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Yes, I know the book has been out far too long now for me to not be finished, but I've been busy! It's hard to do a lot of reading with a three-year-old. =o)

I'm on Chapter 19 of the latest and last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I have to say, I'm shocked by a lot of the development thus far and I really hope things tie together or begin making sense soon. It's making me upset!

You can really tell that Harry, Hermione and Ron are seventeen though. They are all types of emotional basket cases.

A fun fact about the book...after only one week on the shelves it has already been nominated in the Best Book category at the first Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards UK, set to take place in London in October. J.K. Rowlings, clearly, you RAWK!

Pre-order the 7 Book Boxed Set!!!

Harry Potter Store

Labels: fantasy, Harry Potter, JK Rowling

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| 7:03 AM | 0 comment(s)!

Talk about a book making you think. Dan Brown's prequel to "The Davinci Code" is one of the best books I have ever read; right up there with Mario Puzo's "The Last Don."

All 710 pages of this book kept me completely enthralled and excited. Each day I would say to myself "I really wish I could sit down and read." Well, now I have finished it and I wish there were more like this one.

The religious, scientific and political themes were what had me so interested. Having been raised strictly Catholic there were a lot of historical facts and many theories in this book that I knew nothing about. I didn't know how many religious traditions have been carried down over hundreds and thousands of years. Even the Roman Catholic religion is such a blend of many others; makes you wonder which traditions and images are really truly 100% Catholic.

Dan Brown is a fantastic writer. His imagery is eerily realistic. Most importantly the amount of historical and geographical research he must have done in order to incorporate real life into this novel is just amazing. All spectrums from symbolism of multiple religions to theories of the world's brightest and most prestigious scientists must have been contemplated and fused together in his mind as he sat down to write "Angels and Demons."

"My daughter the skeptic. So you don't believe God speaks to man? Let me put it in your language." He took a model of the human brain down from a shelf and set it in front of her. "As you probably know, Vittoria, human beings normally use a small percentage of their brain power. However, if you put them in emotionally charged situations - like physical trauma, extreme joy or fear, deep meditation - all of a sudden their neurons start firing like crazy, resulting in massively enhanced mental clarity."

"So what? Vittoria said. "Just because you think clearly doesn't mean you talk to God."

"Aha!" Vetra exclaimed. "And yet remarkable solutions to seemingly impossible problems often occur in these moments of clarity. It's what gurus call higher consciousness. Biologists call it altered states. Psychologists call it super-sentience." He paused. "And Christians call it answered prayer." Smiling broadly he added, "Sometimes, divine revelation simple means adjusting your brain to hear what your heart already knows."

Never before have I ever read an excerpt from a book that actually made me believe fully that God does communicate with His children every day. We just don't see it.

Of course that would be the angelic portion of the book. The demons...well they were another horrifying story altogether. Whereas I have never read anything so profoundly spiritual, I have also never read anything quite so evil.

An ancient secret brotherhood, the Illuminati, I knew nothing about. Now I feel like I know far more than I ever wanted to know. Scientists who rejected the authority of the Church and government.

This book mentions symbols the Illuminati have placed around the world to verify their presence in society and make themselves secretively known. For instance, the eye on top of the pyramid on the American dollar bill is said to be a Satanic symbol placed by the Illuminati to mark their work. The eye is an all-seeing eye of the pagan god Horus. According to the theory this eye represents the evil Illuminati or Satan watching everything you do. Talk about giving you the chills. Those sneaky weasels.

This will be one book I will not summarize. It is far too good for me to give anything away. If you enjoy reading and have an open mind which will allow you to step outside of your comfort zone and into a world that questions and tests your beliefs...you should borrow this book from the library, or better yet, buy it. I loved it. I would read it again.

And a thank you to Bri for suggesting and lending the book.

Labels: Dan Brown, mystery, religion, suspense

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| 6:21 PM | 0 comment(s)!

Almost finished the next book I'll be writing about. Time is few and far between this summer, sorry it is taking so long. But in the meantime here is a great quote for you.

"Peace: In international affairs, a period of cheating between two periods of fighting."
Ambrose Bierce

Labels: Ambrose Bierce, quotes

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| 10:16 PM | 0 comment(s)!

When I was younger and had time to spare I used to tutor children in reading, so I know just how difficult it can be on that end. Now as a parent, my son is very interested in reading but all of his gadgets and toys do the reading for him. I'm wondering if this will help or hinder children of today.

I think it is beneficial there are people like the SCORE! reading tutors available if you need some extra help when it comes to reading. You can't do much of anything if you are unable to read signs, directions, manuals, recipes, etc.

Their statement is this, "We'll work with your child to get her up to grade level, or to read at a level beyond her wildest expectations. Through a customized learning experience and the guidance of our Academic Directors, your child will build the skills and confidence needed to turn the page."

That says it loud and clear to me. Their goal is to help the child have the skills AND confidence to want to read. If a child is struggling with reading they learn to resent it and SCORE! realizes this, so they work on both sides of the issue. It's an excellent program, definitely look into it if you find your child need a little extra push towards the reading rainbow. =o)

Disclosure:
This post has been sponsored.

Labels: books, children, reading, tutors

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| 3:14 PM | 0 comment(s)!

Matty Grove was sixteen years old when her Mother died at the age of 39, from cancer. Not long afterwards her father abandoned her, he said he had to keep moving. Alison Moore is a short-story writer and her first novel "Synonym For Love" seems like several short stories all rolled into one. The novel doesn't flow chronologically, but rather it jumps from past to present continuously as Matty's memories are triggered by present day events.

I finished this book yesterday, but decided to let it sink in before doing a quick write-up. I really liked it, but I did find it difficult to follow at times. And please, let me tell you, it is by no means a love story so don't be fooled by the title or the cover of the book.

A synopsis states, "Alison Moore's debut novel examines the human struggle between the need to belong and the longing to escape."

**Spoiler Alert**

Matty's family moved all the time and her parents led a life almost separately from her. They were so in love, it didn't seem they should have ever had a child. Matty watched her mother and father and knew how much they loved each other. When her Mom got sick with cancer things fell apart quickly. She wasn't able to say goodbye because the hospital wouldn't let her in and she never left the hospital.

Her dad was so distraught he ended up leaving her with an older brother she didn't even know she had (memories repressed). And Jack, the brother, ended up leaving her as well. Since she was nearly eighteen years old, she could take care of herself and she has a job, but even so...she just lost her family.

She moved in with an older lately who could hardly see and she lived in an attic for awhile. Her escape was through the lens of her camera and she used the dark room in the Church's basement to develop her own photos. This took place in Virginia during a time in which desegregation was taking place, but there still seemed to be much tension. After developing a photo of police fighting with a group of black men "loitering" Matty sent it into a newspaper. They printed the photo and Matty was then shunned from town. She decided to ride a bus from Virginia to Arizona and find her brother Jack.

She is searching for love, or something like it - but love has no synonym.

There is much to tell about her stay with Jack, but I'll leave that a mystery to prompt you to read the book. After leaving his home, she house sits for an old friend in the Mojave desert. She forms an odd friendship with an elderly lady who lives nearby, Della. Della's motto is that family gets in the way. She left her husband and daughter and moved away many years ago so she could have peace and do artwork. That whole storyline was quite odd for me, I didn't and still don't understand how someone can do that, but she did.

Matty, feeling as though she was left by all her family, is also used to the idea of family getting in the way since that is how Jack and her father made her feel. Not to mention she spent her whole life running with her parents from place to place anyway. Matty and Della formed a bond after Matty was stung by a scorpion and Della bitterly helped her.

She ends up doing artwork outside with Della rather than taking photographs and she finds it to be relaxing. She has always had an issue with idle hands. Della is unable to finish her handmade arch outside her home because her hands are unable to work due to severe arthritis and she becomes wheelchair ridden. Her daughter comes to try and help her, bringing along with her a nurse. Della says her peace has been spoiled; she has Matty bring her to the airport.

Alison Moore wrote the book to follow an emotional logical, rather than one of time. Once I got used to that notion, I was able to get through it more quickly. The book is filled with beautiful descriptions of everything Matty comes in contact with which is interesting to read. There is a need for discovering herself and through her travels in the present day, she begins to reflect on her troubling past.

The book ends with Matty finishing the arch outside of Della's home. And it seems as though she has come to terms with everything, even understanding why things happened the way they did with her family. It's a good ending and Matty is a strong character. I think you'll find the character development is written well.

Now onto the next book...

Labels: discovery, family, literary fiction, reflection, Synonym For Love

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| 7:59 AM | 0 comment(s)!