Reviews: Why is Young Adult Lit always the best?

In July so far, I've only read 2 books.  Chalk it up to summer fun and craziness?!?  Even after revamping my challenge I can't even meet my own goals!  Geez!!!

Anyways, I've read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows



Anyone who knows me, knows how crazy I am about these books.  I started reading them when I was in college, almost by accident.  My cousin, either Tatiana or Sabrina (hi lovelies!), left the first book in my room over Thanksgiving.  I was a youth leader at the time and had heard a lot of my youth talking about the books.  I think maybe 3 of them were out at that point.  Anyways, I read the first one and was hooked.  Little did I know how AMAZING the whole story would be?  The first 3 books are fairly light reading, almost kiddish, with sweet stories and plots about Harry's adventures at Hogwarts with his two bffs Ron & Hermione.  Then, as you get into book 4, you realize this story is more then amazing, it's revolutionary, its life changing...the stories become much more intense and dark and the struggle between what is right and easy, and what is pure and what is evil is sprinkled in every chapter.  You fall in love with so many characters, you loose those characters in painful, tear jerking ways.  You fight right along with Harry as he faces things unimaginable.  The story (by that I mean all 7 books) is fun, it's filled with great vocab and moral lessons for kids, it's emotional, it'll make you laugh, curse, fume, cry.  It is, without a doubt and with exception of the Bible, the BEST story every written.  Ever.  I mean it. 

Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, who picks up this series and reads it will love it.  I dont care if you are young or old, boy or girl, if you love Jesus (like me) or hate him (well...I do care if you hate him, actually!!!  Talk to me if you want!), or if you hate to read or hate "magic"....I promise you if you read these books, you will love them.  I've never met anyone ever who read all 7 books and said..."eh, its not for me."  Those people don't exist because that is how GOOD this story is.  So of course, I give the whole series a:

  I don't buy into that whole, "Christians don't read Harry Potter."  I think that the books do better than most "Christian" books in teaching all those great lessons like selflessness, self-sacrifice for the good of others, friendship and love, importance of loyalty and honesty and all that is good in the world.  Don't focus on the fact that it's about wizards and magic, you'll be cheating yourself of one of the best experiences in your life;)  Can you tell how much I love these books?!?!

The other book I read was



This book was SO good.  I read it fast.  Like Hunger Games, I drank it up like ice cold water!!  This is about a world where when you are 16 you choose what "faction" of society you want to belong to.  There are 5, the brave, the selfless, the intelligent, the peaceful and the honest (they all have fancy names).  Its again a story in a post-apocalyptic setting.  The main character is Beatrice, Tris, who grew up in the selfless society but in the choosing ceremony she switches to the brave society.  Transferring societies like that is not the norm, and this is a big deal.  It follows Tris as she is initiated into the brave (Dauntless) society and during that time she learns that the world split like this isn't as functional as it seems.  Leaders are corrupt, murders and jealously and all the things that the 5 way split was supposed to "solve" are rampant.  War is about to happen before anyone knows about it - I was on the edge of my seat!  This book is really good!  I can't wait until the next one (it'll be a trilogy).  I give it a:

Even though I didn't get very far in the reading process this month, I read two really great books!!  Both considered Young Adult Lit.  They are the best books;)  HP 7 took me almost the whole month - I guess because I've read it (honestly) about 8 or 9 times already that I know what happens on each page (lol) and I wasn't motivated to speed through it.  But man oh man, I just love that book, I love going on that journey with Harry!  Just typing this review makes me want to pick it up and read it again!!

Hope everyone is having a great week!!

Challenge Overhaul!

I tend to be really ambitious in life.  Over ambitious sometimes.  Like, for example, one day my to-do list will have 20 items on it.  Yeah right!  I can't possibly do 20 different projects or things around the house in one day!  Life gets in the way, right?  Dave wants to go out to eat, or we decide to go to the pool for 5 hours, or mom needs me to come help her, etc.  So at the end of the day I feel like, "I've got nothing done!!!" even though I probably did 10 of those things.  Its a viscous cycle!

So, what I am trying to say is that I think I have to revamp my reading goals!  I am finding that I can't possibly read 10 books a month anymore.  I'm not sure how I did it in Jan-Mar?  I think because it was winter, and I wasn't doing too much, I just had the time!  It's too hard!  I still love reading, and still have a reading list about a mile long!

So my NEW goal is to hit 5 books a month.  I think that's a fair sentence goal:)  If I read more, then good!  With how busy we have been this summer, and I don't anticipate that changing, and starting a new job in the end of August, I think 5 is perfect.  It'll still be challenge, don't worry!

So my June 2010 Book List ended up being:

1. Wicked by Macguire
2.  No Plot No Problem by Baty
3.  The Help by Stockett
4.  Water for Elephants by Gruen
5.  The Uglies by Westerfield

That last one I need to review:

Uglies is book one is a series by Scott Westerfield.  There are four of them



I plan on reading all of them, just not in a row.  It was a good book, but not like Hunger Games where I was desperate to read the next book right away!  It's about a dystopian world (again) where everyone in the "city" is ugly until they turn 16.  At 16 everyone gets an operation to become pretty.  The authorities say this way of life helps keep the peace, everyone ends up being beautiful so there is nothing to fight for or be jealous about.  The story follows Tally, who wants nothing more than to be beautiful.  Her best friend, a boy, had his operation a few months ago.  She meets a new friend, Shay, who tells her about a place where people have escaped to, and live like the "Rusties" (that's us).  Shay ends up running away before her operation to this civilization, and Tally gets interrogated by the government as to where she went.  They tell Tally she cant have her operation until she travels to, infiltrates, and leads them to the place.  So the whole book is about her doing, or not doing, that;)  It's pretty good!  However, I didn't have the need to finish it right away.  So, I give it a:

I do recommend it.  It's a great book for teens too - I think that in this case, it's a teen book that they will love but adults may not.  I do want to know what happens in the other books, but I think I'll wait on that:)

I have a very busy week.  I can't wait to upload all my pictures of everything that has been going on!  More on that later....

I'm off to tweek the bliggity blog a little!!!  Tell me what you are reading - I always need ideas!

I'm done the 3rd book of April!!!  Mockingjay...


The last book in the Hunger Games Series.  It was so sooo soooooo good.  All three of them.  Yes, they are Young Adult Lit, but its so grown up too - I know adults will love these books just as much!  This last installment of Katniss is all about the rebels (Katniss & friends) trying to over throw the evil Capital.  Some of it is heartbreaking, some of it is awesome.  Its really awesome!

I like Katniss, her character is very real, and very flawed.  I really enjoyed how Suzanne wrote her, if that makes sense.  A typical teenager, with way too much of the world on her shoulders, who messes up constantly and is seen by the people in a light she doesn't understand.  The personality of the "capital" astonished me, until I realized that's how the world is today.  People glorify things and people who really shouldn't be given any sorts of praise (um...I'm talking to YOU Charlie Sheen, Sookie, etc) and materialistic things instead of people who do good and matter to life in the world.

Anyways, I give this book a 5 obviously,

Please read it and tell me what you think, or tell me how you liked it!

Off to work I go.....

Catching Fire....

Before I review Catching Fire: Book 2 of Hunger Games, I need to review Book 1 officially.

Last week I made this Book 1 of April, since I was trying something new out of it and I like to have at least 1 cookbook on my list a month where I find a new recipe:



I give this book a 4. 

Its awesome!  I love making these cake pops, there are so many options of pops to make, I am going to do them again and again until I have all sorts of designs, maybe even open an Etsy shop selling my own?  We'll see....but the possibilities are endless with these tasty treats!  I recommend it if you love baking and love being creative.  Its a craft that you can eat.  How awesome is that??

Now for Book 2 on the April list:



This book gets a 5!

I did not want to put this one down!!  Just like the first one - but this time I made myself.  Since I am trying to Be Healthy this month, I couldn't stay up all hours of the night reading it.  But that was really hard.  Sleeping.  Going to work.  Not when there was such a good book to finish (one of the benefits of being a housewife in the winter...I could read right through a book in a day, no problem)!  Katniss' story continues and I can't even say what happens because if you haven't read the first book, it would just ruin it.  Read this series.  It's amazing!  I love love love it!  No, not as much as Harry Potter - but its right up there with Twilight fighting for my number 2 favorite series;)  I don't think it'll beat Twilight in that fight, but it's close!  LOL.  Book beating humor....what a dork;)

So tonight I am moving on to Book 3 (making up for lost time!) for April which happens to be Book 3 in the Hunger Games (last book) called Mockingjay.  I am sure that book will be done by Sunday, if not tomorrow.  It's the weekend and it's raining and I don't mind curling up on my couch and reading as much as my heart desires, with breaks for food, maybe some sleep, def some cleaning and cake popping;)

I've got some projects brewing for this weekend too, I'm hoping to get a few fun things done around the house so be on the look out, TeeBCrafty this weekend;) Have a pleasant Friday evening!