Stars shining bright above you.
The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
non-fiction, journal
3/5 -worth the read
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic-a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the "Secret Annex" of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.
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Honestly I didn’t think much while reading this. It just seemed like a pointless journal, but it really affected me. I finished reading a few minutes ago and I can’t even put my thoughts into words. Yeah, it was just a girl’s journal and you don’t even realize at the time that these were real things and real problems and real people.
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, Simone Elkeles
2/5 -nothing special
angst, beach read, coming of age, family, love, teeny bopper
Moshav? What’s a moshav? Is it “shopping mall” in Hebrew? I mean, from what Jessica was telling me, Israeli stores have the latest fashions from Europe. That black dress Jessica has is really awesome. I know I’d be selling out if I go with the Sperm Donor to a mall, but I keep thinking about all the great stuff I could bring back home.
Unfortunately for 16-year-old Amy Nelson, “moshav” is not Hebrew for “shopping mall.” Not even close. Think goats, not Gucci.
Going to Israel with her estranged Israeli father is the last thing Amy wants to do this summer. She’s got a serious grudge against her dad, a.k.a. “Sperm Donor,” for showing up so rarely in her life. Now he’s dragging her to a war zone to meet a family she’s never known, where she’ll probably be drafted into the army. At the very least, she’ll be stuck in a house with no AC and only one bathroom for seven people all summer-no best friend, no boyfriend, no shopping, no cell phone…
Goodbye pride-hello Israel.
----Simone Elkeles is my guilty pleasure. I think the Perfect Chemistry books are..well...perfect. I was pretty disappointed with this. I didn't like Amy. Or any of the characters really, but it's so important to like the main character. She came off as a brat to me. I think there should have been more of a storyline between her and her dad. That was the whole point of the trip, was it not? And she just ditched him to go off with the other kids... I didn't believe the relationship between Amy and Avi either. It kind of came out of nowhere.
Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives, Jim Sheeler
3/5 -worth the read
non-fiction, essays
Based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning story, Jim Sheeler's unprecedented look at the way our country honors its dead; Final Salute Is a stunning tribute to the brave troops who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and to the families who continue to mourn them.
They are the troops that nobody wants to see, carrying a message that no military family ever wants to hear. It begins with a knock at the door. "The curtains pull away. They come to the door. And they know. They always know," said Major Steve Beck.
Since the start of the war in Iraq, marines like Major Beck found themselves thrown into a different kind of mission: casualty notification. It is a job Major Beck never asked for and one for which he received no training. They are given no set rules, only impersonal guidelines.
Marines are trained to kill, to break down doors, but casualty notification is a mission without weapons. For Beck, the mission meant learning each dead marine's name and nickname, touching the toys they grew up with and reading the letters they wrote home. He held grieving mothers in long embraces, absorbing their muffled cries into the dark blue shoulder of his uniform. He stitched himself into the fabric of their lives, in the simple hope that his compassion might help alleviate at least the smallest piece of their pain. Sometimes he returned home to his own family unable to keep from crying in the dark.
In Final Salute, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jim Sheeler weaves together the stories of the fallen and of the broken homes they have left behind. It is also the story of Major Steve Beck and his unflagging efforts to help heal the wounds of those left grieving. Above all, it is a moving tribute to our troops, putting faces to the mostly anonymous names of our courageous heroes, and to the brave families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Final Salute is the achingly beautiful, devastatingly honest story of the true toll of war. After the knock on the door, the story has only begun.
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I didn't even read five pages before the tears started falling.
Crossed (Matched #2), Ally Condie
3/5 -worth the read
adventure, alternate views, angst, dystopia, love
In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.
Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.
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** spoiler alert ** I'm doubting these characters and I really don't like it. I feel this tension between Ky and Indie, and how attached Cassia is to Xander is worrisome. I wonder about the 'he' Cassia refers to at the end.
I find it a little hard to believe that Ky would just give in and go to the society. I never did think that they would go they're separate ways, but I really did think that it would be Cassia who gave in.
City of Glass (Mortal Instruments #3), Cassandra Clare
5/5 -just wonderful
adventure, alternate views, angst, love, urban fantasy
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that enter-ing the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.
As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?
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** spoiler alert ** Part one: Sebastion is Clary's brother, not Jace. Has to be. I refuse to accept that Jace is her brother. Anyway, Clary had this vague recollection of Sebastion right from the beginning. I began to hope. Then with what the angel showed her, that Valentine gave his son demon blood, it totally explained Sebastion's reaction when Clary rejected him.
I always get so sad when I read about Clary and Jace's intimate moments.
Part two: Why aren't we more involved with Max? He's a shadowhunter child, but he doesn't seem to be get any education or training. Isabelle got her whip at 8 years old, so it should seem like we should be getting a little bit more of Max's story. They're always protecting him and treating him like he's nothing, and it's right that a 10 year old boy shouldn't be out fighting demons. But he should at lest know how to do the ruins and somewhat protect himself. I don't even think he has a witchlight.
Yes, I cried. There's something about Jace that just tugs at my heart. He's so broken and abused and he's been so used. He thinks he's a bad person and he deserves whatever shit is thrown at him. I just want to jump through the pages of this book and give him the longest hug ever recorded by mankind.
I am so confident that fake Sebastion is the real Jonathon it's crazy. Everything I just read about Clary and Jace made me cry because I know that they are not brother and sister and Jace is not a monster.
I'm worried that know that Jace and Clary can be together I won't be interested anymore. That there's no more angst they're just going to be boring. I will always be interested in Jace's story though.
What Happened to Goodbye, Sarah Dessen
3/5 -worth the read
angst, coming of age, family, social issues
Another town. Another school. Another Mclean. Ever since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her father have been fleeing their unhappy past. And Mclean's become a pro at reinventing herself with each move. But in Lakeview, Mclean finds herself putting down roots and making friends-in part, thanks to Dave, the most real person Mclean's ever met. Dave just may be falling in love with her, but can he see the person she really is? Does Mclean herself know?
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I liked reading this.
I was left thinking that everything just worked out too perfectly. I didn't really buy it.
I also had a problem believing that any court would award a father who constantly traveled and had no stable lifestyle custody of a teenage girl, while her mother, with a permanent home and family, was a much more balanced and reliable option.