In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book full of words to live by.
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This is perhaps the best audio books I have ever listened to. In fact, even if you have already read Yes Please, I highly encourage you to go back and listen to the audio book version because Amy has created quite the listening experience with her book. She has enhanced her audio book not only with her unique voice and personality, but with guest commentators who add further dimension to the narrative.
I found Yes Please to be highly entertaining and it made the minutes (sometimes hours) of my daily commute home pass that much more quickly. The narrative is pure Amy and is presented in a humorous, but real and honest way. I enjoyed it from start to finish and highly recommend that you check it out.
When students believe they can that dedication and hard work can change their performance in school, they grow to become resilient, successful students. Inspired by the popular mindset idea that hard work and effort can lead to success, Mindsets in the Classroom provides educators with ideas for ways to build a growth mindset school culture, wherein students are challenged to change their thinking about their abilities and potential.
The book includes a planning template, step-by-step description of a growth mindset culture, and "look-fors" for adopting a differentiated, responsive instruction model teachers can use immediately in their classrooms. It also highlights the importance of critical thinking and teaching students to learn from failure. The book includes a sample professional development plan and ideas for communicating the mindset concept to parents. With this book's easy-to-follow advice, tasks, and strategies, teachers can grow a love of learning in their students.
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Mindsets in the Classroom was my next step in my research on mindset. While Dweck's book was excellent for building a foundational understanding of the two different mindsets, it didn't provide a lot of practical strategies that could be taken from the page and brought into the classroom.
Ricci's book does just that. It takes the mindset philosophy and shows teachers, administrators, and even parents how to use mindset to foster a growth mindset in children. The lesson plan ideas, tips and tools are easy to understand and are practical, which is always a plus. I hate when I attend a professional development that is full of great ideas, but has unrealistic or faulty application. I found many of Ricci's strategies and tools to be something that I could easily integrate into my current classroom structure. I also felt challenged to rethink some of my current classroom policies and practices, and felt that there were tools in this book that I could use as a jumping off point for redesigning things. I plan on trying several out in the upcoming school year as I attempt to foster a growth mindset in my students.
Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success—but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn’t foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success.
With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals—personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.
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I have been a special education teacher for almost a decade now. Over the years, I have noticed that my students have struggled more and more with effort and motivation. In the instant gratification, blue-ribbon culture we live in, I find that many students are unwilling to put forth the effort it really takes to master new concepts and skills. Many have a "one and done" attitude and are unwilling to go back and make corrections and try again. They want to avoid the things that are hard for them and don't see the value in hard work. I have found this attitude to be especially prevalent among students with special needs.
So like any good teacher, I set out to discover new ways to change this and build a classroom environment and culture that fostered effort and better motivated students. I had heard of Dweck's book before and heard good things from my colleagues who had read it, so I decided it was as good a place to start as any other.
This book is life altering. While I was somewhat familiar with the concept of mindset before reading the book, I had always thought of it in relation to education. I never considered how a person's mindset could affect their parenting, business, or relationships. In this book, Dweck outlines the two different mindsets: growth and fixed, and provides information on various studies used to develop these mindsets. She also gives several examples from various fields - business, sports, education, domestic life - that exemplify the two different mindsets. She gives information on practices for implementing a growth mindset and talks about several studies that show the power of having a growth mindset.
I had several mind-explosions throughout the reading of this novel and found myself underlining and flagging pages for future reference. After reading this book, I truly believe that developing a growth mindset in my students, as well as myself, will make a difference both inside and outside of my classroom. Reading this book as energized me and changed how I think about a lot of things in my personal and professional life. I think this is a book that everyone should read.
For the first time, J. K. Rowling's beloved Harry Potter books will be presented in lavishly illustrated full-color editions. Rowling herself selected artist Jim Kay, whose over one hundred illustrations make this deluxe format as perfect a gift for the child being introduced to the series as for the dedicated fan.
Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.
All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley--a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.
But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry--and anyone who reads about him---will find unforgettable.
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I love the Harry Potter series. It has become one of those books that I pick up when I need to escape reality into a familiar and comforting story. I have read this series so many times and I never get bored with it. It is definitely a series that will forever hold a special place in my heart.
When I heard that there was going to be an illustrated edition of the story released, I was incredibly excited to get my hands on it. Jim Kay's illustrations are breathtakingly beautiful. He perfectly captured the wonder, humor, magic, and heartbreak of Harry's story and his first introduction into the wizarding world.
This will make a wonderful edition to any Harry Potter fan’s library.
2016 Reading Challenge: A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy
In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.
A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.
Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.
Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?
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Cassandra Clare knocks it out of the park with her latest Shadowhunter spinoff series, The Dark Artifices. This series is centered around the Los Angeles Institute and the two young Shadowhunters, Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn, that were introduced to us at the end of the Mortal Instruments series. Book one in the series, Lady Midnight, is full of everything that makes Clare’s novels special - adventure, lovable characters, mystery, magic, drama, and a little bit of romance. We even get to check in with some old friends from the previous series, which I loved. I felt like these characters, perhaps because they have already experienced such adversity, added a new level of maturity to the story which helps set this series apart from the others. I’m excited to see where Clare takes the story from here. Can’t wait for the next one!
2016 Reading Challenge: A book that's more than 600 pages
Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work.
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I've always thought that Emma has such a lighthearted feel as compared to Austen's other novels, and I suspect it is because of Emma herself. While I never connected with Emma the way I connected with Elizabeth Bennett or Elinor Dashwood, I have always liked her as a character. She's like the effervescent, albeit shallow, friend who is fun to be around and who everyone can't help but indulge. Her main mission is entertainment, and you can't help but to fall in line with whatever scheme she is planning.
Nevertheless, I can never quite take Emma seriously, at least for most of the book. For the most part her antics are well-meaning and harmless, but she is a rather spoiled and selfish individual. She does make quite a mess when she decides to meddle in Harriet's love life. While Emma's actions were never intended to cause harm, they do speak to her rather self-centered nature. On the surface, Emma appears to be trying to secure Harriet a superior match, but she completely ignores the realities of Harriet's social status and position. Her driving motivaI tion is less about her friend's happiness and more about how the match will gratify her, and in the end it only results in disaster.
Emma is not altogether irredeemable, however. Mr. Knightley, another one of my favorite literary leading men, serves as the perfect counterbalance to Emma. While having a partner who loves and accepts you for who you are is certainly important, I've always thought that the right person would also push you to be the best version of yourself. I think that is what Mr. Knightly does for Emma. He sees her for what she is and draws attention to her failures, not to shame her, but to encourage her to do and be better. And I think under his influence, Emma is better at the end of the novel than she is at the beginning.
I am never disappointed when I pick up Emma. I find the novel to be highly entertaining and several readings of it have not diminished my love for it. I love it just as much now, as I did the first time I read it. It's sense of frivolity makes it a great novel to start with for readers who are new to Austen, or a great book to return to when in need of a break from reality.
2016 Reading Challenge: A book at least 100 years older than you
Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community.
When Jonas turns twelve he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.
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I first read The Giver when I was in eighth grade and it quickly become one of my favorite books. It was my first introduction into Dystopian Fiction, a genre that I have grown to love over the years. I have since reread this book several times, as I have experienced one of those full circle moments...I am now the teacher sharing this wonderful novel with my students.
Each time I read it, I find something new. I am struck again and again by the idea of a Utopian society. On paper it sounds great - no war, no crime, no poverty, no disease, every need met, everyone has a place and purpose, complete harmony. That is until you start to consider the cost of that perfection - the loss of freedom, free will, individuality, etc. It’s these conflict desires that make the story so intriguing. I loved experiencing the awakening of Jonas to the truth behind his community and I love watching my students experience it as well. I love the relationship between Jonas and the Giver and Jonas and Gabriel.
The one thing I don’t love about this novel is the ending. I am always left with a desire for more. What happens to Jonas and Gabe? What happens to the people they left behind? What affects does Jonas’s decision have on the community? I know there are sequels to this novel, which I have not gotten around to reading yet (although I have decided that I will get to them this year!), but I don’t think any of them will answer my questions. Perhaps that is part of the brilliance of the novel. Perhaps Lois Lowry wrote the ending the way she did so that we, the reader, would be free to imagine our own.
Sometimes you have to tear everything down to build something new…
Sayer Cole is frozen inside. At least, that’s what it’s felt like for as long as she can remember. She’s yet to let anyone past her icy exterior – and the one guy she thinks might melt her heart couldn’t possibly be interested in someone so uptight.
Rough, hard and hot-as-hell, Zeb Fuller has rebuilt his life and his construction business since protecting his family sent him to jail all those years ago. His elegant client, Sayer, makes him feel like a Neanderthal in denim, but despite the many hints that he’s been dropping to get to know her better, she seems oblivious to his charms.
Just as things finally start to heat up, Zeb’s past comes back to haunt him and he needs Sayer’s professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. As these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, fire and ice collide in an unstoppable explosion of steam…
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I am a huge fan of Jay’s Marked Men series and was sad to see it come to an end, but the great thing about Jay’s new series, Saints of Denver, is that it is connected to the previous series. So while we get a new batch of characters to love, we still get to check in with our old favorites too. Now I don’t usually go for the bearded type, but Zebulon Fuller might have just changed my mind. Holy hottness!! This book has everything that makes Jay’s books great - real and raw characters, drama and conflict, a few twists, and plenty of passion. I loved it from start to finish, and it was an excellent start to what I know will become another one of my favorite series.
We all need a hero...let the Saints of Denver begin
Orlando Frederick knows what it is to be leveled by pain. Instead of focusing on his own, he’s made it his mission to help others: sports stars, wounded war vets, survivors of all kinds. But when Dom, a rugged, damaged, sinfully attractive cop, makes his way into Lando’s physical therapy practice, he might be the biggest challenge yet. Lando loved one stubborn man before and barely survived the fallout. He’s not sure he can do it again.
Dominic Voss is a protector. The police badge he wears is not only his job, it’s his identity, so when he’s sidelined because of an injury, the only thing he cares about is getting back on the force. He expects Lando to mend his body, he just doesn’t realize the trainer will also have him working toward a hell of a lot more. As attraction simmers and flares, Dom sees that Lando needs repair of his own...if only the man will let him close enough to mend what's broken.
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This little novella serves as the bridge between the Marked Men series and Jay’s new series, Saints of Denver, and what a wonderful little bridge it is. Orlando and Dominic’s story is smoking hot, more so than anything Jay has written so far, and if you have read her other books, that’s saying something. But this novella is more than just steamy, it also has a lot of heart. Has Lando works to mend Dom’s body, he works to mend Lando’s broken heart. Love, love, loved this one!
To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.
Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.
As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.
West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…
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I both love and hate Abbi for this book. I love her for giving us such a beautiful story about loss and love. I hate her for writing a story that twisted my heart for over 300 pages and never relented. I was hooked from page one and couldn't put it down. I loved West and Maggie, and my heart broke for them over and over again. This book is much tamer than what I am used to reading from Abbi. It's definitely mature YA, but nowhere near her other NA novels. All the things that make Abbi an amazing author are still there and Until Friday Night is another prime example of her literary genius. I can't wait to see what happens next in the series.
Colin Hancock is giving his second chance his best shot. With a history of violence and bad decisions behind him and the threat of prison dogging his every step, he's determined to walk a straight line. To Colin, that means applying himself single-mindedly toward his teaching degree and avoiding everything that proved destructive in his earlier life. Reminding himself daily of his hard-earned lessons, the last thing he is looking for is a serious relationship.
Maria Sanchez, the hardworking daughter of Mexican immigrants, is the picture of conventional success. With a degree from Duke Law School and a job at a prestigious firm in Wilmington, she is a dark-haired beauty with a seemingly flawless professional track record. And yet Maria has a traumatic history of her own, one that compelled her to return to her hometown and left her questioning so much of what she once believed.
A chance encounter on a rain-swept road will alter the course of both Colin and Maria's lives, challenging deeply held assumptions about each other and ultimately, themselves. As love unexpectedly takes hold between them, they dare to envision what a future together could possibly look like . . . until menacing reminders of events in Maria's past begin to surface.
As a series of threatening incidents wreaks chaos in Maria's life, Maria and Colin will be tested in increasingly terrifying ways. Will demons from their past destroy the tenuous relationship they've begun to build, or will their love protect them, even in the darkest hour?
Rich in emotion and fueled with suspense, SEE ME reminds us that love is sometimes forged in the crises that threaten to shatter us . . . and that those who see us for who we truly are may not always be the ones easiest to recognize.
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Oh, N Sparks. How I love your romances. It’s been awhile since I have read one of Sparks’s books. I love his books because I don’t have to think about them. The plots tend to be predictable, but there is something reassuring about that. I often bring his books to the beach or read them after a particularly taxing book. They are like that comfortable sweater you throw on when you’re lounging around the house on a rainy day. They are just feel good stories.
I really liked See Me. I had the plot figured out about halfway through, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it. See Me is a bit of a departure from Sparks's usual romances. It was more of a combination romance/mystery, which added suspense and kept the story interesting. I think this one might be one of my favorites from N Sparks, definitely up at the top of the list. Highly recommend it.
Berlin, 1942: When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people in the distance.
But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different from his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.
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This was a very surprising and powerful novel. It is a unique novel because it is about the Holocaust and told from the perspective of a German boy, whose father is a top ranking Nazi official. The character of Bruno as been criticized for being "too innocent," but I disagree. First, he's a young boy who loves his father. Of course, he is innocent and naive. He lived a sheltered life, and because of this when he encounters unpleasant things or things he doesn't understand, it is natural that he dismissed them.
However, it is also this same innocence that allows him to recognize that there is something not quite right about what his father does, as well as befriend a Jewish boy trapped in a concentration camp. His innocence allows him to see beyond the differences to the similarities they both share and want to help his friend.
The ending was the most surprising and powerful part of the story. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't give anymore details. I do feel that this is a great book to give to young readers to start the conversation about the Holocaust. The story generates many questions and Bruno is relatable enough to appeal to young readers. I was blown away by this novel and it left a lasting impression on me. It is an impressive and touching piece of literature.
From the author of the New York Times best seller The Dressmaker of Khair Khana comes the poignant and gripping story of a groundbreaking team of female American warriors who served alongside Special Operations soldiers on the battlefield in Afghanistan - including Ashley White, a beloved soldier who died serving her country's cause.
In 2010 the US Army Special Operations Command created Cultural Support Teams, a pilot program to put women on the battlefield alongside Green Berets and Army Rangers on sensitive missions in Afghanistan. The idea was that women could access places and people that had remained out of reach and could build relationships - woman to woman - in ways that male soldiers in a conservative, traditional country could not. Though officially banned from combat, female soldiers could be "attached" to different teams, and for the first time women throughout the army heard the call to try out for this Special Ops program.
In Ashley's War, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon uses exhaustive firsthand reporting and a finely tuned understanding of the complexities of war to tell the story of CST-2, a unit of women hand-picked from across the army, and the remarkable hero at its heart: 1st Lt. Ashley White, who would become the first Cultural Support Team member killed in action and the first CST remembered on the Army Special Operations Memorial Wall of Honor alongside the Army Rangers with whom she served.
Transporting readers into this little-known world of fierce women bound together by valor, danger, and the desire to serve, Ashley's War is a riveting combat narrative and a testament to the unbreakable bonds born of war.
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I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story, and found this book to be fascinating, as I had never heard of the CST program prior to listening to this book. While Ashley White's story was the centerpiece of the book, I liked how the author weaved together several of the women's stories to provide a much more holistic view of the CST program and its participants. These women are inspirational. They came from all across the United States, all with a single-minded goal: to serve their country in the most meaningful way possible. Prior to this program, positions on the front lines had been largely closed to women, despite the fact that women have proven both their ability and willingness to serve in the most dangerous environs of war. These women, carefully selected, were in essence pioneers, tasked with proving themselves in a male dominated field resistant to change. They not only had to prove themselves in the moment, but set a prescient that would impact the lives and careers of generations of female soldiers to come. They pushed themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally to serve at the highest standard they could achieve. Yet, they were human. It could have been really easy to portray these women as "other," something beyond what anyone could hope to achieve, but I think the author did a good job humanizing them. She wrote about their flaws, challenges, hopes, and dreams. She made them unique and ordinary at the same time. This made their characters relatable and I found myself draw in by their stories because I could relate to them and their experiences as women on a personal level. You don't have to be overly interested in military stuff to get hooked by this book, as the focus is less on that and more on telling the stories of these incredible women. In my opinion, this book is well worth a read (or listen!).
'milk and honey' is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. About the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. 'milk and honey' takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.
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This is a beautiful collection of poems. It's various line drawings are reminiscent of Shel Silverstein, but this is no children's book. The poems cover a spectrum of experiences and emotions, from abuse to finding love to breaking up. They are raw, real, and vulnerable. It is a prime example of how powerful and healing poetic expression can be. Rupi Kaur is my new favorite poet. Love this book.
The first of Jane Austen's published novels, Sense and Sensibility portrays the life and loves of two starkly different sisters: Elinor and Marianne Dashwood.
The elder Elinor is the epitome of prudence, discretion, and self-control: Marianne embodies emotion, openness, and enthusiasm. This contrast results in their attraction to men of vastly different character - and sparks family and societal dramas that are played out around the sisters' romantic attachments.
Secrets, betrayals, and confessions soon complicate the lives of the Dashwoods, whose goal is nothing less than the achievement of perfect happiness. Beyond the polar differences between the two sisters' characters lies the universal dilemma of balancing what we owe to other human beings against our own needs.
In the pages of this novel, Austen - the most insightful and, at the same time, the most entertaining of novelists - demonstrates her gift for irony. As with many of the greatest works of literature, the resolution of this one is ambiguous: It is for the reader to decide whether sense and sensibility have truly merged - if life and love can really coexist.
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Sense and Sensibility is my second favorite Austen novel. I have always felt a kinship with sensible Elinor. Of all the Austen heroines, she is the one I feel is most similar to myself. I have always admired her steadfastness, practicality, and stoic manner. I never could quite understand why Marianne was the beloved one of the two sisters. To me, she has always appeared indulgent, flighty, and overly dramatic.
The sisters represent the polar opposites, which is what makes this the perfect choice for my reading challenge.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sense and sensibility as follows:
Sense (noun):
a. capacity for effective application of the powers of the mind as a basis for action or response : intelligence b : sound mental capacity and understanding typically marked by shrewdness and practicality;also : agreement with or satisfaction of such power
Sensibility (noun):
a. peculiar susceptibility to a pleasurable or painful impression (as from praise or a slight) —often used in plural b. awareness of and responsiveness toward something (as emotion in another)
Sensible people are governed by logic. They rely on their heads, their reason. They are willing to sacrifice their own desires in favor of practicality. Where as people who rely on their sensibilities are motivated by their emotions, and are not afraid to respond with unrestrained emotion, positive or negative, in any given situation. Both have their pros and cons, and the message I always got from this novel is the importance of finding the balance between the two. Elinor is often mistaken as being unemotional or detached; Marianne is so easily overcome by any emotion, good or bad, that she appears almost bi-polar.
Of course, there is also Edward Ferrars to consider. As much as I wanted to hate him for it, I have always admired his loyalty and unwillingness to give into the pressures of others. He was a fool to make a promise to Lucy at such a young age, but I have always admired how he refused to break his promise to her, despite the pressure of his family and even to the detriment of his own heart. On the other hand, I always feel an urge to rage at him to forget honor and marry the woman he really loves. Edward is no Mr. Darcy, but he is definitely up there on the list of my favorite leading men.
Even though I have read this book numerous times, I loved it just as much as I did all the other times I read it. Like a pair of comfortable slippers, it was easy to slip into this world created by Austen and lose myself in the language and characters of this novel. This one will never get old for me, and I foresee many more rereadings.
2015 Reading Challenge: A book with antonyms in the title
Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter.
E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. It contains illustrations by Garth Williams, the acclaimed illustrator of E.B. White's Stuart Little and Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series, among many other books.
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This was one of my favorite books growing up. In fact, I still have my childhood copy. The dust jacket is long since missing, the pages are yellowed and stained, the binding is broken, and it has that old book smell. I can still remember sitting with my mother and reading it for the first time. It has been years (decades even) since I had picked it up, so it was a no-brainer for me which book I would chose to fulfill the book from your childhood category for my reading challenge.
Unlike so many other things, this book has not lost it's shine. It is just as good now, as I remember it being when I was a child. I have been so disappointed by films and other books that I have rewatched/reread as an adult, only to find that they lack the luster my memory painted them with. This was not the case with Charlotte's Web. I loved Wilbur and all the other animals. I even loved Charlotte, despite my rather intense loathing of spiders. All the feelings I associated with this novel in my memory - love, joy, sadness, laughter - where all still there as I reread its pages.
This book remains a classic for me and I hope that I will someday be able to share it with my children some day. It is a book that has and will continue to stand the test of time. It is a simple story with tremendous heart. It is a story about love, friendship, and the cycle of life. I love it just as much today as I did as a child. It's nice to know some things never change.
2015 Reading Challenge: A book from your childhood
When you’re a defense attorney in Washington, DC, you see firsthand how hard life can be, and that sometimes the only way to survive is to be harder. I, Jake Becker, have a reputation for being cold, callous, and intimidating—and that suits me just fine. In fact, it’s necessary when I’m breaking down a witness on the stand.
Complications don’t work for me—I’m a “need-to-know” type of man. If you’re my client, tell me the basic facts. If you’re my date, stick to what will turn you on. I’m not a therapist or Prince Charming—and I don’t pretend to be.
Then Chelsea McQuaid and her six orphaned nieces and nephews came along and complicated the ever-loving hell out of my life. Now I'm going to Mommy & Me classes, One Direction concerts, the emergency room, and arguing cases in the principal's office.
Chelsea’s too sweet, too innocent, and too gorgeous for her own good. She tries to be tough, but she’s not. She needs someone to help her, defend her…and the kids.
And that — that, I know how to do.
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This installment of The Legal Briefs Series was even better than the first. Jake and Chelsea's romance is unconventional and full of heat, humor, and heart (and apparently alliteration). Jake Becker is the knight that the McQuaid family needs, even if he almost loses it all because of his own stupidity. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn't put it down. There's a nice little twist at the end, which ensures a shake up for all the characters in The Legal Briefs universe. This is shaping up to be an excellent series from Emma Chase, on par with her Tangled Series. Totally worth the read.
Introducing Jessica Sorensen and her new YA book, The Year I Became Isabella Anders! Make sure to enter the giveaway for a signed paperback of this book! #NewSeries #TopFave
Isabella Anders has always been the girl that never fit in. Most days she feels invisible, especially when she’s around her older sister, Hannah, who catches the eye of everyone, including Kai and Kyler, the boys who live next door.
Isabella has had a crush on Kyler for years, but knows he’ll never see her as anything more than Hannah’s little sister, unless she finds a way to standout.
When Isabella gets an offer from her grandmother to travel overseas for the summer, she seizes the opportunity, hoping she’ll discover more about herself. And she does, but not in the way that she expected.
Three months later, Isabella returns home an entirely new person. The change is enough to catch both Kyler and Kai’s attention. But Isabella is still struggling with what she discovered over the summer and until she deals with the truth, she’ll never truly be herself.
An amazing start to what I feel will be another amazing series from Jessica Sorensen. I was hooked from page one and read the whole book in one sitting. My only criticism is...I wish it was longer! I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't pay attention to my "left to read" percentage and found myself stunned (and disappointed) that I had reached the end of the story.
I love Isabella's character. I think she is a classic underdog that people can easily relate to, and the sort of love triangle she has going on with the Meyer brothers makes (and is going to make) for some intriguing reading. The plot of the story is not entirely unique. It's like a twist on a Cinderella story. All the main characters are there in some form - the evil stepmother, the evil sister, the fairy godmother, the prince (or maybe princes??), and of course Cinderella herself. Nevertheless, Jessica manages to weave enough twists and mystery into the story line to keep it fresh and from being entirely predictable. She certainly leaves us with quite a few unanswered questions at the end of this installment.
The Year I Became Isabella Anders is definitely tamer and more YA that anything I have read by Jessica Sorensen thus far (and I've read a lot!). The characters are younger (high school aged) and while there are some hints at darker forces, it is not as in your face as say the Nova series. I am used to Jessica's books being somewhat dark and highly dramatic, so this was a nice change of pace. Not that it was boring or lacking drama...it was just a different kind.
I'm excited to see where this series goes and I am looking forward to book number two, The Year of Falling in Love, which is due out in December. This series is definitely worth checking out.
**I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Cold rain instantly soaks through my clothes as I skip down the driveway, moving awkwardly, because I can’t bend one knee. I don’t care though. Rain is awesome. And it smells so great. Seriously, if I could, I’d skip around in the rain all the time.
My hair is drenched by the time I reach the sidewalk, and the flip-flops splash water from the puddles all over the backs of my legs. It reminds me of this one time Kai and I walked home in the rain and we intentionally splashed in all the puddles.
“Isa! What are you doing?!” Someone shouts with a hint of laughter in their voice.
My head whips to the side as I stumble to a stop.
Kai is standing out on the side deck, beneath the shelter of the roof, and I think he might be laughing at me, but the veil of rain crashing from the cloudy sky makes it difficult to see.
“Going to the paint store!” I shout then wave at him and start to skip off again.
“Are you crazy?” he calls out. “You can’t walk to town in the middle of a rainstorm.”
I sigh and slow down again. “I’m not walking! I’m skipping!” My eyelashes flutter against the rain.
“Can’t you wait until it at least stops raining?” he asks, shaking his head as I jump into a puddle.
“No way! It’s either the rain or being in the house with Hannah. And I choose the rain. Besides, rain is awesome!”
I can hear him laughing all the way from over here.
“Would you get your ass over here?” He waves at me to come to him. “I’ll drive you if you really want to go. But it’s too damn cold for you to be playing around in the rain, no matter how cute you look.”
Cute? Did he just call me cute?
Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.
They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. They lie. For 21 days she held on. But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death. Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves.
A haunting tale of passion, loss, and redemption, The Paper Swan is a darkly intense yet heartwarming love story, textured with grit, intrigue, and suspense.
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This is a truly amazing novel. It was loaned to me by my very best book friend with the order of stop everything and read this now. I read the synopsis off GoodReads before diving in, but it did not at all prepare me for the story that I got. I don't want to give anything away, but I was so engrossed in this book that I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it. There was just no good stopping point.
I was able to figure out a few mysteries along the way, but there were certainly twists that I did not see coming. I also wasn't sure how Leylah was going to resolve this love story. The couple in this novel had every possible odd stacked against them, but their story speaks to the power of true love.
This little stand alone is a complete gem and so worthy of a read.
Titus King has always seen his world in black and white. There is a firm right and wrong in his mind, which is why as a teenager he left behind the only family he’d ever known to make a better life for himself. Now a police detective in one of the worst cities in the country, he can’t deny his life has turned into a million different shades of gray.
The new criminal element in The Point has brought vengeance and destruction right to Titus’s front door, and walking the straight and narrow seems far less important now. The difference between right and wrong is nothing compared to keeping those he loves alive. To add to his already strained moral compass, the beautiful and mysterious Reeve Black has made her way back to town. This girl might be as dangerous to Titus as the guy trying to destroy the Point but he can’t walk away because he needs her—in more ways than one.
Reeve knows all about the threat trying to destroy The Point. She knows how ruthless, how vicious, and how cruel this new danger can be… and instead of running away, she wants to help. Reeve knows that she has a lot to repent for and saving the city, plus the hot cop that she hasn’t been able to forget might just be the only way she can finally find some inner peace.
With an entire city poised on the brink of war, Titus and Reeve stand in the crossfire—and it will take two brave souls to fight for the ultimate love.
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Hot damn, this series gets better and better! Just when I think Jay can't top herself, she delivers a character like Titus King (best name ever!). "Hot Cop" doesn't even begin to encompass all that he is. I was curious how Titus was going to fit in with the resident bad boys of The Point, and worried that his "righteous, do-gooder" persona would come off boring compared to Bax and Race. Boy, was I surprised (and wrong)!
Our "Hot Cop" turned out to be an incredibly complex character. I love Bax and Race, but Titus is just something else. He is a tightly coiled spring that is somehow just...more - more intense, more tortured, sexier, just more...everything. He is the ideal hero - forever willing to stand on the front lines and protect the innocent. He's Atlas, carrying the weight of entire city on his shoulders. Strong and brave. Yet he doesn't belong on a pedestal. He's not perfect and battles everyday against his inner demons - his background, his past choices, where he grew up. He makes the hard choice everyday to walk on the right side of the law, to not take the easy way out, in a place that doesn't often reward that.
Reeve was the perfect counterbalance to Titus, and I liked her "git 'er done" attitude. I liked the push and pull between her and Titus, and how she never seemed to back down. She's a strong female character up against an intense, overwhelming male character, but she holds her own. Their love story is ripe with tension, and when it explodes, it will leave you in need of a (or several) cold shower. I loved this book, from cover to cover and every page in between!
Up next in the series is Nassir and Keelyn's story, due out in Spring 2016. Can't wait to return to The Point!
