My Life - Work

I went to work today exhausted, why some of you might ask, well because I was at a friends house... staying up WAY to late... But it's not what you think! We weren't gossiping or eating ice cream out of a tub, I was reading... It make sense, I have a BOOK review blog, I've got to read sometime!

So anyways, I went to work pretty tired, but happy. I start polishing plates, trying to get some plates from the cupboard (down at my feet) and some plates aren't coming out. So I tried a little harder (wasn't that a horrible idea) and suddenly there's a HUGE crash and a look down and there's glass everywhere (Ugh, this is so embarrassing)! I felt like such an idiot, it's a five star resort and I broke six expensive bowls... Well after that I was just a little bit frazzled and I could tell some people noticed... So to summarize the event, my boss and some other workers came up to me after and told me it wasn't a big deal, and that everyone breaks things, which helped with the guilt (a little). Overall today was definitely not the best day at work. Wish me luck tomorrow!

I can't believe vacation and 2010 is almost over!! What's with this? Vacation goes way to fast...
What have I been doing this whole vacation?? What have you been doing this whole vacation? I still have a pile of homework! Sigh... I've had some ideas on a new years resolution but I guess I'll make the final decision tomorrow night! Do you have a new years resolution?

A new book review is coming out soon, if you've read the updates at the top of the blog, you should know what book(s) it's on. You should also know the poll that's going on right now. Transparent vs. Color. The posts now (as you can see) have a background color, I've heard many peoples opinion and I can't make up my mind, so I decided to let my readers decide. So please, vote!

Transparent Pro- See the lovely background of old books
Transparent Con- Viewers have a harder time reading the text

Color Pro- Viewers can see the posts easier
Color Con- You can't see the background of old books

What do you all think of The Gift by Susan Boyle album? I've heard of few songs and I've heard her amazing story. Tell me what you think? Do you like her, do you hate her? Have you heard of her, have you not? Do you think your the next big artist of 2011?

P.S. What do you think the best book of 2010 was? Send me an email or comment below. I want to hear what you think!

My Life - Holiday Vacation

I think the best part of the holidays is eating the extravagant dinners, not going to lie. I love eating food and what better way to fatten yourself up with great homemade food with your family?

Every year I have the same problem, what to get my brother and father? Does anyone else have the same problem? I'm a teenager, so I don't have a lot of money and all my brother wants is a dirt-bike (around $1,500)! If you know any great gifts ideas, PLEASE share them with me! 

Three days ago a got a call from my dad, offering me a job at a five star resort where he works. Considering I've been begging my dad to get me a job there, this was the best Christmas news I'd heard! Today was my second day of work as a "plate polisher." Yes, five star resorts do require ALL of their plates, silverware and glasses polished. For some readers this might sound horrible, but for a 15 year old girl, it's AwEsOmE! I've met some hilarious people and not, cough, another employee I work with. Overall, I love my job, period. 

I hope everyone is having a great holiday break and everyone is spending time with friends and family! Feel the love! 

P.S. Tomorrow I have basketball (hopefully it won't be disrupted by the snow) which will be the best part of my day, I also get to see some of my friends! 

Has anyone else noticed gender racism of women and mens basketball shoes? Why is it that men get so many choices for basketball shoes, whereas women get none. Something must change! 

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

          While I was reading The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan, I kept waiting and waiting for the big conflict to occur and when it never came, I was disappointed. Finally, the second book came out and I was eager to read it. I was waiting for a big climax that never came.  The Dead-Tossed Waves seemed like it was repeating The Forest of Hands and Teeth (the first book). Both books had the same problem, always being surrounded and enclosed by Mudo or Unconsecrated, and fighting to be free. 

            While the book didn’t fulfill my expectations, I thought the author’s writing was incredible. Throughout the book I kept marking pages with quotes I loved, one that I especially love was, “I hold my breath, waiting for her touch to bring me comfort. And then I realize that that’s been my problem all along. Not only wanting comfort and security and safety, but looking to others to find it when I need to find it inside myself. I’ve spent every moment I can remember scared: scared of the Forest, scared to break the rules, scared of the world outside the Barrier. Scared of life. I’ve always looked at everything as black-and-white: alive or dead, safe or savage.” (Pg.324) This quote summarized the book completely. I especially enjoyed the blend of romance, adventure, and conflict. 

            Another thing I would like to commend the authors writing on, is the development of the character Gabry, she starts as a content, scared, young girl and changes into a strong, mature women. 

Even though this wasn’t favorite book and I probably won’t be reading it again (because I’ve basically read it twice now), I found that a lot of the things the author wrote about really stuck with me. The Dead-Tossed Waves, made me think about my conflicts in life, if and how I will overcome them. How everyday I make choices and overcome small, but life changing things. I can’t go back and change them, I have to keep going on my adventure. The boundaries that I have, are made by life and by myself. As a individual, I have to push those boundaries to succeed. "There’s no way for us to ever go back. We keep going.” (Pg. 401) In Gabry’s adventure she realizes (at the end of book) life will never be like it was before the Return. She has to keep going and look for a better life. “We don’t have to live within the boundaries we set up… We have to learn to push those barriers.” (Pg. 404)

Here is a quick summary of this book:

Gabry is a only child, living in the small town guarded by high walls off the coast of an ocean. From the top of her lighthouse, she lives a quiet and content life. Listening to her friends dream of the Dark City, trapped between the barrier and the ocean. The world is unknown to Gabry besides the hungry Unconsecrated (Mudo) waiting to feast on the living. But one childish moment suddenly changes everything. The stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry, the secrets Gabry's mother has kept are now threats that she can't hide, and Gabry's friends are either dead (including the boy she loves) or imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she has to face the forest in order to save herself and the one she loves. The unexpected life adventure leaves Gabry always wondering, there must be more. 

So for those who have read, and enjoyed The Forest of Hands and Teeth (or have not read the previous book), and also love continuous long reads, and books that are quite repetitive but have lots of twist and turns that will keep you guessing. I would recommend this book for you!

A Time Where I Most Felt Alive by Abby Hurwitz

This is an update to the previous poem. This week's post is a little different, not a book review but a poem.
This week I was assigned to write about A Time Where You: I chose the topic A Time Where I Most Felt Alive and wrote a poem. After reading it to many people, I was advised to share it with the world. Leave a comment and tell me what you think. Also, if you know what experience I'm talking about. Enjoy.

A Time Where I Felt Most Alive

Could one simple move

Suddenly remove

Or maybe a sudden lift

My body now just a drift

When it looks so easy

All anyone can do is get queasy

The journey of it all

Is a dance between greatness and a foul ball

Hearing going

The clock slowing

No hurry

Just the worries

While you know the feeling

Others are in debt to the ceiling

As the coins leave her purse

You can see them converse

Arms and legs spread out

For a bird would not fly without

Spinning in the air

The feeling of despair

A simple single of the hand

A smile takes the stand

A once in a lifetime chance

Watching at first glance

The experience is what waits 

But the tunnel is what creates

Defying gravity is such a simple task

When you have four 250 horsepower fans waiting for someone to ask

So take a dive

For this is when you'll feel most alive

The Story of My Life by Farah Ahmedi

 The Story of My Life by Farah Ahmedi is an autobiography about an Afghan girl's life and struggles.This inspiring and compelling story about survival is mesmerizing. It's a story many people can relate to their own lives and struggles.

I loved this book. I finished it in about five hours, only getting up to eat, drink, or use the bathroom. The Story of My Life is a wonderful and fantastic book to read. It's also a great book to discuss with others. There are two reasons I liked this book so much. First, I felt like I was there with Farah, living her life. Second, because I could relate to her life, even though our lives look so different. I could relate to Farah's difficulties dealing with death, pain, embarrassment, new cultures, traveling to new places and most importantly, not being able to drive. Many people have had similar experiences to Farah.Everyone has problems to face and overcome.

Here is a quick summary of this book: Farah Ahmedi lives in Kabul, Afghanistan, with her mother, father, sister, and brothers. While going to school one day, Farah decided to cut through the corn field to save time, and her life changed forever. Farah stepped on a land mine, and lost the ability to walk on her own two feet.  Farah is sent to Germany, to be treated. Germany is like heaven to Farah. She's given her own plate and silverware to eat with, coloring books, and love. After two years in Germany, Farah is healthy enough to go back to Afghanistan and her family. When life seems to be getting back to normal, a bomb hits Farah's house, killing her father, sister, and brothers. Farah and her mother are left to survive on their own. Her mother's asthma attacks require several trips a week to the hospital. Farah is struggling to walk on her worn down prosthetic leg. The Taliban has invaded their town. Money is dwindling. One day, Farah learns about an organization sending a thousand Afghan refugees to America! Farah and her mother quickly apply, not listening to the rumors they will be treated like slaves. After long weeks of fighting and struggling to get an appointment with the Americans, Farah and her mother are accepted into the program. They're going to America. Unable to speak English, Farah and her mother struggle to make appointments, use phones and communicate with Americans. After the initial settlement period, Farah and her mother are on their own, surviving in a strange but exciting new world. Farah is taking English classes, walking on a new prosthetic leg, going to school, and driving.  For her whole life, Farah has fought and struggled to survive. She wants to forget her past. She realizes though, she can't forget her past, that it is good to remember, because it is a part of who she is: part Afghan, part American, and wondering what her future holds.

I definitely recommend this book to 9th grade and up. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering what life changing event, or miracle will happen next. 

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold captivates the attentions of millions of people. This book taught me about living and dying, holding on and letting go. The Lovely Bones made me feel emotions I didn't want to feel.  The sadness, beauty, pain, acceptance, horror, regret, and grief of this book enthralled (look it up) me. Throughout the book I couldn't stop thinking, what if this happened to me? How could anyone live through this? How would a mother live through this? The most touching and beautiful yet terrible and painful book I've read so far.

Here is a quick summary of this book: Susie Salmon was a regular teenage girl. On December 6, 1973 she was murdered. As Susie leaves earth and enters her new home in heaven, her family and friends grieve over their missing child. Susie watches life on earth continue without her, her parents lost but still trying to keep their normal life, her friends talking about her disappearance and her killer covering his tracks. Soon they start to find bits of pieces, her clothes, backpack, notes, and body parts. Now all her family wants is to find their daughters body and to send their daughters killer to jail. While friends, lovers, and family are being questioned, Susie is watching her killer erase the evidence. The police are doing what they can but Susie's dad knows her killer is out their somewhere, he just needs to put the pieces back together.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to adults, and teens (9th grade and up). I could read this over and over again and still cry and still want to read it again. "You don't notice the dead leaving when they really choose to leave you. You're not meant to. At most you feel them as a whisper or the wave of a whisper undulating down... The events that my death wrought were merely the bones of a body that would become whole at some unpredictable time in the future... The destination somehow inevitable, the sights seen in passing so many time. But this time I was accompanied, not ripped away, and I knew we were taking a long trip to a place very far away." (The Lovely Bones, By Alice Sebold)

Zeitoun By Dave Eggers

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers is one of my favorite books so far. This book will be a part of history, the life of a family that lived through hurricane Katrina. What can happen (and has happened) to people when a hurricane hits. While reading this I suddenly felt the urge to go buy a canoe and keep lots of bottled water and food ready in case this ever happens to me.

Not only did this book keep you on your toes, you knew exactly how they felt, for example, when Kathy didn't know if her husband was alive or when Zeitoun sees animals left behind to survive by themselves.

Here is a quick summary of this book: Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun, are a Muslim family and own a painting company in New Orleans. While the city (including Kathy and their four kids) evacuates because of hurricane Katrina, Abdulrahman stays home to take care of the many properties they own. Soon his house is flooded, the windows are broken and there are large holes in the ceiling. Zeitoun travels around the flooded city on his canoe, picking up helpless people in need and feeding animals left to face the hurricane by themselves. One day while calling his family, Zeitoun is arrested and sent to Camp Greyhound, a prison for looters and alleged terrorists. There he is treated like dirt, living in a small cage, with no phone calls, food he can't eat, and no medical aid.  When Kathy finds out where Zeitoun is, she stops at nothing to get him out. Soon life starts to get back to normal, fixing, repairing, and building houses, but after everything they've been through, will their lives really be the same?

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

                                                                                                              

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks was about a heart broken love story. About no matter how passionate love can be, long distant relationships don't always work out.

I loved this book, it was a great mixture of love and sadness. After the first chapter, I was hooked. I felt like one of those old ladies watching a soap opera yelling... "No! Don't give up!" When you actually think about it, millions of people have to deal with long distant relationships over seas because they're enlisted.  This book will tug at everyones heartstrings.

Here is a quick summary of this book: John Tyree joins the army after high school. Soon after John meets Savannah Curtis and both of their lives change. John suddenly has a reason to stay home and Savannah's best friend Tim has to help the girl he loves cope with her love leaving. But during their new found love, John has to finish his tour of duty and has to make a decision of love or his country. And that sometimes you have to make decisions (ones you don't like) because you love someone.

Overall this book was a MUST read, I would recommend this to anyone who has or has ever been in a tough or new relationship.

Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly

Seventeenth Summer by Marureen Daly, was not what I expected.  I thought it would be a story about modern era love, but to my surprise this book was actually taken place in the past. Girls where dresses, all men (young and old) smoke, everyone drinks beer, helping the family take care of the house is the main priority and no internet. (What would we do today if there was no internet!) Angie and Jacks relationship continues throughout the entire book. They met at the end of school and stayed together throughout the entire summer. It was a summer to remember.

Here is a quick summary of this book: Angie was never the popular girl but when she met Jack everything changed. He was the high school basketball star and she was a nobody.  It was a summer love to remember. Parents are unsure about their relationship and her older sister has some major boy problems. Angie waits for Jacks call sso they can hang out and Jack shares his feelings about her while she also wants to but never really does. The summer is coming to an end and neither of them know what to do. Angie is going away to college while Jack has no real plans. Will their love last forever or will it just be another summer fling they will never forget?

This book is definitely a summer read, hence the name... It was different from other books I've read and surprisingly I really liked it. I would certainly recommend it to grades 9th and up.

The Taker by J.M. Steele

The Taker by J.M. Steele not only has an ending you wouldn't expect it also has helpful tips about school and test taking. When I first started this book I thought it wouldn't be that great (boring). But the unexpected twists kept me reading! This book kept me on my toes. What is Carly Biels going to do? Will she use The Taker? Will she focus on her studies? Will she stay with her (not so great) boyfriend.

Each chapter starts with an SAT question about Carly, and instead of just plain, "chapter 1," "chapter 2" they
used fill in bubbles (like on the actual SAT's).

Here is a quick summary of this book: Carly Biels finds out she will NEVER get into Princeton with the SAT scores she got. Carly suddenly gets a text from The Taker. Carly starts to study with Ronald Gross her nerdy next door neighbor. She and her boyfriend start to have some relationship issues. Carly takes the makeup SAT's and gets an amazing score. She finds out The Taker didn't actually take the test for her and realizes her real feelings for her study partner.

This book is worth reading and I would recommend this book to 8th graders and above.

Kissing Annabel by Steven Herrick

Kissing Annabel by Steven Herrick was... how should I put this... different. First, every page looks like a poem, I think Steven Herrick wanted it to be like that because Jack (the main character) loves poetry. But from my point of view it's a HUGE waste of paper. Second, there were many missed spelled words and punctuation errors. Don't they proof read books before they're published?

This quick read is a story of Jacks life which includes: Annabel, love, nose hairs and apples.

Here is a quick summary of this book: Jacks in school, he starts seeing Annabel, they grow up, they graduate and decide to not go to college, he leaves with Annabel, they start working at an apple orchard, they become very close with the apple orchard family, they leave the apple orchard to live on the beach with the little money they earned.

Overall I would not recommend this book... to anyone.