlock Holmes set up to them. This story was told from the perspective of Captain Hastings, the man to which Poirot confides and uses as a board to bounce his ideas off.

Another thing that I don't like about Christie's books is the fact that the ending is usually something that cannot be detected by even the most casual observation. I have to rephrase that. I caught maybe one or two hints about the ending and the ultimate culprit but too often Christie keeps the reader completely in the dark.

I appreciate Christie's style. She weaves a captivating mystery... albeit unsolvable... without any of the extraneous or I should say gratuitous information that many other authors feel like they have to in order to get people to continue reading their books.

Although I did say a few negative things about the book I do give this book a positive recommendation. it's a good read with only a few points that I simply don't like.

On... soul surfer by Bethany Hamilton

Since I first heard about the tragic shark attack that took Bethany's arm I have wanted to know more about her story. Now, months... probably years later... I finally read her account of the incident.

What an amazing testimony she has! She speaks candidly about her life and while the issues she touches on aren't enormously deep and complex issues, the issues are very important for a fourteen year old girl in her situation. The fact that I am in training to earn an MAT in teaching Middle Grades I find this book very revealing. Of course her story and experiences are not the same as all in her age group but it is an insight into at least one.

Great book. I definitely recommend it.

On... The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo

A couple months back I looked up the summer reading list for the middle schools in my local school district and added every book on that list to my want to read list. I figured that if I in a year or so may be teaching Language Arts to middle schoolers that I should have read what they are assigned to read.

The Dear America series is on that list (I also finished two books in that series but am not going to review them. I wouldn't have much besides the same praise I have already given. :D) but I would read those books even if they weren't on the list. The Other Side of Truth is the first book besides the Dear America series that I have read from that list.

Wow. What a very well written book. This book tells the story of two children, Sade and Femi who flee their native Nigeria immediately after the murder of their mother and find themselves lost and without family in London. Naidoo tells the story from an omniscient third person narrator but places much emphasis on the events that occur to Sade specifically.

I absolutely loved this book because of the fantastic storytelling and felt so sorry for Sade and Femi because of the terrible circumstances that surrounded them. I knew that of course these characters were fictional but unfortunately the situation the fled from is very real.

I definitely recommend this book.

On... The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

This is the second book in the HIs Dark Materials trilogy. I read the first, The Golden Compass last year just after the movie came out. I had intended to read the book before I saw the movie but to this day I have yet to see the movie.

Pullman ambitiously tries to weave an insanely complex world with all kinds of different mythologies that leave out God. Well... perhaps that's not the best way to say that. Pullman tries to kill God, at least that's what this knife can do... the one referred to in the title of the book.

While Pullman writes with great ability I think he bit off more than he could chew in trying to sort out this completely different world. In the beginning I couldn't even completely understand how the two young children were transitioning between these different worlds or even what world they were in at various times.

I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to people who can read with discretion.

On... The Listener by Terri Blackstock

I expected something a little more profound from a book that asked the question "what if you could hear what God hears?" But then again when I stopped to think about that I realized how much that actually fits with the book.

So often we think that in order to do something significant for the kingdom of God we need to hear the voice of God or something else as significant as that. We don't.

I enjoyed Blackstock's writing style although it was nothing new, nothing unique from other authors that I have read. I guess I'll have to reserve judgment on Blackstock until I read other books of hers.

On... The Professor's House by Willa Cather

I never really got into the book. I probably would have understood the book a little bit more if I had read the book a bit slower but still there didn't seem to be a coherent plot moving the book forward.

At one point the plot deviated and told the story of a character dead before the first part began. I thoroughly enjoyed that section of the book. It had plot and a very interesting purpose behind it.

Not my favorite of Cather's but not terrible either.

On... Love Thy Neighbor by Ann Turner

I keep gaining a new sense of satisfaction when I open a new Dear America book.

This book is written from the perspective a young girl growing up in a Tory family during the height of the anti-British fervor. I've never thought about what that perspective would be. I've always grown up thinking that the Patriots were right and the Tories were just sticks in the mud.

The more I read out of Pru's journal, the more I realized that my family, had we been in America at that time, would probably have been a Tory family. As Christians we probably would have supported the government that we had and tried to work within it had there been an issue rather than rebel against it (which is what the American Revolution was).

Once again I was not disappointed with this series and can't wait to start adding the series to my own personal collection.

On... Rekindled by Tamera Alexander

I have found a new author that I love to read. As I have been adding books to my grand list and tentatively branching out and sampling the works of authors I had never even heard of before I find myself rewarded on at least 2 out of 3 bites.

The beginning of this book sets the stage for a flashback that takes up a quarter of the plot. I believe that Alexander could have done without the beginning few pages and made it a little more suspenseful for the reader, for me personally. I can see why Alexander structured the book in this way though.

I loved the idea of restoring the marriage. So many times people focus on winning the love the first time and the ending is either a proposal, a wedding, or the birth of a child. There's no talk of what happens ten years down the road. This is where that book takes place... ten years down the road when selfish thoughts, things left unsaid and unspeakable hurts of the past combined to create a wedge between husband and wife, a wedge that nearly kept them apart for ever even after a miraculous recovery.

I loved the book and will definitely be adding the rest of the series to my to be read pile.

On... Secrets, Lies and Alibis by Patricia H. Rushford

I liked the book well enough. I've always loved Rushford's books... mostly her Young Adult series starring Jennie McGrady. I kept the rest of her adult books on my to be read list after reading a couple of the Angel Delaney seriesand enjoying them.

I'm not a big fan of this series though. While the story came together in a logical procedural crime story manner Rushford introduced far too many characters. By the end of the book I still didn't have a few of the minor characters sorted out. What with the multiple officers of the law as well as more suspects than I can count (almost) I found myself slightly overwhelmed by the information.

Hopefully other books in this series won't be as much of a let down.