The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

370 pages

"Out of the depths of the Depression comes the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant. With rowers who were the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington's eight-oar crew was never expected  to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the world by challenging the German boat rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys' own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown has created an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable achievement, and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man's personal quest." -Back Cover

I LOVED this book. It was so inspiring and beautifully written. Daniel Brown weaves the story of rowing, Joe's childhood and challenges, and what was unfolding in Germany at the time incredibly well. There are so many great life lessons in this story, from George Pocock's philosophical musings on life and rowing, to Joe's indomitable spirit, to the eventual camaraderie of 8 boys in a boat rowing as one, to the challenges of the Great Depression.

Joe Rantz's mother died when he was young. He had an older brother Fred who married and then Joe's father married Fred's wife's twin Thula, who was 17 years his junior. Thula was an accomplished violinist and came from a family with some money. Joe's dad, Harry, was a dreamer and she was captivated by his dreams of inventing but the reality was much different. Harry struggled to make a living and kept moving the family from place to place, living in a gold mining community, shanty towns, and then trying to build a life in Sequim. Thula was never happy and resented Joe. Harry & Thula had three or four children together and when Joe was 15, they packed up the car and left their half-finished house, but not before Thula and Harry told Joe that he couldn't come with them. I just couldn't wrap my head around a father and a stepmother leaving a teenage boy behind to fend for himself. They didn't even tell him where they were going and for years Joe had no idea that they were living in Seattle. There were times during this story that I wished I could have slapped Thula silly for the way she treated Joe and then punch Harry for allowing it to happen. Joe stayed in Sequim and lived in the half-finished house, doing odd jobs for a neighbor family who became his family and trying to keep himself fed and in school. Eventually he made it to the University of Washington where he decided to try rowing.

I loved learning about rowing and crew. I also loved the fact that we just went to Seattle this last summer so I was familiar with some of the places that were mentioned. Sequim is where my husband thought a bison was going to kill him at the Animal Game Farm. I didn't know much about rowing but it's an amazing sport, full of tradition and history. It takes a strong man to make it onto a rowing crew and then to become a successful crew. Joe's freshman year the freshman coach Tom Bolles and the head coach Al Ulbrickson had a lot of talent to work with. Berkley was Washington's main competition and after competing with each other, they'd go on to Poughkeepsie and the other east coast races where's Joe's crew won their freshman year. The next few years Al kept rearranging the boys looking for the perfect crew until he got his Olympic crew of 1936. George Pocock (who designed and built the boats) became a mentor to Joe and taught him a lot of important lessons.

The heart and soul of those 8 boys, their coaches, and Joe's fiancee, Joyce, are something to be admired and emulated. Joe worked incredibly hard during the summers to be able to afford to stay in school. He was often teased by the other boys for wearing the same sweater day after day but it was all he had. He felt anger towards Harry and Thula but he didn't let it eat away at him and ultimately let it go. I even felt some compassion towards Thula after reading that her mother would only allow her children to come over once a week for a bowl of Cream of Wheat when they were living in a shanty town and barely getting by. That explained a lot about Thula. She learned to treat Joe like she did from her mother. The boys learned to row as one and as a whole became something greater than their individual parts. Their struggle to get to the Olympics after earning the right to go showed just how much good people can do when they work together. There's a brief mention of Louis Zamperini who competed in the same year and has an amazing story of his own in Unbroken.

The men of this era are called the Greatest Generation and I really think that's true. Their characters were formed through hardship and trial. They knew how to work and work hard. They knew about sacrifice and suffering. They tried to make better lives for themselves and they served their country, many giving their lives. There's a really sweet part at the end where the author talks about how Joyce wanted Joe's married life to be. She was such a blessing for Joe. I also loved the part after the Olympics where Joe realizes that he is finally whole and ready to go home. Our experiences make us who we are and I'm not sure he would have ended up where he did without all the adversity he faced.

This is such an inspiring story. I will definitely read it again. I love that there's a young reader version of this book. It is going to be one of our summer reads next summer as a family.

Miracles and Massacres by Glenn Beck

259 pages

"History is about so much more than memorizing facts. It is, as more than half of the word suggests, about the story. And, told in the right way, it is the greatest one ever written: Good and evil, triumph and tragedy, despicable acts of barbarism and courageous acts of heroism.

The things you've never learned about our past will shock you. The reason why gun control is so important to government elites can be found in a story about Athens that no one dares teach. Not the city in ancient Greece, but the one in 1946 Tennessee. The power of an individual who trusts his gut can be found in the story of the man who stopped the twentieth hijacker from being part of 9/11. And a lesson on what happens when an all-powerful president is in need of positive headlines is revealed in a story about eight saboteurs who invaded America during World War II." -Dust Jacket

One of the things that makes me the saddest about my kids' school experience is that they are not learning to love history. Frankly, they don't even remember anything they've been taught. They get a packet and do it and regurgitate it on the test but it doesn't stay with them. Their textbooks are skewed to the liberal left, where FDR gets a chapter, Abraham Lincoln gets a paragraph and nothing is said about Benjamin Franklin.  I loved my AP U.S. History class. The teacher was engaging and I learned so much. I hate that school kids are being taught that America is not a great country, that capitalism is bad and that we have raped and pillaged the world. Lately I've been trying to instill in my kids a love for our country and the idea that they can, and should, be proud to be an American. I love what Bono said about America--"that America has constantly been on the side of what's right, that America is an idea and that the world sees us as one of the greatest ideas in history--the idea that you and me are created equal, that life is not meant to be endured by enjoyed...This country was the first to claw its way out of darkness and put that on paper. These aren't just American ideas anymore. The world has a bit of America in it. These truths, they're self-evident in us."

Recently my kids and I watched "America: Imagine a World Without Her" by Dinesh D'Souza. I liked how he showed the accusations against America and then refuted them. I think kids now days hear the negative things about America and I really want to make sure that my girls know that while our country isn't perfect, it's still the best country in the world and we need to do our part to make sure it stays great.

I know that history depends on who's telling it and the same event can be told in many different ways. I know that Glenn Beck can be polarizing, but he loves America and worries about our country. He cites all of his sources in the back and I find that he usually does his research. I learned so much in this book--stories I'd never heard like the description implies. Again, I liked how it was a balance of good and bad. If we don't learn from the bad then we're likely to repeat it and the good can inspire us to be brave. This book contains stories about Jack Jouett, Shays' Rebellion, The Virginia Convention, The Barbary War, Edison vs. Westinghouse, The Battle of Wounded Knee, Easy Eddie, The Saboteurs, Tokyo Rose, The Battle of Athens, The My Lai Massacre, and the missing 9/11 terrorist. The best part of this book for me was that it made me want to read other books about these events and learn more. I like that each story isn't too long and that it's written in a way that captures your attention. I think these stories will be great for me to read with my kids this summer and talk about.

A Higher Call by Adam Makos

368 pages

"Five days before Christmas 1943, a badly damaged American bomber struggled to fly over wartime Germany. At its controls was a twenty-one-year-old pilot. Half his crew lay wounded or dead. It was their first mission. Suddenly, a sleek, dark shape pulled up on the bomber's tail--a German Messerschmitt fighter. Worse, the German pilot was an ace, a man able to destroy the American bomber with the squeeze of a trigger. What happened next would defy imagination and later be called 'the most incredible encounter between enemies in World War II.'

This is the true story of the two pilots whose lives collided in the skies that day: the American--Second Lieutenant Charlie Brown, a former farm boy from West Virginia who came to captain a B-17--and the German--Second Lieutenant Franz Stigler, a former airline pilot from Bavaria who sought to avoid fighting in World War II.

A Higher Call follows both Charlie's and Franz's harrowing missions. Charlie would face takeoffs in English fog over the flaming wreckage of his buddies' planes, flak bursts so close they would light his cockpit, and packs of enemy fighters that would circle his plane like sharks. Franz would face sandstorms in the desert, a crash alone at sea, and the spectacle of one thousand bombers, each with eleven guns, waiting for his attack.

Ultimately, Charlie and Franz would stare across the frozen skies at each other. The American 8th Air Force would later classify what happened between them as 'top secret.' It was an act that Franz could never mention or else face a firing squad. It was the encounter that would haunt both Charlie and Franz for forty years until, as old men, they would search for each other, a last mission that could change their lives forever." -Dust Jacket

Wow. What a great, inspiring book. It's very well written and great in the sense that it reminds the reader of one important fact: the atrocities committed in World War II were committed by the minority of the German people. Most members of the German Air Force were not Nazis and most were good, honorable men who had a code of honor and chivalry. Franz was led by those sorts of men. Franz fought at first to avenge the death of his brother August but the men he served under and with changed that. He learned from the fighter pilots in Africa a different way and reason for fighting. He was an ace, credited with several kills, but he took no pleasure in it. The Knight's Cross, a medal he had actively sought to earn in the beginning, ultimately meant nothing to him. Charlie's plane would have earned him that cross since bombers counted for more kills than a fighter.

I like that this book starts with Franz. You read about a young boy who wanted to learn how to fly and how he was brought into the German Air Force. You realize what a desperate situation they were in against the Americans and you can't help but feel a sense of admiration and sympathy for them. My husband loves the P-51 Mustang. It was a beautiful fighter plane and reading about it from the other side was really interesting. The German pilots were treated with disdain among their own people, blamed for losing the war and being cowards when they were not, yet another example of the propaganda spewed by Hitler's people. They had a hard time finding work at the end of the war. Some of the pilots Franz served with were men who plotted to overthrow Goering. They hated The Party.

Both Charlie and Franz were men of faith and believed that a higher power was helping and sustaining them. This book was such a good reminder that good people can be found on both sides of war and that forgiveness and love is the only way to peace. I think the men of JV-44, the Squadron of Experts, are admirable men. I'd like to read more about them in the future.

I think the whole experience of this book can be summed up with this on page 202:

"'What are you waiting for?' Black said quietly as the German's eyes met his.

The Franz Stigler who went to Africa to avenge his brother's death would have had an answer. He would have destroyed the bomber and killed its crew. But there, in the desert, and over ancient Sicily, the last of Europe's Knights had taught Franz Stigler a new code. Their code said to fight with fearlessness and restraint, to celebrate victories not death, and to know when it was time to answer a higher call.

Franz gazed at the men in the waist tending one another's wounds. He looked into the ashen face of the ball turret gunner. He thought about what his brother August would have done.

A gear clicked in Franz's soul. He laid a hand over the pocket of his jacket and felt his rosary beads within. This will be no victory for me, Franz decided. I will not have this on my conscience for the rest of my life."

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

526 pages

"The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered--fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature--and of herself--while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love." -Dust Jacket

An Amazon review spoiled the ending for me as soon as this book came out and so I haven't wanted to read it until now. It was definitely worth it. I love books that take you on a gut-wrenching journey and leave you with deep things to think about.



{SPOILER ALERT. Do not keep reading if you don't want pretty much the entire book spoiled.}


The thing that I read on the Amazon review was how upset the person was that Tris died. I think that is what caused the low-star reviews from so many people, but now, having read the book, I think those reviews were a bit unfair. All of us like a happy ending, and when we don't get one we often decide to hate the whole book/series instead of looking at whether or not it was necessary. I was that way when I first read Mockingjay but after reading the series again I felt like it was the only way for it to end. Life doesn't always give you a happily ever after. I think it's one of those things where the author had way more time to think through the story and we, the readers, have an instant gut reaction to it.

When Insurgent ended, I was wary of what would happen in the third book. You find out that the world Tris has lived in is not the "real" world, but an experiment and that now that they know that the Divergents are supposed to go and help it. I wasn't sure what Tris going into the real world would bring and how it would change her. I wasn't sure what time period we would be in, but it's still a dystopian novel and still set hundreds of years in the future. I think that having them go out into a world that is just as broken as the one they'd always known really forced the characters to decide even more who they are and want to be.

I think this series really does boil down to the choices we make and why we make them. In the very beginning, Tris has to decide what faction she wants to join. Does she want to stay in Abnegation, whose virtue is selflessness? Or does she want to join the Dauntless and be brave? I think the author does a beautiful job in the end of showing us that she is both. Even though her brother has betrayed her time and time again, she sacrifices herself for him. Tobias had told her that Abnegation only encourages letting someone die if they are doing it out of love. When Tris asks Caleb why he's willing to die for her to release the memory serum, he tells her it's because he wants her to forgive him. She realizes that it's not the same thing and that she can't let him die for that reason. Yes, it's heartbreaking--I sobbed to the point where I almost couldn't keep reading--but it's courageous and selfless, the ultimate sacrifice.

This book would not have had the same impact had it only been written from Tris's POV like the first two. We would have been deprived the opportunity to see the journey Four (I still love that name more than Tobias) goes on as well and the battle that rages within him, and the complete and total heartbreak and despair he feels when Tris dies. When he discovers that he's "genetically damaged" it makes him make decisions that have serious consequences. It's Tris's love that makes him see that he's still the same person and a good person. I like that he and Tris have the blowup where he tells her that she needs to respect his ability to make his own decisions even when he makes terrible ones. They decide to stay together because they want to, because they are good together. I liked the analogy of Tris comparing herself to a sword and Four being the whetting stone that she continues to throw herself against.

I still love Four the most. I love that there was no love triangle in this series. I love that Four & Tris have a real relationship, with conflicts and challenges. I love that they find their way back to each other before the end so that you feel like they didn't leave anything unsaid or undone before the heartache. I love that Christina develops into such a good friend and saves Four from taking the memory serum to erase all of his painful memories, instead telling him that Tris would hate him for taking it. You get the feeling that he will become the strong person Tris always knew he was and that her memory will guide him. There's still that part of me that wishes they could have lived happily ever after, but like Four says towards the end, "I suppose a fire that burns that bright is not meant to last."

Here's what the author had to say about the ending.

Stand for the Family by Sharon Slater

274 pages

I've been wanting to read this book for a long time. It is a book about protecting the traditional family and the assault on the family at state, national and international levels. It contains a lot of data and information so I think I will reread it in the future to really absorb everything.

What I took away from this book is the need for and the desire to speak up more and when necessary. There are more people who are for the family than against, yet those against are often much more vocal. They work tirelessly to get laws implemented that are harmful and destructive to a family that consists of a mother and father. If those who believe in the traditional family do nothing, we will see our world accept beliefs and ideas that are detrimental and destructive to our society. It was interesting which countries at the U.N. work to defend the traditional family and which don't. Sadly, the U.S. is not one of those that does since Obama has been president.

One of the most important aspects of this book is that it helped me realize that certain people want us to feel guilty about wanting to protect the family in order to get us to not act while they act tirelessly, particularly at the U.N. We don't speak up because we don't want to be labeled as intolerant. They want us to feel guilty about our beliefs. The book points out that human rights are now being extended to human behaviors, that there is a difference between not discriminating against someone because of their race versus their sexual preference and that gays and lesbians should not be entitled to extra protection under the law because of their sexual behavior. The author includes scientific research that demonstrates that a person's sexual orientation is not genetic. Of course homosexuals would argue that point. They would also argue that the legalization of same-sex marriage will eliminate many of the problems experienced within that community, however the author shows through various research that in countries where same-sex marriage is legal, those couples suffer from the same problems as those in countries where it's not, namely higher suicide rates, more promiscuity and abuse, to name a few.

One of the best parts of this book is chapter 15 where the author lists the ten key strategies used by sexual rights activists. Sexual rights activists are those who believe that anything and everything should go, that they should be entitled to whatever sexual behavior they want, that it should be protected and that consequences of that behavior should be funded by the government.

The first strategy is to desensitize. "A behavior that might outrage us at first can become less shocking the more we are exposed to it." You see that happening every day in the movies and on TV.

The second strategy is to bypass the people. If you can't get your agenda passed by the people, you go to the courts. "It's much easier to convince a few judges to mandate your agenda."

Third is the "I'll-make-it-mean-what-I-want strategy." U.N. documents and state laws are reinterpreted to align with what the activists want it to mean and then pressure is put on countries to conform to that interpretation.

The Tsunami Strategy: flood the "market" with a plethora of bills and proposals so your opponents won't be able to keep track of them and some of them will get through.

Name calling and discrediting. Attack the messenger if you don't like what they're saying. "Label anyone who supports a moral issue an 'extremist,' a 'right wing radical' or a 'religious fundamentalist.' Brand anyone who believes that homosexual behavior is unhealthy or not good for society as 'hateful,' 'intolerant,' 'homophobic,' 'bigot,' or a 'Nazi.' Use 'anti-choice' to label those who believe that taking the life of an unborn child is wrong. Finally, characterize opposing views or positions as 'hate speech' or 'unchristian.'"

Victim Strategy. Never mind that existing laws protect every individual from harassment and violence, they are working to create unjustified support for laws and policies that promote homosexuality.

Incremental Strategy. Little by little get laws passed that eventually legalize all sexual rights.

Emotion Strategy. Stir up emotions in those who are listening that can then be used to promote your agenda.

Call it a "Human Right" strategy. If you can get a sexual behavior labeled as a human right it then becomes sacred.

Useful Euphemism Strategy. Basically, if the majority would object to its true meaning, call it by another name. I thought these examples on pages 259-260 were pretty eye-opening because these are phrases I hear often:

"Sexual rights" - Complete sexual freedom for children and adults. Government is to pay for the consequences. Unlimited access for children (without parental consent) and adults to sexually explicit materials. Government funded abortion on demand.
"Unwanted pregnancy" - Baby that should be killed before it is born.
"Forced pregnancy" - When a woman is denied the right to kill her baby in the womb (abortion).
"Celebration of diversity" - Promotion of promiscuous lifestyles.
"Religion" - Radical, outdated beliefs that infringe on basic human rights and freedoms and which can cause serious harm to children.
"Human right" - The ultimate phrase used to imply that you have an overriding right to do what you want regardless of the consequences to you or to society.
"Gay, homosexual or lesbian" - People who need special rights and protections because of a condition which they perceive to be genetic.
"Hate speech" - Advancing religious views about sexual orientation or promiscuity that cause people to feel judged (e.g. publicly professing a biblical view regarding sexuality, or calling any kind of sexual activity outside of traditional marriage a sin).
"Homophobe" - Anyone who supports traditional marriage or opposes the homosexual agenda.
"Social Conservative" - A homophobe who is usually intolerant, inclined to discriminate and is working to take away the fundamental human rights of others.
"Discrimination" or "Intolerance" or "Hate" - Maintaining that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and that homosexuality should not be promoted in the schools or flaunted in the workplace.
"Tolerance" - A doctrine which calls for embracing promiscuity and sexual anarchy. "Tolerance" calls for intolerance of religious values or viewpoints that do not accept promiscuous behavior as normal and good.
"Lowering age of consensual sex" - Legalizing adult sex with children.
"Intergenerational sex" - Sex between an adult and child.
"Sex worker" - A prostitute.
"Civil unions" - Legal recognition and benefits for people having sex with a partner of the same sex, i.e., legal recognition for couples who engage in sodomy.

The author talks about things we can do to strengthen and protect the family:
1. Eat dinner together as a family on a regular basis.
2. Set aside date nights for mom and dad.
3. Dedicate at least one night each week to your family.
4. Spend one-on-one time with each child on a regular basis.
5. Pray together.
6. Criticize less and praise more.
7. Immunize your children against premarital sex. (Talk to them about sex.)
8. Work together.
9. Do service together as a family.
10. Never give up on a family member.

This book helped me to realize that I have fallen victim to the new definition of tolerance, that having the attitude that if it doesn't affect me directly I don't need to do anything is wrong, that eventually if we do nothing to protect the family, laws detrimental to the family will be passed and our society will be forever changed. She quotes this phrase a few times: "Many small people, in many small places, doing many small things can change the face of the world."

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

164 pages

"'To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation.'

This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an Alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a meditation on the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts." -Back Cover

This was a beautiful little book. I definitely want to read it again, as it is meant to be a fable and I'm sure there are other messages yet to discover in it. One of the ideas that is repeated in this book is that 'wherever your heart is, that is where you'll find your treasure.' I don't want to spoil the ending, but I loved where Santiago's treasure was found. Santiago spends his time trying to achieve his Personal Legend, which I took to mean his destiny. In the beginning, he's content to be a shepherd. He has his own flock and he gets to travel, which was always his dream. But in his travels he meets a king who tells him that he will find his treasure near the pyramids of Egypt. The journey there takes him to unexpected places where he meets people who help him fulfill his Personal Legend. Things don't turn out exactly as he expected them to. That resonated especially with me because my own life has taken me to places I never expected but which have led me to where I am today and since I don't believe in coincidence, I think everything happens for a reason and we are led to where God wants us to be. The trick is learning to listen and follow where He leads.

There were some wonderful little gems of wisdom in this book. Next time I read it I want to write more of them down or underline them even though I hate writing in books. A few of the ones that stood out this time were:

"He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared: for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises."

"We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand."

'''No,' the alchemist answered. 'What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can learn, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved toward that dream. That's the point at which most people give up. It's the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one 'dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.' 'Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested.' The boy remembered on old proverb from his country. It said that the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn."

'''You are wise, because you observe everything from a distance,' the boy said. 'But you don't know about love. If there hadn't been a sixth day, man would not exist; copper would always be just copper, and lead just lead. It's true that everything has its Personal Legend, but one day that Personal Legend will be realized. So each thing has to transform itself into something better, and to acquire a new Personal Legend, until, someday, the Soul of the World becomes one thing only.'
The sun thought about that, and decided to shine more brightly. The wind, which was enjoying the conversation, started to blow with greater force, so that the sun would not blind the boy.
'This is why alchemy exists,' the boy said. 'So that everyone will search for his treasure, find it, and then want to be better than he was in his former life. Lead will play its role until the world has no further need for lead; and then lead will have to turn itself into gold.'"

Reached by Ally Condie

512 pages

"All will be sorted.

Cassia's journey began with an error, a momentary glitch in the otherwise perfect facade of the Society. After crossing canyons to break free, she waits, silk and paper smuggled against her skin, ready for the final chapter.

The wait is over.

One young woman has raged against those who threaten to keep away what matters most--family, love, choice. Her quiet revolution is about to explode into full-scale rebellion." -Dust Jacket

I was going to hold off reading this final book for awhile because I felt like Crossed was a little slow. But then a friend, who I talk books with a lot, told me I needed to read it. I'm glad I did.

I spent a portion of this book feeling like I was reading The Giver. The Giver is a great book but there is a lot of symbolism in it and you read it trying to understand the deeper meaning of the story and wondering if you really get it. I felt like I needed to be doing that with this one. The Pilot is both literal and figurative and by the end has changed identities and meanings more than once.

I was kind of hard on Xander in my review of Crossed but in this book he was my favorite character. Cassia kind of took a backseat to Xander and Ky. As with all dystopian novels, the characters go on a journey that changes them and leaves them both scarred and hopeful. I was surprised that this book was really moving in that way. I shed tears over Ky and especially over Xander. Ky is such a strong-willed character. He's been through a lot. When he goes through something beyond his control in the middle of the book, you can't help but feel for him. Xander is just selfless. He gives and gives until there's almost nothing left.

I loved how the author wrapped up the loose ends. Cassia spends a lot of the book trying to remember a day with her grandfather that he said on his microcard was his favorite day with her and that she knows is important. She gets back bits and pieces and then the whole thing by the end and it makes you see how the story connects from beginning to end. I liked the intertwining of the Society and the Rising and the twist on how the Rising and the Plague began.

I'm really impressed with this third book and the things that it declared as valuable: choice, art and love. When I recommend dystopian novels/series to people this one is usually towards the bottom of that list but that's going to change. It's been over a year since I read Crossed and I was bummed that I couldn't remember a lot details about some of the minor characters - Vick, Eli, Hunter & Indie from Crossed. I had hoped that some of them would play a bigger role in Reached and then I wished I remembered them better when they did. I think this will be my summer read so I can read them all in a row like I did with The Hunger Games.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

338 pages

*Not to be confused with that other book (although apparently it often has been) which also contains the phrase "shades of gray" in its title and is shrink-wrapped at the bookstore! That would be a rude awakening either way I'm sure. (I won't be reading that other book.)

"Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother's life was worth a pocket watch.

In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all that summer has to offer. But one night, the Soviet secret police barge into her home, deporting her along with her mother and younger brother. They are being sent to Siberia. Lina's father has been separated from the family and sentenced to death in a prison camp. All is lost.

Lina fights for her life, fearless, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by documenting their experience in art and writing. She risks everything to use her art as messages, hoping they will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive.

It is a long and harrowing journey, and it is only their incredible strength, love, and hope that pull Lina and her family through each day. But will love be enough to keep them alive?" -Dust Jacket

I have several books in my library that I haven't read yet because it just doesn't feel like the right time. That was the case with this one for several months. Being about WWII, I was afraid that it would be incredibly sad and I wasn't ready for a good cry yet. Then it snowed and got really cold and all of a sudden it felt like the right time. At times it was incredibly sad, but with so many books like this, it was also incredibly uplifting. I think more books are written about the treatment of the Jews during WWII than about what Stalin did to millions of people and although this is a fictional story it is based on real events.

I have wondered before if I would stay true to myself if put in circumstances as horrific as these. Would I be the one to complain that all is lost and feel hopeless? Would I become selfish and lose my humanity in order to stay alive? Would I give up and want to die? Or would I try to help and lift those around me? Would I grasp on to the smallest rays of hope to keep me going? I don't know. I hope it would be the latter. Lina's mother is an example of the latter. She maintains her dignity and continues to look after those around her. She saves her family and gives them the courage to survive.

In this book there is love, laughter, horror, misery, more misery, death and hope. Between the shades of gray there are rays of light. There are characters that you become attached to and those you feel sorry for, the NKVD officer Kretzsky in particular. Christmas and Lina's birthday are particularly sweet. You can be grateful even when you have nothing. It's incredible to think that this fictional family suffered all they did for more than a decade and at the end of it they weren't allowed to talk about what happened to them because they were viewed as criminals. Despite being released, they lived with the fear of being imprisoned, or worse, if they said what really happened. Lina's art stands as the only witness to what she went through.

This is a moving, well-written story. I'd definitely recommend it.





{SPOILER ALERT}

There is one loose end in this story that isn't tied up and I wish it would have been, although I don't think that would have been as realistic.

You never find out if Lina's father was really killed or not. Lina and her mother are told that he was but it is never confirmed. I know that so many people who were sent to prison camps during the war never found their loved ones again or knew what really happened to them. I would hope that if Lina's father had survived that they would have found each other. I rather doubt that that part of the story had a happily ever after.

I'm so glad that Lina and Andrius found each other! That loose end would have driven me crazy. I've always said I'm a sucker for love and I'm glad that theirs survived. Andrius was a favorite.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio: Kids Review

313 pages

"August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school--until now. He's about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?" -Dust Jacket

I finished reading this book last night to my 10- and 8-year-olds. I asked them what they thought about it. They both said, "In the beginning no one was nice to Auggie, but in the end they were all friends." I think that sums up the beauty of this book. Auggie is the wonder referenced in the title. His personality is contagious.

This time around I was struck by the social bravery of Summer and Jack. They are Auggie's first friends, especially Summer. Summer does not listen to or worry about what the rest of the kids are saying and sits by Auggie at lunch because she wants to. Although Jack caves to the pressure one time, in the end he's Auggie's most loyal friend. I hope my girls are that kind of friend, the kind that judges a person based on character and not appearance.

Whenever anyone asks me for a book recommendation, this is always my first response. I love this book so much. I tell people it's a book about kindness and the world needs more kindness. It is a literary gem.


**The second time around I noticed that there are a few "Oh my G--" phrases in this book. Because I read this out loud I just changed those for my kids.

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

1,163 pages

I wanted to re-read this series this summer because I had such a strong reaction to Mockingjay when it first came out and I wondered if I'd been too hard on it. Originally, I felt like Mockingjay let the rest of the series down. I think I said that in the third book Katniss was not the same Katniss we came to know and love in the first two books. I think I also said that it was so anti-war it became unenjoyable. 

This time around I'll just say this: I misjudged Mockingjay. Badly. While we root for Katniss because of her bravery and fighting spirit, this story is ultimately a tragedy on so many levels, especially for Peeta, who I believe is the real heart and soul of this story. That tragedy affected me deeply this time around. I get a little choked up just thinking about it. (I cry during certain commercials and Disney movies too.) This series is still a favorite, but for a very different reason now. 

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

313 pages

"August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school--until now. He's about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been that new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?" -Dust Jacket

I have read a lot of books. Some have moved me to tears, some have made me laugh, some have kept me up late, but only a select few get to be called favorites. This is one of them. This book is all about the power of kindness. I love that. I think the world needs that. I will be reading this book to my kids before they start school this year and maybe every year after that.

Auggie is a normal 10-year-old boy in every way but his face. His family loves him and they love each other. (I like when families aren't dysfunctional.) I love that this book changes points of view--brilliant!--because it adds insight into what some of the other characters are going through and it helps the reader be less judgmental of some of the bad things they do and proud of the heroic things they do. I also love that you don't know exactly what Auggie's face looks like until his sister's chapters (which are especially touching, I thought) and by then you love Auggie and could care less what he looks like, yet what he looks like is the reason the kids do what they do because they don't get that luxury. It's an interesting juxtaposition.   

One of the teachers posts monthly precepts in his classroom that are little gems for all of us:
SEPTEMBER: "When given the chance between being right or being kind, choose kind." -Dr. Wayne W. Dryer
OCTOBER: "Your deeds are your monuments." -inscription on an Egyptian tomb
NOVEMBER: "Have no friends not equal to yourself." -Confucius
DECEMBER: "Audentes fortuna iuvat." (Fortune favors the bold.) -Virgil
JANUARY: "No man is an island, entire of itself." -John Donne
FEBRUARY: "It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers." -James Thurber
MARCH: "Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much." -Blaise Pascal
APRIL: "What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful." -Sappho
MAY:
"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as you ever can." -John Wesley's rule
JUNE: "Just follow the day and reach for the sun!" -The Polyphonic Spree, "Light and Day"
AUGGIE'S PRECEPT MAILED TO MR. BROWNE DURING THE SUMMER: "Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their life because we all overcometh the world."

Makes me want to have monthly precepts for our family, starting with these.

I think the theme or message of this book is summed up by Mr. Tushman at the fifth grade commencement:

"...but what I want you, my students, to take away from your middle-school experience, is the sure knowledge that, in the future you make for yourselves, anything is possible. If every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary--the world would really be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God."

Love this book!

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

313 pages

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten." -Dust Jacket

I've been putting off reading this book because I knew it would give me a good cry and it did, for about half the book. But it was so worth it. There is a reason this book has 600+ 5-star ratings on Amazon. As Jodi Picoult wrote on the cover, "Electric...filled with staccato bursts of humor and tragedy." Read it. You will be very glad you did. That's all.


*There is some language in this book, but frankly, I'd swear at cancer too.

Freedom in Exile, The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama

271 pages

This year one of my new year's resolutions was to branch out in my reading genres. I read a lot of books that my girls like but I felt it was important to learn some things this year in my reading rather than just be entertained.

The Dalai Lama is a remarkable person and I have wanted to read his autobiography for a long time. I knew about what had happened in Tibet but only had a surface knowledge. This book was a great education about the Dalai Lama's childhood, his training, the Chinese invasion, his exile, and his experiences through 1990. I wish he would write another book that covers the last 20 years. The Dalai Lama is a man who loves people and who is gentle and kind. The Chinese committed some Nazi-like atrocities against his people, yet he remains forgiving and hopeful for his people's future with the Chinese. One of the things that I really liked about him is his ability to learn from every experience he has.

The book presented a heartbreaking look at what communism does to a peace-loving country. Tibet sounded beautiful before the Chinese, with its people respecting life and nature. The Chinese have basically destroyed the country and its people. I learned a lot about Buddhism. Parts of it were very fascinating, in particular the belief that the Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lamas and the evidence to support that. It was fun to read that he was a typical boy. At times he didn't take his training seriously. I loved reading about how the Tibetan monks debate with one another. I would love to see that. In contrast to the Chinese was the Indian people. They have done a lot for the Tibetan refugees despite the sweeping poverty in their country. This is such a good book.

I read - on a blog I think - that the author kept a journal of favorite quotes from the books she read. I wanted to start doing that. Here are some favorites from this book:

"All had gone well until the man turned to Lobsang Samten (the Dalai Lama's brother) (who spoke some Chinese) and asked him what was the Tibetan word for 'Kill him'...The idea of killing even an insect was so far from his mind that he was lost for words...This story is another illustration of the differences between Chinese and Tibetan attitudes. To one, the killing of human beings was a fact of life; to the other, it was unthinkable."

(Speaking of his first experiences with the Indian government) "This was in direct contrast to my experience in the People's Republic, where the received opinion was that you can change people's minds by bullying them. I could now make comparisons and see for myself that this was faulty thinking. Only through the development of mutual respect, and in a spirit of truth, can friendship come about. By these means it is possible to move human minds, but never by force."

(Speaking about the charitable Christian organizations) "This is one area where we can learn from our Christian brothers and sisters: it would be very useful if Buddhists could make a similar contribution to society. I feel that Buddhist monks and nuns tend to talk a great deal about compassion without doing much about it."

"So far, I have received only support for my belief that wherever you go, people everywhere are basically the same, despite certain superficial differences. They all, like myself, seek happiness: no one wants suffering."

"Another observation is that there are a lot of people in the West who live very comfortably in large cities, but virtually isolated from the broad mass of humanity. I find this very strange - that under the circumstances of such material well-being and with thousands of brothers and sisters for neighbors, so many people appear able to show their true feelings only to their cats and dogs. This indicates a lack of spiritual values, I feel. Part of the problem here is perhaps the intense competitiveness of life in these countries, which seems to breed fear and a deep sense of insecurity...For me, this sense of alienation is symbolized by something I once saw at the home of a very rich man whose guest I was on one of my trips abroad. It was a very large private house, obviously designed expressly for convenience and comfort, and fitted with every kind of appliance. However, when I went into the bathroom, I could not help noticing two large bottles of pills on the shelf above the hand basin. One contained tranquilizers, the other sleeping pills. This was proof, too, that material prosperity alone cannot bring about lasting happiness."

"It would be much more constructive if people tried to understand their supposed enemies. Learning to forgive is much more useful than merely picking up a stone and throwing it at the object of one's anger, the more so when the provocation is extreme. For it is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others."

"I believe that this suffering is caused by ignorance, and that people inflict pain on others in pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through cultivation of altruism, of love, of compassion, and through the elimination of anger, selfishness and greed."

Room by Emma Donoghue

321 pages

"To five-year-old Jack, Room is the world. It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. There are endless wonders that let loose Jack's imagination - the snake under Bed that he constructs out of eggshells, the imaginary world projected through the TV, the coziness of Wardrobe below Ma's clothes, where she tucks him in safely at night in case Old Nick comes.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held since she was nineteen - for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in that eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But Jack's curiosity is building alongside her own desperation - and she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer." -Dust Jacket

On the recommendation of a good friend who loves good books, I went to the library and checked this out. I haven't been outside the children's section of the library in years; I just love buying books, and finding good deals on those books. I think sometimes I keep Amazon in business single-handedly. Or not, since I usually buy books for $0.01 and pay $3.99 in shipping. I will be buying this book but I didn't want to wait for the right price.

I couldn't put this book down. I ended this book sobbing, but in a good way. I think the last paragraph on the dust jacket sums up how I feel perfectly:

"Told in the poignant and funny voice of Jack, Room is a story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her child. It is a shocking, exhilarating, and riveting novel - but always deeply human and always moving. Room is a place you will never forget."

One thing did nag at me as I was reading: why on earth would a 19-year-old girl fall for the "my dog's hurt/going crazy" routine from an older man and willingly get in his truck? Maybe a young child, but a college student? The reader never learns Ma's full name. I liked that. I think it makes it easier to envision this brave young woman as being anyone and no one in particular. She could be any young mother. Jack loves her and she loves Jack, so much so that she creates a heaven for him out of her hell. I think the way Jack feels about Room is a testament to her courage and compassion. She gives him as normal a childhood as their circumstance allows, creating games and retelling stories, making him feel loved and happy and keeping him safe. I like that this story is told from Jack's perspective. I think the author does a great job writing the thoughts and feelings of a five-year-old and making those thoughts and feelings believable. Jack's voice creates a tender innocence for a horrific situation. It keeps things PG-rated and it lets you find beauty in tragedy. His using proper nouns for items like Rug, Wardrobe, Table, made those things come alive and made you feel how important they were to Jack in his small world. Told through Ma's eyes this story would have been a completely different read. Their very different feelings about Rug are proof of that.

{SPOILERS}

I liked the flow of this story. Jack and Ma escape halfway through, which leaves the second half of the book to deal with the aftermath and emotions of seven years in captivity. Jack and Ma both have adjustments to make to being free. Jack has only ever known Room and Outside is overwhelming for him. Ma has the emotional and physical trauma to deal with of having had her life stolen from her. It is not an easy road for either of them and they both have to find a new way. Ma's strength lies in the fact that she gets back up and keeps going. The ending was a full-circle moment, and again a testament to Ma's character. Jack wants to visit Room again and she takes him so they can both say goodbye.

I love books that make you feel and sometimes think differently about life. This one does that the whole way through. It's one you won't soon forget. And can I just say that I love Steppa? He keeps it real.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

376 pages

"The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill a Mockingbird  became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill a Mockingbird  takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into ten languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature." -Back Cover

This book truly is a masterpiece of American literature. I haven't read it since probably freshman or high school English and I know I liked it a lot way (!) back then, but I have a much greater appreciation for it now. The message of tolerance that runs through this book is as appropriate today as it was back then. There are so many powerful life lessons in this story about how we should conduct ourselves, treat others and raise our children. It is also a story about how life goes on. The characters are some of the greatest ever written. I could gush on and on but there's no need. If you've read it you know what I mean and if you haven't get yourself to the library right now.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

444 pages

"Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed." -Dust Jacket

I LOVED this book. LOVED IT! It's my favorite type of book: a fictional story about life and "real" every day people. It reminded me of The Secret Life of Bees, with characters that jump right off the page, grab your heart and make you fall completely in love with them. Their Southern talk and spunk brought a smile to my face. I just love Aibileen, Minny and Miss Skeeter. They are inspiring, brave women. All the characters are so well-written. Miss Hilly is a good protagonist. You love to hate her. She's so prejudiced and nasty. Which makes Minny's revenge so sweet. Then there are those characters who want to go against the status quo and just aren't quite strong enough but you feel hopeful for future generations. Writing the book within the book changes the characters' lives in ways they both imagined and didn't. My two favorite quotes:

"Sometimes, when I'm bored, I can't help but think what my life would be like if I hadn't written the book. Monday, I would've played bridge. And tomorrow night, I'd be going to the League meeting and turning in the newsletter. Then on Friday night, Stuart would take me to dinner and we'd stay out late and I'd be tired when I got up for my tennis game on Saturday. Tired and content and...frustrated." -Miss Skeeter, page 419

"We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought."

That last statement pretty much sums up the message of the book for me. This should be a "must read" for everyone. Despite the bad things that happen it was pure joy from beginning to end.  

Life Is So Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman

260 pages

"What makes a happy person, a happy life? In this remarkable book, George Dawson, a 101-year-old man who learned to read when he was 98, reflects on the philosophy he learned from his father--a belief that 'life is so good'--as he offers valuable lessons in living and a fresh, firsthand view of America during the twentieth century.

Born in 1898 in Marshall, Texas, the grandson of slaves, George Dawson tells how his father, despite hardships, always believed in seeing the richness in life and trained his children to do the same. As a boy, George had to go to work to help support his family, and so he did not attend school or learn to read; yet he describes how he learned to read the world and survive in it. 'We make our own way,' he says. 'Trouble is out there, but a person can leave it alone and just do the right thing. Then, if trouble still finds you, you've done the best you can.'

At ninety-eight, George decided to learn to read and enrolled in a literacy program, becoming a celebrated student. 'Every morning I get up and I wonder what I might learn that day. You just never know.' In Life Is So Good, he shares wisdom on everything from parenting ('With children, you got to raise them. Some parents these days are growing children, not raising them') to attitude ('People worry too much. Life is good, just the way it is').

Richard Glaubman captures George Dawson's irresistible voice and view of the world, offering insights into humanity, history, and America--eyewitness impressions of segregation, changes in human relations, the wars and the presidents, inventions such as the car and the airplane, and much, much more. And throughout his story, George Dawson inspires the reader with his message that sustained him happily for more than a century: 'Life is so good. I do believe it's getting better.'" -Dust Jacket

George Dawson is an amazing example of a quiet, gentle, hard-working, humble man who lived his life trying to treat people with respect and do the right thing. His story is entertaining, enlightening and informative. I loved his simple approach to life, family, and values, but especially his approach to work. He had a lot of common sense and didn't complain about the hard things in his life though he easily could have; he just accepted them and kept going.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"Most folks, if they saw a rattler, and had a gun, they would try and shoot it. People always say that it tastes like chicken. But I swear some folks will say anything tastes like chicken. No one ever says that a chicken tastes like a rattlesnake, though. Go figure that one." -Page 22

(Talking about Bonnie & Clyde) "Nowadays, a lot of people say they were heroes. I hear there was even a movie about them. But I didn't see it; don't generally go to movies. I guess they gave some of that bank money to the poor, but they killed some people and scared a lot more. That's wrong. The Bible tells that straight off. They weren't no heroes. They were famous all right, but they weren't no heroes." -Page 198-199

"I even have some pictures from when me and Mr. Henry went to NASA for something about pioneers of this century. There are some senators and politicians in the pictures with us. Nobody ever noticed me before, but everyone wants to see me now. They showed me and Mr. Henry around. We saw some big rocket ships like the ones that go into outer space. They say that someday people might even live up there. Not me. I don't think it's going to work for people. God didn't make us to have wings. People fly in airplanes, but living on other planets, that's something else. They even gave me a picture of Mars. It's got poor-looking soil and it's too rocky to grow anything. Maybe they plan to bring food with them. Even so, I just don't see it. A man will come out on the front porch and there won't be nothing to do." -Page 232

There is also some great parenting advice but too much to quote. This is a feel-good book with some sound advice and important life lessons. I love books about real people whose lives inspire me to live better. George Dawson's does just that. I smiled, laughed, and cried. I love when that happens.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

270 pages

"William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was a mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger, and a place where hope and opportunity were hard to find. But William had read about windmills in a book called Using Energy, and he dreamed of building one that would bring electricity and water to his village and change his life and the lives of those around him. His neighbors may have mocked him and called him misala--crazy--but William was determined to show them what a little grit and ingenuity could do.

Enchanted by the workings of electricity as a boy, William had a goal to study science in Malawi's top boarding schools. But in 2002, his country was stricken with a famine that left his family's farm devastated and his parents destitute. Unable to pay the eighty-dollar-a-year tuition for his education, William was forced to drop out and help his family forage for food as thousands across the country starved and died.

Yet William refused to let go of his dreams. With nothing more than a fistful of cornmeal in his stomach, a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks, and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to bring his family a set of luxuries that only two percent of Malawians could afford and what the West considers a necessity--electricity and running water. Using scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves, William forged a crude yet operable windmill, an unlikely contraption and small miracle that eventually powered four lights, complete with homemade switches and a circuit breaker made from nails and wire. A second machine turned a water pump that could battle the drought and famine that loomed with every season.

Soon, news of William's magetsi a mphepo--his 'electric wind'--spread beyond the borders of his home, and the boy who was once called crazy became an inspiration to those around the world." -Dust Jacket

I've been watching this book for months on Amazon, waiting for someone to sell it used/like new for a steal. I'm so glad it finally happened. (Had I known how good it was I would have paid full price though.) This book is one of those gems that is completely inspiring and makes you really think and take an inventory of yourself.

For the past eight months my husband and I have been paying two mortgages and two sets of bills. My normal budget was slashed to where I basically just bought groceries and filled my car's tank every two weeks. There were a lot of times where we all had to go without things, but every month I would feel so grateful that at least we didn't have to go without food. There were times that I felt sorry for myself. This book reminded me of how fortunate I am and how I have absolutely no right to complain. I have no idea--NO IDEA!--what hard is.

I learned a lot about electricity reading this book. Something that most of us take for granted was a true miracle for William and his family...and talk about genius to be able to figure it all out. I learned about ingenuity and persistence. People called him crazy and yet he kept going. There's a moment at the end of the book where William gets to go to southern California and see the thousands of windmills there. For me, that moment felt bittersweet. William had worked so hard and sacrificed so much to build something that is mass-produced and so common in the modern world, yet to William and his family their windmill was freedom. It changed their lives.

William is truly an inspiration. His love of learning should make all of us recommit ourselves to the pursuit of knowledge and hold it in high regard. When William is unable to go to school because his parents can't afford it, he vows to keep his mind active. He talks about those boys who aren't able to go to school and how they would hang out at the trading center, drinking booze and coasting through life. He fears becoming one of them and says, "I started worrying that I would become like them, that one day the windmill project would lose its excitement or become too difficult to maintain, and all my ambitions would fade in the maize rows. Forgetting dreams is easy. To fight that kind of darkness, I kept returning to the library every week even though I had no idea if or when I'd ever return to school. I kept going so I could increase my general knowledge, and so I would remain inspired."

I have to admit, I got a little teary-eyed when William goes to New York and is so overwhelmed by all he sees and experiences that he calms himself by dreaming of home and climbing his windmill. I can't describe it, it just really touched me. I get the feeling that William knows things about life that the rest of us don't.

William meets a lot of wonderful people who help him realize his dreams and I have every confidence that he will go on and do even greater things for his country and people. I hope there's a sequel someday. The bottom line of this book is that one person can make a difference and it should be a must-read for everyone.

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

169 pages

"Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck. Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking his leg. In the hours that followed, darkness fell and a blizzard raged as Yates tried to lower his friend to safety. Finally, Yates was forced to cut the rope, moments before he would have been pulled to his own death.

The next three days were an impossibly grueling ordeal for both men. Yates, certain that Simpson was dead, returned to base camp consumed with grief and guilt over abandoning him. Miraculously, Simpson had survived the fall but, crippled, starving, and severely frostbitten, was trapped in a deep crevasse. Summoning vast reserves of physical and spiritual strength, Simpson hopped, hobbled, and crawled over the cliffs and canyons of the Andes, reaching the base camp hours before Yates had planned to break camp.

How both men overcame the torments of those harrowing days is an epic tale of fear, suffering, and survival; a poignant testimony to unshakable courage and friendship."

This is a short book but a great testament to the strength of the human spirit. About halfway through I thought, "Gee, I wish this book had a glossary so I could understand the climbing terms better." Well, there is a glossary...in the very back of the book! So, know that before you start and it will make your read that much more enjoyable.

After reading Into Thin Air I couldn't help but wonder if people who climb the world's highest peaks aren't just a teensy bit insane, risking life and limb to experience a brief moment of satisfaction before having to turn around and do it all over again. It's not something I would ever consider. (I'm afraid of heights and I'm claustrophobic, not a good combination for that sort of thing.) But I do admire the determination and fortitude they must have to do it. Joe Simpson is a great example of that. The things he goes through after breaking his leg are unimaginable and to keep going after so much adversity is impressive. The book is well-written and I liked how the points of view change from Joe's to Simon's after the accident so you get a feel for the anguish Simon was experiencing even though his decision ultimately saved Joe's life. I believe that God must have watched over these men, inspiring Joe to keep going and Simon to wait before leaving camp. The ending was a bit abrupt and I would have liked to learn a little bit more about what happened to both of them after their ordeal, in particular Simon, but I guess the epilogue was a good way to end, too.

(FYI: Simon Yates was leading climbing expeditions as early as last year. In an article online he said that he had lost touch with Simpson - calling him a person he could no longer relate to - for several years until filming scenes for the documentary about their ordeal but Simpson has always defended his decision to cut the rope.)

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

401 pages

"On a winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter is born, he sees immediately that she has Down's Syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split-second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. But Caroline, the nurse, cannot leave the infant. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century - in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by the fateful decision made that long-ago winter night. Norah Henry, who knows only that her daughter died at birth, remains inconsolable; her grief weighs heavily on their marriage. And Paul, their son, raises himself as best he can, in a house grown cold with mourning. Meanwhile, Phoebe, the lost daughter, grows from a sunny child to a vibrant young woman whose mother loves her as fiercely as if she were her own." -Book Jacket

This story really is beautifully told. It's so heart-breaking. It's heart-breaking to see how much damage one fateful decision causes in the lives of these people. It shapes everything they do from then on and creates an impenetrable wall between David and Norah. You can't help but ask yourself "What if?" throughout this entire story. What if David hadn't lied? What if he had just told Norah sooner? What if Caroline had just said no? Would Phoebe have still become the independent woman she is and had the opportunities she had? Would David have still spent his life helping others? Would Norah have turned into the strong woman she is? Would their marriage have been different, better? Would they have all lived happily ever after?

These characters are so defined by that one moment. I felt so much regret for Norah...and for David. You realize by the end that all they can do is try to forgive, put the past behind them, and try to move forward. You realize how much your life experiences influence your decisions. This was a fantastic book about ordinary people. It reminded me of Once Upon a Day and The Friday Night Knitting Club, so sad but somehow inspiring at the same time.