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!!

Vacation Month - I guess!!!

July has been a hoot!  Of course, that means while I'm having so much fun-in-da-sun, I haven't been blogging.  Like, at all.  But you know that, if you have been reading my blog!!


I've been working on projects for sure - just not at our house.  Helping my parents do their reno is taking up mucho timo, but I promise I'll show pics when we are done.  Heck, I may even taken pictures of the place this week so you can see how bad it is, before it gets better!

I am reading, just very very slowly!  I decided to break my own rule (surprised?) and read Harry Potter.  Just the 7th book right now.  Since it's my....um...5th or 6th time reading it...it is going more slowly like summer reading should I guess?  I'm almost done, but so is July!  I do have a massive book list waiting for me, here are some of the titles:

1.  Divergent (kind like Hunger Games I hear?)
2.  Baby books like what to expect when expecting and what to expect the first year...see below
3.  William and Kate: A love story
4.  The girl with....books (Dragon Tattoo, etc)
5.  Lincoln Lawyer (it's movie too now, I hear...)

and many more!  Its these lazy-hazy days of summer that are keeping me from being speedy reader I guess?  I'm having a wonderful summer, fun with friends and my family, and doing my parents a huge favor by working cheap-o for them with the renovations.  Its a good life!

Oh yeah, the baby books - no alarm I'm not "expecting" or anything.  I just had the crazy thought to actually READ these books before we even what to start trying - so I have an inkling of what is going to happen to me, my body, and the bambino when the time actually comes.  They were 50 cents each at the Good Will, so I can't beat the price for a book I'll want someday anyways, right?  The more I know, the less I'll mess up the kid;)  Plus, I'm just interested in learning about pregnancy and babies, is that weird?  Well, I'm 30 - I guess it was coming to me anyways!!

That's all for now!  Hope everyone is having a fab Sat!

Owl be crazy!

I'm really loving owls right now.  Like, really loving them!  I am trying NOT to cover our whole house with them.  Why do I love them?  IDK...I think it started with loving Hedwig so much in HP.  Also, they are adorable - really!  I know they are strange birds, but that is what makes them so cute.  They ask, "who?" all the time too, there's something really funny about that;)

Look at this little guy I found at Good Will!  I hate his colors, but I hearteth him....

 I want to spray paint him white like Hedwig and use him as decor in our London themed living room, so...

 I borrowed this spray paint from mom.  I love spray paint!!  You can see a very blurred and worried Frodo there on the floor.  Don't worry bub - it's not time for your makeover;)  Anyways, here he is all done!!

 Isn't he so sweet!!  I shall love him forever and ever!  Here he is in his new home,

Sorry - my camera really really stinks.  I need a new one!!  Anyways, here he is sitting on our shelf.  Since this pic was taken, I've moved that wedding pic and put all our HP hardcover books on this shelf next to him.  They make great decor with the London theme.

Here is another owl that has since come to live with us!  He was my grandad's wise ol garden owl.  He was living on my parents porch and mom and I were out there and I was green with envy for him, so mom gave him to me!  She says he is a little scary, but I think he is too cute!  Again, bad photography...sorry...I promise one day it'll get better!

And another little owl friend, for our 1 year anniversary Dave got me this sweet owl charm and the shamrock charm.  I love this little guy too!

Anyone else feeling the owl thing lately?  I'm determined to have an owl nursery, when the time comes to have said nursery.  Not yet, thank you!!

Speaking of owls, sort of, I'm breaking down and reading HP 7, did I mention that already?  With the movie coming up, I just had to!

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!