The Book Thief

  Liesel Meminger is a nine-year-old girl living outside of Munich, Germany. She stole her first book by her brother's graveside, and with help from her foster father she learns to read. So begins her love for words and books, and she is soon stealing books from Nazi book burnings and the mayor's library. 
  Liesel shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids and with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. 


  Told from Death's point of view and set in Nazi Germany, The Book Thief is a remarkable, heartbreaking, and educational novel. It's rare in the same way Lois Lowry's The Giver is; no matter how many times you read it, it will always seem new and exciting. 

Kalahari

    One of my close friends offered to take me with her on her family's vacation. I went to Kalahari with her, her mom, and her sister and we had a ton of fun! 


     Kalahari is a huge resort located in Sandusky, Ohio. We arrived on Monday, January 23rd and left on Thursday, January 26th.  We spent a lot of time at the big indoor water park but we also went miniature golfing, played in the arcade, browsed the gift shops, and spent time in our hotel room talking, reading, and watching TV. Our favorite rides at the park were the Zip Coaster and the Toilet Bowl, and we also enjoyed the wave pool and the hot tub.

  I had a great time, thanks so much for taking me along! 

If I Stay

    Mia had everything; a future full of promises and choices, a loving family, a worthwhile hobby, and good friends. Then, on a day that started like any other, everything is taken from her in one big blow. Caught between life and death, Mia must make the most important decision she'll ever make.

       Beautifully written and extremely touching, "If I Stay" will suck you in and have you crying beginning to end. I suggest readers to be 14+  when they read this book.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants #1

  Carmen, Tibby, Bridget, and Lena have been a foursome since before they were born. Now they are approaching their first summer apart. Lena is going to Greece to stay with her grandparents, Bridget is going to soccer camp in Mexico, Carmen is going to South Carolina to stay with her dad, and Tibby is staying home.

    The Pants were bought at a thrift store. Carmen thinks they're ugly and wants to toss them, but Tibby, Lena, and Bridget think they're beautiful. Lena suggests that everyone--including Carmen--must try on the Pants, and whoever the jeans fit best gets them. But the Pants fit all of them perfectly. And so the Sisterhood was born.

   Throughout the summer, the foursome keep in touch using the Pants. Whoever has the Pants must inscribe the best thing that happened to them on the Pants before sending it to the next person. 

  This book is a quick read but really enjoyable. A great book for teens and adults alike! 

   

The Help

 Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just graduated from Ole Miss, but her mother will not be happy until she's married. Skeeter would normally find comfort in talking to Constantine, the maid who raised her, but Constantine is no longer working for Skeeter's family and no one will tell Skeeter why she left or where she is.
  Aibileen is a black maid who works for Miss Leefolt, one of Skeeter's best friends. Aibileen loves watching Miss Leefolt's daughter Mae Mobley, but she dreads the day the little girl realizes the difference between blacks and whites.
  Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is the best cook in town, but has lost yet another job due to her sass. Minny finally finds another job working for a lady named Miss Celia. But Miss Celia is keeping secrets and Minny doesn't know why.


  These three women, as different as they are, come together to work on a project that will put them all at risk. Why? Because they believe that the lines drawn between blacks and whites were made to be crossed.


 I thought this book was sad, touching, educational, and exciting. I picked it up and couldn't stop reading! Kathryn Stockett has an amazing imagination and a true gift for writing. 

Double Take

  Madison Van Buren is a rich city girl living in New York. Fed up with all the stress she's under about colleges and what to do for spring break, she gets in her car and drives away.
  Anna Fisher is an Amish girl who doesn't want to stay with her aunt Rachel and her wild cousins. So when the two girls meet in a coffee shop and realize they look alike, they decide to switch places for a week. 
   I really enjoyed reading this book. It is one of those books that you start reading and just can't stop. Thanks for recommending, Maria!

Heron Pond

  My goal in summer 2011 is to visit all the metro parks of Columbus (http://metroparks.net/). I started my "adventure" on Sunday at Heron Pond. These are some of the pictures I took. Enjoy!

                                               


                                                   Michael and Christopher by the pond.

                                         
                                               Me and Christopher

                                         
                                              Christopher found a "secret path"

                                       

                                            Christopher and his "friends" the geese

                                       
                                             
                                         
                                             Michael and Christopher watching the sunset