Skip to main content

Me and My Books


Well, coming off a week-long trip to Florida, I have been thinking back to the stack of good books I read. Actually, my reading streak started before that, but I was able to finish one book, read two more, and start another while on vacation. I am on a good book streak right now, so I thought I would share what I have been reading.


Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

I like to read books that are going to be movies in the upcoming year. I usually skip the movie because it's bound to be a disappointment, but Unbroken is one I just might have to catch. Unbroken is the life story of Louis Zamperini. He was a former bad kid turned U.S. Olympic track star turned U.S. airman. His plane crashed into the ocean in World War II and he, and two others, floated aimlessly for 47 days in a lifeboat. As if fighting off relentless sharks 24 hours a day wasn't enough, he was captured by the Japanese and held in a POW camp for a couple of years. The torture he endured is mind-numbing. But lest you think he caved in to the pressure of his conditions. He actually survived and lived a fulfilled live post-trauma. This was a hefty book but soooo good! Angelina Jolie has signed on to produce the movie. I just have to believe it's going to be a good one.



The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I also like to read youth fiction. The writing always tends to be very touching in an uncomplicated way. The Fault in Our Stars is about two teenagers with cancer who meet at a support group. The story follows them through their budding relationship, their support of fellow cancer patients, and even their own illnesses. It is sad and funny and so well-written. I zipped through it in a day. And I cried through the last 30 pages. It touched me very deeply.



The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Here's another piece of historical fiction that is slated to be a movie. (In fact, I have watched the trailer and I cried when I saw it.) The story involves a young girl named Liesel who is fostered to a couple in Germany during World War I. Her family decides to hide a Jew in their basement. But that is only part of the story. Little Liesel is a poor, uneducated girl, but she finds a book and steals it. Her foster father, an amazing man of character, teaches her to read and this opens up a whole new world to her. She then goes on to steal many books and shares them with the hidden Jew, as well as her neighbors while they are hiding in the bomb shelter. The book is written from the view point of "Death", so you can imagine that all does not necessarily end well. But it's not creepy or weird. It's an amazing book that I highly recommend.


Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

This past year I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and then went on to read Dark Places by her, as well. Sharp Objects was her first novel. And, like the others, it is slightly sadistic with lots of twists and turns. It is about a twenty-something woman who is a reporter in Chicago and is given an assignment to cover the murders of two little girls down in her dinky hometown. She hasn't been back there in many years, for good reason. While there she reunites with her mother, step-father, half-sister (who she has never met) and many other former friends and acquaintances. And, you guessed it, they are all involved in these murders somehow. Although you think you know "who dunnit", it doesn't turn out exactly how you think it will. No, it's a little more "ooh, yuck" than you think. It was a good book. I read it in a day. I like Gillian Flynn's books because they are always set in Missouri, so I can feel the setting.



Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I am currently reading this book. I watched the movie one night by myself and absolutely loved it. Since the movie was so good, I just felt that the book would have to be better. I am really enjoying it so far, and am halfway through. It has some really great thought-provoking nuggets. And, there is just something peaceful about what the character did. After her divorce and a volatile relationship, Liz decides to spend the next year to find herself. She spends four months in Italy (Eat), four months in India (Pray) and four months in Indonesia (Love). If you are a woman who is feeling overwhelmed with life (and know that you would never just take off to find yourself ... because this book might make you want to), then this book is a good one to read!!


What's next on the list? I am currently reading a book called At Home in Dogwood Mudhole by Franklin Sanders for the TOS Review Crew. I have only just started but it has grabbed my attention right from the start. I will be posting a review on it soon. Then I am moving onto these books to get me through the remainder of the year.


The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner

Have you read anything good lately that you can recommend for next year's list??

Comments

  1. I just finished Sharp Objects and Oh My! It was good but kinda turned my stomach. The Memory Keepers Daughter is another good one, it's pretty predictable but I enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

We all know that in this crazy world of homeschooling, we need all the (adult) support we can get. Please leave a comment if you so wish!

Popular posts from this blog

ABCya

Eli's reading resource teacher shared a website with me yesterday that I would like to pass along. It's called ABCya . There are separate educational sections with fantastic games for ages kindergarten through 5th grade. I browsed the 2nd grade level, and it includes age-appropriate games about Letters, Numbers, Shapes, Geometry, Patterns, Mouse Manipulation, Art and Holiday games. There are lots and lots of fun and creative games for children to play. They are fun, but oh, so educational. Eli's favorite, in his short time playing it, was Create a Car . A lot of the games also have Apps available for purchase (99 cents for most of them) for the iPad and iPhone. I have been looking for another free website for games similar to Starfall , for some time. I think I have found it. I can feel confident having Eli and Brynne play these games.

A Thomas Jefferson Education "This Week in History" ~ Schoolhouse Review

Talk about a GOLD MINE! A Thomas Jefferson Education's This Week in History by Rachel DeMille is her "labor of love" ... and I absolutely LOVE it! " This Week in History is a daily resource that brings your home school or classroom to life." For just $9.99 per month, you can log onto TJEd.com and click the "This Week in History" link to obtain many, many, many resources tied to specific events that occurred in the upcoming week in history. Or even better, you can receive the summaries and links to ALL resources right in your email Inbox each week! It doesn't get any easier than that! What does this really look like in real life? Each week, I receive an email from Rachel DeMille that sets out each date of the coming week. Under the date, there are listed anywhere from one to several events that occurred in history on that date. THEN there are ALL kinds of things to do related to that event, such as books to read, websites to visit, ac

Cells ~ It's What's for Dinner

Dawson made edible cells on Friday. He made an animal cell pizza ... and a plant cell chocolate chip cookie ... He reviewed what he's learned about cells the past two weeks, and I had dinner made by someone else. Win, win!! I am linking up at Science Sunday at Adventures in Mommydom.