The Peach Keeper

by Sarah Addison Allen

I REALLY enjoyed this book. The story was a reminder of the importance of friendships and how TRUE friendships, though they might fade, never truly disintegrate. Real friendships grow roots so deep that they last for a lifetime.

Some SPOILERS beyond this point!

This story is really about friendship and the lengths that a person will go to to defend the foundation that friendship is based on. Agatha's decision to help Georgie through a difficult situation reveals the love she felt for Georgie. Even in her old age, even after she and Georgie's friendship seemed to slip away, she was willing to lie and take the fall for Georgie's teenage actions. Agatha's promise transcended time and years of broken friendship. The peach tree that grew over Tucker Devlin's gravesite seemd to represent the secret that Georgie and Agatha shared and kept for many years. The removal of the tree and the revealing of Tucker Devlin's grave represented the release of that secret because it was time for Willa and Paxton to know that part of their history so that they could create the lives they wanted for themselves.

I highly recommend this book.

Making Your Thoughts Work For You

by Dr. Wayne Dyer and Byron Katie

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." Wayne Dyer


I think the message presented makes a lot of sense, and it goes along with the quote, "Change your thoughts, change your life." (Also a book written by Dyer)

It seems that our world has transformed many of us into fast-paced workaholics with many technological advances (iphones, laptops, texting, instant messaging, email) that provide numerous conveniences. Unfortunately these conveniences ultimately funnel more feelings of stress into our lives, along with feelings that we are not accomplishing all that we should. I think Byron Katie's "work" could be instrumental in helping people to look at their thoughts in a different way than they are used to. As the observer, it becomes easier to turn those thoughts around, making them work FOR you rather than against you.

I got this from the library....worth checking out!!

Sarah's Key

This book has been on my list for awhile now, mostly because of its Paris setting (I'm in love with Paris and the French language), and partly because of its subject matter: Nazi-occupied France and the deportation of Jews. As a teacher of World War 2, it's helpful for me to research and gain further knowledge of that particular, though extremely sad, period of time. Prior to reading this book, I had no knowledge of the Vel' d'Hiv roundup that occured on June 16, 1942, nor did I ever learn about the instrumental role the French police played in these tragic and inexcusable events. My leisurely strolls through the Marais in Paris certainly would have been different for me had I known then what I know now.

In the book...

Sarah lives with her mother, father, and brother in Paris in 1942. One summer night while Sarah is sleeping there are a series of knocks on the door, followed by voices that indicate it's the police. Sarah quietly scampers to her mother's room to wake her, while her father hides in the basement and her four-year-old brother sleeps in the bedroom. Her mother answers the door to French police that demand she pack clothes and leave with them immediately. Through tears, she does as she's told, and Sarah helps her brother into the closet hideout they play in. She makes sure he has water and a flashlight, and then locks him in and puts the key in her pocket. She promises she'll come back for him soon, and she knows her father will find him once the police leave and he can emerge from the basement. But things don't happen exactly as Sarah has imagined, and soon she, her mother, and father, are in the Velodrome waiting with the other Jews that have been torn from their homes in the early morning hours. What will happen to her brother?

The very short chapters alternate between Sarah's point of view and that of Julia, who is a journalist living in present-day Paris. Julia is American, in her forties, and married to a French man named Bertrand. They have a daughter, Zoe, who is a bit of a smart-ass. Her husband has just purchased his grandmother's apartment in the Marais district of Paris, and he plans to remodel it into a new home for his family. Julia doesn't seem too keen on the idea, but goes along with it anyway. Bertrand is an ass, for lack of a better word. He is condescending toward Julia and is involved romantically with another woman, Amelie. For whatever reason, probably because she loves him, Julia puts up with his despicable behavior and attends to her job at the American French magazine where she is assigned a story on the Vel' D'Hiv Jewish roundup in 1942. Her job will be to find and interview people who remember that horrid day and use facts only in the piece she writes. This is where things get very interesting for the reader. I won't give away the details, though, because this is such an intricately detailed plot. You really have to read it for yourself because any description I would give could not possibly do it justice. Tatiana de Rosnay has created a masterpiece with this novel, one that will stick with me forever. And there's a bonus: I learned something about history that I never knew before, something that I can share with my students, too.

Happy Reading!

Inside-out Wellness

by Dr. Wayne Dyer and Dr. Christiane Northrup





Oh. My. Word.





This is a hilarious recording of a live conference, and it absolutely reeks of truth.





Dyer has become one of my favorite people to listen to because he has such a soothing, uplifting voice. He begins this set of audio CDs with his usual positive words. Change your thinking, change your life.





Then enters Northrup. This is the very first time I've encountered Northrup, who is such a delight. She does not hold back as she lays out truths about the female (and male) body.

A very entertaining "listen" about the body and how Northrup thinks it should be cared for.

Bite Club by Rachel Caine

I got seriously "sucked" into this series (couldn't help the pun). I have been patiently awaiting the arrival of this book from my library hold list, and have been trying to get my teenage vampire fix elsewhere. That attempt has been dissatisfying and I am so glad I finally got to read this book! There is so much character development in this series, added to a fantastic and complicated plot, and TONS of action and adventure! I just ate it right up.

A little bit of background for those of you that might be unfamiliar with the series:

Claire Danvers is an exceptionally intelligent teenager with a passion for science. She could attend college at M.I.T, but her parents don't think it's a good idea for her to go so far away at the ripe young age of 16. So instead they enroll her at TPU, Texas Prairie University, which is only a couple of hours from home. Upon her arrival at TPU, Claire knows this has been a bad match. Claire narrowly escapes a murder attempt by a gaggle of mean girls who throw her down a flight of stairs. Too afraid to continue living in the dorms, Claire sets out to find an alternative place to live: The Glass House. After much persuasion, Claire becomes a housemate and fast friend to Eve (Goth Girl), Michael (Ghost Boy), and Shane (seriously hot and angry boy). But things don't settle down for Claire. She manages to get herself mixed up with the town's vampires, leading her and her friends into all sorts of hairy trouble.

So, in this book (#10 in the series), Claire finds herself trying to save her boyfriend Shane from self-destruction. The town's Founder's evil father has escaped imprisonment and returned to seek revenge on his daughter and the town's humans. But first he needs an army and funding, and Shane sort of unwillingly becomes a participant in this mad scheme to destroy the town. The old man orchestrates a version of Fight Club that involves humans versus vampires, and streams the fights over the internet. Claire and her friends discover Shane's secret and set out to convince him to ditch it before the Founder finds out and orders him and all other participants killed.

All this before the book's halfway point.

I read this in less than 6 hours because I couldn't bear to put it down. This series has very little dull moments. Things are always moving at a break-neck pace and I find myself reading voraciously and flipping pages feverishly to discover what happens next. If you're looking for an entertaining series, this one's a shoo-in.

Marked (House of Night #1) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

A young librarian recommended this series to me as I was checking out a Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires) book. Immediately I logged onto goodreads to see people's reviews. Had I heeded those reviews, I probably would not be in the predicament I am now: I was entertained by the book, but distracted by the lack of quality writing. The teenage dialogue seemed so unrealistic and forced. I spend 40 hours a week surrounded by teenagers, and I've never once heard them say, "hee hee." How about the continuous and confusing misuse of 'affect' and 'effect'? Isn't it customary for a manuscript to go through a rather lengthy process of editing before it is printed? Reading this book has given me hope that the novel I've been writing for 5 years has potential to eventually be published. But I'd lobby for a better editor...

Zoey is floundering through her normal high school routine when suddenly she is approached by a strange man near her locker. He Marks her, meaning he tags her as a vampyre (why is it spelled like this, anyway? Do the authors have something against the usual way - vampIre? That is never explained in the book, either.) She rushes home to tell her mother, running into her drunken boyfriend and his friends, who are absolutely horrified by her new Marking. When she shows her mother the Mark, her mother shies away in disgust and panics. Immediately she calls her new husband, a member of the People of Faith, who calls the pastor and the family psychologist to the house. Zoey retreats to her bedroom and escapes, driving to her Cherokee grandmother's lavender farm. Luckily her grandmother is more understanding and brings her to the House of Night before she dies from all the coughing (??). Her roommate, whose name I can't seem to remember even though I finished reading only moments before writing this, has a thick Southern accent and is very naive. She introduces Zoey to her friends and they accept Zoey quickly. Enter Aphrodite, the leader of the "mean girls" at House of Night. She is in training to be the High Priestess, but also makes it her mission to destroy Zoey. Naturally, Aphrodite's ex-boyfriend is interested in Zoey, and that just adds fuel to an already raging fire.

This book lacks many things, in my opinion, but what it does not lack is teenage drama. However, several of the characters aren't developed enough (Erik especially), and this makes it difficult for the reader to identify with them.

The marking on my book says "Young Adult", but I don't know that I'd agree with that since there are very inappropriate references to things that young adults needn't really be aware of...yet.

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

Wow.
I've only read one other book by Elin Hilderbrand (The Blue Bistro), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So, naturally I had high expectations for this one - and Elin did NOT disappoint. She writes in such a way that I feel like I KNOW each character. She is such an expert at characterization. The plot is simple yet deep, and I like that because it allows the reader to really become acquainted with each character and their particular situations.

Birdie is recently divorced from millionaire Grant Cousins and is enjoying the company of a new man, Hank, whose wife has fallen ill to Alzheimer's and permanently resides in a caretaking facility. Her daughter, Chess, calls in the middle of the night to tell her that her wedding to perfect man Michael Morgan is off. Chess moves back home with Birdie in Connecticut, and Birdie decides to take Chess to her family's summer home on Tuckernuck island, off the island of Nantucket. Birdie's other daughter, Tate, who makes a very nice living as a computer consultant, calls to tell Birdie she is coming to the summer house, too. At the last minute, Birdie invites her sister India, whose famous sculptor husband committed suicide fifteen years ago. Together these four women set off to Tuckernuck, leaving the fast pace of the mainland for a more primitive existence on an island without electricity and warm water. Each woman carries with her a secret, along with the hope that Tuckernuck will save them from themselves.

With the end of the book comes some kind of closure for each character, depending on her need. But, it also provides hope for the future, a revival of sorts. Additionally, Hilderbrand's novels have instilled in me the 'itch' to spend part of a summer in Nantucket. So, if you have any connections or advice on where to inexpensively stay for a week or so, please be so kind as to share. I've got Nantucket on the brain for summer 2012!

(I have to thank my friend Rebecca for not only turning me on to Ms. Hilderbrand, but for also being my supplier!)

Despite its thickness, this book is a fast read. And it will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy afterward :) Enjoy!

The 5 Love Languages by Gary D. Chapman

Written by a man who served as a marriage counselor for 30 years, The 5 Love Languages is a book about, well, love languages. "Love Languages" is a term that Chapman designed to explain what works best for people in a marriage, namely what makes a person feel loved. The 5 languages are: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.

Chapman describes that each person involved in a relationship (marriage) has something called a "love tank". When a person's tank is full, they are happy in their marriage, but when their love tank is less than full or even empty they become dissatisfied with their marriage. How do you know whether your partner's tank is full or empty? Pay attention to what your partner nags you about or witholds from you: that is probably their love language. For example, if your partner constantly nags you to take out the trash or load the dishwasher, their love language might be Acts of Service.

According to Chapman, many a marriage has been rekindled and resurrected by deciphering which love language your partner speaks and then "speaking" that language to them and filling their love tank.

Not everyone speaks the same love language, AND some people are bilingual.

It would be ideal for both partners in a relationship to read this book, determine each other's love language, and then use Chapman's tips to fill each other's love tanks.

The terminology is cheesy but the idea just might work. He cites many examples in detail and he encourages that it would give any struggling marriage a boost.

{Maybe someone should forward this book to the Catholic Church to use in place of their Pre-Cana marriage seminar/workshop. A priest lecturing couples on sex and family planning might not be the best method of marriage instruction. Gary Chapman would be a much better, more practical and realistic choice!}

Ghost Town (The Morganville Vampires) by Rachel Caine

Well, I have finally finished reading all the books from this series that I can get my hands on. There is one more on hold at the library, and I think the author has another one coming out in November. I was really captivated by this series, especially the earlier books. I love Claire - she is brainy and attractive, has a devoted hunky boyfriend, has parents that love her immensely, and she is crucial to keeping Morganville running. Much of the time the cards are in her hands, even though her life is constantly being threatened. She has way too many close calls...

Caine has artfully created a world in which vampires and humans live together, but under forced and regulated (mostly) conditions. Humans are free to roam during the day, but once dusk arrives they shut themselves in for fear of the vampires who roam at night. Each human citizen pays taxes, but not in the form of money. Instead, each person must donate blood once a month at the blood bank, and that blood becomes meal replacements for the vampires. But there are always some less-than-cautious humans who allow themselves to be bitten, and it usually works out o.k., except when a vampire can't stop. Many people hate living in Morganville, but unfortunately can't leave due to the town's strict border control and mind-altering effects. Those that do leave never come back, except for Claire's boyfriend Shane and his father who seek to avenge relatives' deaths. What will happen when the system breaks down and Claire is commissioned to help fix it? And what if things go terribly wrong once the machine is up and running? Who will save the town from Myrnin's psychotic grasp?

Just when I thought she couldn't possibly come up with any more unique ideas to keep the series going, I was surprised! Each book presents a new, seemingly impossible problem that Claire somehow is needed to help with.

As a devoted Twilight fan, I highly recommend this series as a contender at least, but maybe better? It's just different, so hard to compare. A quick, entertaining read of adventure, action, risk, love, and survival.

Something Borrowed (plus others by Emily Giffin)

I'm kind of cheating here because I didn't actually read the book. However, I just watched the movie on my day off (thank you Rosh Hashanah!). I have been putting off watching the movie because the book is on my to-read list and I like to read the book first. But last night I was standing at the Red Box by our house and this was the only movie that appealed to me so I rented it. I've read a couple of Emily Giffin's books: Love the One You're With and The Heart of the Matter. I liked the first but not the latter. Not really, anyway. Both books entertained the themes of disloyalty and infidelity, but for whatever reason Love the One You're With had more redemptive qualities. The Heart of the Matter left me feeling agitated and sad. Quick rundown: the main characters are Tessa and Nick, who live a comfortable life with their children in a nice neighborhood. Nick is a surgeon who begins to go through some sort of mid-life crisis (in my opinion). Basically, he forgets who he is and blames it all on his wife. He enters into an affair with a single mother whose child has been badly injured in an accident. He eventually confesses to his wife what he's done and begs for forgiveness. At first she tells him to get out, but then later decides to forgive him. While this might make her seem weak to some people, I actually saw her as brave. She had been deeply hurt and betrayed by the man that she loved and she tried everything she could think of to make him happy. He was a surgeon that was hardly home, and instead of putting forth effort into maintaining a relationship with the woman he fell in love with he ran away to another woman. So when he begged for forgiveness and she eventually granted it, I perceived her character as strong enough to realize that even though people (especially men) make very stupid mistakes sometimes it doesn't mean they don't deserve a second chance. If she had decided to hold onto her anger she would have only hurt herself more. We don't always have it all together, and sometimes we need others to see our strengths over our faults. She loved him, and I believe that she let her unconditional love for him allow her forgiveness and acceptance. It takes a strong woman to do what she did.

Now onto Something Borrowed. I enjoyed the movie. Rachel and Dex were likable, and Ethan was a strong supporting character who helped Rachel to realize the truth. Once she gained a better sense of who she was and who she wanted to be, she was able to tell Dex that the ball was in his court and that she wasn't going to sit around and be second-in-line. There is this theme of cheating that continues to present itself in Emily Giffin's stories, but it seems that she uses it to test her chracters and push them to realize who they are and who they want to be. And that's what life is: a constant test to help us decide who we are and who we want to be.

I'm looking for Something Blue next - any reviews?

Heaven is for Real

I'll begin by mentioning that I didn't need a book to tell me that Heaven is real. I know it's real. But I requested this book from the library months ago because of a couple reasons. It was on the New York Times Bestseller list for like, ever, AND more than one person recommended it to me. So it arrived and I read it, rather quickly in fact. It is a fast read.

For those of you that haven't heard of this book, here's the gist. A pastor and his family, who live in Nebraska, had a run of misfortune. Just when they thought things had turned a corner, their young son got very ill and needed an emergency appendectomy. All of his internal organs were toxic and he needed additional surgery after the appendectomy to further clean out the toxins. The young boy was practically on his death bed, but then miraculously recovered. This part I believed.

Not long after his release from the hospital, the young boy indicated to his parents through a series of comments that he had been to Heaven, had seen God, conversed with Jesus, and met dead relatives. The boy was four, but it took the family YEARS to find out about his "trip" to Heaven during the appendectomy. I absolutely believe the boy had this spiritual experience because I have had the blessing of knowing someone who had a similar meeting with Jesus as a young child. I believe that Jesus comes to people in their times of need, especially children who are quick to believe, unlike most adults. Children's hearts are pure and innocent and they radiate love, which makes them more receptive to spiritual "visits" and guidance.

What bothered me about this book was the preachy tone, the frequent use of scripture references to validate the young boy's spiritual story, and the author's (father's) assumption that the boy had no prior knowledge of things the boy referenced about Heaven. The father is a pastor and I just cannot believe that the family's home did not center around God, Jesus, and other scriptural references. And I didn't understand why the family waited so long to get information from the boy about this rare and important "visit". The book seems like a ploy to get money (which they have no doubt accomplished) and try to save all the non-believers.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I wanted it to speak to me and reveal things that would help me on my own life journey. But it really didn't. I am joyful that this young boy had such an awesome spiritual experience that he was able to share with his family and the world. I just wish there had been more details about that, and less of the evangelical preachiness.

But read it. It may speak differently to you.

THE REALLY COOL THING about this book is the reference to a young prodigy named Akiane. She is a Lithuanian-American born to atheist parents, and she began having spiritual visions as a four year old. This piqued my interested because she wasn't raised in a spiritual or religious home, yet she had visions of heaven and angels and, believe it or not, Jesus. She was featured on CNN and Oprah, specifically because of what she did with her visions. She is a prodigy painter and has created masterful paintings of her visions. One of these depicts Jesus as she claims to have seen him, which if you read the book mentioned above, you will learn that the parents of young Colton tried numerous times to find pictures of Jesus and have Colton confirm that's what Jesus looks like. The only picture Colton said "yes" to was the one that this young girl Akiane painted. Click on the link belowto get to the picture, and please take some time to browse her other paintings. Keep in mind she was a child (8 years old) when she painted Jesus, which to me looks like professional quality.

http://www.akiane.com/store/

Scroll down to Age 8 and it's the second painting in, titled "Prince of Peace"

Let me know what you think after you look at these photos!

Secrets to Happiness

Despite what the title suggests, this is not a self-help book. It's a novel. Set in New York City, this novel follows the lives of several characters as they try to create and make sense of their lives. Some of them make (in my opinion) poor and harmful choices, but each seems to learn more about themselves through the process. And isn't that what life really is - a process? Focus on the journey, not the destination. Really this novel does just that. It takes the reader on the journey of the lives of these characters, who are all connected in some way. It's common for the reader to identify with the main character in a book, but I didn't find that to be the case here. In fact, I couldn't identify with any of the characters and I think that's because there was a lack of depth to them. It's like the author only grazed the surface when introducing them.

But, that aside, it was an entertaining read. At times I found myself laughing out loud while reading in bed because it was so funny! The humor was needed and welcomed to off-set the often depressing natures of the characters' lives. With that said, I didn't think the author addressed the title at all. The last page or so of the book offered an attempt to wrap up the content of the book, but nowhere did it explicitly address any secrets to happiness. So, if you're looking for that you won't find it here. But if you're looking for an entertaining read set in NYC, pick up this book and give it a read.

Now here's where it gets interesting. About a year ago I went to a psychic, just for fun to experience something that up to that point in time I'd only read about. The psychic turned out to be a sweet older woman living in a fairytale house that could only be accessed by driving through a diner parking lot into a small opening in a line of shrubs. Her name was Betty and she was delightful. Anyway, she told me I had an Indian (meaning Native American) spirit guide who came to me when I was 4. She then told me his name. I hadn't given it much thought until I was about halfway through this novel. I came to a chapter where the title was the name of my supposed spirit guide. That's funny, I thought. Then I read the chapter. Not so funny anymore, because the title of the chapter actually referred to the name of a character who acted like an all-knowing guide, and he happened to be a Native American. I put the book down, tried to make sense of what I just read, and then picked it up and reread the chapter. I wasn't making it up. The words were right there on the page. So I have to wonder if I was meant to read that book, and what, if any, message is being relayed to me. What is this book trying to tell me?

So far, I haven't come up with much of anything in terms of clarity. If you end up reading it and have some suggestion as to its possible meaning, drop me a note. I'd be interested to read your thoughts.

The Morganville Vampires

Volume 1 (includes books 1 and 2: Glass Houses and Dead Girls' Dance)

A friend recommended this series to me after learning of my fondness (and borderline obsession) with the Twilight series. I didn't know if I would like this book, but I gave it a shot anyway. After the first chapter I was hooked. Maybe it was because I felt I shared a small bond with the main character, Claire, a nerdy girl more interested in academics and learning than other teenage interests. She's so smart, in fact, that she graduates a year early and finds herself off to college at the young impressionable age of 16. Because she is so young, her parents insist that she go to a college closer to home rather than Yale or Caltech (California Institute of Technology). Lucky Claire gets to attend TPU in Texas instead because her parents think she'll be safer there. If only they knew how Claire would be treated there. Black eyes, bruises, and death threats greet Claire at TPU, courtesy of the meanest mean girl around: Monica Morrell. After stumbling upon a classified ad for a roommate, Claire lands herself in the Glass house with new friends Michael, Eve, and Shane. And that is when the fun (and danger!) begins!

I found it extremely difficult to put this book down and am really excited to get my hands on the next volume. Why do I feel like I'm going through withdrawal?

Are vampires REAL? Some people think so.

The Blue Bistro

Have you read The Help by Kathryn Stockett? This book is nothing like The Help in content, BUT it is just as captivating. I couldn't put it down! The Blue Bistro takes place in Nantucket and it spotlights a young woman with an inability to settle down. Meet Adrienne (yes, I occasionally thought of Rocky while reading). She's been in the hotel business for some time, but never in the restaurant business. She goes looking for a job and finds herself at The Blue Bistro. Meet Thatcher, the owner, who happens to be looking for an assistant manager, but finds more than that. Adrienne immediately spots his watch, which she guesses to be a $10,000 Patek Philippe. On her first night at the restaurant Adrienne finds her new boss, Thatcher, to be actually quite, well, bossy. He doesn't like her outfit and he orders her around all night. She came to Nantucket with three rules written on a napkin: (1) Become self-sufficient (2) Do not lie about past (3) Exercise good judgment about men. It seems like they would be easy to follow...

The Legend of Bagger Vance

This book differs radically from the movie, so if you enjoyed the movie and are expecting the same thing, you might be disappointed. It would be very difficult for Hollywood to capture the true meaning of this book in a two-hour movie.

I requested this book from the library after hearing Wayne Dyer mention it in one of his presentations. Apparently the novel, written by Steven Pressfield, is based on the Bhagavad Gita, where Bagger exists as God-like teacher and guru. It follows the story of Rannulph Junah, an amateur golfer from Savannah, Georgia, who is commissioned to play what would become a legendary match against two golf greats: Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. The game of golf is simply a metaphor for the game of life. The novel is written from the point of view of a man named Hardy, who accompanied Junah and Vance during that fateful match. There is an additional character, Michael, in the novel that is not present in the movie, and Junah's story is told to him by Hardy.

The novel really is wonderfully written as it explores man's greatest fears and the illusion that we are in this life alone. We all have a Bagger Vance that walks beside us, advising us and encouraging us, we just have to stop and listen.

Mother Teresa (DK Biography)

We as an American society are at a loss for good role models. When asked to create biography posters of people they admire, middle school students typically choose professional basketball players like Kobe Bryant, singers like Justin Bieber, actors like Miley Cyrus, and soccer stars like David Beckham. Occasionally a student will choose a parent, sibling, or other relative that has inluenced the student in some way. While all of the people chosen by the students have at least one admirable trait, rarely has a student chosen someone like Mother Teresa, a woman who consistently exhibited truly admirable qualities while working tirelessly to make our world a better place.

If you can ignore her religious affiliation with Catholicism (if it bothers you), I am confident that you will find that she was a remarkable woman. This particular book explores her childhood (born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) in the Ottoman Empire, the day she decided to join the Sisters of Loreto as a missionary, her years spent teaching children, and her life-changing decision to start the Missionaries of Charity, a group of nuns and eventually lay people that ventured into the depths of India's slums to treat and care for the sick and dying. Today the Missionaries of Charity has expanded internationally.

While reading this very quick yet informative biography, I found myself stopping frequently to grasp the magnitude of the effect Mother Teresa had not only on the people of India, but on all the people of the world. Her perseverence and dedication to a life of helping others is not only admirable, but inspirational. She touched those affected with leprosy when others wouldn't. She chose a life of simplicity over one filled with possessions and the newest gadgets. She chose to spend her life spreading love to those that needed it most. She was a refuge to people who had lost all hope.

I have so much to learn from this extraordinary woman. In a society ruled by television, videogames, superstars, grossly overpaid athletes and CEO's, this biography of Mother Teresa offers an opportunity to go within and observe how we're living our own lives. Who do we want to be? There is no reason why company CEO's and oil moguls should be earning million-dollar bonuses while people around the world starve to death and don't receive adequate medical care. There are more than enough resources on this planet to accomodate everyone, if only we could learn to adopt an attitude of sharing instead of greed. I think that only when we begin to understand that what we do to/for someone else we do to ourselves, will we be able to change this global catastrophe. We have a lot to learn about how to treat other people, and thus ultimately our selves.

This book is a starting point.

The Little Soul and the Sun

I was introduced to the parable of the little soul and the sun while reading the book Conversations with God (see previous post for more information about that book).


This is really a wonderful parable for children and adults alike, as it explains perhaps why people do "bad" things to us on earth. This offers an alternate explanation of people's behaviors, suggesting that possibly it's because they are helping us to know and experience something about our own selves. Without their help we might not remember Who we Are.


So maybe experiences we observe and label as bad, traumatic, terrible, and intolerable are really necessary to help us along this journey we call life.


I know I'll be reading this to my own children someday. I read it twice today, and both times there were tears in my eyes. It's beautiful.

Conversations with God, Book3

WARNING: You need to read this book with an open mind.

Something happens to you and you get really mad and you lash out at God in some way. Who, at some point in their lives, hasn't had this happen? The author of the book was in a really bad place in his life and he was angry with God, so he let God know. He wasn't expecting what happened after that. God responded. Clearly and audibly. So the author wrote down what he heard, asked more questions, and kept writing. Those pages became this three part series.

Don't wonder about whether you should or shouldn't read this book. You WILL read it when you are supposed to. And that may not be in this lifetime.

This book is the third part in a three-part series. The first book focuses on some major issues humanity is facing today in their personal lives, spirituality, and how they function in today's world. The second book goes into a bit more detail, and this third book goes into more detail about more specific things like (don't laugh) life on other planets, more highly evolved beings (HEB's), and how we are treating our bodies and our environment. Everyone can learn something by reading this book (or the other 2). You really should start by reading the first in the series.

The main message from "God" in the book is to remember Who You Are and Who You Choose To Be. If you make all your life decisions based on that idea you will lead a more fulfilled life. You will let go of all fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) and doubt because you will realize that they are the opposite of what God is. You will start to really LIVE andyou will enjoy it, all of it. The things you used to determine as "problems" will be seen as blessings. We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, rather we are spiritual beings having a human experience. God is with us all the time because he can't NOT be. He is everywhere, ALL the time. When we understand that, we can really let go and let God.

There are many powerful messages to be received in this book, no matter your background, religious or not. It's powerful and life-transforming. I'd say that based on recent global events our species could use some inspiring, powerful words to change what we're doing because IT'S NOT WORKING! And if it ain't working, we need to FIX IT. It starts here, with this book series.

Midnight in Paris

Ok, so even though this blog is supposed to be about books I read I am posting today's blog about a movie I saw today. But in all fairness it's a movie about writing and writers and books...sort of.


I just came back from viewing Midnight in Paris, and if you haven't seen it I've included a link to the trailer at the bottom of this post. Some people don't enjoy Woody Allen films. I think this was my first Woody Allen film, actually.


I enjoyed the movie for several reasons. One, it takes place in Paris - which most of you know is very near and dear to my heart. Two, the main character (Owen Wilson) is an aspiring novel writer and we have that in common. Three, it showcases the 1920s, which is such an interesting and important time period. Four, it introduces the audience to geniuses who transformed our culture by gracing the world with their brilliant talents: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Salvatore Dali, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and many, many more. People may not have enjoyed the story, but it would amaze me if people didn't leave the theatre feeling just a little more inspired than they were before seeing the movie.

If you can look past the time travel situation (which I happened to think was a very creative idea), there is great meaning and inspiration to take from this film. Some people live in the past, while others take what they feel is important from the past and learn from it and use it to better themselves. And other people are just oblivious to anything meaningful and live very shallow, incomplete lives. I think part of life is about trying to figure out which category you fall into and deciding if you're ok with that.


I recommend the movie, especially if you're an aspiring anything - musician, poet, artist, writer, etc. Find your muse and make it happen. I know I plan to.


http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi853581081/

Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me

WOW. I'm thinking I'm pretty safe because I don't live anywhere near L.A. and I'm a total nobody, but I sincerely hope that I NEVER have to meet her. Never. Seriously. The stuff she does to people is effed up, and I definitely couldn't handle it if she did it to me. Imagine PUNK'd times 100,000. Ashton Kutcher's got nothing on Cheslea Handler.

My first introduction to Chelsea Handler was on a flight to Maui. I had downloaded her audio book My Horizontal Life onto my MP3 player. It was THE most entertaining flight I ever had. Fellow passengers continusouly stole glances at me while I laughed uncontrollably out loud. On more than one occasion I found myself whispering "What the f-?" She is one crazy mo-fo and her antics will leave your head spinning. If you're looking for funny, I highly recommend her stuff.

I had a hard time putting this book down. Supposedly it's written by Chelsea's family, friends, and other victims, but she adds a little paragraph at the end of each chapter. I'm suspicious that she didn't write more of it than she's admitting because each chapter is written in her voice and, well, she's a constant liar (see what the book taught me?).

She gets her jollies humiliating other people. She's sick in so many ways. But I couldn't help but love her at the same time. Isn't that twisted? She's like the friend you want to have but of whom you're also scared to death. After reading this book I keep asking myself, can somebody possibly be that demented? I fear that the answer might be yes.

Here is a little sampler platter to whet your appetite:

"It must be Christmas because I just gave you a Nut Cracker" after administering a massive wedgie to a co-worker

The pranks she has pulled on people are truly unbelievable. You will laugh hysterically, trying to regain your breath, and then when you've had time to digest what you were laughing about your jaw will hit the floor and you'll reread that section only to find yourself laughing just as hard as the first time. Then you'll ask yourself if you're just as sick as she is for thinking her prank/lie/joke was actually funny.

You will not be able to put this book down. 'Nuf said.

I have yet to watch her show, Chelsea Lately, on E! Do I dare?

Next up, Are You There Vodka, It's Me, Chelsea.

There's a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem

I am beginning to believe that anything by Wayne Dyer is amazing, but I may be partial. I love his soothing voice, his wonderful sense of humor, and his brilliant messages. If you are struggling in any area of your life, or if you're having a great time and want ti to get even better, then you really shoudl consider this book. According to him, there are no problems in life. We create the problems. I had to listen to this part several times because it's difficult to grasp. Life doesn't have to be struggle - we create our problems through our thoughts and how we react to things happening around us. (I'm also reading through Conversations With God - Book 3 and the message is synonymous with that of Dyer.) Nothing is real. Everything is an illusion. When we understand that we can let go of fear and doubt and negative thoughts and really start to LIVE the live that we were intended to.

There was a segment in the book that was particularly intriguing to me. Dyer references a man by the name of David Hawkins, who performed kinesthetic tests on people using things that would be bad for your body and things that would be good (i.e. Sweet&Low artificial sweetener and natural vitamin C). He tested people's individual strength when one of these things was held by each person. Amazingly, each person appeared weaker in strength when holding the product of chemicals, and stronger when holding the item found naturally in nature. Dyer suggests reading Hawkins' book titled Power Vs. Force, which explores this in much greater detail.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. Don't be put off by the word "spiritual" in the title. This isn't a religious book. In fact, you don't even have to believe in God to get something from this book. It's an inspiring book chock full of positive suggestions on how to lead a better, happier, more rewarding life.

Mother Teresa: In My Own Words

I borrowed this book from the library so that I could learn more about Mother Teresa and her work to help make the world a better place. This book didn't really do that. The introduction was interesting as it gave a couple quick snapshots of her early life and how she ended up in Calcutta taking the poor, sick and dying from the streets and offering them food, comfort, and love. But re rest of the book was really just a collection of quotes from her life that the author categorized into chapters about love, faith, poverty, etc. Since they were used out of context, they weren't really that helpful in providing me with an insight into her life as a missionary of charity. I've requested two more books about her form the library that look like they have more potential to provide me with the information I seek! If you've read one about her that you've enjoyed, please don't hesitate to let me know.

The Venus Project

If you read any of my earlier posts about The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, you'll remember that I was feeling a little unprepared should some apocalyptic event throw us into survival mode. I consider myself to be good at a lot of handy things. For example, I can knit, I can cook, I can bake, I can garden (flowers and vegetables), I can mow the lawn, I can read, I can do athletic things, and the list goes on. However, what I've realized is that NONE of those things is going to come in handy if we're one day left without any electricity or ways to communicate. So, I decided that this summer I am going to learn more useful survival tactics.

Now my dad, he'd survive. He is a fishing maniac who spends hours upon hours day after day rowing his boat up and down the reservoir trolling for massive brown lake trout. I've gone with him several times, and caught a fish once. But fishing would not help me to survive, because you see I have a severe allergy to fish and seafood. My skin itches and swells, hives develop, and in some cases my throat has been known to close. So I carry enough Benadryl to drug myself into a coma if taken all at once, along with an Epi-Pen. Relying on fish would not be an option for me, and that's assuming that the water sources wouldn't be contaminated with whatever caused the desperate need to survive. So fishing is out. My dad is also a successful hunter, both with a bow and rifle. I am not one of those people that winces when someone says the word "venison", because I am actually quite fond of the stuff after growing up on it. Simmer some cutlets in cream of mushroom soup and serve along rice and you've got yourself a tasty meal! But I don't know how to hunt. So I'm adding that to my list of things I want to learn how to do this year, you know, just in case. I should also learn how to gut the animal properly and then cook it. Otherwise, there is very little point in leanring ot hunt.

Lastly, I want to figure out and identify plants in my region that are edible because let's face it, I wouldn't be able to garden asmost likely I would be on the move. It is highly likely that people would get crazy and start looting and killing in order to survive. I know this because I watched the movie The Road by Cormac McCarthy and I gave a similar assignment to my students, encouraging them to come up with ways to survive: most groups declared they'd loot people's houses and stores and become cannibals. Very nice. One group consisted of three Boy Scouts, and they had a very plausible plan in place. I'm glad they'd survive. Anyway, so my husband keeps mentioning The Venus Project, so I took some time to look it up on wikipedia (my go-to source for quick information even though many will argue its validity) and I found it to be an interesting movement. I learned that the creator once revealed in a fiery argument that the purpose of The Venus Project is not to change today's society because it really isn't feasible (Who runs our country? Filthy rich people. Who wouldn't want to see money become a thing of the past? Filthy rich people. So we're screwed there.), but to leave a post-apocalyptic society with specific instructions about how to create a better, more advanced society without using money. I like the idea.

There are also links on the site to the Zeitgeist Movement, which if you haven't watched the Zeitgeist movies (I believe they are still free to view online), you might want to. I've only watched the first one, and not the part about religion. Prepare to have your world rocked, your values shaken, and your current beliefs thrown right out the window. A positive is that you'll start to listen to that voice inside you, otherwise known as your soul, as it tells you everything you've already known about Who You Are and what you want to do. I'll include the links at the bottom for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy and feel free to comment.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Venus_Project
http://www.thevenusproject.com/
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Mr. Maybe

I had heard a lot of good things about author Jane Green but had never actually read anything by her. I marked a handful of books "to read" on my goodreads.com account, so I was more than pleased when a very kind and generous friend sent me a box full of books and one was Mr. Maybe by Green.

When I sat down to read this I was very excited! Goodreads gave it an average of 3.03 stars (out of 5), so I had some expectations. However, after reading it I can understand why its score wasn't higher (average compiled from 37,000 reviews!). It wasn't easy to read through. The Bristish English was challenging to read through, especially when I'm used to reading books written in American English.

The story idea was engaging and relatable: woman in late twenties feels rejected by men and decides to just go for a fling (and in all honesty, what woman at some point in her life hasn't felt rejected or turned down by some member of the male species?). Her best friend does her best to convince her it's a bad, very bad, idea, but Libby - the main character - doesn't agree. So off she goes in lust after Nick, quickly falling in love with him only to have him tell her "he isn't ready for a serious relationship." Many tears later and she's coerced into joining the club scene once again, and a not so handsome but seemingly kind man requests her number. She gives it to him and he calls the very next day, but she keeps him waiting because she is still hung up on Mr. Fling who broke her heart, A.K.A Nick. Finally, with the coaxing of her best friend (again) she returns Ed's calls and they go out. He picks her up in his Porsche and she's in heaven. He's a big thing in England, one of the most eligible bachelors, and he's as rich as they come. Naturally her mother is ecstatic! They date, he buys her beautiful flowers and Gucci bags, along with a VERY expensive dress for a ball. The sex, she discovers is awful, but she tells him and he tries to improve. Truth be told, though, he's an old "fuddy-duddy" and it irritates her to no end. He says he loves her constantly (and rather early on in the relationship, too), but she feels smothered. He proposes, she accepts. Her mother is delighted and warns her not to mess this up. Libby is getting excited about planning a wedding, but something inside her is telling her this isn't right. She ignores the feeling until she spends a day with Mr. Fling. Suddenly her passionate side re-emerges and she realizes what she's going to miss out on if she marries Ed the "fuddy-duddy". Declaring it the hardest thing she's ever had to do, she breaks things off with Ed and finds out that her friends and most of her family didn't ever like him - they say him as pompous and condescending. She's just getting used to being on her own when...you'll have to read the book to find out!

Here today, gone to Maui!

Let me just begin by saying how much I LOVE Maui! I have had the good fortune of vacationing there twice in the past 5 years (once for my honeymoon - best decision - and the second time last summer with my in-laws). There really is no other place like it on earth (judged against the places I've been, anyway). It is what I imagine heaven to look like.

Anyway, I LOVE Maui (Kauai's pretty great, too, but Maui beats it by a hair) and was just THRILLED to catch a glimpse of this book by Carol Snow while staying at a little inn-like hotel on Little Sodus Bay off of Lake Ontario. I devoured it in less than 48 hours, and I must say it's a read-anywhere book. Of course, it would be a fantastic beach read, given the setting. The very beginning of the book takes place in California, but the rest is all on the tropical island of Maui. Having been there twice myself, it was entertaining to read about specific places I traveled to while there: Honolua Bay (fantastic snorkeling spot according to my husband - not a big snorkeler myself), Slaughterhouse Beach (the name alone would deter me from entering the water there), The Cannery Mall, Lahaina, Whaler's Village, Black Rock, Kaanapali Beach, North Shore, and the list goes on and on. If I ever hit it big somehow, I imagine myself leaving the rat race, moving to Maui, and enjoying a slower pace of life. (One of my favorite inspirational and spiritual people, Wayne Dyer, lives there, and that just affirms for me the tranquility that island can offer.

If you're looking for a cute, yet mysterious story set in the most beautiful and relaxing place on earth (in my opinion), then grab this book and read it!!

Mockingjay

(Blogger wasn't allowing me to upload my posts until today, so I'm a little behind and my posts may be out of order! Sorry for any confusion.)

I read Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, which is the third and final book in the popular series The Hunger Games. For themost part, I enjoyed this book. However, I strongly maintaint that the first book grabbed and held my attention and interest from page 1. Sadly, Mockingjay was more challenging for me to read through. There were boring, drawn out parts that lasted much llonger than they needed to. There was enough action, although some could probably have been cut out, and then it just ended. Collins gave so much detail throughout all three books that it was easy for me to clearly picture every character, every tree, every piece of food, however she completely glazed over the ending. I found it to be an ending that just skimmed the surface, but it was satisfying and I was not left with questions.

I am excited to see the first movie!

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later

For all of the Sweet Valley Twins, High, and University fans (admittedly I think I stopped at Sweet Valley High):

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED reading Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High as a young reader and always wondered what would become of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield. I hope Pascal doesn't disappoint! Well, it was fun reading about what came of the characters from SV. I devoured the series as a kid. This book was very entertaining, written in a style similar to today's familiar chick-lit modern romances. I could definitely envision this making its way to the big screen (I'd buy a ticket). Some things about the book bothered me, namely all the "like"s strewn through the chapters written in Jessica's point of view. I actually found that those detracted from the content, and many sentences were hard to read because of them. I had to reread many sentences. I haven't read a SV book in about 20 years. Did Pascal use that language in this book to mimic how Jessica spoke/thought in the earlier books? As a reader, I think the book would have read better without them. They made the writing choppy and interrupted the flow. And I guess I expected Elizabeth to be more like, well, Elizabeth! One night stands and f-you's? Many things seemed very out of character for Elizabeth. Also, the scene when Jessica shows up in New York seemed to just brush the surface. There were intense feelings of hatred and hurt coming from Elizabeth throughout the majority of the book that it seemed unbelievable that she would just give in and forgive Jessica so quickly. All in all, an entertaining book that provided some closure to a series that captivated me as a child.

Catching Fire

Since I was so entertained by Suzanne Collins' first book in the series The Hunger Games, I felt compelled to read the second. Catching Fire was very good, although it did take me about the first hundred pages to become fully engrossed. One thing is certain: Suzanne Collins is a master of cliff hangers. As a writer, I know how important it is to write in a way that keeps the reader's interest and attention, but she manages to write every single chapter so that it ends with the reader wanting MORE! Besides weekends my only reading time is before bed. Incidentally, that is also when I'm the most tired and don't get much reading in. Throughout both books I found myself agreeing to read one chapter before bed, but I always ended up reading until my eyes could no longer stay open because at the end of every chapter was something making me NEED (not want!) to read further. She is an amazing story teller that has created an incredibly scary world. After reading both books I have come to the conclusion that should some apocalyptic or smaller event occur in reality, I may not survive. I have no survival skills. I can't hunt, gather food (what items can I actually eat?), or eat fish (allergy). Thus, I have decided to do something about that. This summer I plan to learn how to use a weapon/hunt/gut (ew)/cook an animal and figure out the edible plants in my region. Thank you, Suzanne Collins for forcing me to amp up my game.

Actually, in light of these books I gave my 6th graders an assignment that parallels Panem. I split the classes into groups and gave them a scenario along these lines: Imagine that all of North America's power has gone out. You cannot use your television, computer, cell phone, or iPod to communicate. You have a portable battery-operatred radio to listen to emergency broadcasts. The announcer has just proclaimed that the power could be out for weeks, maybe even longer. Then I gave them their task: In your group brainstorm and discuss how you are going to survive this "blackout". What supplies will you need? How will you get them? Where will you stay? How will you stay warm/cool? The students seemed to have a fun time with this. However, it became clear to me rather quickly that the students are so heavily reliant on convenience that they couldn't imagine something like this happening. Immediately they wanted to get in the car and go to the store, not understanding that the stores might be closed and/or unable to check them out due to NO POWER, or that everyone else would be going there, too! Some students even suggested cannibalism (look out!) and looting. However, one group that included three Boy Scouts had a list of needed supplies along with how to acquire them, and a plan followed by contingency plans. Immediately I knew that these three boys would survive should something like that happen today. And it made me realize that if I ever have sons I will most certainly be signing them up for Boy Scouts! At the end I tied this into the ancient civilizations we've studied this year and how they managed to grow and survive despite no electricity, indoor plumbing, computers and other high-tech gadgets (that we know of, at least). So I can't help but wonder, have we actually gone backwards as a civilization?

29 Gifts

I am currently reading the book, 29 Gifts, written by Cami Walker, a woman living with Multiple Sclerosis. The theme of the book reminds me of that presented in the movie Pay It Forward - give to others, who will give to others, who will give to others, thus making the world a better place one person, or one gift, at a time.

The book encourages readers to commit to giving 29 gifts in 29 days, journal about it, and watch as abundance flows into your life. The gifts can be anything: a present, food, some change, or a kind word. By not focusing on your own problems, pains, and issues, you are more receptive to others and are more able to receive the good things life has to give you.

This message is synonymous with other books I have been reading, from Wayne Dyer's Power of Intention to Louise Hay's Heal Your Life to Abraham-Hicks' Ask and it is Given to Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations with God. I have realized that I can no longer ignore the "coincidental" books that have arrived in my life, all spreading the same message. It is time to reorder my life and shift my focus to others. I have spent my life as an overachiever - always pushing myself to and beyond the limits, striving for perfection and accepting nothing less, often breaking down in tantrums over failures (humiliating to admit this, but it's true). I once threw my 7th grade Social Studies folder across my living room at 11 p.m. because I couldn't come up with an answer to one question on a homework assignment as my parents looked on in disbelief. They never expected me to be perfect, I put that impossible expectation on myself. It has led to a life of anxiety and fear of failure. This year has been a turning point in my life, as I focus more seriously on who I am and who I want to be. I want to be kind and peaceful, enjoying every minute of every day with which I am blessed.

After reading this last book, 29 Gifts, I am convinced that the stress I place on myself on a daily basis is not worth it. Life has so much to offer and I am missing out. I have decided to embark on the 29 Gift challenge that Cami Walker promotes on her website. (In case the website link doesn't work: www.29gifts.org). This world we are living in is in serious turmoil. We have had an abundance of earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, flooding, and destructive winter weather, and I have to wonder if those are direct effects of the energy we humans have been pouring into the universe. Thoughts have energy (Einstein understood this), and actions have stronger energy. We as a human species have become selfish, negative, and depressed because we've been focusing on all the "wrong" things: money, success, status, materialism, and approval from others. Let's get back to our Source, reconnect, and begin noticing the beauty in each person on this planet. We're imperfect, but we can certainly try harder, be kinder, and give more.

What would the world be like if one person was kinder? Two? Ten? A thousand? A million?

Read the book. Visit the website. Take the challenge. Let me know how it goes for you.

Looking for Alaska

Well, there are no warm and fuzzies after reading this book. I actually feel very drained and lethargic (although that could also be due to the fact that I am recovering from a stomach virus). Really, though, this book makes me feel like a dark and rainy day. Here's a quick synopsis of the book. Miles Halter lives in Florida and has no real friends. He decides to go to a boarding school in Alabama, the same one his father attended, called Culver Creek. His roommate is also from Alabama and his name is Chip, but his nickname is The Colonel. Alaska is a girl that also attends Culver Creek. As a kid her name was Mary, but when she was 7 or 8 years old (I can't remember) her parents let her choose her own name. She studied her father's globe for a long time and decided on Chad. Once her father told her that was a boy's name, she changed it to Alaska. Alaska and The Colonel spend their free time drinking and smoking. Miles gets dragged into this warped friendship with The Colonel and Alaska, which leads to Miles falling in love with Alaska. The problem here is that Alaska has a boyfriend named Jake, so she just leads Miles on, who is nicknamed "Pudge" by The Colonel. Miles is not pudgy, but rather tall and lanky. Anyway, nothing really exciting happens in the book until about halfway through when Alaska freaks out after a night of drinking and crashes her car into a cop car, killing herself. So, the entire second half of the book is about Pudge and The Colonel trying to piece together her death: was it a suicide or an accident? The book ends with Pudge and The Colonel pulling off a school prank that is supposed to be hilarious, all in memory of Alaska. I must have missed the hilarity. There was no excitement in this book, everything just WAS. There were, however, some memorable lines from the book:

The Colonel is getting dressed for Alaska's funeral and asks Pudge if he can wear his flamingo tie. Pudge responds by telling him, "It's a bit festive, given the occasion."
"Can't wear it to the opera," said the Colonel, almost smiling. "Can't wear it to a funeral. Can't use it to hang myself. It's a bit useless, as tie's go."

For some reason, I laughed right out loud after reading those lines. Maybe it's just the irony of having a tie you can't really wear - the world is full of those cheesy ties that are meant to be humorous, but doesn't that deem them practically useless???

The book is chock-full of references to the labyrinth of life and The Great Perhaps, and I guess that reading this book felt like making my way through a labyrinth. I'm happy to be out.

For the record, this book won the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. I don't know if I'd want my kids reading this.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Well, my most recent reading venture was a little painful. I Love, love, LOVE the movie Under the Tuscan Sun starring Diane Lane (who doesn't love HER?). So, when I realized it was based on a book I just had to read it. Bad idea. Very bad. In my experience, no movie is ever better than the book. Evidently I was proven wrong with this one. The movie is infinitely better than the book. Due to my weird need to finish a book instead of abandoning ship, I forced myself to complete it. Three weeks later, here I am writing this blog entry about how inferior it was to the movie. The book read more like a diary. There were very boring accounts of every little experience in Italy. I really thought I'd identify with the book because I've been to Italy and have lived in a European country. If the book had focused more on the cultural aspect of the experience I may have enjoyed it more. But, it did have some recipes that looked (and sounded) tasty. Bottom line: watch the movie!

Ask and it is Given

I spend a bit of time commuting each day, so I've taken to listening to books on CD in my car. My most recent play is Ask and it is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks. The book is written in the voice of "Abraham", who from what I can gather, is a collective entity of spirit guides that speaks to and through Esther. It definitely sounds wacky, I know, BUT who am I to judge? One of my new year's resolutions is to be more open and receptive. So, I am listening to "Abraham" every day now. And it's funny because the messages are aligned with what I've been reading in The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

Anyway, from what I've been reading and listening to it's crucial to live in the moment: The past no longer matters and can't be altered, and the future isn't even real. Additionally, Abraham highly suggests raising oneself to the highest level of vibration. I was in a particularly cranky mood this afternoon because I knew the insurance adjuster would be arriving to evaluate a claim of damage caused by this malicious and unrelenting winter and I was unprepared. Thankfully, my husband jumped in and offered to help relieve some of the pressure I was feeling. I ran my necessary errands and everything seemed to be going wrong - people were driving too slow and monopolizing the photo kiosks I needed to use to print the pictures of damage.

I could have spiraled into a very negative energy vibration, but instead I chose to remember what I've been learning through the CD. I took a deep breath and re-centered myself. I drove back home, straightened the house, and got ready for the adjuster. The adjuster turned out to be a very amiable and friendly person and my husband and I ended up talking to him about non-insurance things for a fair amount of time. What could have been a stressful and unpleasant time actually turned out to be a very enjoyable experience. And we got to meet someone new with an an interesting story to share. I don't believe that would have happened if my energy had been in a negative place. So, thank you "Abraham" and Jerry and Esther Hicks!

The Happiness Project (Part 3)

Well, I am a little more than halfway through this book right now. As I was reading today in the gym, I cam across what I believe to be an amazing truth: When you do for others, you feel happier, and when you feel happier you do more for others. How many of you also find this to be true?

Interestingly, as I was driving home from the gym I was listening to an audio CD of Ask and it is Given by Jerry and Esther Hicks and a piece jumped out at me: The greatest gift you can give to anyone is your happiness. It makes perfect sense to me! If I'm unhappy it will show through my attitude, behavior, and actions, thereby affecting the same of the people around me. BUT if I am happy, my thoughts, actions, behaviors, and attitude will reflect that and the people around me will feel happier in turn. Amazing that a simple concept can have such powerful impact. Imagine if more people lived their lives according to this principle. I think the world would be a very different place!

Goal for tomorrow? Exude happiness and infect others with joy :) I dare you!

(Update: I was unable to share any kind of happiness today because I allowed the first few people I encountered on my way into work to steal my joy. Consequently, I could not get myself into a realm of happiness and good thoughts for the remainder of the day. I intend to be better tomorrow, and to bring myself to a higher frequency of thought! Good feelings, good feelings, good feelings.....!)

The Alchemist

What do I say about this book? I'd been meaning to read it for a while now, so when it appeared on a reading list I was perusing recently I had to check it out form the library. I had very high hopes before starting this book. I read about it in depth before even opening the cover. I read the reviews on goodreads.

Once I started reading, I liked where it was going. It's written like a fable, a genre I thoroughly enjoyed as a kid. About halfway through the book it started to become dull, though. Maybe it was due to translation (Spanish to English)? Or maybe it would have been better if I had read it from cover to cover in one sitting instead of four? It just didn't hold my attention.

However, I think the messages I pulled out of it were very important and true:

1) Stop looking outside of yourself for answers, especially when it pertains to your life's purpose (The alchemist tells the boy, "Where your heart is, there lies your treasure."

2) When you realize your life's purpose (Personal Legend, as it's referred to in the book), you must follow it. The Soul of the World (life) rewards those who seek and pursue their purpose.

Recently there has been a lot of synchronicity in my life. This book falls into that category as well (recent books read have been: You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer, Conversations with God by Neale David Walsch, and Ask and it is Given by Jerry and Esther Hicks). Every book has had the same message: Follow your heart to find your true purpose, pursue that purpose, we are all One and we are all connected, you don't need to look outside of yourself for answers because you were created by your source (I happen to call that 'God')and you have your source in you so all the answers and healing you need are in you.

So even though The Alchemist won't make it onto my top ten list of great books, I will take the messages with me that I believe were meant for me to know. So, thank you Mr. Coelho for that!

Have you read it? What did you think?

The Hunger Games

Ever since I devoured the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, I have been searching for a series that would not only appeal to me but that would again pull me into the story and create a connection between me and the characters. My husband recently introduced me to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, a book that many of my sixth grade students have been urging me to read, and I am totally sold.

I started the book just a few days ago, reading it in small increments before dozing off to sleep each night. I had reached the halfway point in the book last night before turning out the light and burrowing under the covers. Unsettling dreams and nightmares followed (for those of you who have read the book, surely you understand why). Upon waking this morning on the first day of my spring vacation, I immediately grabbed the book off my nightstand and continued reading from where I left off last night. Two hours later, I was staring at a blank page, and in a zombie-like trance reached for my cell phone and kindly, yet desperately, asked my husband to buy the second book, Catching Fire, on his way home. A half an hour later, sadly, he called with the news that Barnes and Noble was all sold out. ALL. SOLD. OUT. Of the hardcover edition. There is no paperback edition yet. Disappointment washed over me. I checked our library's online system. 43 copies available but all are checked out. I put in a hold request and nervously tap my fingers awaiting its availability. This is like torture! (Although, nothing like that experienced in The Hunger Games.)

Here's a quick synopsis of the book for those of you who haven't yet read it but might be interested. The setting is post-apocalyptic North America. There are 12 districts surrounding a capital, and each district is known for something. District 12 is known for coal mining. Katniss Everdeen is the main character and she is from District Twelve. She is no stranger to hunger, neither are most people from District 12. They have only had one tribute in seventy-three years win the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is an event put on by the government, the Capitol, in which two representatives (tributes) from each district participate. The goal is to be the last surviving tribute. There is killing, trickery, manipulation, and of course, romance, albeit not entirely believable, amongst other things. Each chapter of the book ends in a cliffhanger so intense that it's nearly impossible to stop reading. Kudos to you, Suzanne Collins. Ya done good!

I am left with some heavy questions and concerns after reading the book. First of all, what inspires someone to write such a book? How does one create a story with such themes?
I am somewhat frightened by the possibility of something similar to the Hunger Games actually happening in our current society due to our most recent obsession with reality television (which doesn't really reflect most people's realities anyway). The book most closely resembles the reality TV show Survivor, except that the characters in the book are actually fighting to survive. The threat is most definitely real in the book. But, in both the audience rallies behind their favorite and most capable contestants. Sadly, I don't think we're far from conducting something like the Hunger Games, but I'm fervently hoping nothing like that will ever manifest. Still, the fear is there.

So, what are your thoughts? Have you read The Hunger Games? What's your reaction? How are the next two books in the series - are they just as captivating? Do you have another series that you'd recommend?

The Happiness Project Part 2

In the remainder of the chapter on marriage and remembering love from The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin states her happiness formula that she created on the train: "To be happy, I need to think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right." I have to be honest, I didn't really understand this in the context she was using to explain it. However, I have been reading a number of books about positive thinking and the power of being in the moment, and what I brought to this formula (or took away from) is that in order to feel and know happiness maybe we need to know unhappiness. So to know what it's like to feel good, we have to know what it's like to feel bad. And maybe from that we can start to notice how we feel when we feel "right". I think feeling 'right' is different for every person, and Rubin agrees. She states, "'Feeling right' is about living the life that's right for you..." Here's what I think: Life is experience. It's up to us to decide what to make of each experience. Our reactions to life's experiences help to create and determine who we are as people. And I think that's what life is all about, figuring out who we are and who we want to be. If a person wants to remain stuck in a world full of drama and unpleasantries, then that's okay for them if that is who they want to be. But if another person wants to elevate their consciousness, meditate, and simplify their life to gain a better attitude about life, then that's ok, too. So, in your daily thoughts and decisions decide who you are and focus on the person you want to be. Our time on this earth is short, so we might as well make the best of it! Eat, pray, love? Peace, love, happiness? The path you take to get there doesn't matter as long as you get where you need to be.

The Happiness Project

Yesterday I began reading a book I first picked up at Barnes and Noble a while ago. It's titled The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Interestingly, it wasn't the title that drew me in but rather the cover. It may not be advisable to judge a book by its cover, but it is almost always the cover that first grabs my attention. So, here I am reading my library copy of The Happiness Project.

The book begins with an introduction to why the author chose to write such a book. She wasn't depressed, but she didn't feel she was as happy as she should, or could, be. She felt angry a lot of the time, and she realized the impact this was having on her life. So, she set out to research the meaning of happiness and how to add more happiness to her life. After some initial research she decided to borrow an idea from Ben Franklin (she really did a bit of research) and focus on 11 areas that would improve her overall happiness. She would start in January with one area to improve, then add another in February, another in March, and so on until she reached December, during which she would score herself on practicing all 11.

January's theme was Boost Energy (Vitality). She had read that acting as if you feel more energetice can actually make you feel more energetic. She vowed to get to bed earlier and wake up naturally without the use of an alarm. She did this at least one time with success. She bought a pedometer and walked more. She joined a gym. I can relate to this. I go to the gym several times a week and find that it helps tremendously with reducing my stress levels, particularly after work. I've also started waking up earlier to do a brief yoga session. I have found that this results in a smoother transition into my day. Plus, I have added several days of swimming before work. That definitely makes me feel more energized and ready to start my day. She also decided to stop wasting time thinking about all the things weighing her down and went on a closet cleaning rampage. Four garbage bags later she felt free-er and calmer. From creating a sense of order, she felt more peaceful and focused. I plan to try this during my spring vacation as I sweep from one end of the house to the other, getting rid of stuff that could be better used by others rather than collecting dust in my house.

February's theme was Remember Love (Marriage). She realized she was a "nagger". She also realized she didn't like being a nagger because it didn't make her feel good (and we all want to feel good). After one incident involving a pile of Valentine's Day cards and her husband's refusal to help address and seal them, she realized she felt better when she chose to complete something herself instead of nagging than when she nagged her husband to do them. I call this Taking One for the Team.
She also noticed that her husband hardly ever praised her for things she did or let her know he appreciated her. After much contemplation and more research, she decided to stop expecting praise for things she did. Instead, she vowed to do things for herself without expecting other people to react in a particular way. An interesting observation she had was that when she was happy her husband was also happy, and he would do things to try to make her even happier (take notes, ladies!); but when she was unhappy her husband would go into a "funk".
I found this to be an interesting perception. It makes sense because when people are happier they want to do things for other people, but when they're unhappy it's very easy to shut oneself off from the world and become more self-centered. For today I vow to remain focused on my attitude toward all people I encounter. If I can be helpful in spreading a little more cheer in this fearful, angst-ridden world, then I'm willing to do my part.