What Rachel is Reading

Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center
Lanie is a wife and mother of 3 (gee, that sound familar) that packs up her home and heads to Boston so her husband can pursue his dreams of becoming a professional musician. But, Lanie realizes that she too has dreams, or did, at some point. She sets changes in motion, joining a gym, signing up for a photography class-all to help her feel like her "old self" again.
I 100% got this book. I identified so much with Lanie, it could have been me in that book. Occasionally (okay, more than occasionally), I do feel drained with the day to day care of my children and husband, and wish I could be just me. This book helped me to see that I have changed-and change is good, but I can still be me, and Mama, and Jeremy's wife. In fact, it is important that I find me in the midst of everything. And most importantly-I am beautiful-in every walk of life I am currently in. And now, I quote from that book that I love and am going to hang up on my mirror-
"Laughter is beautiful. Kindness is beautiful. Cellulite is beautiful. Softness and plumpness and roundness are beautiful. It is more important to be interesting, to be vivid, and to be adventurous, than to sit pretty for pictures. A woman's soft tummy is a miracle of nature. Beauty comes from tenderness. Beauty comes from variety, from specificity, from the fact that no person in the world looks exactly like anyone else. Beauty comes from the tragedy that each person's life is destined to be lost to time. I believe woman are too hard on themselves. I believe that when you love someone, she becomes beautiful to you. I believe the eyes see everything through the heart-and nothing in the world feels as good as resting them on someone you love. I have trained my eyes to look for beauty, and I've gotten very good at finding it."
This is a book that needs to be on my bookshelf. (Caution: there is some language in it.)

What Rachel is Reading

The Walk by Richard Paul Evans

In the space of 6 weeks, Alan Christoffersen literally loses everything. He wants to end his life, but instead, he decides to walk. To Key West, Florida. The furthest place in the continential USA from where he stands. The people he encounters along the way, and the lessons they share, will save his life.

I love Richard Paul Evans books. They are easy reads, and usually very inspiring. This one was no different. Al's situation had me in tears at several points and I really felt for him. I have never felt the kind of loss and tragedy and betrayal that he had, but I felt like I was right next to him on his journey. The tinest little part of me even wanted to tie on some hiking boots and head for Florida myself. Best of all, The Walk isn't finished. The rest of the trip will be continued in April 2011! (I love sequels!)

What Rachel is Reading

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (aunt and niece team)

I was told by several people that I need to read this book. Finally, I picked it up at the library and I am sure glad that I did.

This book is entirely composed of letters and notes, either the sender or reciever being Juliet Ashton. Juliet is an author looking for her next book and she finds it on the island of Guernsey. Set in Post World War 2, we discover what the fine people of Guernsey did to survive the invasion of German soldiers. Juliet falls in love with the people, and decides to visit, and they welcome her with open arms and hearts.

I love Guernsey. I fell in love with every single charater. They were all so well developed and well written! At first, when I discovered that the whole story was letters, I was reluctant. I thought that it would get really boring to read letter after letter, but it wasn't! It was fun! It was so neat to see the relationship that were already established (between Juliet and her best friends Sidney and Sophie) and the relationships that were being built (between Juliet and the people of Guernsey). Letters are so personal, and it was fun to see the banter between everybody. This book was so funny! Not only was it a great historical fiction (I have read little about post World War 2 in Europe, because the topic is depressing, but I learned quite a bit) but it also had a great little love story in it, along with a bit of intrigue.
This book will be going on my bookshelf. One I have to own and will reread over and over.

What Rachel is Reading

So, I am going to start a new "feature" where I review one of the many (many) books I have waiting for me on my bedside table. Please tell me what you think!Today's Pick: The Red Pyramid (Book 1 of the Kane Chronicles) by Rick Riordan

Simple review-Loved it! Rick Riordan also wrote the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which I also really enjoyed. The Kane Chronicles are his newest series, but instead of Ancient Greece, his newest hero and heroine are taking on the gods and goddessess of Ancient Egypt.

Expanded review-Carter and Sadie Kane are brother and sister who don't know each other at all. Following the death of their mother 6 years ago, Carter went traveling all over the world with his father, famed Egyptologist (side note-I totally wanted to be an Egyptologist when I was little. Still do a little bit.) Dr. Julius Kane, and was homeschooled by him. Sadie lived with their grandparents in London, England, only getting to see her dad and brother twice a year. Each sibiling longs for what the other has and have nothing in common. On Christmas Eve, the date of their scheduled visit, things go very bad in the British Museum. Trying to make "everything right," their Dad summons a figure, blows up the Rosetta Stone, and gets banished into a golden sarcophogus. Now, all alone, Carter and Sadie try to put together the pieces of this puzzle and discover that the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt are real and one (Set) has an evil plan (don't they all?) to destroy Ma'at (order and peace) and usher in Apophis (chaos god). They also find out that their mom and dad were magicians of the House of Life and that they (Carter and Sadie) have powers they didn't know that they had-and that they are instrumental to stopping Set and Apophis. They meet all matter of help and hinderance along the way, which makes for a pretty quick moving story.
Carter and Sadie's point of views are both given, using the device that Rick Riordan is actually just writing down an audio taping of their story. I think it is cute, because sometimes there are little interjections by the other sibiling which shows both their personality and their growing relationship. This is definately a book for kids (I would put it at pre-Harry Potter even, 7-9 yrs old), just like the Percy Jackson series was, but I really enjoyed reading it. I am so excited for these books that make reading fun and exciting for little kids! What a great thing it is! I can't wait for Aidan to get just a little bit older so I can start reading outloud these books to him. I wanted to research the Eqyptian gods after reading this too. (Rick's version of Anubis is my favorite-think Edward Cullen.) If you have a couple days, and want a book that is pretty much mindless fun, pick it up!