Summer Reading: Part Deux

I think the title of this post speaks for itself, so I'll dive right in:

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

This was one of those books that will stay with me. Not because it was one of my favorites, but because the dystopia that was created was so alarming and disgusting to me. Women are treated like farm animals, and unless they can breed they are nothing in society. The author picks on Christians as those responsible for such atrocities, and I think that is an "easy out" for many authors. I will say this book, written in the early 80s, was a bit ahead of its time in the portrayal of certain American attitudes/events today. The author describes the destruction of the government, putting aside the constitution for the sake of the greater good, and stereotyping of Middle Easterners. I found these tidbits interesting. So would I recommend this book? There are definitely hard passages to read, and it wasn't my favorite novel because of some of the nature of the book, but it was definitely interesting. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger as well, and I found myself wishing for some resolution which made me realize I was emotionally invested in the characters.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Super easy read, but I didn't "get it" nor do I understand why my library considers it a classic. I suppose I was looking for a book with a beginning middle, and end (I ask for so much!), but that wasn't present here. The short chapters were like vignettes of the character's life that didn't usually relate to each other. It was almost like putting together a quilt with fabrics that someone picked out because they were the same color palette but entirely different in every other way (pattern, fabric, material, etc). There are definitely a lack of novels that focus on people of races other than Caucasian, but I have a hard time believing this is the best of Latino literature available.

Adopting After Infertility by Patricia Irwin Johnston

This novel was written from a perspective that I can obviously relate to. I though the author was sincere, candid, and the book was well written. My only dislike was it was written almost 20 years ago, and some of the ideas she discusses, mainly open/closed adoption, have drastically changed in that time period. I would recommend this book for someone in my situation.

Secret Thoughts of an Adoptive Mother by Jana Wolff

This book was extremely interesting because it covered so many of the questions I have in my head about becoming an adoptive parent. What is the homestudy like? How will I deal with the stupid comments from other people about our adoption? How does it feel to be sized up by my social worker? birth mother? others? about being fit to parent when millions of people never have to face these types of inquiries. How can I best meet the needs of a child that isn't of my ethnic background? The list goes on and on. This was a very easy read for me, and the author really "got" where I am at.

Children's books:

Alone in an Untamed Land: THe Filles du Roi Diary of Helene St. Onge by Maxine Trottier

This is a historical fiction series for young adults, and albeit not very popular at either Copper Ridge or Gatewood, I finally got a chance to read a book in this series this summer. The main character was 13 years old, and I think she would be relatable to a lot of girls that age even though she lived in the 1600's. The book was an easy read and although predictable it was well done. There was a bit of an ick factor for me (and I know a teenager would feel the same!). The main character got married at 16 to a man who was 30! Now I realize that was probably common then, but it really bothered me that Helene married her best friend's father. Just a little too close for comfort to me. Nevertheless, I would recommend the Dear America/Canada series to girls who enjoyed historical fiction.

Hayley the Rain Fairy by Daisy Meadows

I would have loved this series as a little girl, but I had to try very hard to appreciate it as an adult. The story took about 15 minutes to read, and plot conflict was minor and easy to solve (like most 80's family sitcoms). However, the little girls at my school are going crazy for this book series, and I understand the appeal because of the girly nature of this book. Fairies, adventure, and intelligent young female heroines...this is book candy for little ones in all its glory.

Adoption Nation book and thoughts

As I recently posted, I read the book Adoption Nation which gives a lot of information about domestic and international adoptions, stories of people who have navigated the system, etc. One of the most interesting parts of the book was reading about how Americans view adoption as others opinions are something Jon and I would undoubtedly encounter as we seriously consider adoption to expand our family.

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute conducted a survey of Americans about how they perceive adoption. In order to make this interactive as possible, perhaps you could take a look at the questions, form your opinion, and then scroll down to see if your opinion is similar to that of other Americans.

Do you view adoption as positive, negative, or unsure?

Do you think adoption serves a useful purpose?

Is adoption as good as having your "own" child?

Is it harder to love a child that's not your own flesh and blood?

Do you think adopted kids are first rate? second rate? not sure?

And the results are....

90% view adoption positively

95% said adoption serves a useful purpose
50% said adoption is not quite as good as having one's "own child"
25% said it is harder to love a child that's not your own flesh and blood
70% of Americans consider adoptees to be "first rate." Adam Perman writes, "Although the term (first rate) is not explained, [it] presumably refers to their quality as human beings. 20% said [adoptees are] second rate, and ten percent weren't sure, which means at least one in 5 people who learn that my kids are adopted start out thinking they're somehow inferior without even knowing a single thing about them."

Interesting, huh?

I'm not about to engage in a debate over people's viewpoints on adoption, but I do think it is interesting what the poll shows. I know it has made me think A LOT over the past few weeks. By thinking about our own perceptions and ideas perhaps we will better be able to understand why we believe the way we do.

It would be my hope that if we bring a child into our homes that we didn't biologically create that the people in my life would wholeheartedly love, accept, nurture, and cherish that child. And I believe they would. However, it probably means my child will face prejudice, or at least misunderstanding, from those they encounter in the world.

I have also read a great deal about stories of adoptive parents and adoptees. Seemingly innocent comments that I would never have thought twice about have hurt and scarred adoptees and their families. Comments like, "What happened to his real mom?," "We couldn't have children of our own, so we adopted,"(your adopted children are your children), and "Why did you chose to adopt? Wouldn't you rather have your own?" are painful comments for parents and children who have experienced adoption to hear. It just reiterates to me how much we all need to think twice before we speak because our innocent words can hurt others deeply.

Since reading this book I have read two other adoption books, and I have learned a lot about the entire process during the past month or so. If you would like, we would appreciate your prayers as we have narrowed our eventual adoption path down to two options: domestic adoption and international adoption for South Korea. We also have an appointment with our reproductive endocrinologist on Friday to decide if there are any other medical possibilities we are comfortable pursuing.

Summer Reading So Far

Every summer I get a chance to relax and catch up on some reading. Likewise, for the past several years I have included reviews of books I read. Here is the first batch of books of the summer since school got out 2 ½ weeks ago. Happy reading!

Darcy’s Story by Daisy Meadows 3.5/5 stars

I recently reread Pride and Prejudice, and I thought the idea of telling the famous love story from Darcy’s perspective might be interesting. At first I was put off by this book. It felt like the author had a checklist of things she needed to cover (remember, Darcy’s sister was engaged prior to her meeting Wickham, so we need to toss in some details about that about….now), but as I kept reading I noticed this less and less. The story was interesting and stayed true to the original characters. It was appealing getting to know Darcy better as well, since I have always felt it was difficult to “buy” in the original why he suddenly likes Lizzy, seemingly out of nowhere. If you like Pride and Prejudice, you probably would enjoy this book.

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway 2 ½ / 5 stars

Surprisingly enough, nowhere in my educational career was I ever assigned to read Hemingway. I have always heard about this classic, and I decided to pick it up even though war stories really aren’t my cup of tea. All I can say is I have no idea why this is a classic. The first part was very challenging to get through and even put me to sleep (which is quite an accomplishment!) . The dialogue was difficult to follow because it would last for several pages at a time and never mention who was talking (Kinda similar to Song of Solomon). Many of the sentences were also very simple. I taught my sixth graders about the importance of fluency, but this book lacked it! By the end of the story it had finally picked up, but by that time I was pretty disinterested in the characters. Now I know why none of my teachers in school never chose to study this book in more depth!

She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell 4/5 stars

I am happy to report this is probably the best book I have read in several years. It is historical fiction, my personal favorite genre, and the characters were easy to cheer on and the writing was engrossing. I actually finished this book in one day (although I had to stay up to nearly midnight to do it). Unlike so many historical fiction novels I read last summer, this book was totally clean and featured no lurid scenes about the character’s sex lives. (I recently read Time Traveler’s Wife, and that author couldn’t help including those types of details, too!) I will note that there were no plot twists and the story was fairly predictable, but the story itself was one I found myself happy to be in. I would definitely read more books by this author, and I plan on requesting more from my local library this summer.

Distant Dreams by Judith Pella 3 ½ / 5 stars

This is another historical fiction novel written by a Christian author. However, unlike the previous story this wasn’t nearly as good. The main character, Carolina Adams, has a fascination with trains which is seen as a male preoccupation and not something her little mind should worry about. Now I am all about strong female characters fighting the world because women should be allowed to pursue anything they want (even if it is the 1800s), so in theory I should love this book. I just felt most of the minor characters were pretty one dimensional, and the details about the technical side of the railroad were, in all honesty, completely boring to me. I can overlook this issues, but one thing I can’t stand is when you invest 400+ pages into learning about these characters only to have a non-ending. In order to complete the journey you embarked upon, you must read the sequel. I hate buying into this money making technique, and for that reason coupled with the rest I would not recommend this book.

Vision in White by Nora Roberts 3.5/5 stars

I have never read Nora Roberts before, but this book looked as good as any to try out. Who doesn’t love weddings, right? The main character works closely with three best friends as wedding coordinators for the rich in their small town. During the course of the story the main character falls in love with the plaid jacket English teacher at the local high school. Although the story was predictable it was an easy read. One of my major faults is the unnecessary details about the character’s sex lives. One nice thing is the novel does wrap up by the end, and if you fell in love with the supporting girlfriends then you are in luck! Each will be given their own novel where they find love within the next few years. Now I don’t think we could wrap it up in a bow and package this up any nicer, but unfortunately this package wasn’t good enough for me to keep reading.

Adoption Nation by Adam Pertman 4/5 stars

This is a non-fiction book in all of its glory, so if you aren’t terribly interested in learning more about adoption I wouldn’t necessary recommended reading this book. It did, however, give lots of interesting facts about the history of adoption in the US, revelations in the process, things to consider, and stories about adoption (both good and bad). Unfortunately the book is 10 years old, so I know some of the information was out of date at this time. I found out some really interesting things about adoption perceptions from reading that I think I will actually devote these to another post in the near future.

Kids’ Books:

Stanley, Flat Again by Marc Brown

This is one book in a series about Stanley, who keeps going flat. Since it is written for kids, he has simple adventures that help those around him when he is flat (such as rescuing a girl from a collapsed building because he’s the only one that fits into small spaces). There is also some kid humor interjected throughout. I was recommend this book for students.

Mercy Watson Fights Crime by Kate DiCamillo

DiCamillo is most famous for her award winning books for young adults. Her Mercy Watson series is written for younger readers and are short stories about a pig and his adventures. The pig in this story ends up, due to his naivety, catching a burglar. Kids of all ages would like the cute, simple plot and funny details with colorful, glossy illustrations.

Surf’s Up, Geronimo Stilton by Geronimio Stilton

Boys love these books, so I had to take some time to read one this summer. Geronimo Stilton is a "type A" mouse who decides to take a vacation in this book of the series. Of course, nothing goes right during his vacation where his room is infested with roaches, he is unwittingly signed up to do dangerous sporting activities, and his hotel isn’t exactly upfront about the accommodations. These books would definitely amuse children, and it is good, clean fun.

Summer Reads

I haven't read quite as much as I thought I would this summer due to my recent interest in exploring my genealogy. (9 books, about 3500 pages). However, below is my list of book recommendations and reviews so far this summer. The reviews go in order from first read to most recent, and thus are longer as my memory is fresher.

Written on Silk by L.L. Chaikin

***.5/*****

This is a Christian historical romance novel which I read way back in the beginning of June. I remember thinking the book moved quickly and I learned a good deal about the Huguenots, but I wasn't inspired enough to continue reading in the series. However, after reading some of the recent trash I have been subjected to I might consider giving this author another go around.

Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson ***/*****

I ordered this book for my school library and never got around to reading it last year. It takes place in Philadelphia during the late summer of 1793 when yellow fever hits the town. Like typical fare of this type written for young adults, it is entertaining but nothing that will leave a lasting impression on the reader. I felt like most students would probably enjoy this book, but I much prefer Ann Rinalidi as a historical fiction writer for young adults.

In the Stars by Stacia Deutsch ***/*****

A lighthearted "beach read" about a high school girl who is convinced by her best friend

she will find the love of her life based on astrology. Sure enough on the day predicted a gorgeous, intelligent new student ends up sitting right next to her in biology. They begin dating and she is convinced that he is truly a prince charming. However, could it really be that easy? I won't spoil the ending but suffice to say the conclusion isn't rocket science and pretty easy to predict. It was a fun, easy read though.

Sunrise by Karen Kingsbury ***/*****

Sunrise is the first in a series of books by this Christian author. Even so, the story is a continuation of the trials and tribulations of the Baxter family which are a part of other series. Even though I have never read another Kingsbury novel, it was easy to pick up and begin reading without background information. The novel is pleasant enough and there is some drama, and the author emphasizes the character's faith in dealing with the challenges that arise. I thought the book ended very abruptly, and I didn't like the fact that some of the minor plot elements were left hanging in order to get the reader to continue reading the series. (I think every book should stand independently of each other).

Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson **/*****

I can't even explain what exactly about this book didn't do it for me. Maybe it was the writing style which seemed as quirky as the characters and cover. Perhaps it was the undeveloped nature of the minor characters. Maybe it was a plot I could care less about. Whatever the case, this book did nothing for me.

The Warrier by Francine Rivers ***/*****

This author was recommended to me by Marie, but unfortunately the only title available at the library was based on the story of Caleb found in the Old Testament. It was a quick, interesting read to see how Caleb viewed the events that transpired during his lifetime. He has remarkable faith and that was encouraging to read about. I think I would probably enjoy one of this authors fiction novels more because this genre isn't typically my favorite.

The Importance of Being Married by Gemma Townley ***.5/*****

The plot sounded great, witty, and entertaining: a young twenty something tells a lie to an elderly friend that she got married to her hunka hunka magazine editor. However, it turns into a huge issue when her friend dies and she inherits her life savings of several million dollars written out to Mrs. Hunka Hunka burning love. Now she has to convince her boss to fall in love with her before the will is forfeited and she doesn't get any of the money. The ending did leave a bit of a shocker, but ultimately it was pretty obvious where the story was heading within the first few chapters. Also, the characters fall in and out of "love" very quickly, and sex is treated as very acceptable outside of marriage. There is also some degree of foul language. If not for these last two points, I probably would have rated the book 4 stars.

Dwelling Places: A Novel by Vinita Hampton Wright ***/*****

I have no idea why this was on my "must read" list. Somebody must have recommended it to me, and I finally picked it up this year. It is not a book I would typically read as it takes place in a small Iowa town set in the modern times. This whole book is pretty depressing and reminded me in some parts of The Bridges of Madison County-a lonely older woman that is overwhelmed by life and decides to sleep with the first man that makes her feel like a woman again. I know these things happen in real life, but I guess I just don't like reading about them. The novel opens as the husband is recovering from a case of depression and his two kids are trying to figure out life on their own since both parents are either trying to get healthy or escape from reality. This book is a starred review from both Booklist and Publisher's Weekly, but I guess it just wasn't my style.

World Without End by Ken Follett **/*****

I picked up this huge novel, over 1000 pages, because Follett's work "Pillars of the Earth" is supposed to be an American classic and was on Oprah's book list. That book, however, was not in the library so I got this "sequel" instead. I love historical fiction and with the press of the first book I was pretty exciting to dive in and forget the fact that this book is so huge I could use it to develop some muscle mass in my arms.

I almost put this book down several different times within the first 100 pages, and that probably would have been a good idea. I realize I am pretty prudish, but this novel was so graphic in its details about sex it reminded me of what a Playboy article must read like. (Do we need to know how often a character likes to orgasm and by what means?) And that isn't even the worst of it. Several characters are brutally raped in graphic detail, and many are killed in alarming visual clarity. The church is viewed as nothing but corrupt, full of lesbian nuns and homosexual priests bent on getting elevated within the church no matter what the cost. The female heroin, Caris, is a strong willed character, but I was left disgusted by her after she got pregnant and drank some poison to kill her baby within the first 200 pages. Why? Because she didn't feel like getting married and having to take care of a baby. She eventually becomes the prioress in the town and is the regarded as a saint by everyone. Ugh.

There is so much brutality, grief, and horror which the characters go through I was unable to sleep on three different nights during the week it took me to read this book. One might argue the book obviously "got" to me, and thus is a powerful work. I would counter with the argument that creating graphic scenes does not constitute good writing. If I really cared about the characters I would have been moved to tears during some point in the excessively long book, which I never was. I would not recommend this book at all.

Time Flies

So much has already happened since summer "vacation" started. Okay, I'm being a bit unfair. Not working is definitely a vacation, but so much has been happening (as evidenced by my lack of posting!). I went to San Diego to take three kids to the national finals of a competition they entered. That was rewarding for me (and them) and fun.

Then I interviewed for and got the media specialist (library) job at my school. Yea! Now it is sinking in what a BIG job it is and how busy I'll be. I have been cleaning out my HOT (read: little air conditioning) classroom the past several days and having to get there at 6:30 to avoid the excessive heat that has been Arizona lately. I am already six hours invested and feel like I could spend hours more. Jon told me if we were moving our whole house it would take some time, too, but I don't want to spend weeks on this project. I have accumulated SO MUCH STUFF and have my mom's leftovers from when she taught.

I am such a packrat I can barely throw anything away in the off chance that I might actually use it one year. But come on, how likely is it that I will go to early childhood and need all that phonics stuff? Or use the stethoscope in the science unit? How about keeping two packages of rocks for when I teach geology? Curriculum from before I was born?

I know, I know. THROW IT AWAY!!!!

But I can't....yet. Sigh.

We leave for Wisconsin tomorrow and I am looking forward to time with family, cooler temps, and a relaxing vacation. I have been busy the last few weeks between packing and leaving for this trip to do much reading, so my total book number is going to fall drastically when compared to last year when I read a staggering number of books (around 30). So far I have read:

1. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
2. A Promise for Ellie by Lauraine Snelling
3. The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton (only could get through a third of this one!)
4. Indigo Waters by Lisa Samson
5. The Birthright by Janette Oke and T. Davis Bunn
6. The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory

Before we go on the vacation to end all vacations I will only have a week and a half, so I doubt I'll get too far into my next list of books, but I hope to read

1. The First Princess of Wales
2. The Cross and the Switchblade

in addition to continuing to clean out my classroom and meet with the librarian aid and ex-librarian. It is definitely going to be a busy summer!

Last summer book post

This will be my final book review of the summer and wraps up the past several weeks of reading. I made my goal: 20 books! I would like to continue reading once the school year starts, but it looks like it’s going to be a busy year between work and grad school. If anyone reads a book they think is interesting, I’d love to hear about it.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy ***.5/*****

I read this book because it was on Oprah’s book club list as well as a best seller. The plot is very simple: a boy and his dad after some post-apocalyptic event struggling to survive. The book doesn’t have much excitement, and is a very depressing read, but it kept my interest. McCarthy’s writing style is very original as the book is told entirely in 3rd person. We don’t ever find out the character’s names, and it is mostly a descriptive narrative and could have been told in a short story format very effectively as well.


The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan ***.5/*****
This was such a popular book several years back, but I never read it before. The story centers around eight main characters-four elderly Chinese women and their daughters. Their different life stories and perspectives are interwoven together. I have seen this done a lot in books, but perhaps this type of storytelling was more original in the early 90’s when the book was written. It was an interesting book, but it didn’t convince me to read any other Tan novels.

Having a Mary Spirit by Joanna Weaver **/*****
I was really looking forward to reading this book as I thoroughly enjoyed “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.” This book I found to be a huge let down. For one, the title seems to be chosen to remind readers of the first novel as the book had very little to do with Mary (mother of Jesus, Magdalene, or sister of Martha) as a biblical reference point as to how we should model our behavior. The book was filled with spiritual truths, but they were ones I have heard for years and I didn’t find them very challenging. I would recommend this book more for new Christians, whereas I would recommend Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World to any Christian woman who feels she fits the “Type A” persona.

The next set of books I read right before leaving for vacation and they seemed to have melted together now (very similar time periods can do that). Instead, I am only giving a brief review. (Plus, I'm really tired right now from being two hours ahead in time zones.) :)

The Spanish Bride by Laurien Gardner ***.5/*****
I have read all 3 books this summer and I enjoyed this one as well. The writing is very different from the other two because the time periods keep switching back and forth, but it is a very well done novel.

Emilie’s Voice by Susanne Dunlap **/*****
Easy read, but the character development was weak and the writing style wasn’t my favorite.

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig ***.5/*****
This had the potential to be a great series and a book I’d really enjoy: historical romance is my favorite genre. But the romance in this novel quickly took a turn into what I’d call nearly soft porn or a cheesy Fabio romance novel. Too bad.

The First Princess of Wales by Karen Harper ***/*****
This book is a long one but was very engrossing. However, some of the romance scenes in this book were also very graphic and what should have been romantic but they felt more like lustful moments. The characters, however, were very interesting and the writing was good. I’d give this author one more chance to see what another novel would be like.

Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado ***/*****
This book is about how to find a job that you are truly passionate about. I thought some of the stories were very good (think sermon illustrations). However, I felt the quiz to help you get to know yourself better wasn’t clear enough and one would need more guidance to get anything concrete from this book.

Summer Book List #2

Here is my 2nd installment on books I have read this summer. A few were misses, most were middle of the line, and some were superb.

A City Not Forsaken by Lynn and Gilbert Morris ***/*****
I read a similar series by Gilbert Morris in high school and fell in love with it then because they were historical fiction and always had a love story thrown in. Although the plots were similar (will he follow God or man, and which lady would the main character choose-always the more modest and God-fearing lady. This is, after all, a Christian book series.) I read the 2nd book in this series, and you don’t have to read the first to know what’s going on. This book is different from the others in that there is no love story. Also, the book didn’t seem to read as quickly as the former series. Either my tastes have changed since high school (very likely) or the author has changed his style now writing with his wife. Either way, this book didn’t entice me enough to pick up the third. One nice thing, however, was the book didn’t leave any loose ends unlike the series by Beverely I posed on in June.

Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene ***/*****
I promise that I am not obsessed with Holocaust literature as this is already the 2nd of the summer (with one more later on in this review), but since I teach about it I am constantly looking for novels my kids could pick up. This one would fit the bill nicely. It is an easy read and forces the students to look at the Nazi’s in a different light because our main character falls in love with a Nazi POW who is transferred to her hometown in small town, USA. The characters sometimes aren’t as developed as I’d like, and some never change or learn from their mistakes, but this book is more than appropriate for young teens.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini ****/*****
I have heard so many amazing reviews about this novel from everyone I had to pick it up to see what the fuss was about. This is a powerful and moving story that left me crying at points so it is evident the author has you caring about the characters. The brutal horrors that occurred in our narrator’s life helped shape the man he became, and the novel takes you on his self discovery to see if he can relive his past and grow stronger or run from it again. Although this book is frustrating at times-you very much can grow to dislike our main character because of his choices-it makes the reader think how they would respond in similar situations or in a different time. This book was so moving I couldn’t help but tell my family about what was occurring as I read more and more each day. This would be a great book to pick up, but definitely not a summer beach read. This book is one I will not soon forget.

The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner **/*****
Ugh. I was expecting so much from this book maybe I set myself up to be disappointed. After seeing the movie I thought it would be neat to find out the real story. Some things are better left with the Hollywood version. After reading this I no longer can have the same esteem as I once did for Mr. Gardner. He cheated on his wife, took drugs while they were struggling to survive financially, and came across as pompous and arrogant as he unabashedly told us exactly how great the sex was while cheating. Is he a success story because of his rags to riches fame? Absolutely. But don’t believe the fluff Hollywood threw at us in the movie by believing this man is the victim in his later years. Because of his affair he had Chris Jr. out of wedlock and only then did his wife leave him. It was only then he was struggling financially. Anyway, I don’t want to keep ranting, but I would not recommend this book.

Plain Jane: A Novel of Jane Seymour by Laurien Gardner ****/*****
Another good read about the craziness surrounding King Henry VIII’s court. This book was told from the perspective of Henry’s future queen this time, and because not much is known about her the author had to infer or make up much of the information. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to reading the other book that is out in this series so far.


The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart and Carson Ellis ***.5/*****
One of my students gave me this book as an end of school gift because it was one of her all time favorites. The main characters are all gifted students who are trying to stop an evil mad man from manipulating the whole world through the use of subliminal signals in the tv. The book is a pretty good read and definitely has some clever parts, but I don't think I would read any more books if a sequel were to occur (which seems likely given the setup of the story).

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom ****/*****
This is a beautiful novel about one woman and her family's journey as they smuggled Jews in their home and other “safe houses” in war torn Holland during the 1940's. Corrie and her family ended up in jail and finally a concentration camp because of her willingness to protect God's children during the Holocaust. Her faith and God's truth ring out clearly in her writing and remarkable story. It really pushed me to think of a more Godly perspective instead of one of this world. This is an excellent novel.

Summer Book-a-thon

I forgot how much I like reading. I never seem to do it during the school year, even though I really probably have time to read in the evenings. During the summer I always get through a fair share of books that have made it to "the list." Here are the books I have read so far and my short summaries and thoughts. The *'s equal the number of stars I'd give the books on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the best!).

1. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen-***/***** stars
I heard of this story from the 8th grade language arts teacher at work. She thought it would be a good read from what she was told. It is about a grandmother who tells her version of Sleeping Beauty, but when she dies her granddaughter discovers there is some truth to the story. Basically, the story of Sleeping Beauty is used to describe how the grandma was rescued from a Nazi concentration camp. The beginning was a little slow; the ending was horrific and will probably be too detailed to give to my kids to read. It is an interesting read, but I think I have read better children's novels to describe the Holocaust.

2. A Lady Raised High: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Laurien Gardner-****/*****
The story is told from a young maid who serves in Anne Boleyn's court before and during Anne's marriage to King Henry XIV and ends at her beheading. The story is very interesting and moves along at a good pace. I like historical fiction, in fact it is probably my favorite genre, and this also has a bit or romance in it as well. I saw the "hook up" coming a mile away (I'm skilled at noticing these things by now I guess), but it was engaging and a good read. It seems like the author has two more books in a similar vain, and I'll probably end up checking those out as well.

3. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck ***.5/*****
A classical novel, but I have never read it. It is a super easy and short read. I think I had heard the ending before so it was there in the deep recesses of my brain, but it was pretty satisfying. The only thing I didn't like was how quickly the climax came without a really strong resolution. One minute the reader is saying, "Wow, that was unexpected," and the next page the story ends. I can't decide if this will spur me on to read any other Steinbeck novels. I haven't read Grapes of Wrath or Tortilla Flat. Really, what were my high school teachers thinking? These are classics! Anyway, interesting book.

4. The Preacher's Daughter by Beverly Lewis ***/*****
This books I think is written by a Christian author. It follows an Amish girl who is struggling to commit to the church, which is difficult since her dad is the preacher. Her "English," or non-Amish pen pal, decides to visit and the book details their friendship as they get to learn about each other's worlds. I thought the book moved slowly and wasn't very engaging. I was also disappointed that the book seems to be written in a series, unknown to me when starting, so in order to find out what happens to all of these characters I would have to read the other books. Ugh. I wasn't that thrilled with this one, but now I'm kind of invested. I'll have to decide if this book was enough to keep me going with so many other books on my list.

5. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold ***/*****
Agonizing book about a girl who is brutally raped and murdered in the first few pages. The story is told from her looking down from heaven as she tells how her family is coping with her death. This is not "my type" of book and I only read it because kids in a lit class at school were reading it, and some parents had asked for my opinion about letting their children read it. Yes, very questionable. And no, I would not recommend it. I don't want to hear about fourteen year old girls getting murdered. Geez, I can watch the evening news if that is the kind of story I want to be investing time into.

I'd love to hear your suggestions about other books I should pick up this summer. So far I also want to read the following, too:

-Kite Runner
-The Pursuit of Happyness
-The Hiding Place
-Summer of My German Soldier
-The Joy Luck Club

I'm free!

I am officially done with school for this school year. Yea! This year had it's challenges, but like anything else I think I grew a lot and become a better teacher from it. I have actually been considering going into library, so I am going to begin studying for this in the upcoming weeks and see where that leads. Teaching definitely is great, but there are several hard things that not only our government but also plain ole' politics is doing to make teaching less and less fun.

This summer I am working on a district committee to help write next year's gifted curriculum. Also, I will be teaching at a summer camp all day for a week. I have absolutely no idea what the program is or the age group I will be working with (it seems kind of unorganized) but I hope it is fun and not stressful while working it.

Other than that, I plan on relaxing, reading (I've finished two books in the four days since school got out), and hanging out with family and friends. I'm looking forward to our preplanned vacation in July, too. I'm sure it will go by quickly, though. Only eight short weeks and back to the grind.

School's Out for the Summer...Time for an Update

Here I am a week into my summer vacation and Jon has already said to me, "Well, it looks like you got everything you wanted to get done for the entire break accomplished in one week." Although it isn't 100% correct, Jon has pretty much hit the nail on the head. My type A personality has reared its head and I have, indeed, been very productive in my first week off with my summer to do list. Most of it would be quite boring to describe to you, but I have had an opportunity to sit down and read. I just finished The Da Vinvi Code and read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I also am planning on tackling a few more this summer that I'm pretty excited about:

1. The Divine Conspiracy-I heard about this book years ago from my old youth pastor, and I really want to check it out still.
2. Ragamuffin Gospel-I have always heard really good things about it.
3. Martha to the Max: Balanced Living for Perfectionists-I heard about this book from Amazon. I read and LOVED Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World a few months ago, and I was looking for another book like it. Amazon recommended this, so I thought I'd give it a try.
4. Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs- Both Jon and I have heard from countless sources what a great book on marriage this is.

Any suggestions from ya'll? Favorite genres include historical fiction with some cute romantic things thrown in! :)

One of my summer "to dos" was to get my hair cut. This doesn't seem like a momentous decision, but I am the type of person that always orders the same thing at the same restaurant every time. Read: I don't like change very much. However, I took the plunge and wanted to get my hair cut...short. I made an appointment at a salon by my house. The receptionist recommended I go with Boris. Now, this name gave me a few qualms. Boris does not sound like the name of a person who is going to be comforting in the face of a big decision. Boris sounds like name of an old, Russian gangster. I was picturing an older gentleman who talked with a heavy accent and would say, "In Soviet Russia, the hair cuts you!" as I walked in. My imagination definitely was incorrect however. Boris looked more like a Tony from New York City...and he was about my age. He ended up cutting about 2-3 inches off, but I am very happy with the change.

A few weeks ago was Ericka's wedding. She was absolutely radiant and I shed a few tears while she was reciting her vows. It all hit me that we talked entirely too much about our future weddings (at my urging, I'm sure) while we were staying up late in the dorms in college, and it was very surreal to actually see her getting married. I know she and Jimy will be immensely happy together.

A few other news worthy events before I sign off:

I am starting a second master's degree in ESL right now. I am taking 6 hours over the summer and a few during the school year. Gotta love the continuing education!

This Sunday is Jon's birthday...his first since we have been married. As usual, I am overanalyzing everything trying to make it *perfect* for him. There have definitely been a few minor "incidents" leading up to this week that I will have to share at a later time. However, it should be fun for all!

If anyone will be in town over summer, make sure you give me a call. It was wonderful getting to catch up with Syd the other day while she was here.

Have I mentioned this on my blog already? I am going to be an aunt effective October ??? Am I old enough to do that? :)

Hope everyone is doing great!