Book Blogger Hop

Welcome to the weekly Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Jen over at Crazy-for-Books

This week, she asks us a hard one:

What is the one book or series you are dying to see turned into a movie or TV series:

This is a tough one for me. I often think that the movies (or TV series) are lackluster compared to the books. There are very few that I liked the movie/series better, and because of that, I don't think I even want to pick a book! I have this obnoxious fear that once a book goes to screen, it will be ruined forever.

...so, I guess my answer is just that- I can't pick a favorite because I fear that favorite might die a slow death on screen.

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Pin It & Do It (number 3, 4, and 5)

Pin It & Do It Challenge -- number three, four, and five!

I have a pinterest board dedicated to all things camping- it isn't my biggest board, but it does have a few gems on there!  We just returned home from a camping trip and I used some of those pins while we were away.

The first pin was a campfire breakfast pin called "campurritos", originally blogged on Ninth & Bird here. We made meatless versions, just because we didn't have any breakfast sausage on hand and I was too lazy to go buy some. Yep, I'm lazy like that. We made plain cheese & egg wraps for Madeline but added in onions and peppers to ours. I followed the directions to cook it all up, then wrap in foil... I didn't freeze them because I made them the night before the trip. They were easy and yummy for sure, however we noticed with our first breakfast attempt they were a bit soggy... so when we cooked them the next morning, we took them out of the foil and put them on our griddle over the fire- MUCH better, not soggy at all! No picture from me, though they did look scrum-diddly-umptious and I wish I had!

The next tip we tried (actually we tried this last week around a fire in our yard, but brought it camping for further testing) from my pin board was the Listerine as bug spray pin. There isn't a source for this one, just an image of a bottle of Listerine, so I can't say where the tip originated from. However, I can tell you that it isn't that great. It kept the mosquitoes at bay, but it did nothing for the little annoying gnats or any other buggies flying around. Not to mention that users end up smelling like Listerine for the rest of the day. I wouldn't recommend this- go buy a non-toxic and organic bug spray instead! 

Lastly, I made a cute chip clip card holder for Madeline, inspired by a pin on my KidStuff pinboard. The idea was originally blogged on The Crafting Chicks here. First of all, this idea is genius. Kids love to play cards (Bean loves UNO) but have such a hard time holding them all... a chip bag clip is the solution! I pinned this a long time ago, and it took me forever to find the wide chip clips. I only had the small ones at my house and couldn't seem to find the big ones... of course, I looked last at the dollar store- which is where they are! I personalized Madeline's with foam stickers that she picked out. She thinks it looks pretty darn cute. But guess what?! We never even used it. Not because it didn't work (I assure you, we gave it a test run and it works!) but because we never settled down to a good card game while camping. Oh well... we will play with it at home some time I am sure. For now, I can say it works on the basis of testing it out after I first made it. Totally cool idea and definitely worth doing!

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Hello!

I'm back from my blog break! With only 2 weeks of summer break (I teach summer school) before the new school year starts, I am pretty busy. We try to pack in a lot of fun as well as try to get organized for the new school year.

So far we have been to Massachusetts to visit our good friend Pete, spending a lot of time on the ocean fishing and having a great time. Pete lives in Rockport and has a sweet Boston Whaler that we spend the day on while fishing the ocean. Such a great time! The boys fish, and I mainly read. My boat reading was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. After a few days in Rockport, we spent a day in Salem. Salem was super interesting. I also got a cool book from the shop at the Witches Dungeon Museum called "The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege" by Marilynne K. Roach which is quite bulky.  Then we then moved on to spend the night in East Greenwich, RI so Barrett could fish his favorite surf fishing spot... while I soaked in the sun on the beach and hooped in the ocean!

Driving - Boston from the harbor (docked at the New England Aquarium) - Sunset over Gloucester - Dinghy's - Pete's Boston Whaler - hooping in the yard - Granite Pier - yummy dinner - Bear Skin Neck history - Deathly Hallows at sea - Pete & Bear fishing

Following the red line (of historical landmarks) in Salem - Samantha statue - in the Witches Dungeon Museum - Deathly Hallows at the beach  in Rhode Island - Hooping in the ocean 

We came home and spent a few relaxing days at home before heading off to Syracuse to visit the NYS Fair and camp at Green Lakes State Park. We did this last year as well, and loved this campground. We enjoyed camping and being unplugged (well, except for my incessant instagram uploading!). All of us enjoy camping and all it has to offer. Yesterday afternoon we hopped on over to the fairgrounds for a day of fun and food and games and music and animals and rides!! We ate tons of junk, Madeline rode a few rides, we all played a few games, pet some animals, and watched a free Victoria Justice concert at the end of the night. It was a great time.

Thrift store books on the way - our site - Green Lakes - making hoops - my new hoop - Maddie taping her hoop - hand hooping with an Apple Ginger hard cider - hooping with Maddie

Swings at the fair - Ferris Wheel - clown garbage can - pink and purple silkies in the poultry barn - Maddie playing a game - going down the Giant Slide - replica vintage fair poster

Today we tore down the site, packed the Jeep and headed home. After unloading the car and starting in on camp laundry, we are just vegging out. Bear is napping and Bean is watching a fairy tale movie on Netflix.. while I get a little blog time in!

I will be back later on this weekend with a review and some thoughts on finishing Harry Potter (again)... let it be known that I am having some serious Harry Potter hangover. Nothing I am picking up right now is interesting me. Ut-oh! Gotta get out of Potter-zone!!

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Book Blogger Hop

Welcome to the weekly Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Jen over at Crazy-for-Books

This week, she asks a blogging question:

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I began blogging to keep track of my reading, and that is still a huge part of why I blog- I love being able to look through my blog posts and reviews to know what I read and how I felt about it. My favorite part of blogging is discovering new books. Since I began blogging, my pile of books to read has grown exponentially. I absolutely love finding new authors, sub-genres, and great stories. For that, I am forever thankful for the book blogger world!

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Pinned It & Did It

This month I have joined up with Love, Laughter and a Touch of Insanity and other bloggers to complete a very Pinteresting Challenge! This time I focused on a Harry Potter pin. 

I'm reading the Harry Potter series with my class, and we just recently finished Prisoner of Azkaban. As some of you know, I plan a party after each book where we have a "movie screening" in the gym and get fun little treats and a special lunch. Since Prisoner of Azkaban has a lot of focus on Dementors, I wanted to find something Dementor-related for a treat. I found this cute idea for Dementor Chocolate on Pinterest and added it to my Harry Potter board.

My version is a bit different, mainly because I wanted to give my students less chocolate since they were already drinking sugar-filled Butterbeer. I found an image of a Dementor on Google Images and then added "In case of Dementors, open IMMEDIATELY!" to the picture. I cut them out, added mini chocolate bars to baggies, and attached the image. 

The kids thought they were a riot! They certainly aren't as cute as the original pin- but I had to sacrifice cuteness for less sugar consumption!

Happy Pinning! (and doing!)

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Review: Only the Truth

Pat Brown's "Only the Truth" came to my Kindle via my daily eReader News Today email... once again, I was alerted to this awesome story being free for the day (Aug 10) so I read the description, saw all the amazing 5 star reviews and decided I must download it. I started it and finished it in one sitting...  I started it late night and even though I was pitifully exhausted, I stayed up to finish it. For a short novel (147 pages in the print edition), Pat Brown delivers a thrilling experience.

From Goodreads:

Harkening back to the writing styles and small town settings of the earlier American authors – John Steinbeck, Harper Lee, and Carson McCullers - "Only the Truth" is a psychological mystery with as many twists as the country road leading to the humble home of Billy Ray Hutchins, a lonely uneducated man living in the hills of Arkansas. Life changes little for him from day to day until he brings home a young drifter he meets at the railroad tracks, the mysterious Charlene, whose last name he never asks. He becomes her Sweet Billy Ray and his love for Charlene is steady and uncomplicated until the sheriff shows up to take her away in handcuffs. With the only woman he has ever loved behind bars for cold-bloodedly murdering the old man across the road, a confused and devastated Billy Ray sets out on a quest to find the truth, only the truth, whether it leads him to be able to save his Charlene from a death sentence or it frees him from her spell.

We follow along with Billy Ray as he meets Charlene and carries on with a humble little life on the mountain. Content with being a street sweeper and coming home to Charlene and Big Dog, Billy Ray doesn't question any of Charlene's oddness. She does not leave the home and is a bit of a hermit, but Billy Ray is happy and she seems so too, so that is all that matters. As the story progresses, Billy Ray becomes confused by Charlene when she suddenly is even more withdrawn. This is further confounded by Charlene being thrown in jail for murder shortly thereafter. What is Billy Ray to do, now that his only love is behind bars? He does what any man in love would do- search for the truth.

I cannot praise this novel enough. I was instantly drawn to Billy Ray and his character. Brown does a wonderful job building his character in such a short time. However, at the same time, leaving bits to ponder. Billy Ray narrates the story and his point of view and simple style was a huge part of what drew me to his character as well. It is Billy Ray's innocence and quest for answers that pulls the reader in. The mystery of Charlene is what keeps us pushing through to the very end. Charlene is a character that is developed as the story unfolds- while we are trying to decipher the mystery, Brown is feeding us bits of information about who Charlene is and where she came from. The development of the mystery is extremely captivating. I often find mystery stories predictable- while there were a few things I saw coming, most of it caught me off guard- something I love in a mystery novel. Brown did a spectacular job pulling her audience in, keeping us on our toes, and making every moment of the novel count. A fabulous read- I recommend everyone read it. Seriously!

Also, some of you may know Pat Brown as a criminal profiler who can be seen often on TV. Visit her Amazon Author Page here to learn more about all the awesome work she has accomplished beyond being an author! She also has a blog which you can find here and her Criminal Profiling Agency information which you can find here. While finding out further information about Pat Brown, I browsed through her other publications... I will absolutely be checking out her other works. She has a memoir, "The Profiler: My Life Hunting Serial Killers and Psychopaths" which sounds amazing, and I think that will be my next pick.

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Book Blogger Hop

Welcome to the weekly Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Jen over at Crazy-for-Books

This week, she asks:

What is the one genre you will NEVER read?

Hmmm... I'm pretty big on at least giving all things a try, but I can say that I will most likely never read any book that is strictly Religious Fiction. If a book contains some religious aspects, that would be a book I will still pick up. However, if it is strictly Religious Fiction, I can say that it will not be likely to fall into my hands. The genre is not particularly interesting to me, and as a person who does not adhere to any religion, it is just something that is not a fit for me. I have read many reviews of Religious Fiction, and I must admit, some do interest me while reading reviews.... however, I am unlikely to ever actually read those that do peek my interest a bit. There is so much out there I want to read, that I'm just not very likely to pick up books from this genre.

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Harry, A History

Oh Harry... how I love thee.

I just recently posted about my love of Harry and all things Potter-related in my post "I am a Potterhead". Over the course of the 2011-2012 school year, I have successfully created a class of Potterheads as well.

Unfortunately, with a lack of a book club and general lack of bookish (especially HP obsessed) friends, I haven't really been able to dive deeply into that world with others. This book offered me that opportunity. Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli (the webmistress of The Leaky Cauldron) is about her inside view of the world of Potterheads... including its birth and beyond.

Harry, A History has been on my TBR for ages. I never got around to it, mainly because my pile of books to read was overwhelming. Once I got a Kindle, I was able to download a sample of the book instead of having the title on a post-it that was stuck to my pile of books. The sample blew me away (I knew it would) and I immediately purchased the book for my Kindle Fire and had a great time on the journey into Potterdom with Melissa. 

Did you see that right there? I just called the author "Melissa"... yea I don't do that. But it just came out so naturally. After reading this book, I felt like I knew Melissa- and that I could totally be BFFs with her. So yea, I'm going to refer to her as Melissa... and I sure do hope that doesn't offend anyone... but after reading her work (including work from the Leaky ages ago!) it just seems so natural. Is that weird? I hope not.

Okay, girl crush over. Back to the book.

Harry, A History on my Kindle Fire

Harry, A History was an engrossing read. Immediately sucked in to Melissa's world, I was hooked. Since I started my journey into Harry Potter after the initial buzz (years, in fact) I felt like I was finally privy to the knowledge and fun that I missed out on in those early years. It was like I got to see what happened when I was living under my Harry Potter-less  rock. Melissa weaves her experiences with Harry Potter (and what was happening in her life) with what was happening in the Harry Potter world at large. She highlights the news and general public reactions, as well as indulging us with many of the details outlining her success in the Harry Potter world and her involvement in the fandom. While reading Harry, A History, we get to meet loads of interesting characters along the way. I felt like I got to peer into the lives of some very cool adult Potterheads. Knowing how Melissa met these people and how she paved the way was super inspiring too... she took two things she loved (journalism and Harry Potter) and made a career out of it. How awesome is that?! It was also humbling to know that there were moments of struggle for her and that not everything always went perfect... it reminded me that we need to work for the things we want in life.

I also really enjoyed all the bits I learned about J.K. Rowling. In the edition I have, there is a forward from J.K. Rowling and Melissa's interview with J.K. Rowling has been published. As Melissa says, "it has been polished and scrubbed up. Off-the-record and personal discussions were deleted." I found it very interesting to read, especially after hearing about how intimate of a setting for an interview that this turned out to be. 

Well written and full of information, as well as anecdotes,  this book is wonderful. My only complaint would be that it does jump around a bit. There were a few times when I got a bit confused as to where we were or what time it was in the timeline of the Harry Potter world. However, in general this book was every bit as interesting and fulfilling as I had hoped it would be. I loved Harry, A History and would absolutely recommend it to any and all Potterheads. After reading it, I was a bit sad that it took me so long to finally pick it up... and a bit sad that it was over. If you haven't read it and you are in any way a bit of a Potterhead, quit stalling and start reading!

Of course, I must thank Melissa for sharing her Harry Potter experience and history with us. Three cheers to Melissa Anelli- she deserves it for all she has done for Harry Potter and the fandom!

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Bout of Books: Days 2 & 3 Update

Day 2 of Bout of Books was quite unsuccessful for me. I barely read and I didn't even find time to post my update. Life was just crazy... work was busy and I had plenty work-related items to do at home.

Day 3 was a BIT better but not by much... I was at work until 4:45pm, so I didn't even get home until after 5:00- which as a teacher, is clearly quite abnormal! We went out to dinner and had a fun night, then I got home and read for a bit. I got through a few chapters before falling asleep with the book on my face. Guess it just wasn't my night. Oh well. I clearly have a lot of catching up to do if I want to attain my Bout of Books goals!

Bout of Books Read-a-Thon Update Days 2 & 3 [Tuesday & Wednesday]:

Tuesday

Number of books I've read today: 1

Number of pages read today: 21

Total number of books I've read: 0

Total number of pages I've read: 152

Books: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (in progress)

Wednesday

Number of books I've read today: 1

Number of pages read today: 47

Total number of books I've read: 0

Total number of pages I've read: 199

Books: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (in progress, STILL)

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Bout of Books: Day 1 Update

Day 1 of Bout of Books was not near as successful as I had hoped. I didn't get to read during Sustained Silent Reading with my class (they were quite antsy and SSR required a bit more Miss P attention then usual) and then I only got to crack my book open for a wee bit of time after work. I also didn't join in the mini-challenges for Day 1... but I can say if I choose a Literary BFF it would be Luna Lovegood, because I totally adore her.

My hope for Day 2 is to FINISH Half-Blood Prince.


Bout of Books Read-a-Thon Update Day 1 [Monday]:

Number of books I've read today: 1

Number of pages read today: 131

Total number of books I've read: 0

Total number of pages I've read: 131

Books: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (in progress)

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Bout of Books

I've been in the market for a little readathon fun, but teaching all summer has its drawbacks & I often miss out... since this is our last week of summer school, things are pretty chill in the classroom as we wrap up, so I can devote the time to a readathon! I stumbled upon Bout of Books Read-a-Thon through Leeanna... I saw her Instagramed book list & felt inspired to join.  Thanks Leeanna!.. and go check her out folks!

Time Devoted to Reading:

I will be joining in this read-a-thon all week. My reading will happen mostly at night, but I hope to make up for lost daytime reading during the week over the weekend.

My Goals:

• Finish Harry Potter (I'm about a quarter of the way through Half-Blood Prince)
• Review books that I have recently finished (I have a stack I need to get to!)
• Read from my gigantic TBR pile- NO BUYING BOOKS THIS WEEK

Books to Read:

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• The Girl Below by Bianca Zander
• Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
• Tortured (Birthmarked #1.5) by Caragh M. O'Brien
• Prized (Birthmarked #2) by Caragh M. O'Brien

---------------------------------------

Bout of Books Read-a-Thon Updates:

Monday

Number of books I've read today: 1

Number of pages read today: 131

Total number of books I've read: 0

Total number of pages I've read: 131

Books: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (in progress)

Tuesday

Number of books I've read today: 1

Number of pages read today: 21

Total number of books I've read: 0

Total number of pages I've read: 152

Books: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (in progress)

Wednesday

Number of books I've read today: 1

Number of pages read today: 47

Total number of books I've read: 0

Total number of pages I've read: 199

Books: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (in progress)

Thursday

Number of books I've read today:

Number of pages read today:

Total number of books I've read:

Total number of pages I've read:

Books:

Friday

Number of books I've read today:

Number of pages read today:

Total number of books I've read:

Total number of pages I've read:

Books:

Saturday

Number of books I've read today:

Number of pages read today:

Total number of books I've read:

Total number of pages I've read:

Books:

Sunday

Number of books I've read today:

Number of pages read today:

Total number of books I've read:

Total number of pages I've read:

Books:

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Dawn of Zombie Haiku

Yesterday while out & about I picked this little gem of a book up at Ollie's. I quite enjoy zombies and haiku's, so the title and gore-filled cover drew me in. I flipped through the book and loved the immediate style of a journal. Then I turned it over at saw it was only $1.99, so at that steal, the deal was done. I chucked it in the cart and figured it'd be a nice light read around the campfire that evening.

As the fire died down and we retired to the tent, I grabbed a flashlight and cracked the spine on Ryan Mecum's Dawn of Zombie Haiku.

The story follows Dawn, a 10 year old girl who is about to experience the zombie apocalypse. Her Dad bought her this journal (we are privy to reading her secret diary, yay!) so that she may continue to write her thoughts, all in haiku form. She narrates her journey through the zombie apocalypse in bubble letters, haiku, doodles, and blurry photographs... all taped in place.. with a few blood splatters here and there.

Overall, this was a fun little read. I love the smashbook style of her journal and the concept of the zombie apocalypse being viewed through a 10 year old's eyes. It was silly and at times a wee bit disgusting... for example:

"If I push my eye,

my tear ducts make squishy sounds

and maggots pop out"

Yummy, right? I thought that Mecum did a good job portraying a possible (inevitable??) zombie apocalypse through a child's eye. Interesting, quick, and fun, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a little dash of gore in their reading stacks. Also, I suggest it to readers who aren't squimish... and if you're looking for top-notch literary haiku's, you might want to look somewhere else- these haiku's are fun... Dawn of Zombie Haiku isn't a poetry book!

Enjoy your brains,

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Blog Hop

Hey Friday Hoppers!! Hope your day is going fabulous!

Today, Jen at Crazy-for-Books has another great question for us this week...

She asks:

Who is your go-to author when in a reading rut?

I have two: Stephen King and JK Rowling.  When I get stuck, I often pick up a King novel (he has so many that I often find a new one to read!) or I re-read Harry Potter.

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Pin it & Do it #1

I love Pinterest. I also love food. I also love a damn good challenge! So naturally I joined the Pinteresting Challenge over at Love, Laughter and a Touch of Insanity. My challenge level choice is Pin Obsessed (to complete 8+ pins).

My zucchini boats
(yummy!)

For my first Pin It & Do It challenge I picked something off of my Foodie board. Zucchini has always been a favorite of ours, so I went for this zucchini boat recipe from Proud Italian Cook. I modified the recipe a bit to our tastes- I used a shredded blend of cheese and I added shredded chicken to them for a bit of protein. We both enjoyed the zucchini boats, but agreed that it needed a bit more flavor. I used garlic olive oil and salt & pepper, thinking the strong garlic taste in my olive oil would be enough... next time we will add some more seasoning! Other than the fact that my camera phone food picture isn't nearly as pretty as the original, I am super happy with this pin!

Happy pinning!

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Reviewed: The Belly Fat Diet

I got my ebook edition from the Kindle store

I've heard about The Belly Fat Diet for some time now and was interested, but I have never purchased a dieting book and I wasn't about to start. A week or so ago, the website Hundred Zeros alerted me to it being free in the Kindle store, so of course I nabbed it! I'm super glad I did.

note: this ebook is currently back at $2.99 but is eligible for Amazon Prime borrowing... I also suggest adding it to your wishlist and checking often to see if it drops back to a freebie!

The Belly Fat Diet by John Chatham is a quick read and is extremely informative. It explains the science behind belly fat and how to get rid of it. Don't let the title turn you away either- I wouldn't put this in a category of "dieting" but rather label it as a lifestyle change.

Chatham uses everyday language to explain to the layman why we gain weight in the belly, how to prevent it, and how to lose it. There is nothing extreme about this "diet" or exercise plan. It is basically a list of foods to eat and a few that are "off-limits" and/or to be eaten in moderation (trust me- not many... mainly white starches), plus you get a crave meal (referred to as a "cheat") once a week... and you can eat sweet treats every day. This is all about knowing what is healthy and what isn't, eating unprocessed food, and eating in moderation. Chatham also encourages us to eat every two hours- this helps to curb cravings, keeps our metabolism up, and keeps our body from storing fat. 

Seriously, anything that says I can nosh between meals is sooooo for me. I have always been a grazer... trust me, I love meals, but I'm always someone who just eats when I'm hungry and grazes throughout the day... the difference now is that Chatham has explained how and what to graze throughout the day. 

He also highlights the five super foods (berries, kiwi, salmon, nuts, and sweet potatoes) which are all foods that I LOVE. In all, the "diet" is just an outline of what is good to eat! Super simple and very easy to follow. 

The exercise is also ridiculously easy to follow. It is 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Now really, who can't squeeze in 30 minutes a day?! Chatham also suggested supplements of fish oil, vitamin b-complex, and vitamin C.

The end of the book is a recipe jackpot as well, so if you're short on ideas, it is easy to flip to the back and find something simple and healthy!

I started this plan on Saturday (8.3.12) and will update with our progress and success (optimist here!) after we've spent some time with the plan... we haven't purchased the vitamins yet though, but we do plan on it.

The verdict: based on what I have read, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a healthier lifestyle! The "diet" just seems like a smart, healthy eating plan, with simple ideas and tricks. Plus, with the book being so full of information, it will absolutely help readers understand their overall health (and areas of needed improvements!). So, here's to health!

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Pin It & Do It Challenge

I watched the Pin It and Do It {May 2012} Challenge from the sidelines... my life was just way too hectic at the time to commit! However, August is a different story! I am so glad that Trish at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity is once again hosting this challenge! The idea is to bust out some of those things we've been hoarding on our Pinterest boards... I certainly have a ton of DIY and food pins (I have 5 food related boards) that I have yet to get around to actually doing. As a matter of fact, the number of pins I actually have is kind of scary. I LOVE Pinterest. No joke.

I have decided to go into this head first- I am signing up for the Pin Obsessed level... that means I have to complete 8 or more pins in the month of August. They can be new pins or old pins and we are encouraged to think outside the box- not all the pin it/do it posts need to be crafty or foodie... they could be tutorials, outfit or makeup ideas, exercises, or even books on a Pinterest TBR board!

So c'mon fellow pinners- join in the fun, link up, and actually complete some of those pins!

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow

Reviewed: Notes to Self

I purchased my copy from the Kindle store

For quite some time I have subscribed to the daily email from Ereader News Today. Thanks to this fabulous resource, I slowly was building a free ebook library, but was quick to realize I had a difficult time reading them on my laptop, and my cheap tablet had the Kindle app, but the battery sucked and it was quite finicky. So I stocked away ebooks in the Amazon Cloud and patiently waited for the day I would purchase a Kindle.

Then my happy day arrived! Last month I finally got a Kindle Fire! Yay! With all my free ebooks in the Cloud, I knew I would be stocked for a bit with ebooks on my Kindle. Notes to Self by Avery Sawyer was one of my collected free ebooks in the Cloud. When I downloaded it, I knew that it was a book I was super interested in reading... so I decided to christen my Kindle Fire with Notes to Self. I was very happy that I did.

From Goodreads:

"Two climbed up. Two fell down. 

One woke up.

In the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury, Robin Saunders has to relearn who she is and find out what happened the night everything changed."

Robin is a young teen who wakes up in the hospital with little memory of why she is there. Stung with the realization that she fell from an amusement park ride in the middle of the night, she struggles to uncover the rest of the story. There is something pulling at her, urging her to remember why she climbed a shaky amusement park ride with her friend, Emily, and how exactly they fell. Robin also had to figure out who she was. After waking, her memory is spotty- she awoke to the challenge of amnesia and now she was fighting for her memory, while Emily is fighting for her life. 

With the encouragement of her therapist, Robin begins to write notes to herself. Robin looks for clues to who she is everywhere- in her room, on her social networking sites, in her locker, at school, and in her friend, Reno. As she begins to piece together who she is and what happened that night, Robin discovers a new side of herself which was buried below the surface before her accident. But what about Emily? Will she wake up like Robin did? Why did Emily insist upon climbing that stupid ride anyway? Will her classmates ever stop staring?

My thoughts:

I was immediately sucked in to this story and to Robin's plight.  Raw and emotional from the get-go, Sawyer packs a punch. A fairly short read, I gobbled this book up quickly. I could not stop turning to pages to find out what would happen next. Desperately seeking answers to the mystery of that night and the mystery of Robin herself, I was certainly on the edge of my seat while reading.

Robin was a character that I quite liked. She was multidimensional and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering who she is along with her. The concept of writing notes to herself, about such simple things like "how to shower" was also just so interesting to me. You don't realize how much of your life is on auto-pilot until you're forced to think about it. Notes to Self reminded me how fragile life is, and not to take it for granted. 

This book absolutely touched me. It was just such a powerful and moving story. I HIGHLY recommend this book. Be prepared for an emotionally charged book that will leave you open and raw at the close.

On a side note:

There were a few grammatical/spelling errors, which I know for some can be quite difficult. 

Thankfully, they were few and far between.

write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow