Book 50 of 2015- "In This Together" by Ann Romney

So remember how I said there were 2 types of autobiographies- those that made you think less of a person and those that made you think more? This was the second. She is a very interesting person. I enjoyed reading about her and Mitt's life just as parents of 5 boys. Yes, they are super rich and now famous because of running for president twice, but that doesn't excuse them from the trials that so many of us face. She has been dealing with Multiple Sclerosis since 1998, and a lot of the book was talking about her learning to accept this disease and how to manage the symptoms. She uses horseback riding as a therapy, and used it a lot when Mitt was running the Salt Lake City Olympic games.

I really respect Mitt Romney. He is an ethical man, and gave up his career at Bain to help our country in the Olympics. He even gave up his salary at the time to help them raise their money faster. He seems like a great man, a loving dad, and someone who would have been a great president.

I COMPLETED MY GOAL FOR THE YEAR! WOOOOOO! That's 50! I might read 1 or 2 more before the year ends, but I'm just excited that I did!

Book 49 of 2015- "Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

So my dad reads this book every December (right?), and I have never actually read it! So I tried to request it at the library, but it had a waiting list. So I actually found it online for free (http://www.learnlibrary.com/xmas-carol/index.htm) and read it while addressing Christmas cards yesterday and today. (Now that I go to cancel my reservation, I saw it just shipped. Oh well.) It is a super short book, but packed with great messages.

First of all, I mostly remember the story from "A Muppet Christmas Carol". I am amazed at just how closely they stuck to the story! I thought for sure there would be more embellishing than there was. Besides the fact that Bob Cratchit was a frog and the narrator was a Gonzo.

Anyway, it is such a wonderful story about redemption and the ability that someone has to change. The whole story is about Scrooge getting the lesson of his life and seeing just how unkind and stingy he has been throughout his life, and what will happen in the end if he doesn't change. The concept of Jacob Marley (Who I always want to call Bob......) is a terrifying one, when you read it in this perspective. None of this "Marley and Marley" business, he is a scary ghost whose jaw falls off when he unwraps his head! And then Scrooge looks out the window and sees a bunch of other ghosts who are weeping and wailing and lamenting their own mistakes. Many of them were people that Scrooge knew. How terrifying!

The ghost that I actually found the least interesting was the Ghost of Christmas Past. Its entrance is super startling, if you read closely enough and didn't miss the sentence where Dickens says the ghost was "as close to it as I am now to you, and I am standing in the spirit at your elbow". CREEPY. I got chills when I read it. Although I did learn that Scrooge only had one sister, who had one child, who was his nephew Fred. What also surprised me while reading these events was how quickly Scrooge seemed to lighten up, and enjoy the spirit of Christmas. I always thought he was more hesitant than he was in the story.

The Ghost of Christmas Present seemed to be exactly as I expected him to be. He is kind of sassy, throwing Scrooge's words back at him when he wants to be more charitable. That is a way to make sure that Scrooge not only wants to be better, but see where he went wrong for so many years. There is actually a quote that I LOVE, because it applies so aptly to the political climate of fear that is happening right now. Scrooge asks him why he (I'm assuming he means Christianity) allows people to shut the poor out and close their doors every 7 days. The ghost replies, "`There are some upon this earth of yours who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us and all our kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us.'" Hopefully we can all remember that with all the stories and news that are being spread around right now. 

The other part of the story of the Ghost of Christmas Present that was not present in the Muppets version (or any other version that I can recall) are the two children who hang onto his robes. Ignorance and Want. Just as applicable today as it was then.

The part that I found most interesting with the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come is that the spirit seems to pity and have compassion for Scrooge. When Scrooge is kneeling before his grave begging to change his own future, the spirit seems to tremble and shake. Scrooge was awfully bold to grab his hand... Eesh.

When he goes through all this, and sees how he could have helped the world and his future if nothing changes, Scrooge says, "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach". And he really doesn't. I almost got teary reading about how grateful he was to have this second chance. I'm sure if I had a boss who was as awful to me as Scrooge was to Cratchit, I would not be so quickly receptive to his new mentality. I would wonder what he was trying to get at, or what he would extort me for later. But that just shows how good of people Scrooge had been surrounded with, even if he didn't know it.

So I HIGHLY recommend this story for anyone. It is a perfect story for Christmas time, and helps you get into the right spirit about the season.

Book 48 of 2015- "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler

So I signed up to request this book in June (The same time as Tina Fey's "Bossypants")... and I was number NINETY FIVE on the list. I mean, seriously? So I FINALLY got this book a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to read it. Brandon and I watched "Parks and Recreation", her latest show, last year and I thought she was a hilarious character. She was also always a funny character when she would act on Saturday Night Live and in movies that I have seen her act in, so I wanted to read her book.

So, the way I described it to Brandon was that there are autobiographies that make you think more of the person, and autobiographies that make you think less of a person. This was not in the first category. I've just come to realize while reading these books just how broken these famous people are. I also have realized that the creative types of people that become actors usually are willing to do anything to become famous, including many many drugs. There's only so many times you can read that before you start skimming. But actors will always feel like they need to please someone, and will always do what it takes to stay relevant.

So, I was disappointed. I mean I loved watching her in other movies! But now I won't be able to see her the same way.

Book 47 of 2015- "Anne of Windy Poplars" by L.M. Montgomery

I am DEFINITELY starting a book blog next year. I like keeping track of this, but I am not a huge fan of it taking up my family blog space. Half my posts this year are about the books I read!

Anyways, I was not a huge fan when I saw that the first part were all letters. I don't mind that in a little bit, but I was worried that it would be the whole book. Luckily it wasn't, but it was funny to read her perspective on what happened in the town of Summerside.

She made a friend with a sweet little girl while she was out there. I don't understand who "the Woman" was in relation to her, but she was afraid of her. In the end Anne wrote a letter to her dad (who was in Paris), who ended up coming to take care of her eventually.

I will say one thing that drives me a little crazy is that Anne is always at the center of everything. I just wonder if that is real life with anyone, where they just keep finding themselves in the middle of huge things between other families. She helped someone elope, she helped an orphan reunite with an uncle he didn't know he had, she helped someone break off an engagement that neither party really wanted, etc. etc. It is just amazing that everyone keeps liking her and is just drawn to her! I'm just not sure how much that would actually happen.

And she might FINALLY get married after this book!

Book 46 of 2015- "The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times" by Jennifer Worth

My friend Jeni recommended this series (on BBC) to me when I was pregnant. I watched a few episodes, but I am too tender to pregnancy/childbirth/even nursing things to have watched too much. It was SO fascinating though... I may start watching it again.

As in the episodes that I watched, when reading these stories I was struck by how hard the lives of these people must have been. There were some stories in here that were very sad. Issues of prostitution, domestic violence, living in squalor, venereal diseases, and the inadequate healthcare that was around in the 50's. Of course, none of those things are exactly gone (besides the healthcare, mostly), but it is still amazing to think of what might have been if we had been born in a just slightly different time and a different country. We could have been the people living in the old tenements that were supposed to be torn down, with 25 children (that was one of her stories). Fortunately (for my heart's sake) there was only one story of the baby dying, and that was due to eclampsia that came on very suddenly. There was also a story of a baby who was given up for adoption without the mother's consent, because the mother had been working as a prostitute and had nowhere else to go. About 6 years later, she was arrested for kidnapping someone else's baby and went to jail for it. But I have to say the saddest story was about the local "mad" woman, who was always around when a baby was born. She was filthy and always lurking. They found out that a long time ago, she had 6 kids and a husband, but then the husband died of what sounded like tuberculosis. She wasn't able to support her family, and the baby ultimately died. She then took the other 5 children to a workhouse, which basically sounds like prison. All of her children's heads were shaved, and she was separated from them and never saw them again. They all died and were buried without her knowledge. It just tore me apart to think of that happening, and the fact that it just happened not that long ago is awful. Again, it just made me so grateful to have lived in the time that I do.

Jennifer was a 23 year old nurse who accidentally agreed to work with a convent full of nuns. She had no idea that was her job description, as she was not religious. But she got to know the nuns and loved them, especially Monica Joan. She was a 90 year old woman who was borderline senile, with flashes of mischievous and often brutal clarity. She drove many of the other nuns crazy, and even the nurses who worked there. But Jennifer realized that she loved all of them, with their funny quirks and all.

I love this style of book, which has many short stories in it. That makes it that much faster to read, and really enjoyable. I just can't imagine what life was like back then, it breaks my heart. Recently our cousins Tanner and Alyse had a baby that required surgery for colonic atresia, where she could not pass meconium due to her bowels not forming correctly in one spot. If she had been born back then, she would have ultimately died. It makes you SO grateful for the wonderful medicine we have nowadays, and for the wonderful doctors and medical staff at hospitals and medical centers everywhere!

Book 45 of 2015- O for a Thousand Nights to Sleep" by Lorilee Craker

So, I thought this was a professional's book that will be helpful in sleep training. I was excited that it came right now because ever since Daylight Savings (curse Benjamin Franklin for thinking it up) Cora has stopped sleeping through the night. I am about to LOSE MY MIND. I love her, but my nerves are a little more frayed at 4 AM when she's ready to play.

Anyway, this was not a book done by a professional. She is a mom speaking to a mom, but I actually really enjoyed that. She tells of some of the different things that happen with each month from birth to a year. While they weren't totally accurate to Cora's timeline (I mean, crawling at 5 months???), it was pretty informative. For example, I "get" to look forward to an outburst of independence at about 9 months. Woohoo, right? And in the next month Cora will start to figure out that the person she already laughs at in the mirror is herself. I am excited for a lot of these tiny changes, and can't wait to see more!

Book 44 of 2015- "Anne of the Island" by L.M. Montgomery

I have to say this book was my favorite of the series so far. This is when Anne goes to college, to get her BA. She goes with a few school friends, including Gilbert Blythe. While going to school she makes some new friends and adopts a cat. Her best friend, Diana, gets married and another friend passes away from consumption (which I just found out was tuberculosis... Anne probably shouldn't have spent so much time with her.). And she has a serious boyfriend for 2 years, but when he proposes she realizes that she loves Gilbert (whose proposal she had rejected before). So, that is awkward for Roy. But finally she gets together with Gilbert!

I am excited to keep reading this series... Yes it is a big fat "I told you so" moment.

Book 43 of 2015- "Anne of Avonlea" by L.M. Montgomery

So now that I have read the first book in the series, I am determined to make it through the whole series. I already have the next 2 here with me.

This book did not have as many of Anne's mishaps in it, probably due to the fact that Anne was growing up. She taught school for the two years that this book took place, which made me nostalgic thinking about my year of teaching. She did, however, manage to fall through a roof of an old henhouse while trying to see into one of their neighbor's windows. She also helped Marilla take care of a set of twins, one of whom was always getting into trouble. She even helped reignite a long lost love, and at the end decided to go off to college. I KNOW that she and Gilbert get together at some point, and I think it will be soon. Overall, I have been really liking this series (big surprise, since it's so popular and classic).

When I read these books I think of how Cora's middle name was almost Anne. If I had known her hair would be RED I would have definitely insisted. But Cora Faye flows so much better than Cora Anne, and we will (most likely) have another girl with a chance to name her however we want.

Book 42 of 2015- "Yes, My Accent is Real" by Kunal Nayyar

So, this is an actor from "the Big Bang Theory". It's a pretty funny show, and he plays an astrophysicist in it. I saw he had a book coming out, so I reserved it at the library for the heck of it.

I guess that when he was in college, he didn't even know he wanted to act. He started in the business program, and then just started acting in plays for the heck of it. He also talks about the time he tried to kiss a Mormon girl (of course) and she freaked out because he is a Hindu. He also had a huge roommate from France, and worked as a janitor in college. And the thing that was most interesting to me was that he got his job on the Big Bang Theory on his first audition. He needed a job to get a different visa since his student visa was expiring. That's pretty much how it goes in Hollywood, right? 

I'm kind of excited to read more substantial things than actors' memoirs. As funny as they are (and I have more coming in the future), it's also fun to read things that excite the imagination.

Book 41 of 2015- "Why Not Me?" by Mindy Kaling

Yes, another Mindy Kaling book. This one just came out in September, so it is brand new. It's not even that she's that funny, I just enjoy reading her opinions on things. She isn't a "typical" Hollywood starlet, so she talks about trying to be comfortable in her own body while she spends time with the rich and famous. She also talked a lot about time on the Office set, and how much fun it was. AND she did answer the question of if she dated BJ Novak (Ryan from the Office). She didn't.

Overall, entertaining read but not one I would buy.

Book 40 of 2015- "Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters" by Captain Sullenberger

I remember the Miracle on the Hudson. We watched it on the news, as the people were rescued from standing on the wings of the plane. It was AMAZING to think that the captain knew exactly what to do, and within like 6 minutes of the birds hitting was able to safely land the plane and get the men and women off the airplane and that they were all rescued and survived.

Captain Sully is a remarkable man. He came from a humble background in Texas and had a love of flying his whole life. He got his pilot's license at the age of 16 and has been flying ever since. He spent years and years studying other people's experiences, including extensive learning about plane crashes and what went wrong. It is because of this that he knew what to do when his engines went out, and what not to do.

I'm not going to lie, reading this made me nervous to fly across the country with Cora again. You have your life in the pilot's hands. He said that he has been flying for nearly half of aviation's history. It is really amazing, and I hope he continues to succeed.

Book 39 of 2015- "The Bishop's Wife" by Mette Ivie Harrison

 I read about this book on Alyse's book blog, so I decided to read it. It is a mystery novel about a bishop's wife in a ward in Draper, Utah and the crimes that are committed in the ward. She, of course, meddles into their lives and saves the day.

I didn't really like the way she was portrayed. She is a former atheist turned Mormon who questions much of the Church's practices, such as the patriarchal nature of the Church and the role of women today. She also discusses the Church's "neverending positivity" of the Saints with regards to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. I mean, of COURSE the main character had to be an active but edgy member of the Church. It's not like they could have been talking about a woman who is content with her role in the Church and doesn't feel like she is being controlled by her husband. I can't see my mom doing that.

So overall, not my favorite book. I liked the mystery aspect, but I can't stomach reading too much questioning about the church.

Book 38 of 2015- "Anne of Green Gables" by L.M. Montgomery

So, I have never read this series. I know Alyse was obsessed with it growing up, but the movies really bothered me. Anne was SO airy and fluffy, and I just couldn't get past that. But, I wanted to give it a shot this year, and it definitely exceeded my expectations!

I still thought that the first Anne was super airy. She just talks and talks and TALKS (which I'm sure Brandon feels like I do sometimes... I'm just kidding. Kind of.). I have to remind myself that she is only 11, and I had plenty of imaginary friends and talked a lot to myself at that age. But not quite to that extent.

But she is a funny person, and she really grows a lot during the book. People start to look past her oddness and really enjoy being around her. She is a hard worker, and goes from having barely any education to graduating top of her class during teaching school. She is incredibly stubborn, but admits that she can be wrong. She is really just trying to do her best.

I grew fond of Matthew during the book. I was so sad when he died at the end. But on the other hand, his death meant that Anne got to stay in Avonlea a little bit longer.

So overall, I found the book quite enjoyable! I ordered the next 2 to come to the library, so I will keep reading the series as long as it is that entertaining.

Book 37 of 2015- "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp, M.D.

So in an ironic twist, I checked this out 3 weeks or so ago "just in case". Cora was sleeping great, but I figured this would help us with the next baby.

Well, the last few weeks Cora has had a major sleep regression. My eyeballs are about to fall out. It has finally peaked in the last few days (I REALLY REALLY HOPE), in that she won't nap and wakes up every few hours at night. It's like when she was a newborn, except for the napping in the day part. So, this was good to refresh on.

Much of the book was about colicky babies, which fortunately Cora was not. But the majority of the book emphasized the Cuddle Cure, or the 5 S's: Swaddling, Side/Stomach, Shushing, Swinging, Sucking. If you do these in order and vigorously, it will help enable the baby's calming reflex.

Reading it, I realized that we might have transitioned Cora out of the swaddling too quickly. I never did well at it, because I was so afraid of breaking this teeny tiny baby that I never wrapped her super tightly and she was always able to break out within an hour or two. Perhaps that would help us. She wakes up in a frenzy, which is very unlike her. So perhaps something like a tight swaddle will help us again. She has already woken up twice tonight, so fingers crossed! If she wakes up again, I'm trying it.

(As a side note, they said increased head size can mean increased brain pressure. Soooo, I will keep that in the back of my mind for her next doctor's appointment when they measure her head again.)

Book 36 of 2015- "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

I figured I should read some substantial books once in a while.

I'm not going to lie, I didn't know if I would make it through this book for about the first half. It was SO sad! Francie is a girl growing up in a poor area of Brooklyn, and it talks about her growing up story. Her parents met and married when she was 17 and he was 19, and they got pregnant right away. Francie's dad couldn't handle the responsibility he had, so he got drunk and worked random nights as a singing waiter. Francie and her brother, Neeley, were always hungry and never really fit in with their peers. Their mom had to work hard and find ways to make ends meet. It really reminded me of a lot of people that we have met here, that don't have high levels of education and don't have much of a way to get out of their circumstances. The lowest point is when their dad dies on Christmas day of alcoholism and pneumonia. They have hardly any money and their mom is going to have another baby in May. Francie just turned 14, and so when she finishes grammar school she has to join the work force to help her mom out. Now, this seems like rock bottom, but this is when the story started to turn around for me.

Francie found a job that she needed to be 16 for, so she said she was 16. This paid her enough that her family was able to save again, and she eventually got promoted to $20 a week. This was in 1916, so that was huge. Their new baby thrived, and they were able to get out of that hole they were left in. Then, a police officer who had always liked Francie's mom (but both were married so he would never have done anything then) asked her to marry him. She did, and the book ends with them moving out of their neighborhood and into a nicer one. Francie also was able to get into college in Michigan and moved out that way.

I am SO glad I stuck with this book. I was sure Francie was going to die. When I found out the mom was pregnant I was sure the BABY was going to die. I couldn't have handled that.

I wish there was a way that everyone could get into college and get the education so that they can get out of poverty. Not even college, just some skill or level of education so that they don't have to work 3 jobs to make ends meet. This is loosely based on the author's life (from what I understand), and I hope that she helped enable her children to rise even above that.

Book 35 of 2015- "My Story" by Elizabeth Smart

This was just gut wrenching to read. I could only read a little bit at a time, then take a break and play with Cora or watch a funny show or something because it is just HEAVY.

I remember when she was kidnapped. It was during a string of highly publicized kidnappings, including one in Orange County. All those little girls were found dead within a few weeks. So when Elizabeth was found alive 9 months later, it was amazing. I had always been morbidly curious about what had happened in that black hole of time that she was gone.

She was taken from her home in the middle of the night. That is terrifying. He knew he wanted to take her 7 months before he actually did, and he took advantage of her parents' kindness and willingness to help him get employment by working on their house. I wonder if they have forgiven themselves for that. She had to endure more than anyone should have to endure, all by a man who used his facade as a prophet to take advantage of her and try to brainwash her. Her description of Mitchell and Barzee are so creepy. She says that he can turn off and on his "prophetic" phases at the drop of a hat, which means he is a master manipulator. He knew what he was doing, and he wasn't insane. He was just a pedophile who used that as an excuse to "take a wife".

What is really amazing is that she kept her wits about her. She always thought of her family, and hoped that they thought of her. After a while she assumed that they thought she was dead and had moved on, but she never stopped hoping that they at least thought of her from time to time.

She never lost her faith in God. THAT is amazing. She had some amazing experiences where she felt God's love so strongly, and she knew that she would make it out of this experience alive. I think that it was this faith that inspired her to manipulate Mitchell to go back to Utah (I never knew they were in San Diego for 6 months?!), and to hitchhike. They had to keep her face uncovered, which is what I'm sure helped her be discovered.

I couldn't help but get teary during her description of her reunion with her family. I can't imagine the anxiety of her parents. While reading it, I made Brandon swear he wouldn't hire random people off the street to work on their house. Now that we have a daughter, I couldn't imagine hearing that she had been violated every day for 9 months, and was forced to do unspeakable things. She leaves a lot of gaps in things she had to see and do (for good reason!), and I don't even want to know what that could have meant.

Her strength since being rescued is amazing. She graduated high school and college, I think I remember hearing she wanted to go to law school, she served a mission in Paris, and got married. That man who married her has to be a saint. There must be some sort of baggage there after that sort of ordeal. She has created and runs a foundation to help children who are victims of abduction and child abuse. What is amazing is that she was able to sit in the courtroom and testify against Mitchell and Barzee. She didn't flinch in describing her trauma, and was able to help put them away. I'm glad they were sentenced to life in prison.

What is ALSO amazing is that she was able to get past everything without professional counseling. How is that possible? She clarifies that she does not think that is the path for everyone, but that she was able to get past it without counseling. She is really a stronger person than I could possibly imagine, and as she said in the book I believe that God will make that time of trial up to her in the long run.

Book 34 of 2015- "Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)" by Mindy Kaling

Yes, another female comedian's memoir. It was also pretty funny (but not as laugh-out-loud funny as Tina Fey's). I know who Mindy Kaling is from my favorite show of all time, the Office. She is the ditzy Kelly Kapoor, and has many funny one liners.
Mindy had a very normal childhood. She has always struggled with her weight, and was never a super popular girl at school. Overall, she was a very normal kind of person. She was recognized by show producers after she and her roommate made a 2 man play about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. I also liked hearing about her time on the Office, and how she did have some diva moments as a writer (which is what you expect from Kelly Kapoor). I liked her candor about everything, and I will read her next book (whenever it gets here). 

Book 33 of 2015- "I am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai

So, I just discovered when I was almost done that I was reading the Young Reader's Edition. Hopefully that didn't affect the quality too much.

It is good to read a serious book amongst the fun ones. This was a very interesting look into what it was like in Pakistan just in the last 10 years. I can't believe that people actually live in fear like this. It's one thing to see on the news, but it is another to read from a first hand account. Just because a voice on the radio said so, a revolution started across the country. And not in a good way. I completely respect the Islamic culture of covering up (because we do something similar), but an extremist group saying that girls couldn't be out in public period? Too far.
Malala was raised by a dad who told her that she was capable of anything. That, coupled with a desire to continue her education and be the best, is what made her a strong leader for her fellow students. It is rare to hear about a man who wanted his daughter to get an education so badly. He even started a girls' school in Pakistan, when it was rare for girls to go to school past age 10 or 11.
All that she did was advocate for education amongst girls. There is nothing wrong with that, unless you are advocating for education against a group of extremists who have shown that they don't care who they target.
Seeing all the horrible sadness that has been happening in Syria and with their refugees while reading this book has made me think of how grateful I am to live in this country. Malala was a lucky one, and so was her family. They got out, and while it was because of an awful incident where a group of cowards targeted a girl, she has been making a recovery and the family has been unscathed otherwise. Many of the people in that part of the world have not been so lucky. The United States has been dealt a blessed hand, and even if this presidential election doesn't go well (ahem, Trump?), it would be prudent to remember that we have it so much better than much of the rest of the world.

Book 32 of 2015- "Bossypants" by Tina Fey

I've always thought Tina Fey was funny. Once I found out that she was the one who wrote "Mean Girls", I KNEW she was funny. Her memoir is basically just a bunch of random stories about her life, which culminates in her writing for SNL, being in charge of 30 Rock, and balancing all of that. And imitating Sarah Palin on TV. There were many parts that made me laugh out loud and say, "Brandon listen to this!" Unfortunately, it is much like a SNL skit- too many uncomfortable moments for me to want to keep on my bookshelf. Anything that swears that often is not buyable. But still, overall quite entertaining.

Book 31 of 2015- "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Ah, my heart. 

Don't worry, Cora wasn't neglected while I powered through this book in a day and a half. Brandon was home, and thanks to a great napping schedule and starting to go to bed earlier (almost a decent baby time!!!), I have had time to myself and to hang out with Brandon.

So, this book is really dense. There is a LOT that happens in it, along with a lot of sadness. Harry just can't catch a break, everyone close to him seems to die. There was a rumor that Ron was supposed to die, which fortunately J.K. Rowling didn't go through with if that was her original intention. However, she did kill off Fred which was terrible. And why Lupin?! Ugh. He was such a good guy, despite his weakness in this book.

But I digress. The thing that was so interesting reading it this time around was seeing just how simple Harry's saving grace is. It was love. That's it. His mom loved him enough to sacrifice herself for him, and that is what protected him against the most evil wizard in the world. 

When you read that Harry is supposed to die and that Dumbledore basically raised him "like a lamb to the slaughter", as Snape said, you think Dumbledore's a big jerk. He was such a kind mentor, and he knew all along that Harry had to die? But, as you read further (after Harry does die and is in limbo talking to Dumbledore), you find out that Dumbledore had a feeling that even when Harry died he would be able to come back. Since Harry gave himself up to be killed, and wasn't hunted down or killed in a battle like what could have happened, he in turn gave that gift to everyone who he was sacrificing himself for. After he died, his friends couldn't be hurt. (Hint: He's not actually dead.)

That last scene in the book is much more amazing than in the movie. I remember thinking it was anticlimactic the first time that I saw it, but I couldn't remember why.

The other thing that gets me, is how Snape seems so awful through the last 2 books. You always kind of hate him, but I had forgotten just how MUCH I hated him. But then you get the memories from him before he dies, and you see that while he never particularly cared for Harry, he did everything he could to save him in order to help keep Lily's son alive. He loved Lily for his whole life.

It's such a great series. It was a huge part of my childhood, reading those books. I want to wait a few years to read them again, so it can be like it's brand new again like it was this time.

My big question is, what happened to Harry's grandparents?? You find out in this book that the Potters were only 21 when they died (way to represent on young parents though, Rowling!). So their parents were late 40's, early 50's. And yet there is no mention of a death. From the beginning it says that the Durleys were Harry's only relatives. So where did they go??
My other big question is why were the Horcruxes all in Britain? I mean, it isn't THAT big of a country. Was Voldemort that arrogant that he believed he could hide them in plain sight and people wouldn't be able to outsmart him? If Voldemort had spread them throughout the world, then they may not have been able to defeat him.

The end. I love this series so much. The movies don't do it justice.

Book 30 of 2015- "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

Yep, another one.

So, I don't like this book for one obvious reason: Dumbledore dies. In fact, I don't think I had read it more than the first time, because I was so mad. But I read it again, and I actually liked it a lot more. In this book, they learn a lot more about Voldemort's life, and what happens to make him who he is. It's obvious that he has always been a person with evil tendencies, but it was interesting to see how he started down that path.

Having read the 6 books in a row so far, I really don't like the way Dumbledore treats Harry. Initially it looks like he is just a kind mentor to Harry, but now it just looks like he doesn't trust Harry with the truth. He is constantly hiding the facts from him, and there is so much that he refuses to reveal. But Harry seems to believe in him still. I just wish they could have had one real open and honest conversation that would have cleared the air before he died.

I am 60% of the way to my reading goal for this year woohoo!

Book 29 of 2015- "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by J.K. Rowling

I was able to power through this one, thanks to Cora finally getting at least one solid nap in a day! Thank goodness for schedules regulating!

I haven't decided if I like this book the least (it's between this one and the second). While there are a lot of parts that I really enjoy, such as Fred and George making Professor Umbridge's life miserable, or the final conversation Harry has with Dumbledore after they come back from the Department of Mysteries, it is still so filled with Harry's teenage angst that it sometimes gets hard to read. He spends much of the book either yelling at people for leaving him out of things (which makes him sound like kind of a martyr) or he is freaking out about how he likes a girl.

Plus, I hate that my favorite character, Sirius Black, dies in this book. It was totally unnecessary. And so irritating, because it's all Harry's fault.
I am excited to read the last 2 books, because I don't remember much of either of them and want to read them as soon as possible.

Book 28 of 2015- "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" by J.K. Rowling

This is my favorite book of the series. It is a pivotal moment in the series, where Voldemort ceases to be a frightening thing of the past and is now a frightening thing of the future. This is also the first book where a person actively is killed in the plot, which happens with increasing frequency through the next 3 books.

I am so mad about all the things that the movie left out. For example, the whole character of Ludo Bagman. He is one of the 100 most mentioned characters in Harry Potter (trust me, I took a quiz on it), and he isn't mentioned once. In addition, Dobby the house elf makes an appearance, and Hermione starts a coalition to get better wages for house elves, and there's another one named Winky, and they find out where the kitchen is... all gone. I would have loved to have seen that. There are also plenty of one-liners that the characters have that would have been pretty funny in the movie.
But anyway, the action in the book is enough to keep me interested through 700+ pages. It is the first time I really started to dislike Ron because he was jealous of Harry being selected as a Triwizard Tournament champion (like Harry wanted to be in it). He is such a baby about these things sometimes.

Book 27 of 2015- "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" by Mark Twain

I read this book for our Relief Society book club (It meets when Cub Scouts meets, so I will go every time to Cub Scouts and see if anyone is there. If not, then yay book club!). It is a good motivator to read more substantial books, for the most part. I also read it now because I'm waiting for the 4th Harry Potter to come in from the library.

I have to admit, I almost gave up after the first 5 chapters or so. It was SO horrifically boring. Lots of talk without much meaning. But I wanted to keep going, to add this to my list of books. And I'm glad I did, because it got better.

The premise is a man finds himself suddenly in Camelot in the 500's AD, and not Hartford Connecticut in the 1800's like he had been living. He has no idea how he ended up there, but he is taken prisoner by a knight and told he will be put to death. Just his luck, he ended up there 2 days before he knows a total solar eclipse is about to happen. He predicts it, and says he will cause it if they don't release him. The eclipse happens, they free him, and he begins reforming King Arthur's country.

He builds factories and helps promote hygiene. He works on abolishing a lot of the social structure that takes place in Britain at this time. He is sent on a quest with a woman to rescue some princesses, who turn out to be pigs in a pigsty. He and King Arthur dress themselves down and wander through the country to find out more about the people there. They find a family with smallpox, which demonstrates Arthur's human side once and for all. They get in a fight and are sold as slaves. The Yankee breaks out and the rest of the slaves kill the slave master, and are condemned (as well as the King) to be hung. They escape, and he participates in the duel he had been challenged to years earlier. He won using his modern inventions, and completes his reformation of England. Three years pass as he gets married, has a baby, and they take off for a different place to help the baby's health. He returns to find out that the king is dead, the queen is a nun, and all the work he has made has been reversed. He has one last great battle to bring back his way of life, and is sabotaged by Merlin. Merlin curses him to sleep for 13 centuries, and a final postscript by Mark Twain describes this as a hallucination from a dying man.

I have a hard time reading any stories that have to do with moms of babies right now. There is a woman who is sentenced to death for stealing cloth to sell so she can eat and nurse her baby, and she gets caught. As they described her going to the gallows, I almost had to stop reading it. Luckily I didn't, because the priest took the baby and promised to raise it. There's still a lump in my throat as I write this though.
I've never actually read Mark Twain's books, so this was an experience. I think he could have written a book in about a quarter of the time. There was SO much talk that had nothing to do with the plot. Speaking of which, there wasn't much of a plot there. They just had different adventures and it went on and on. But it was interesting. I don't know how many more times I will read it, but it was good while it lasted.

Book 26 of 2015- "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

This (or the 4th book) has to be my favorite of the series. It is still entertaining and keeps you reading, but Voldemort doesn't make an appearance in this book. Plus, *SPOILER ALERT* it's the last book before main characters start dying off.

Although Sirius is only in a few of the books, he is probably my favorite character of the series. There is just something so likable about him, when it comes out that he isn't a mass murderer and still cares for Harry a great deal. As he is Harry's godfather, he becomes like the parent that Harry always wanted.

As a side note: We just watched this a few weeks ago. The new director of the movies (who changed between the second and third books) really left out a lot. The books are good enough without changing. And why is there such a lack of emphasis on Quidditch? That was one of my favorite parts of the books!

Book 25 of 2015- "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

I got the first book from the library finally, hopefully I can read them in order from now on.

I remember reading this book in 3rd grade, and I can't remember how many times I've read it since. It has been a long time though.

I remember how scary the scene in the Forbidden Forest was, and how scary it is when they are trying to get to the Sorcerer's Stone. But something about that- how hard could the enchantments have been, if 3 first year students could beat them?? And how DOES Harry get away with breaking the rules all the time? I mean, really. He is doing the most ridiculous things and they keep saying, "Well, since you had good reasons and something good came out of it, you won't get in trouble."

But the thing that I do like about this book is that he seems like a normal boy for part of the story, at least. Through the seven books he goes through a lot in the quest to beat Voldemort, so it's nice to see him acting like a normal 11 year old for once.

And I'm halfway through my reading goal for the year! I only read 2 books in 2 months back in April/May, so I have a lot of work to catch up.

Book 24 of 2015- "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling

I've been on a serious HP kick lately. We've watched 5 of the movies over the last few weeks, and I haven't read the books in years so I'm going to read all 7. They're coming to me from the library out of order, so I read the second book first. The books came out at the rate where the characters were about my age, so I felt like I had a special connection to them.

It sure brought back a lot of memories! Chris Columbus directed the first 2 movies, and he followed the book very closely. (One of the movies we have watched is this one, so I had a reference point of how the movie went when I read the book.) It just amazes me how creative J.K. Rowling is, creating this world for not 1, but 7 books. That equals thousands of pages. I don't know if I could have created something like that, and made it coherent and not like you are losing brain cells. (I mean you, E.L. James.)
I remember how scary this book was when it came out. The basilisk is a terrifying creature, especially for one who can be hatched so easily (chicken egg under a toad). And the fact that it was Ginny the whole time... that was such a plot twist. It made me anxious reading that she had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets again.
I just love these! I'm reading the first one next, since I just picked it up today.

Book 23 of 2015- "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth, M.D.

This was a very interesting book, albeit somewhat dry and academic to read. The things that I learned from it that I can apply to Cora right now include the reason why some kids get so wound up at night (it's a natural body reaction to becoming fatigued, and the stress you feel is supposed to be a natural body evolutionary reaction from when hunters were on the run), that earlier is usually better for night time sleeping (sometimes as early as 5:30 in extreme cases!), follow the baby's natural "sleep rhythms", and no bottles of anything other than water at night if they must have something. I want to buy the book to re-read when Cora hits another stage, because I kind of skimmed over the toddler section since I didn't need to apply it to her for now.

The one thing I can't get on board with is crying it out. I know that is a controversial method for sleep training, but for me I can't stomach the idea. We are in a tiny apartment and to think of sitting there while Cora screams for 45 minutes makes me teary eyed. But luckily it probably won't have to come to that with her, because she is such a good sleeper right now. We will see what happens when future children are bad sleepers and I'm that much more tired. But for now, I will use his method of "gradual extinction", and just keep working on our nighttime routine. And hopefully will get her starting to go to bed earlier, since right now it is about 10-10:30 that she will finally fall asleep.

Book 22 of 2015- "Go Set a Watchman" by Harper Lee

Since this book came out less than a month ago, DON'T KEEP READING if you want to read the book and don't want it totally ruined for you.

Last warning. Don't ruin the book for yourself!

I didn't like this book. The thing that I liked most about Atticus, the idealistic man in "To Kill a Mockingbird" who was a champion for equality no matter what, turned out to be a farce. He is actually just as racist as the other Southern men in the 1950's. He explains to Jean Louise (who no longer goes by "Scout") that that's how it always was, she just hadn't noticed it. In addition, the racial tensions in Maycomb seem to be getting worse. Even her old housekeeper, Calpurnia, seems to be indifferent towards her. To make matters worse, Jem is dead. Just dead.

Sooooo, basically Jean Louise comes back from New York to find out that the world as she knew it had been turned upside down and she was the only one stuck in the past. I think it was well written as a book, I just hated that the society I loved reading about in the last book turned out to be untrue.

Book 21 of 2015- "Where She Went" by Gayle Forman

This was another 1 day read. It's the sequel to "If I Stay", and takes place about 3 years after the first book.

Big surprise, Mia is alive. She went to Julliard and left Adam, and just kind of cut him out of her life. Adam's band got famous, and he was just part of the rock star lifestyle. So he was in New York City for a tour date before they went to London when he saw that she had a concert at Carnegie Hall. He went just to listen to her, and got called back to her dressing room. They spent the rest of the night awkwardly trying to get to know each other and figure out what had happened those years ago.

It was pretty fluffy, and luckily just about 200 pages long so I got through it quickly. But enjoyable for the time I took to read it.

Book 20 of 2015- "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

It has been so easy to read books here without my laptop distracting me and helping me waste time. I just read while I'm trying to feed Cora or get her to sleep or if someone else wants to play with her and I want a break. They have a ton of books here that I have wanted to check out that I haven't gotten around to yet. Add that to having easy quick reads and you get lots of books read in a short period of time. I'm almost done with the sequel to this book, which will make 7 in less than 2 weeks. Almost back on track!

Anyway, this book was a SUPER quick read. It's about a girl who is in a bad car accident that kills her family (not a spoiler alert, it happens in the first 10 pages don't worry), and spends the rest of the book in a coma, trying to decide if she should come back to live or go to wherever the rest of her family is. She sees people coming in to visit her body, and watches operations being performed on her, and waits. She also has flashbacks to earlier, with her cello playing and auditioning to Julliard and her rock star boyfriend Adam. So, she ultimately decides whether she should stay or not. Now, I won't say if she did, but I AM reading the sequel... so that should tell you.

Book 19 of 2015- "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

So I will just warn you now: SPOILER ALERT.

That said, more caps lock... WHAT IS WRONG WITH VERONICA ROTH??! I was looking at how many pages were in the book, and read "Tris' ashes"... Seriously. The girl that we have been following for 3 books dies at the end. Seriously. I was so mad.

But, I think that made it a little bit easier to read, even though I had a pit in my stomach the whole time. Would this chapter be the one where she dies? Would this one?

 I still don't think she should have died... I hate movies and books where the main character dies. But perhaps due to my knowing what would happen beforehand, I thought it was done ok. It wasn't super drawn out or terrible. She just gets shot and dies. I am still so mad.

So the premise of the book is that they escape the city (which turns out to be Chicago), and find a compound nearby. It turns out their city is a result of an experiment by the United States government. They had manipulated the genes of people generations back, and realized that was a bad idea. So the Divergent were the people whose genes had been made whole again through generations of reproducing. Why this meant they needed to die in the first book? No idea. But then they realize that there is going to be a rebellion against the rebellion that was against the rebellion that was against the rebellion... you see how it gets repetitive and tiring after a while. Tris manages to save everyone, but not before she receives a fatal gunshot wound and dies from it.

So, overall the series wasn't too bad. It was like "Hunger Games", in that they obviously had not planned for it to be a series and had to stretch the plot further and keep adding twists and turns. Will I go see the movies? Maybe. I'm still smarting from her dying.

Book 18 of 2015- "It's Good to Be Alive" by Jack Rushton

This was a good book to read in a lot of short periods, because it is a series of observations Patriarch Rushton had from the vantage point of being a quadriplegic. I remember meeting him before, as he was somewhat of a celebrity in the church around Southern California. And he just seemed so normal.

I liked his optimism in life, and the fact that he admits that he struggled. But he still had his sense of humor, and his matter-of-fact way of stating things. He seemed like a great man who had his priorities straight, so that something as big as an accident like that didn't completely derail him.

Book 17 of 2015- "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

Ok, I confess. I have never read this book before. I remember seeing the movie a long time ago, but I never had to read the book in school so I never did.

But I finally read it, and I really liked it!

To me, the book was interesting and frustrating. The whole trial aspect of the book was so interesting, how it was obvious that the man was innocent but he was still convicted because of the color of his skin. I appreciated the fact that the children seemed to be the ones who weren't racist, and saw the world through innocent eyes. Atticus seemed to be the only adult in the town who wasn't racist. He also was not ruffled by the fact that people called him a "******** lover", because he was just out to defend the truth.

When I saw the movie, all I remembered was about Boo Radley. I wasn't quite sure how he tied into the trial, but I was glad to see it all worked out. I do wish he had more of a backstory, and wasn't just known as some crazy person. Again, I liked that Atticus didn't show the children his prejudice, if he had any. He just treated Boo like he was a normal member of society.

Well, now I feel like a normal member of society, since I have read this book.

Book 16 of 2015- "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo

I had heard about this book, but I hadn't been able to read it until now. It was REALLY good. It is the story of a 3 year old who undergoes an emergency appendectomy and is in the hospital for a while. A few months later, he tells his family about how he went to heaven and saw Jesus. His dad is a pastor, but didn't tell him many of the details that this little boy knew.

It was fascinating! I believe that this is real, and that the boy had an out of body experience. He met his great grandfather, who died more than 25 years before he was even born. It was also very sweet that he met his sister, whom his mother had miscarried before he was born. I know some friends who have had miscarriages, and as much as you want to believe that children go to heaven it is a relief to hear it from a first hand account.

What is most interesting is that there is another girl who has had visions of heaven and paints what she saw. When they showed Colton the picture she painted of Jesus he said that was it.

Book 15 of 2015- "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch

I read this book in one day. It was a pretty quick read! 

It is a series of small lectures that Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon, wrote as a way for his children to remember him by. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and only had a few months to live when he was asked to give a lecture.

The lectures themselves were not that groundbreaking. He talked about why he was the way he was, and his outlook on life. He talked about rules he lives by ("sometimes all you have to do is ask"), and things he remembers about each of his children and his wife. He talked about how he is preparing for their future without him, and the way he was raised.

When you read it like that, it could be seen as a boring book. But then I thought about how he was trying to leave a legacy for himself for his family to remember him by. It made me think of what I would want to leave behind if I were to pass away. (Not too soon!) I'm glad I have this blog so I can have Cora remember me as I am now, and not just as she will remember me starting in a few years.

Book 14 of 2015- "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

I read "Divergent" last year, but hadn't gotten around to this one until now. It was a great book, I probably would have understood the connotations more if I could remember more of the first book. She talked a lot about shooting one of her best friends from the Dauntless faction, and I still cannot remember the exact specifics of it.

There was a LOT of drama between her and her boyfriend this time around, which made it less appealing. And she had some major issues stemming from the attack at the end of the first book, which made her a weaker character this time. She is still the only person who can fight off these hallucination type simulations, which allow her to fight the evil faction. But she does it at the wrong time and at the end of the book is slated for execution as a war criminal. HMM I WONDER IF SHE WILL DIE.

So, while I liked the book, I hope that the third one in the set is better.

Book 13 of 2015- "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah

This was another quick read. However, it was completely gut wrenching. I couldn't believe the things that this boy soldier had to go through. It shows how people can become so depraved and desensitized that they can commit completely awful crimes in the name of whatever cause they believe in. 

This is the story of a boy who was caught in the middle of the Sierra Leone rebellion in the 90's. Ishmael was captured by the soldiers while he was running from the war. Along the way he discovered that his entire family had been burned alive in a house when the rebels fell upon it. He became addicted to the soldiers' drugs, and was willing to do whatever they asked in the name of revenge. By the end of the war, he was capable of burying people alive, killing them in gruesome manners, and not caring if he took out a village of civilians in the process. He was taken back by UNICEF and brought into rehabilitation, and ultimately found a long lost uncle. He ended up having to escape from Sierra Leone when the rebels took over the government, because some of his friends from the rehab center had already joined the army again and he needed to get out. He had a friend in New York, who ultimately adopted him.

I think the fact that he was able to escape that mindset is nothing short of miraculous. He had so many friends who couldn't find a way out, so they went back to the front lines. He doesn't know what happened to them.

I am sure that the people who recruit children to be soldiers and force them to commit such atrocities will have a special place for them after they die.

Book 12 of 2015- "Out of my Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

This was a book that was a SUPER quick read. I read it in basically 3 sittings. It is told from the perspective of a 10 year old with cerebral palsy. She has never been able to talk, and for the first half of the book she hasn't been able to communicate her thoughts except through basic words on her communication board. She then gets a talking machine, which helps her communicate with her classmates and feel like she is a "normal" child. She is then able to show just how smart she is, and deals with the stigma that she still has.

This book was sadder than I thought it would be. She reminds me of some of my students (but I can't talk about them), and a girl I worked with as a peer tutor in high school. She had CP and couldn't do much for herself. She couldn't talk, walk, or use the bathroom independently. But she was so smart. She could only communicate by blinking, but we tested her knowledge by asking her yes or no questions. She would blink for "yes", and stare for "no". She could do multiplication tables in her head, and quickly. However, people kept their distance from her because she couldn't talk. When you add that to the meanness of fifth grade (which was traumatizing enough for me), it makes for a hard time. But she eventually learns that she will always be different, and she is OK with it.

Book 11 of 2015- "Bringing up Bebe" by Pamela Druckerman

This was a fantastic read. I have been looking for ways to help Cora sleep longer at night, and Alyse recommended it to me. There were many things that French parents do that I like. They start letting their children cry for a little bit at night from a very little age, and their children sleep through the night much earlier. They call it, "The Pause". I've been doing it with Cora, where when she starts crying I wait a few minutes before I get up with her. And you know what? A lot of times she does fall back asleep!

Another thing that I really liked is the fact that women in France aren't allowed to just let themselves go during pregnancy. I always had people tell me "Eat whatever you want, you're pregnant", or "It will all come off after you have her, it doesn't matter!" While I know a lot of my weight WAS from swelling, especially at the end, I could have been better with my diet. But if I lived in a place like France where they have the societal pressures to stay thin it might have helped my diet. They also expect women to get back into shape quickly.

They teach their children to wait from a young age, and that helps them learn to handle themselves more patiently. They don't have children's menus at restaurants, because they expect that their children will develop their palates and learn about each food that they try.

Even from a young age, they talk to their children and have confidence that they will be understood. I've started doing this, explaining to Cora when I am going to change her diaper (which I do before I feed her). And she doesn't cry while I am getting her stuff for diapers.

There were some things I didn't agree with (no nursing, you have to get back to work in a few months), I will be trying a lot of these methods out.

Book 10 of 2015- "The Bourne Identity" by Robert Ludlum

Well, it's taken a while for me to read this next book. I'm working on the next one already, hopefully it doesn't take me almost 2 months to read this one...

I read this book a few years ago, but didn't remember anything about it. So I decided to read it again. Initially I didn't like this Jason Bourne as much as I like the Matt Damon version in the movies. This Jason Bourne just seemed too vulnerable. Whenever he would go through the motions of the training he couldn't remember, he would have a moment of existentialism where he would think "Why am I doing this?" Jason Bourne doesn't question himself!

However, the plot in this book is excellent. I think they should have included it in the movie. There is a villain who (so far) is in the Bourne Supremacy as well. I only read when I'm chained nursing, so I get 10 pages or so at a time before I have to maneuver a newborn again.

Book 9 of 2015- "Leaving Everything Most Loved" by Jacqueline Winspear

Well, I finished the series! The book was good as ever, although I am sad that it is done.

During this book, Maisie is investigating the murders of two Indian women who immigrated to England. At the same time, she is trying to plan her own departure from England. She wanted to go to India, but the man she has been dating is going to Canada and proposes to her a couple of times throughout the book. She is trying to sort out her life, and decide what is best for her.

I hate to admit it, but the end frustrated me! The author left it so open. Which I am HOPING means there will be another book! Because this one just came out in 2013.

But on to the next book! I'm starting the Bourne series, wish me luck.

Book 8 of 2015- "Elegy for Eddie" by Jacqueline Winspear

Sad, only one book left in the series for me. I've been meaning to start it, but just haven't. Maybe it's because I've liked this series of books and I don't want to have it end.

Maisie is approached by some childhood friends, and she learns of someone else that she grew up with who passed away in a freak accident. They didn't think it was an accident, and wanted her to investigate.

This investigation took her into the most upper class of England, including interacting with the "fallen" politician, Winston Churchill. This made me think that I need to learn more about him from before WWII, because the characters do not have a high opinion for him at this point. Since that is the opposite of what I hear now, I want to know how that changed.

At the same time, they are learning more about the changes that are going through Germany. Hitler has taken over power, and he is starting to make some changes. It makes me so grateful to not grow up in a time like this. Everyone in England is terrified of the idea of another war, because so many of their fellow men had just died not even 20 years prior in the first world war.

Book 7 of 2015- "A Lesson in Secrets" by Jacqueline Winspear

I think this book was my favorite of the series so far. Maisie was asked to work for the British Secret Service, and go teach philosophy at a college. During that time, the founder of the college was murdered and she took the responsibility on to find out who did it as well.

It is obvious from the getgo that everyone in the college has their secrets. In addition, there are many other secrets going on in Maisie's life. The man she had been dating seemed to not be faithful to her, and she took in a former maid at the house she worked at after her husband was killed in an accident. However, the accident seemed to be suspicious, so Maisie was dealing with the fallout of that.

I'm hoping to read another book or 2 soon so that I can stay on track with my goal of reading 50 by the end of the year. I have more on hold at the library, and keep getting suggestions from other people that I'm looking into.

Book 6 of 2015- "In the Heart of the Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick

I had seen this book on an article on Buzzfeed titled "Books you should read in 2015 before they become movies". It is the true story of the ship that was attacked by a sperm whale, which inspired Herman Melville's "Moby Dick". Plus, Chris Hemsworth is going to star in the movie. What could go wrong?

IT WAS SO BORING.

I thought it would have been written at least a little in the style of a novel. The first 50 pages or so (the first quarter of the book) were about the history of Nantucket. Which was like reading paint drying.

They already gave away the most harrowing part of the story in the foreword, so I was just trying to get to the part where the men were shipwrecked and started eating each other. That, horrifyingly enough, was the only interesting part of the book.

They referenced other incidences where severe starvation has led to desperate measures in this book, such as the Donner party. Brandon and I listened to a podcast about this one time driving through the Donner pass, and it made us both realize what a sad situation it was. These people were misled by a few people who deliberately left out crucial parts of the journey while describing it to the Donner party, and that led to their downfall. It was also the mistakes of the leaders of the ship Essex that led to so many people dying. Out of 20 people who survived the shipwreck, only 8 were accounted for at the end.

So, while it will make a good movie, since I'm assuming they will leave out the super boring parts at the beginning and end, it was painful to get through. But if you like historical books, by all means check it out!

Book 5 of 2015- "Inferno" by Dan Brown

I took a break from Maisie Dobbs. I promised Brandon I would read this as soon as possible since he did over Christmas break... then I kept letting the other books I had checked out get in the way. I'll go back to library books next, but I knew Dan Brown would be a quick read. I read it in about 3 days, which is quick considering it is 600+ pages. But it helped that I didn't do ANYTHING yesterday, with Brandon out of town. I had to schedule myself to go to the temple, because I wanted to but I was so hooked on the book.

These books always make me want to visit Italy. It is such a fascinating place, with so much history. This time, I want to go to Florence.
Dan Brown's books make me think of the "National Treasure" movies... without Nic Cage in them, that is. It makes me wonder if there ARE secret passageways through these famous buildings? And how the heck does Robert Langdon not get arrested through all these books?
The plot twist in this book is SO good. I actually kind of agree with the antagonist's point of view... kind of. But I don't agree with how he went about what he did. It's so hard to explain without giving everything away. But I highly recommend this!

Book 4 of 2015- "The Mapping of Love and Death" by Jacqueline Winspear

Yes, another one of these books. I love them, and I only have 3 more until the series ends! Darn it. I'm still hoping she writes more, but I have no idea what is going to happen by the end. Maybe it wraps up.

She didn't seem to spend much time with this case, she was more concerned with her personal life. Her mentor, who has been a main character throughout all the books, was dying of some illness and she spent a lot of time with him. Not to mention, she started dating again FINALLY. I get way too invested in people's personal lives in stories. I forget if I had mentioned this, but she was dating a doctor during World War 1, and they were both hit by shells during an air raid. He lost his mind, and spent the rest of his life in a hospital for men with shell shock. He just passed away in the last book (not the one I read last, the 6th book), and I think it was only then that she was able to start opening up to people again.

Still a great series, and I can't wait to go pick up the 8th book in just a minute. I have the 9th and 10th coming from another library as well.

Book 3 of 2015- "Messenger of Truth" by Jacqueline Winspear

This is the fourth book in the series, but the sixth one that I have read. As per usual, it was pretty fascinating. I had no idea who the murderer was (it was an investigation of a murdered artist), and kept guessing until the end.

At this point, I'm starting to wonder how someone can really read people that well. Everything that she does while interviewing a suspect or witness is deliberate. It is just interesting that she can do that, but I wonder if people in real life are actually that perceptive. I know I'm not.