Currently reading
From Babylon to Timbuktu: A History of the Ancient Black Races Including the Black Hebrews
The Valley of the Dry Bones: The Conditions That Face Black People in America Today
Play with Fire: Discovering Fierce Faith, Unquenchable Passion, and a Life-Giving God
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
The Emotionally Healthy Church, Expanded Edition: A Strategy for Discipleship That Actually Changes Lives
This Will Change Everything: Ideas That Will Shape the Future
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
I Got My Dream Job and So Can You: 7 Steps to Creating Your Ideal Career After College
The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; Or, Why I'm Never Getting All That Glitter Off of the Dog
The Great Wall Of Lucy Wu
I thought this book did an excellent job of touching on being multicultural as a child. Navigating that good enough to be something feeling of dread that comes with not feeling adequate for either side of yourself. Lucy Wu is an American Born Chinese child which makes her an American. Her love of basketball, parties, space (her room) & junk food don't make her ashamed of her Chinese heritage. They just make her feel inadequate in the love of all things authentic Chinese. As Lucy navigates the 6th grade, an unwanted relative from China in her room, being bullied & being forced to quit basketball for Chinese school you get to experience through her very frustrated eyes. She not only makes it through but she learns some important life lessons along the way. She learns that having two cultural identities doesn't have to mean the erasing of one for the other. Lucy also learns how to accept being different, defend herself through her adversity & how to appreciate change.
I subtracted 1 star for the Yi Po character. All the hidden references & the anticlimactic departure.
Me Before You
While you will end this novel feeling like you need a drink & a tissue you haven't ever read anything like it before. This novel made me look at our inaccessible world for quadriplegic or any wheel chair bound person. All that said, Louisa Clarke & Will Traynor's journey to friendship will have you laughing. These 2 people couldn't be anymore different if you imagined it yourself. With a host of interesting characters like Patrick Louisa's boyfriend she should have never let make it to year one to Katrina her baby sister with the superiority complex whilst living at home as a college dropout. Me Before You is an epic story of the fight to live life for yourself without being bullied into the life people want/expect for you. Louisa learns how to adult & Will learns humility. They each learn what it means to be unapologetically confident in saying no to those you love. Through it all you find yourself falling in love with all the characters. Will 's neurotic mother, his philandering father (may be disdain for this guy) & Louisa's very eccentric family. I spent half the novel wanting to shake the life out of Katrina. In the end you realize that I was me before you & I want to be me after you. Even if it hurts. This is a story about love in its purest form; unselfish.
American Born Chinese
I couldn't figure out why the story just felt so disconnected for me. I thought the overall message was good but how it was presented was strange. This is the first time I've read a children graphic novel. I am unsure if this is how they all work. It wasn't for me.
Eleanor and Park
This is almost Cory & Topanga love story epic! I would say it is on the same level as Fault in Our Stars good. It is more mature in nature than Fault in Our Stars as this deals with domestic violence, child abuse & parental rejection. Eleanor & her siblings have had a haphazard life. Struggling to deal with being abandoned by their father & terrorized by their mother's new husband. She finds a rock in the storm; Park. Park isn't looking to be a knight in shining armor or even to be Eleanor's friend. Instead he just wants to be rid of her as quickly as possible.
This novel takes you on the journey of 2 people who are worlds apart as they collide into cataclysmic love story. This was a great read & surprisingly realistic.
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things
I read this to screen it's appropriateness for a gift. It is definitely appropriate for any child. It is surprisingly funny. I laughed & even posted some of the lines to F.B. too.Alvin Ho is allergic to life most days it would seem. He is paralyzed by fear in all unfamiliar situations & he can cuss in Shakespearean quite well! This hilarious story of one 2nd graders life will have you laughing. All while learning some important life lessons.
Dancing Diva
This was a great children's book. It had great lessons on humility, obedience & responsibility. This is the 6th book in the series. I wanted to screen these to see how appropriate it was for my niece. They are definitely age appropriate for a 5 Year old.
The History of Love
This book was painstakingly slow for me. It took me about 3 weeks to read, because I kept putting it aside to read other things. The premise of the book, on the jacket cover, drew me in to the story. The book itself was not as exciting. I did like the book overall. It just took time for me to get into the story from the way it was told.
This Is Where the World Ends
What The Freak? I wasn't ready! LoL Take it back Amy Zhang just one more chapter or an epilogue at least! I beg you!I started reading this book because it was on a children's book list & I was pre-reading for gift ideas. Then I realized it was YA & was trapped.
Amy Zhang creates a very realistic view into the life a troubled teenage girl named Janie Vivian & Micah Carter her secret. They live 2 separate together unilateral parallel lives & it is inexplicably complicated. Together you must steer through the fog to figure out what the Hello Janie is up to & the price everyone is going to pay for playing pretend with her!
Everything about Micah makes no sense & when you add in Janie then there isn't enough life to figure it out. The story grasps you & holds you in because all you want is to understand. This novel is a mirrored look for those of us who have lost our way, before we found our way.
Unraveling the mystery of who burned down Janie's house, what secret she is holding inside & where she ran away too will have you screaming into the pages. You feel like your watching a horror movie & they're running toward the killer. Definitely an interesting read. I gave 4 stars because I wanted Micah to be more flushed out & I couldn't figure out Dewey's purpose.
Keena Ford and the Secret Journal Mix-Up
This book was a fun read & kid appropriate. This story about the Secret Journal Mix Up taught some big lessons. Like never say anything about anyone you don't want repeated to them. Own your mistakes & apologies should be sincere. Keena is in hot water when she leaves her journal at Tiffany 's house. Not only is Tiffany not her friend but Tiffany is mean. Getting Keena's journal back proves difficult after Tiffany uses the journal to blackmail Keena into doing whatever she wants. Leaving Linny Keena's best friend feeling left out. However; with some advice from her big brother Brian & a recon mission from her best friend Eric, Keena comes out a champ. She stands up for herself, gets her journal back & gets Tiffany to learn to be nice. Having standup friends like Linny & Eric has Keena counting her blessings!
Plum Fantastic
I wanted to find books with a little more diversity for the girls & my niece. This book was cute but the descriptions of the other children had me not so sure at 1st. Which is why I deducted a star. Once the book started flowing, it was a normal children's book. I also couldn't figure out why Brenda the 4th little girl is rarely pictured & not on the cover. All in all this is a good book about friendship & overcoming uncomfortable situations. Kids learn how team work can be effective, to support each other & how to be forgive.
President of the Whole Fifth Grade
I read this book to see if it was a good gift & appropriate. It was not only a fun appropriate read, it encouraged intelligence, hard work & integrity. I believe any child would benefit from reading this book. Especially if they have big dreams.....most of them do!Brianna along with friends Sara, Beck & Lauren want to be business women. They learn about good money habits & friendship in this "scandalous"(as perceived by 5th grade girls) 5th grade battle for presidency. They also learn the value of self-control, discipline, honesty & integrity. They learn about selflessness & charity. They even talk about wealth investment for financial philanthropy! Important lessons abound in this book!
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Sterling Unabridged Classics)
I was expecting more illustrations & to understand the book. I may be dense. I had a hard time understanding the logic of quite a bit. However; I have never read the story before & watched the new movie 1st. My opinion could be tainted as I understood the movie.
 - Scott McKowen, Arthur Pober, Lewis Carroll)
The Changing Season
I felt bamboozled & hoodwinked by this book. Steven Manchester sent me a synopsis that read "A beautifully crafted and poignant coming of age story where loyalties will be divided, friendships will be tested, teenage love will be discovered, and through it all, the enduring bond between a boy and his beloved dog will always be remembered." Here I was expecting a slow moving love story. You set your heart up for the story you want to hear when you think you know the story line. Well not this time. I was taken for a fast paced joy ride that had me gripping my Kindle wishing I could shake some sense into Billy & Charlie. The changing season is more than a coming of age story. It's a lesson on love, loyalty, morality & the blurring of those very fine lines.
You find yourself identifying with Billy because we've all been at that point to look at life & wonder what do I even mean to this world. You get to go through this time knowing that there is no rush to grow up & speak back to Billy along with his friends with experience. Which makes this read awesome. You empathize, commiserate & rejoice right along with the characters. You start offering up real life advice to the pages because you of course know better.....now.
While this story is Billy 's story, you can't help but want to delve into his close circle of family & friends. The Changing Season takes you on a surprising ride that's not only a coming of age but a brilliant depiction of what it is like to hit the grown up button after the fairytale of adolescence.
You should read this story if you're tired of the typical boy meets girl coming of age love story. There is way more depth & thrill. Steven Manchester never fails to create a story that isn't like anything you expected. He is a nice blend of John Grisham meets Nicholas Sparks without telling you the same story 40 different ways. Steven Manchester makes each story it's own & embodies a great tale of generational legacy.
The Girl in the Spider's Web: A Lisbeth Salander novel, continuing Stieg Larsson's Millennium Series
I thought the book was good. It wasn't as good as the 1st three books & I hope they let Mr. Larsson's memory rest in peace after this one. My struggles were that Lizbeth gets caught for the thing she does with prolific ability. It just wasn't what you were expecting from the girl with the dragon tattoo. I'm sad they hadn't wrapped up the entire story but left it open for a sequel. I get wanting to honor someone's memory but taking over their vision is a different beast. Maybe because I feel like they missed the mark here but I think they should lay this to rest.
The Housewife Assassin's Handbook
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It had some great mystery & story telling along with an awesome use of satirical style balance. If I were a housewife assassin I believe this would be my memoir!I really enjoyed how the sex scenes didn't go all 50 shades of grey because honestly it's overrated & over done these days. They were simple & didn't detract from the story line. Which by the way was great! The twist & turns we're brilliant.
I was super proud that Donna was not instantly heartless as an assassin & she was more real than a superhero. I also throughly enjoyed the mild description of the characters looks. It let my imagination run which is always a plus because in my Donna Stone world Halle Berry was starring in my mind movie & Gerard Butler was Jack! If this gets optioned all I want is a credit line for my casting advice!
I recommend this as a nice light read which will bring fun, joy & laughs. Side note they don't get the bad guys! My favorite thing! Everything doesn't need a perfect bow ending to be good.
Pleasantly Surprising
I felt bamboozled & hoodwinked by this book. Steven Manchester sent me a synopsis that read "A beautifully crafted and poignant coming of age story where loyalties will be divided, friendships will be tested, teenage love will be discovered, and through it all, the enduring bond between a boy and his beloved dog will always be remembered."
Here I was expecting a slow moving love story. You set your heart up for the story you want to hear when you think you know the story line. Well not this time. I was taken for a fast paced joy ride that had me gripping my Kindle wishing I could shake some sense into Billy & Charlie. The changing season is more than a coming of age story. It's a lesson on love, loyalty, morality & the blurring of those very fine lines.
You find yourself identifying with Billy because we've all been at that point to look at life & wonder what do I even mean to this world. You get to go through this time knowing that there is no rush to grow up & speak back to Billy along with his friends with experience. Which makes this read awesome. You empathize, commiserate & rejoice right along with the characters. You start offering up real life advice to the pages because you of course know better.....now.
While this story is Billy 's story, you can't help but want to delve into his close circle of family & friends. The Changing Season takes you on a surprising ride that's not only a coming of age but a brilliant depiction of what it is like to hit the grown up button after the fairytale of adolescence.
You should read this story if you're tired of the typical boy meets girl coming of age love story. There is way more depth & thrill. Steven Manchester never fails to create a story that isn't like anything you expected. He is a nice blend of John Grisham meets Nicholas Sparks without telling you the same story 40 different ways. Steven Manchester makes each story it's own & embodies a great tale of generational legacy.
