books 13, 14, 15

Due to a serious illness that consumed my last month of summer, I wasn't able to get online to document my reading. I barely read to begin with. But I did get through three books before school started, and they were all part of a series. Melanie Wells has created a very interesting set of suspense novels. They are about Dylan Foster, a psychologist, who has attracted the devious demon named Peter Terry. He loves to terrorize her any way he can, and has done so in the three books of the series so far.

The thing I like most about this series is that it is not in the fantasy realm. It aligns with a lot of information from the Bible. I loved looking up some of the references, and actually got very creeped out from it. I believed for a little while that I was attracting a demon because of all the flies that seemed to pester me (if you read book 1, you will understand).

I didn't reach my goal of 20 books, however I feel very proud of 15 because the last month was taken up by a horrible sickness that left me paralyzed on the couch.

book twelve

Back in fall semester, there was this kid in my nonfiction class that thought the greatest idea for a book is to tell a story through a dog's eyes. I thought it was an amazing idea and wondered if it was even possible. Then this summer I stumbled upon a book that was just that! The Art of Racing in the Rain is a fantastic book that tells it's story through a mixed dog named Enzo.

I was immediately drawn in and fell in love with the dog myself, the way it thought and felt about it's owner. Garth Stein was very committed to his canine perspective, giving great insight on what a dog might think about people. In this case, Enzo was completely infatuated with the idea of being human. Even though he was an easy spectator to the many human flaws, it didn't stop his dream of becoming human and living life as man, instead of his best friend. I felt connected to this smart creature and lived his life with him.

In my opinion this book was perfectly written and makes me want a dog so badly.

Book Eleven

I have finally reached over the halfway mark of my featured goal of 20 books read this summer. Book eleven took a little more time because of its length. Pieces of my Sister's Life was a very emotional novel, as can be assumed knowing it is about two teenage girls who lost both their parents and live alone together. They fall in love with the same boy. There you have enough to know that drama is a huge factor. My only real problem with the book is that it took too long for me to get into the plot and feel a part of the story. There wasn't anything really juicy until 200 pages or so in. That isn't really good because most readers will judge a book by its first few chapters, and really committed readers the first 100 pages to make their decision whether they will finish a story or not. I kept reading it only because when it comes to something I started, I have to finish it. Just like how when I finish a book, I have to document it here on my blog, and wait at least till the next day to start the next book. It sounds a little ridiculous but it is hard for me to stop the story after I have read the last words. So to start a book with the last one still running through my brain isn't fair. By mid-way through however, I was deeply involved. I felt completely connected to the characters and felt their pain. It definitely was a great book to read since my bond with my sister is very strong. Thankfully we have not had any strife nearly as bond breaking as these two sisters in the story.

book ten

The sequel was a hit! The second story in the Patricia Amble Mystery series was definitely just as good, if not better than the first. Kill Me if You Can was a great thriller that kept me glued through the whole thing. The mystery was even better than the first. More drama than ever, but definitely stuff that kept me wanting more.

This time around Tish goes back in her past to her summer vacation spot she spent with her mother before she committed "suicide." She decides to take on a renovation project on the log cabin where she spent glorious summers with long lost family more than twenty five years ago. She decides not only to dig in the dirt of her own yard, but into her past as well, trying to connect the dots of her mother's tragic ending, and the family that was so called "evil". The story ends up with more murder, more secrets, and more romance.

This series has proved to be worth my time and enhanced my thoughts about trying out some fiction writing of my own. I always wanted to stick with poetry and creative non-fiction, but I might be able to get my story out better with some imagination. I guess in psychology that would be a form of projection, but is that really true if its throwing my life troubles on an imaginary character?

book nine

I decided it was time to start reading a series. The one I found only consisted of two books, but hopefully there are some more in the making because I thoroughly enjoyed the first. Nicole Young focuses her stories around the character of Patricia Amble. She has had a tough journey through life, but it definitely makes for an interesting life story. In the first book, Love Me if you Must, is a great mystery, but doesn't rely on too much suspense and thrills to keep a reader enthralled. Patricia aka Tish is a great gal with personality that will attract many admirers, as she does in the book itself. While renovating a Victorian home, the two male neighbors vie for her attention. It is a great love triangle to watch until a murder has the whole town buzzing and thinking Tish is a murderer. This first novel of the series is a great one! I am looking forward to reading the second. The mystery is not easily answered, and kept me second guessing. The love triangle kept my emotions in tuned. Just a great read. Hopefully miss Young can keep it up.

book eight

It took me awhile to get out of Shack mode to even want to pick up another book. I just couldn't get the lame reasoning out of my head that no book could get better than that; same feeling I had after I finished the Harry Potter series. It just felt like no book was worth my time. After a trip to a new bookstore, my reasoning was forced aside as I found some books that caught my attention. Book eight is a simple story that would touch anyone's heart. It was a quick read, even though it wasn't impossible to put down. Together, written by Tom Sullivan with Betty White, is a cute story about a strapping young man who loves anything athletic. After a horrible fall while mountain climbing, he becomes permanently blind. Well, you can just imagine the turmoil it causes the handsome guy, and he is on the brink of suicide. After a lot of convincing and pushing from loved ones, he goes on a trip to get a seeing eye dog. The furry companion changes his life forever. This is a good book if you are looking for a light read; nothing to heavy hearted, or makes you want to shoot yourself to stop the suspense of what is going to happen next. It is a nice story to engage other senses than just sight. The best thing about the book, is the cover. It was love at first sight for me, with the beautiful black lab.

book seven

This novel has definitely touched my life in such a way very few things can. My interest in The Shack by William P. Young began one afternoon when I searched the New York Times website and went to their books page. The main story of the day was about Mr. Young, and how this spiritual book has become a bestseller, even after publishers refused to publish it because they felt it was "too christian" or "too controversial." I continued my research of the story, and read many reviews that were very different on the good-book scale. Readers said they either loved it because it changed their lives, or they thought this book was heresy because of the unorthodox way of how Young portrays the Trinity. After reading both sides, I decided the only concrete opinion I could trust is my own.

A quick synopsis, because there is nothing I could really tell you about the story that would prove to you how brilliant it is. The main character is a man named Mackenzie (Mack) who is deeply troubled and traumatized by the abduction and murder of his youngest daughter Missy. After a significant amount of time goes by, a mysterious letter shows up in his mailbox with no writer except the name Papa. The note asks him to meet up at the shack where clues were found of his daughters murder. After contemplating the many reasons for the note, he decides to go, and this weekend trip changes his life forever.

This book really hit a deep, spiritual note with me, because it felt as if God was directly speaking to me through this book, not William P. Young. After reading each chapter, I had to put the book down for a few moments just so I could try to fathom what I had just read. It answered so many questions for me, along with finalizing instincts I had about my own faith, knowing that what I felt was real and true. I felt so at peace while reading this book, and still do. I feel as if I have gained a second knowledge about my belief in God, and it allows me to take a step back from this humane world and know in my heart that everything is as it should be, even if beyond my understanding.

I strongly encourage anyone and everyone to read this book. If you have ever had questions about God or how faith works, this is the book that can bring answers in a wave of grace. No matter what others say about this story, it is up to you to find out what you believe, so don't let anyone telling you it is wrong to stop you. No one is the judge of what is right or wrong, except for God alone. If you want to find out more, go to www.theshackbook.com.

book six

I flew through book number six! Not because it was fabulous or anything. Simply because I was driven to get it finished before my trip back to the South. It was however mind tossing. I knew the ending from the very beginning, but I read with a force hoping that I was going to be proven wrong. Unfortunately I wasn't.

For a book so predictable in my eyes, Tracy Price-Thompson kept me interested with her quite bold culture that jumps out and punches you in the forehead. Gather Together In My Name is a story of turmoil that turns into a disaster. Having a mother who was psycho from their birth, three little black boys had a minuscule chance to survive in a world full of crime and racism.

The part that took my breath away was close to the ending where the tragedy happens, and Thompson makes you fall in love with a criminal. Her talent to make you fall in love with the unlovable is impeccable and unmissable in this novel. It just goes to show that this world has very little to offer, and love is the most important thing to keep a family together.

book five

It took me a little longer than I thought it would to finish my fifth book, but I finally have. I have two days left of my vacation which is plenty of time to begin my second book for the trip. But I couldn't do it without blogging about The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. This book I found in the school reading list section, well actually my mom found it and commented how she heard it was supposed to be really good. I silently agreed when I saw the soon-to-be-a-motion-picture sticker posted on the cover.

Once again I have been sucked in by another writer's first novel, also written in the setting of South Carolina, like my first book Girls in Trucks. This story is about a fourteen year old girl with a complicated life. Since she was four, she was told she was the killer behind the gun that accidentally shot her mother. Her angry father changed from that point and treated his dog better than his own daughter. One day this girl, named Lily, decided to runaway after rescuing her nanny from jail after being beaten almost to death by some racist white men. Where they ended was so ironic and heartwarming.

The story turns into a twist of coincidences, connecting the empty spaces for Lily about her mother. This is a fantastic story of family, selfless love, and the power of women who stick together. Once again I am sucked into the story, not wanting it to end, but racing to find out what the finale has in store. This novel will make a heartwrenching movie in the next coming years, that will empower women all over the nation.

Looking more closely to the format of the story, I fell in love with the beginning of each chapter which starts with a quoted fact about bees. Each one contributed to the bigger meaning of the story. It was so interesting and had me wondering more and more about bees. Great tactic!!
All in all, I love this story and if i was still in school, would be blessed to read it.

book four

Never judge a book by the cover - well I disagree. It is some odd habit of mine to only pick up a book if it has an interesting cover. The plainer, duller covers always catch my eye. To me it says, my story is strong enough that I don't need an elaborate picture to lure people in. Maybe it is just my eye telling me so being a writer and an artist. I always look at the romance novel illustrations and just gag. All the detail and bright colors turn me off. If the picture is gussied up or romanticized, then I assume that the language and detail is too. However, from time to time I am proven wrong.

Most of my mother's novels are romance, Christian, or Christmas stories. For the most part they have the cover that is trying to lure you in with color and detail. So as usual I stay away from her book stacks. But once again she suggested a book to read, and after reading the back it had my attention, but I still have the doubt that it was going to be another sobby love story. I was wrong. It was a beautiful, engaging love story, that was way more about the life than romance.

Free Fall by Kristen Heitzmann is a mystery that turns out to be part of God's plan in many lives connected to main character Gentry Fox. After a potentially fatal fall off of some waterfalls in the mountains of Hawaii, she miraculously survives, but suffers from amnesia. After fighting her way through rough terrain she ends up on the doorstep of a local who brings her back to health, and that is when all the fun begins. After learning that she is a new successful actress, and other pieces of her memory fall into place, it is a hunt for her failed killer.

This book has recaptured my excitement for my summer of reading. It is definitely right next to Crouch's Girls in Trucks, with the intensity of the subject capturing my full attention, making my hands tantrum when I try to put the book down. I am learning that I love stories that keep a little mystery to keep endless twists and turns waiting at the end of all chapters. Now I am ready to journey up north, and hopefully have the same fulfillment from my next two or three reads.

Book Three

I have just finished my third book of the summer. It was one that my mother suggested out of her own library. Asylum by Nan Corbitt Allen is a Christian novel written about a runaway 10 year old boy. He had just lost his alcoholic parents in a house fire. The incident was under investigation when the young boy ran away, afraid that he was to blame for the death of his parents. He then sets up house in a church. He survives off of baptism juice and crackers and takes bathes in the baptism spa. With the search in full speed, it leads to a conspiracy dealing with the real cause of the fire, leading to a dark past of murder and deals.

The actual story was very interesting. What I learned from this format is that I don't like jumping images back and forth from one perspective to another. Allen would switch from scene to scene, introducing different parts of the story. It as a little confusing at first, but once the pattern was learned, it was a good way to lead up to the finale. However with this format it was hard for me to get into the book. The first half I only read because I hate starting a story and not finishing it. After the mid point it became to complicated and interesting to stop.

Now I have to make my way over to the bookstore to buy a few before I venture up North for a two week vaca. Visiting with family is my priority, but the 8 hour drives and few hour plane rides will be plenty of free time to read.

Book Two

After reading Girls in Trucks, I was anxious to begin my second book of the summer. It is one that has always been in my want-to-read list, but it was just stuck there like many others. My freshman year in college I wrote a ten page research paper on Truman Capote, one of the most influential writers in history. While researching him, his best friend Harper Lee made frequent appearances, being a writer herself. Her two most famous novels have been ones that I have always wanted to read, especially because they were so popular that they were translated into feature films. Yesterday I finished her novel that created her fame in the 1960s: To Kill a Mockingbird.

I have to be honest and say that it wasn't as influential on my desire to begin writing again as the previous novel I had finished. It was a slow read and it took awhile to get to the main point of the book. I could only get through three chapters each day; four if I was really driven to get farther in the story. The one thing that got my attention as a writer was Lee's perspective in which she told the story. It was through the eyes of Jean Louise, the rather young daughter of the small town's respected lawyer Atticus. With such a short description of the story making it sound quite intense to be told through the eyes of a 9 year old about a black man charged with raping a white girl. The story really was a journey through the childhood of Jean (nickname Scout) and her brother Jem in the Southern town they lived in.

Even though this story was different from what I was expecting, it wasn't a complete disappointment. It was fun to see the world through the eyes of a young child again, and how differently they see the world. This book can show just how children can make a difference in this world, no matter how serious a situation may be. If I ever find the time to watch the movie I will, because I believe it will be more entertaining than what the book may depict. More importantly, I still feel the urge to get with my own writing the more I read. So I am going to continue this summer journey through the literary world, and see where it takes me.

Summer Reading

My sister has been blabbering on about reading throughout the whole school year: how she misses it and can't wait for the summer to return so she can soak up as many novels as possible. Well, summer is gracing all of us with its presence, and she, along with my mother, are indulged in their book clubs. Both have about ten newly bought books ready to be read. I used to read just as diligently, but after finishing the Harry Potter series, nothing seemed to be up to par with my content standards. It has been a few months, and with this family reading fever heating up, I decided to try and reintroduce my brain waves to the literary world.

Since I am a creative writing major, you would think that reading would be a huge part of my education. However, it is more focused on my own writing which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I wish I had more time to read because I forgot what it feels like to read another's work and feel inspired to write my own. Today, that feeling has finally returned and my eyes are smiling. It is so refreshing to read a pure story that connects to that inner part of you. As a writer, that part of me is the electricity connecting the soul to my fingers that makes them want to skip around and sprinkle pages with something alive and breathing.

My first summer read has jump charged my battery. Katie Crouch writes an intimate novel about a southern girl trying to balance her crazy, rebellious insides, with her stictly taught polite outsides. It has a hint of old fashion flavor, with the simple living of the Camellia society that settles in Charleston, SC. Crouch flares the story up with bold characters trying to break free from the traditional expected lifestyle. Her main character Sarah Walters brings us through her life beginning as black sheep in her high school years, growing into a very curious and defiant college student, and finally ending up as a woman who has learned everything she needs to know about love and life by the unexpected turns awaiting her at every corner.

Girls in Trucks is Crouches first novel, and a definitely one to be proud of. She grabs the reader in with the very vulnerable truthes of life as a woman searching for love and acceptance in all the wrong places. We travel through a fast forwarded life, but still able to stop and smell the roses that thrive along memory lane. It is a must read for every woman who wishes to immerse herself in the ups and downs of life that make us the strong beauties we are today.

SUMMER

This summer is pivotal to my life. I need to make money, get into good physical shape, and take time to seriously think about my future. This coming fall begins my junior year in college, and I still have no concrete career plan. I have just been hoping it will all fall into place for me as time passes. Unfortunately time has been flying by a little to fast, and I feel like in two years I am going to be no where closer to a successful future than I am right now.

My relationship also depends on how this summer plays out. Once again, we are separated for a long period of time. We were finally getting on the right track and very close by the end of the semester. Our biggest obstacle has returned to try to create turmoil. Distance can make the heart grow fonder, but it can also make the mind go insane.

It is the first official week of summer, and so far I have made little progress on my focuses. I am still working on the job part. Today I started a new regiment for my work out; pilates is definitely going to put my body in check. My boyfriend and I have also come to terms with this distance and working together to make sure we stay strong. It is a small start, but one nonetheless.

America is in Need of an Evolution

I am a Christian. I am also a human being. That gives me the right to know how I got here and why - right? In the past decade the controversy over evolution being taught in schools has grown. It has come to my attention lately, that it is not just about teaching different opinions of how the world began, but is much more than that. People are losing their jobs over this battle between religion and evolution!

Ben Stein, known for his smarts and having clear eyes, has decided to take a step forward and stop the whispering. It is time for public to know the new battle that has risen in this war between science and religion. In 2005, a scientist published an article discussing the belief that creation could not have been an accident, but rather designed by a higher being. After being discredited, along with others who have been fired for believing the same, this tug-o-war has elevated to a straight up battle of temper tantrums; lets see who can scream the loudest!

The new documentary titled Expelled stars Ben Stein looking for answers. What is the question? Well, Stein wants to know why, in a country that claims to be the land of free speech and free to believe whatever we please, these rights do not apply to science. Even though the idea that there is a God out there has been around since before science began, for some reason it is a surprise that people still believe this, and want to prove it. According to one hostile credited intellectual, "they are distracting you, from whats really important." What I want to know - what exactly is more important? Knowing if there is a God or not isn't important?

For me, there is no need for factual proof to change my belief in God. I have many experiences that are proof enough to me that God does exist, because without some kind of higher power to pull me through, I probably wouldn't be here. But, for the many millions who need to see it before they believe it, this could be the answer! I mean, if I wasn't a believer because I needed proof, I would want to know what evidence scientists have found!

Furthermore, today I read one of the most refreshing articles written by Mr. Stein that was shared on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary. His view on the relationship between America and Religion is on point. My favorite insight is one he shares of Billy Graham's daughter when she was interviewed regarding Katrina and asking how God could let something like this happen. Her response was music to my ears: "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

Stein's movie premieres in select theatres in the U.S. this Friday, April 18th. With all the controversy, and the Pro-Darwinism dominating most aspects of American life like education and government, I feel that it is important for people to see a less popular, but equally important side. I really hope theatres are filled with people, especially young adults, willing to open their mind to a new side of scientific view, and see what is going on in our world of science. We are the leaders of tomorrow, and to change this very contradictory and unfair country, creating our own beliefs is imperative. So be brave enough to hear all sides, and believe whatever your heart says is right, instead of the majority.

I suggest the super trailer off this link to see a glimpse of the documentary Expelled!

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/video.php

Here is the commentary from Stein on CBS!

http://www.eons.com/blogs/entry/348754-An-Eloquent-Comment-From-CBS-Sunday-Morning-

Alicia is No Longer a Prisoner of Words Unsaid

Lets get a sniper and aim the red dot on her face, right in the middle, between the white and black halves. Lets write articles and blog entries calling her a conspiracy theorist, self-hater, and crazy because she has an opinion and isn’t afraid to express it. Lets all start hating her after she has touched the lives off millions with her music and community service around the world. Lets just call her a hot babe who should of kept her mouth shut.

It sickens me when people target celebrities because something they say gets blown up in a magazine. Most of the time, magazines aren’t even liable because their quotes are taken out of context, making them say something different then what the quoter meant. Let’s ask ourselves people: why would Alicia Keys, someone who isn’t scared to express herself, be unavailable for comment after the uproar about her recent “theoretic conspiracies” about gangster rap and the government being behind Tupac’s and Biggie’s assassinations? Is it because she is feeling ashamed of herself for trying to expand her voice into politics? Or is it because she would rather not be bothered with the media that thrives on ruining reputations of celebrities, and maintain her peace? Personally, I feel it is the people who feel they have to defend themselves to a bunch of savages that hide. Her staying quiet proves to me she isn’t bothered by the demoralized public.

Why does being mulatto matter? So what, she tries to represent her black race; if she was all about being white, the same black people who demean her for representing their race, would say shes a flake instead of a “half nigger.” It just goes to show racism in this world and country is still bad, if not worse. Why can’t people just realize that calling people names and judging skin color and gender is enhancing hatred and is just as bad as pulling a trigger? The tongue can kill too.

No matter the real story behind Alicia’s comments made in that magazine, I stand behind her. The government is tainted, and gangster rap isn’t innocent. Many rappers are guilty of representing a culture that evolves around killing the other to get ahead and to gain respect. The government is also known to do the same, but in a different fashion - more undercover fashion. So don’t hate on Alicia for speaking out; get the balls to do what she does and speak your opinion too.

Life in the Dub for a Yankee

I am a Yankee, and proud of it! Why am I down here? No clue. At first, it was because I hated cold weather and wanted to be near the beach. Now, I have realized enjoying college and life in general has a lot more to do with culture and social life than temperature and geography. I have been here a little more than a year, and still haven’t figured out why I am not enjoying it fully. It is quite clear that I am different and don’t fit in with the typicals here. I don’t wear Rainbows or carry Coach bags. I don’t skateboard or surf. I didn’t even know who Jimmy Buffet was until I was gasped at by my freshman year room mates. After being introduced, and even going to a Margaritaville, I still don’t see what the craze is about.

Anyways. I thought living in a very diverse place would prepare me for anything, anywhere. Well, Wilmington NC has proven me wrong. I am not used to all the white. I like variety. And that is something that this small town still hasn’t discovered yet. There are two main types of people here. The white folk who smile and greet you even though you are strangers and come off too friendly. And then there are the white folk who are too rich and self-centered to even notice anything that looks different from their own kind.

I don’t want to neglect the Black community here, because there is a small one. They travel in small packs. I have noticed there are two main types of their race too. Blacks who try to act extra black to prove that they are black. And then blacks who try to blend in with the white, taking on the preppy lifestyle.

Don’t get me wrong, there are exceptions to both races. Some are open and free to new things and different colors, but it is a rare sight to see a black and a white walking together.

It seems that everytime I try to come up with the reason why I don’t have one real friend here, it always leads me to think about race. Maybe it is because I am used to mixed groups of people. I mean, look at my main girl crew up north = Albanian, Greek, White, Columbian/Irish, and Jamaican/Asian. I don’t mean to imply that good friendships are based on color of skin, because thats not true. But for some reason, the segregation that is claimed to be non-existent, intimidates me.