Bucket List: Work at Barnes and Noble

 

I have always been a huge book nerd.  Ever since I was little, I loved loved loved books.  My Mom is the same and so is my Grandfather.  So, when it came time to look for jobs, the first that came to my mind was Barnes and Noble.  Unfortunately, they wont hire anyone under 18, so I waited.  I applied at the end of my senior year of high school and ended up being hired as a supervisor since I had experience from previous jobs!!!  I was there for a little over a year and it was definitely my favorite job ever and I was sad that I had to leave it when I left for JMU.

I have a few pictures from working the Breaking Dawn midnight sale.  We were technically open but most people were there just to buy the book, so we had about 3 hours of down time and needed to keep ourselves entertained before getting attacked by preteens.

The Sun never sets on a Badass

That was definitely the best job I have ever had and I loved my coworkers and Managers :)

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Book Review: Thanks for the Memories

Thanks for the Memories

By: Cecelia Ahern

Read: 12/31/14
Pages: 373

"How is it possible to know someone you've never met?

With her marriage already in pieces, Joyce Conway nearly lost everything else. But she survived the terrible accident that left her hospitalized--and now, inexplicably, she can remember faces she has never seen, cobblestone Parisian streets she's never visited. A sudden, overwhelming sense of deja vu has Joyce feeling as if her life is not her own.

Justin Hitchcock's decision to donate blood was the first thing to come straight from his heart in a long time. He chased his ex-wife and daughter from Chicago to London--and now, restless and lonely, he lectures to bored college students in Dublin. But everything is about to change with the arrival of a basket of muffins with a thank-you note enclosed--the first in a series of anonymous presents that will launch Justin into the heart of a mystery . . . and alter two lives forever."

{GoodReads} 

I had mixed feelings about this book.  While I did really like the story and the whole idea behind it, I did find that there were a lot of slow spots.  I also loved the characters, especially Joyce's father, but I wish that the two main characters would have spent more actual time together.  My favorite thing about Ahern's novels is that she always adds a small dose of magic, and this one was no different and it definitely makes for an entertaining read.  Overall, it was a good story; humorous, and fairly entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a fairly light read. 

I gave this book a 3/5 on my GoodReads.

Winter Book Challege: Final Check-in

Books I've Read:
10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books. — Home Front by Kristin Hannah (21 novels written) (432 pages) - 11/6/14
 15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you. — Graveyard Shift by Angela Roquet (241 pages) - 11/13/14

20 points: Read a "bookish book." — The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (12/13/14)

25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. — Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern (song by Fallout Boy) (12/31/14)

15 points: Read a book written by a local author. — My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares (1/5/15)
 10 points: Read a book with a food in the title. — The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand (1/11/15)
 15 points: Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language. — The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (originally in German)(1/15/15)
 20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title. — The Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz (1/28/15)

 5 points: Freebie! — Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (2/2/15)
   25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read. — When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke (Inspirational) (2/4/15)

(160 Points)

Not Read: 

30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title. —  The Dinner by Herman Koch and Breakfast with Darcy by Ali McNamara
 10 points: Read a book of short stories. —  Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (508 pages)

Book Review: The Thirteenth Tale

 The Thirteenth Tale

By: Dianne Setterfield 

Pages: 432

Read: 12/13/14

"Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long.

Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author’s tale of gothic strangeness—featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire.

Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves."

{GoodReads} 

This was actually my second attempt to read this book.  I tried reading it a while ago and just couldn't get into it.  I stopped right when Vida started telling her story ... big mistake!!  That is when it starts getting good!  I am so glad I went back and reread this because it is now one of my favorite books!  The book starts out slow and has some slow spots but they are totally worth reading through to get to the good stuff.  This book has everything that I love; history, a mystery, family drama, and dynamic characters.  My only complaint is that Margaret's character definitely was not as dynamic or interesting as the characters in Vida's story.  Do yourself a favor and buy/rent this book right now! Such a great Gothic story!

I gave this book a 5/5 on my GoodReads. 

Winter Book Challenge: 3rd Check-In

Books I've Read:
10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books. — Home Front by Kristin Hannah (21 novels written) (432 pages) - 11/6/14
 15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you. — Graveyard Shift by Angela Roquet (241 pages) - 11/13/14

20 points: Read a "bookish book." — The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (12/13/14)

25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. — Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern (song by Fallout Boy) (12/31/14)

15 points: Read a book written by a local author. — My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares (1/5/15)
 10 points: Read a book with a food in the title. — The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand (1/11/15)
 15 points: Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language. — The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (originally in German)(1/15/15)
 20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title. — The Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz (1/28/15)

(130 Points)

I Am Currently Reading:

   25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read. — When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke (Inspirational)
5 points: Freebie! — Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

To Read: 

30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title. —  The Dinner by Herman Koch and Breakfast with Darcy by Ali McNamara
 10 points: Read a book of short stories. —  Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (508 pages)

Reading Challenges

Usually I am not one to participate in reading challenges.  The only ones I really participate in are the Semi-Charmed book challenges that Megan hosts each season.  However, this year I am trying to broaden my horizons a bit with reading.  Through the Semi-Charmed challenges I have been able to read many books that I otherwise probably would not have picked up - I've ended up enjoying most of them.  So, this year I will be participating in a few reading challenges.  I already mentioned the pinterest reading challenge which is going to be the one I focus on most this year, but here are a few others I've decided to participate in. 

50 States:  I've seen this all over Pinterest and actually started this last year.  This year I want to read a book from the remaining states.  I have read 10, so I need to read 40 this year.  This is one that I'm not that worried about finishing this year but I would like to get at least half way through.

Reading England 2015: This challenge is similar to the 50 states reading challenge, but involves the counties of England.  This challenges readers to read one book from each county in England.  I am aiming for Level 2: 4-6 Counties

 2015 TBR Pile: This challenge challenges readers to read 12 books from their TBR list.  These books must have been on that list for at least 1 year (so no new books).  I am hoping to read 12 books to complete this challenge 100%.

European Reading Challenge 2015: This challenges readers to read books that fall in the list of 50 sovereign states in Europe.  I hope to get to at least Level 5: 5 Books, but I will probably (hopefully) surpass that!

2015 Southern Literature Reading Challenge:  This challenges readers to read books by southerners that take place in the south.  The host has listed the states that count as southern in this challenge.  I hope to reach Level 4: 7-8 books.

Book Review: Home is Where the Bark Is

Home is Where the Bark Is 

By: Kandy Shepherd

Pages: 352
Date: 9/29/14

"Former model Serena Oakley has opened Paws-A-While, a doggy daycare and spa in San Francisco. When a ruggedly handsome client walks in, holding a Yorki-Poo too dainty for his personality, Serena knows something's not right.

Undercover PI Nick Whalen has followed a series of identity frauds to Serena and is determined to dig up secrets he's certain she is hiding. Despite their mutual distrust, Nick and Serena find themselves bonding over an injured, orphaned dog. And soon they're arousing more than just suspicions. But will the pair trust in love enough to thwart a danger circling too close to home?"
{GoodReads} 

This was a cute book.  Nothing fantastic but not bad either.  For the most part it was entertaining and had a lot of "doggy" parts, which I liked (the dog is the main reason I picked up this book).  It also had a bit of mystery to it.  I figured out the mystery pretty quickly but it was still a nice addition to the story.  So, not an all time favorite, but it was cute.  This would be a good vacation read. 

I gave this book a 3/5 on my GoodReads.

Book Review: My Name Is Memory

My Name Is Memory

By: Ann Brashares
Pages: 324

Read: 1/5/15

"Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together-and he remembers it all. Daniel has "the memory", the ability to recall past lives and recognize souls of those he's previously known. It is a gift and a curse. For all the times that he and Sophia have been drawn together throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart. A love always too short.

Interwoven through Sophia and Daniel's unfolding present day relationship are glimpses of their expansive history together. From 552 Asia Minor to 1918 England and 1972 Virginia, the two souls share a long and sometimes torturous path of seeking each other time and time again. But just when young Sophia (now "Lucy" in the present) finally begins to awaken to the secret of their shared past, to understand the true reason for the strength of their attraction, the mysterious force that has always torn them apart reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together.

A magical, suspenseful, heartbreaking story of true love, My Name is Memory proves the power and endurance of a union that was meant to be."
{GoodReads} 

This is the first book I've read by Ann Brashares since the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and I must say, I'm impressed! This book was so great!  I have thought about what it would be like if you were born again and were able to "re-do" life knowing what you know now.   This was definitely an interesting take on reincarnation and a very good story; I loved reading about Daniels life over time in different parts of the world.  I loved Lucy/Sophia and though I did find Daniel to be a bit whiny at times, who could blame him?  I read more about this book because of the cliff-hangers ish ending and apparently it was supposed to be a trilogy but since it didn't sell that well, no sequels have been released which is a shame!

I gave this book a 5/5 on my GoodReads 

The Vampire Academy Series

Vampire Academy Series

By: Richelle Mead

I feel like my review of these books will be similar to the Mortal Instruments Series.  It was OK but it seemed to get worse with every book; it should have ended with the third one.  Rose got more annoying and selfish as the series went on and it was just really hard to finish - this might be a me thing but I can't deal with girls whose whole life revolves around a guy.  I think it would have been a lot stronger if she'd just ended it with the third book because the plot (and Rose) just seemed to get a little bit more ridiculous after that.  Maybe it's me and I just don't like series that go on that long (with the exception of Harry Potter, duh) but if I had to give a star rating for the whole thing, it would probably get a 2/5.  If you like Vampire books or longer series don't let my opinion keep you from reading it, a lot of people seem to like the series - it just wasn't for me.

2015 Reading Challenge

As one of my goals for the year, I wrote that I wanted to complete the Pinterest book challenge.  I found this list on Pinterest about 2 weeks before new years and I knew I wanted to try to complete it.  I really want to branch out and read different kinds of books this year rather than sticking to the same thing.  There are several challenges that I want to participate in this year, but this one takes priority.  I can't wait to see where this takes me!  If you are taking this challenge, please let me know!  I'd love to see what you're reading!

Winter Book Challenge: Second Check-In

Books I've Read:
10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books. — Home Front by Kristin Hannah (21 novels written) (432 pages) - 11/6/14
 15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you. — Graveyard Shift by Angela Roquet (241 pages) - 11/13/14

20 points: Read a "bookish book." — The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (12/13/14)

25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. — Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern (song by Fallout Boy) (12/31/14)
(70 Points)

I Am Currently Reading:
10 points: Read a book of short stories. —  Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (508 pages)
15 points: Read a book written by a local author. — My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

To Read: 
15 points: Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language. — Undecided

10 points: Read a book with a food in the title. — The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand
5 points: Freebie! — Undecided
  25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read. — Undecided
20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title. — Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden
30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title. —  Uhhhh Undecided.

Winter Book Challenge: First Check-in

Books I've Read:
10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books. — Home Front by Kristin Hannah (21 novels written) (432 pages) - 11/6/14
 15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you. — Graveyard Shift by Angela Roquet (241 pages) - 11/13/14

I Am Currently Reading:
10 points: Read a book of short stories. —  Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (508 pages)
  25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read. — The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling

To Read: 
15 points: Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language. — Undecided

10 points: Read a book with a food in the title. — The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand
5 points: Freebie! — Undecided

15 points: Read a book written by a local author. — My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares
20 points: Read a "bookish book." — The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title. — Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden
25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. — Heart of the Matter by Emily Griffin (line in the song Feels So Real by Edens Edge).
30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title. —  Uhhhh Undecided.

Book Review: Splintered

Splintered

By: A.G. Howard

Pages: 400

Read: 9/10/14

"For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell—the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers... the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong, Wonderland will have her head."

{GoodReads}

This is a hard book to review because I both liked and disliked it.  I really loved the story.  I loved the characters and the plot and the twist on an old classic.  I loved that there were familiar scenes in this book and that there was a darker twist on wonderland.  The author really made it her own which I loved because that could definitely be a hard thing to do.  I did not love the writing.  I don't know what it was but this book was hard for me to read.  Honestly, I can't even pinpoint exactly what it was that made it so hard for me, but I just didn't like it. (I'm so helpful, I know).  I did like that with the way this book ended I don't feel like I need to read the rest of the series, because I honestly don't know if I'd be able to get through it.

Because the story itself was great, I gave this book a 4/5 on GoodReads.

Book Review: Bird in Hand

Bird in Hand

By: Christina Baker Kline

Pages: 288

Read: 8/29/14

"The accident was just that -- an accident. It was dark, it was raining, ALISON had two drinks in her, and the other car ran the stop sign. She just didn't get out of the way fast enough. But now a little boy -- not her own -- is dead, and Alison finds herself trapped under the twin burdens of grief and guilt, and feeling increasingly estranged from her husband . . .

CHARLIE, who has his own burdens. He's in a job he doesn't love so that Alison can stay home with the kids (and why isn't she more grateful for that?); he has a house in the suburbs and a long commute to and from the city each day. And the only thing can focus on these days is his secret, sudden affair with . . .

CLAIRE, Alison's best friend. Bold where Alison is reserved; vibrant where Alison is demure, Claire has just had her first novel published, a thinly-veiled retelling of her childhood in South Carolina (which is also Alison's, in a sense). But even in the whirlwind of publication, Claire can't stop wondering if she should leave her husband . . .

BEN, an architect who is thoughtful, kind, and patient. And who wants nothing more than a baby, or two -- in fact, exactly the kind of life that Charlie and Alison have . . .

Four people, two marriages, one lifelong friendship: everything is about to change."

{GoodReads}

 I had extremely high hopes for this book because I loved Orphan Train.  Unfortunately, I wasn't as impressed with this book.  I think the main issue I had was that I didn't like any of the characters.  Ben was the only one who was semi OK and who I didn't want to punch in the face through the whole thing.  I will say that the plot is pretty realistic, what happens in the book could happen to anyone.  And unfortunately, cheating husbands and wives seems to be all too common these days.  I imagine the story is very relatable for people in the same stage of life as the characters (midlife, deciding on kids, job issues etc.), but I just couldn't get past the fact that I disliked all of the characters immensely. 

I gave this book a 3/5 on my GoodReads.

Book Review: The Selection Series

The Selection Series

The Selection, The Elite, The One

By: Kiera Cass

Read: 9/25/14

I'm really not sure why I liked these books so much, but I really did.  They weren't some fantastic pieces of literature but I liked the whole idea behind the book, it's dystopian but it seems like everything went backwards.  The main character was really the only one who made me want to throw the book across the room.  In the first book she is very whiny and ungrateful but it gets better in the second and third.  In the second she reminded me of the character Clary from the Mortal Instruments series in that she would do the exact opposite of what people said she should and most of the time it ended badly.   Also, the character Aspen was just annoying and definitely not someone I'd ever want to be with.  He seemed like he was there to be the emotionally abusive ex or something.   Maxon and his family were very real characters as well as some of the other girl's in the competition, which I really liked.  I also thing that the relationships between the characters develop very nicely and realistically throughout the books.   My favorite book was definitely the last one - there are very few cases when I think the series gets better with each book, but that is definitely the case here.  The very ending could have been a little better but overall everything wrapped up nicely, there was some conflict and a bit of violence, and the characters were at their best.  Overall, it was just a good easy series to read.   There are some faults but I think the relationships that the characters build and the overall development of the plot really overshadows the bad things about the books.

I gave each of these books a 4/5 on GoodReads.

Book Review: Firefly Lane

Firefly Lane

By: Kristin Hannah

Pages: 508 (Nook)

Read: 10/10/14



"From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness.

Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn’t know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she’ll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she’ll envy her famous best friend. . . .

For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test"
{GoodReads} 

I really wanted to love this book because I loved the two other books that I've read by Kristin Hannah (Winter Garden and Magic Hour) but I just couldn't.  The story line and the idea behind the story was good and the book definitely had potential but what really killed it for me was the characters.  I love when characters grow and change but I didn't see that here.  I feel like they actually got worse with age.  Their relationship was really toxic and I just couldn't help but not like either of them.  Tully was way too self absorbed and Kate was way to weak.  Tully changed a little bit at the very end, but I still feel like they never grew and that really ruined the book for me.  I know a lot of people really love this book, but I just couldn't.  This is one that I would still recommend because even though it wasn't my cup of tea, it wasn't a bad book either.

I gave this book a 3/5 on my GoodReads.

My Favorite Books

I love love love to read, so there was no way I could pick just one book as my favorite.  These are my top 9  books of all time (in no particular order)

1. Harry Potter - The Whole Series

If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be either Prisoner of Azkaban or Deathly Hallows.  However, I loved the entire series.  To think of all of the thought and imagination that went into this story, it is incredible.   J.K. Rowling created an entire world in her books and for me, Hogwarts will always have a special place in my heart.  I literally grew up on these books (Sorcerers Stone came out when I was in 5th grade) and was seriously depressed after the series ended, then again when the movies were finished.  I was so happy when the few add-on books came out, I could hardly contain myself.  Nothing will ever come close to Harry Potter, for me.  They are my all time favorite books.

2. Room by Emma Donoghue
Room is a book that drew me in from the very beginning.  This book is told from the perspective of a 5 year old boy who has lived his whole life in a room the size of a garden shed.   The emotional and psychological aspects of this book are what really drew me in.  The author captured the emotion and confusion that a child would be feeling after getting out of a situation like that and the hardships of getting back on your feet (for the mother) after a traumatizing experience.  This would have been a totally different book had it been told in a third person perspective or from the mothers perspective.  The author did an amazing job at writing from the child's point of view and that is what made this book truly powerful.   This is a book I could not put down and that I highly recommend to everyone.

3. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
This book is another which is told from a unique perspective, the perspective of a dog.  The book is the story of Enzo's life as told by him the night before he dies (this is on the back cover, it is no secret).    I love books that are told from a unique perspective and the author did a great job.  I loved that you could feel the emotions of Enzo's owners through him. This book is definitely an emotional roller coaster as Enzo experiences the happy and sad events of his owners life.   It is just such a great and unique book, it will always be at the top of my list.

4. Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards
I read this book multiple times as a child and it will always be one of my all time favorites. This adorable book has everything that a young girl loves; gardens, secret cottages, castles and princes.  It is a very imaginative and sweet book and is sort of a Annie/Secret Garden mix.  This was a book I would pick up for a quick read when I wanted to escape for a while.  I haven't read it in a while but I still have my copy and it will always have a place in my heart. 

5.  Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
This is the book that made me fall in love with books and reading.  It is such a great coming of age story for anyone, but especially for dog lovers, such as myself.   I loved this book because the characters are so relate-able, I felt like it could have been me in the story.  This book is definitely an emotional roller coaster; you are happy in one chapter then bawling the next.  I love this book so much and it is easily one of the best books I have ever read.   If I have children of my own, I will require that they read this book in 4th (ish) grade.

6. Night by Elie Wiesel 
This was one of the few books that I was required to read in school that I actually ended up loving.  It is such an inspiring story about a Holocaust survivor and what he went through.  This is an extremely emotional book but it shed light on what really happened and how calm and methodical the Nazi Soldiers were.  This is a book which speaks about mankind and the atrocities that we are capable of committing, and also of human resilience.   This is such a life changing book, I still remember finishing it in my 8th grade literature class and I still remember how I felt when I finished it; when it really hit me that this was not a fictional story and this man, and others, are out there living with these scars.  Truly a life changing book. 

7. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
 This is such a wonderful story.  Another coming of age story, and a great story about the south during the civil rights movement.  This is a great story about self discovery, the meaning of family, the importance of a mothers love, and the strong bonds of sisterhood.  It is a sad, touching and heartwarming book.  It was so easy to love Lily and the women she meets on her journey.  This is another book that I recommend to everyone as it is such an inspiring and touching story.

8.  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
This classic is one which I have read several times and can not get enough of.  When I was younger I would finish reading this book and go in search of my own secret place.  I also believe that though this book was set in a different time period, it has many lesson in it that are especially important today in our society.  Such lessons include the importance of nurturing, friendship, discipline and activity.  This book also teaches us that sometimes our problems are as big as we make them.  I absolutely love the magic of this book mixed with real life lessons about health and wellness, and the need to basically make sure our children are not spoiled brats. 

9. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was one of my favorites as a kid.  I went back a few years ago and read the whole series and I loved it.  Each of these stories has both an element of fantasy and an element of religion.  And while I have struggled with religion (as much as I try, I just can't bring myself to believe in it), I still like to be educated about the beliefs of all religions.  These books are a great way for anyone to try to understand the stories of the bible.  Apart from religion, these stories teach some great life lessons.  Despite the controversy surrounding these books (there are a lot of racial and cultural implication in some of the stories), I think they are books that everyone should read at least once.

Honorable Mentions: Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, And the Mountains Echoed, The Book Thief, Magic Hour, Tuck Everlasting, The BFG, Sarah's Key, Orphan Train, Winter Garden and many other incredible books.

Winter Book Challenge

 It's time for another book challenge!  I got a bit off track with the last one but I hope to do really well on this one!  The Semi-Charmed Winter 2014 Winter Book Challenge starts November 1, 2014 and ends February 28, 2015, which is definitely plenty of times.  These are the categories and the some of the books I've chosen for each (which may change).  I'm excited to start reading!!

5 points: Freebie! — We'll wait and see which non-challenge book I just can't resist
10 points: Read a book written by an author who has published at least 10 books. — First Love by James Patterson
10 points: Read a book of short stories. — Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen
10 points: Read a book with a food in the title. — The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand
15 points: Read the first book in a series that is new to you. — Delirium by Lauren Oliver
15 points: Read a book that was originally written in a language that is not your native language. — Undecided
15 points: Read a book written by a local author. — My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares
20 points: Read a "bookish book." — The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
20 points: Read a book with a direction in the title. — Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden
25 points: Read a book from a genre you don't usually read. — Undecided
25 points: Read a book with a song lyric in the title. — Heart of the Matter by Emily Griffin (line in the song Feels So Real by Edens Edge).
30 points: Read two books with a different meal in each title. —  Uhhhh Undecided.

Book Review: Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park

By: Rainbow Rowell
Pages: 328

Read: 9/26/14

"Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try."
{GoodReads}

 I don't know why but I went into this book with pretty low expectations.  While it didn't completely blow me away, I was pleasantly surprised and ended up liking it much more than I thought I would.  I really loved the characters; they are just so realistic and relatable.  I also love that their love story was slow building, it wasn't some unrealistic love at first sight kind of thing.  I wasn't a big fan of the ending though.  It's almost as if she got lazy and didn't feel like writing any more.  There is no real explanation about why Eleanor made the choice she made and their is kind of an unresolved ending.  The rest of the book was good enough that the ending didn't completely ruin it for me though.

  I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good YA book. 

I gave this book a 4/5 on my GoodReads

Book Review: 13 Little Blue Envelopes

13 Little Blue Envelopes 

By: Maureen Johnson 

Pages: 322

Read: 9/20/14

"Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke–about–town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous–though utterly romantic–results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes."

{GoodReads}

I randomly found this book on the library shelf and picked it up because it had to do with travel and I was in the mood for something travel related.   I ended up really enjoying the story.  It wasn't some great work of literature or anything but it was enjoyable and a good coming of age story.  I loved picturing the scenes throughout Europe in my head.  The main character could be a little naive and annoying at times but she was also young.  Overall, this was an enjoyable, light read and I would recommend it. 

I gave this book a 4/5 on my Goodreads.