Midnight Sun

Midnight Sun
Stephenie Meyer
264 pages

I did say about two months ago that I was done posting about vampires, but I just finished reading this, so had to write about it. Now, I promise, no more until November :)

Midnight Sun is an unfinished companion novel for the book Twilight written by Stephenie Meyer. The story is told  through the eyes of Edward Cullen, as opposed to that of Bella Swan. Meyer said that Midnight Sun "[was] an exercise in character development that got wildly out of hand."

The first twelve chapters were leaked illegally online in 2008, therefore Meyer has put this project on hold indefinitely. As she has stated in several interviews, and on her website, she was just too upset to continue, because it was a violation of her rights as an author.

As with the other four books in the series, I was thoroughly pleased with the way this one was written. Readers will receive entirely new insight from Edward, and a broader understanding of the close-knit Cullen family. What I liked best about this partial draft, is that the reader can really get a gist of Edward's whole "mind-reading thing", something they can't do when the books are written from Bella's perspective. Very cool.

And although I wish very much for her to finish this new take on the world-wide bestselling series, I do understand her feelings for putting it on hold.

If you want to read Midnight Sun for yourself...

Out of respect for the author, I am posting the link here, that will take you to her official website where she has posted the first twelve chapters herself, instead of the link for the actual PDF file.

To read this review, and others about Midnight Sun on Goodreads, click here.

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Book Signing with Kiersten White

I was very excited to go to my first book signing in a long time.  I miss going, seeing the crowd, feeling the energy supporting the authors.  It has been far too long since I've been able to attend an event.

I love how much expression she uses.  I really do.  She's so fun to hear talk!

 And I am so happy that the event I was able to go to was for Kiersten White!  Book three in the Paranormalcy series, ENDLESSLY, came out on Tuesday and she did her signing here in Utah on Thursday night.  We are so lucky to have her come here to Utah!

She was saying something about 5...I don't remember what but it was the best shot I got of her whole face!

I missed  much of what she said because I was running late, but I did catch the Q&A.  It was pretty awesome.

Signing my book!

Here's what I learned:

Keirsten and Me!

1. Kiersten likes Pinky Pie because she weaponized her confetti cannon.
2. Natalie Whipple, critique partner and best friend (and author who's book is being published next year) of Kiersten kinda hated Kiersten in High School because Kiersten wrote a mean article about the prom decorations that Natalie had been in charge of.  Don't worry, they love each other now!
3. Movie rights have been sold for the Paranormalcy series, but Kiersten thinks (and come to think of it, I agree!) that it would make a better TV series.
4. Steve the vampire/poultergeist is named after a blog follower from England.
5. Fans of Kiersten's will not have to wait long for more from her!  She will be publishing two books a year from now on out for a while!  
6. (well this I already knew) Kiersten is adorable, so kind and just made of awesome.

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Guardians: The Fallout by Lola St. Vil

Summary

Just because she has wings,

doesn’t mean she’s an Angel…

It's front page news on every Angel gossip rag:

“Marcus & Ameana: Gone The Way Of “Brad & Jennifer.”

So, Who Is The “Angelina?” Emmy Baxter—a mere mortal!”

Ameana tries to avoid her ex and his new love by focusing

on the other evil out to destroy the team. But soon her pain

turns to fury.

And before the end…a girl plots revenge, a leader is on the edge

and an Angel falls.

• Number of pages: 350

Review

Oh my god. I was just stopped cold. Like dead cold. The book ended, and I was left  . . . waiting. I honestly don’t know what to do now. The book is over and it’s going to be quite some time before book THREE comes out considering this just came out today and I was fortunate to coerce (*cough* begged) the author into giving me an ARC.

When we last saw our doomed characters, a big revelation about one of the Guardian’s actions was reveled leaving you with a feeling of unease. This book starts off in the point of view of Ameana, Marcus’ ex-girlfriend. Boy does this girl have some serious issues. At times I couldn’t blame her, and at others I just wanted to kick her. You do get to witness a more vulnerable side to the girl, which is nice to see and to know that she isn’t a complete robot. I’d have to say that two thirds of the book was in her point of view where as one third is done in the point of view of our spunky and stubborn human, Emmy. Most of the time Ameana tries to make Emmy seem like a real loser and a complete waste of space. At times I had to agree with her because of some pettiness I spotted, but when you took the time to look into the way Emmy reacts and composes herself under pressure, you can’t help but feel admiration for her. Honestly, after looking at both girls I felt admiration for both. And not only did I see a lot of different aspects of them, but also from the other characters. Anger from those I didn’t think were that capable, selflessness when I thought they were all hard, even love in one case where there was no WAY there was before. Each book seems to open up a different layer of everyone.

The plot line was interesting in this one as well. The same goals to save the earth still apply, but there were very different obstacles that I thought were great and nerve wracking at the same time. I don’t want to give out too much information on book two so I will just say that this continuation of The Guardians is not something that will disappoint. I read one chapter for every math problem I completed (I like to think of it as a reward), and when it ended I was left not only speechless, but also feeling slightly fainted. All I kept thinking was that it COULDN’T end that way. I COULDN’T be left hanging that bad. But I was, and not only does it frustrate me, but I am also dying to get my hand on the 3^rd book A.S.A.P. That isn’t likely to happen soon so until then I will just have to be satisfied with rating it from 1-10? An 8.5

Side note: I understand that the given summary doesn’t really tell you what this book is about, but I’ll post something different up if I find it a little more specific or helpful. Either way read the first and then this one! Trust. 

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Timepiece: An Hourglass Novel by Myra McEntire

Summary

Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples—cracks in time. Are Kaleb’s powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before Kaleb can find out, Jonathan Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?

In the wake of Lander’s return, the Hourglass organization is offered an ultimatum by a mysterious man. Either they find Landers and the research he has stolen on people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered—with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most.

Now Kaleb, Emersion, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their extraordinary powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? Even if they succeed, just finding him may not be enough . . .

• Number of pages: 336

Review

Interesting story line. Interesting characters. It was all very interesting, which makes it good. It was a good plot and I had a good time reading it. But that doesn’t make it great.

Really there is nothing bad I can say about this book. I didn’t encounter any definite flaw, nor did I have a bad time reading, it just ended up being average. The story itself is not average in the way that we see lots of these time travelling and science fiction stories, but it wasn’t like I was left with my mouth open and the adrenaline rush I get from a really great book. Sure it wasn’t the best, but I’m glad I read it.

The first book in the Hourglass series is narrated by Em, and Kaleb narrated this one. I can’t say which character I like better as the lead, but it was very different between the two people. I found myself missing having Em as the leader of the thought process. Anyway, their personalities, their struggles, their connection to the happens of the book, but I found this one a little bit more cliché than the last one. Honestly, I would be lying if I told you that there was something wrong with this book, it’s just something that I can’t put my finger on, and I don’t want anyone reading this thinking that they shouldn’t read the book because of it. This is just the feeling that I had, and I am sharing. Yours may be completely different than my own, and I completely accept that. With that said, I am also going to write why I thought this book was good. Kaleb has a strong personality and it was interesting seeing how that played off in his inner thoughts. He is an empathy, which means he can feel the emotions of people he is connected to or around him. Read this I would continuously be thrown the different emotions of people around Kaleb, and that was interesting seeing how he reacted to the different emotions. It was also great to see how he changed for the better, though like I said before it was a tad bit cliché. Then again, who doesn’t like a little cliché in their lives? Your opinion is just as good as mine. I will say that I am looking forward to the next book for two reasons: the story continues into a new adventure, which will obviously not settle me until I find out how it is resolved and I am looking forward to seeing who is the narrator of the next book. Em the first, Kaleb the second, who is next? Michael? Lily? Someone new? I wonder . . . I wonder . . . From 1-10? 5.5

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Two-Year Blogaversary & Guardians: The Girl Giveaway Winners!

This post might end up being the cheesiest thing in the world, but it must be done. It must be done because today marks Nap Snack Read’s two-year blogaversary! 730 That’s right . . . 730 days where I have written all my thoughts on the great acts of literature that I have read. I am honestly so happy that my dad pushed me to start Nap Snack Read as a stupid little hobby, which turned out being s lot more.

Ok, cheesiness is over! It’s time to announce the winners of the Guardians: The Girl Giveaway! This was my first giveaway, and I appreciate those who participated. It meant a lot. I also want to thank the author, Lola St. Vil, for all her help on this little project. Thanks Lola! Well here are the winners!  Congratulations to . . .

Jesse

Adriana D.

Lindsay C.

If you read this, you will be receiving an email with your prizes tonight. I hope you guys enjoy the books!

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Seeds of War by Rachel Fisher

Summary

The mission of Eden must be fulfilled and Eden’s best Seekers are needed. Forming a new group they dub the Seeders, Fi, Asher, and Sean are joined by a new addition as they set out to bring hope and support to the Topsiders in the form of radios and heirloom seeds. As radio broadcasts begin to reconnect the survivors, the Seeders stumble upon mysterious broadcasts from unknown stations. When two of their own new radio stations go silent within days of each other, Fi and her companions realize that something is terribly wrong. Eden finds itself pitted against a growing and unknown force as their very mission lights the flames of war.

• Number of pages: 262

Review

First off, if you haven’t read book one in this trilogy then read it. Once you are finished go straight to this one. Book two picks up right in the moment where it ended in book one, and there is lots of information in both books so you wouldn’t want to miss anything, trust me. I had to reread the first book in its entirety because there was no way that I was going to remember all the little details that were present, but then again that could be just me.

If you have read my post on the first book then you will have noticed that I emphasized that book as a survival book. So what does that make book two, Seeds of War? For that I will have to steal a word from the book itself, and that word is “Reconnection”. What does that mean exactly? Well, Fi and her Family have made it to Eden, they have settled in, they have revived their strengths, and now Fi is out to reconnect with the people living in the world, the “Topsiders”, and to replant the original plants and grasses that were first created when the Earth was young, before humans tampered with it. Sorry if that gave away a few spoilers of book one, but there is no other way for me to describe what is going on in this one. So mainly, Fi, Asher, Sean, and a new friend named Sara are off to save the world by helping the scientists of Eden recreate the Earth’s original properties, but along the way trouble starts to brew.

After reading both books, I feel like I have traveled Topside right along Fi. The characters were amazingly created by Rachel Fisher, who seems to have a real talent for making a story real. The plot has always been amazing, intricately created with points that make it seem like everything that has happened to these people in 2030 something is very possible in our future, but what I found most interesting was the characters. And what I love about this author is that although Fi is the main character that we usually follow, we still jump from character to character to character depending on the scene. I really got to know all of them in a deeper way, which was great for my nerdy side. And they felt believable because of it in a sense that if I was tromping in the forest with three other people with the weight of the world sort of literally on my shoulders, this is how I would feel. These would be my concerns, if that makes any sense. I also got the sense that unlike book one, this was more of a moral or ethical book. I loved how these moral and religious questions popped up in Fi’s mind because I would think that is normal. What if God was punishing them? What if killing someone meant saving someone else? What are your choices? It all heightened the sense of survival and the problems they were all facing.

Anyway, I again found Rachel’s work great. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and I am just dying to get my greedy little hands on book three. (Hope it doesn’t take too long!) It was an excellent story, but it is also a "thinking" kind of book. Lots of scientific stuff and theories. At times confusing, but never unbearably so. Something I do think I should warn you about is that this book may not be for the faint hearted. This is still survival of the fittest, kill or be killed. There were parts where it may be a little bit bloody or scary and pretty intense, but it was all done to heighten the sense of danger that the author was giving off. At least, that’s what I felt. Either way I feel like this was a wonderful book, and the series is turning out to be a real mind opener, not just some silly little love story. I really like that. (Though the love story in this book is amazingly sweet, just saying.) So from 1-10? Seeds of War is a definite 8.5

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Something to Think About

I am now beginning a new series of posts entitled "Something to Think About". These posts will consist of a poem, or passage from a story in which I hope you will take the time to think about during your very busy days. I might even share my own thoughts as well.

We'll start the first post off with...

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear.

Though as for that the there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

When I read this poem by Frost, it makes me think of something my mom or my teachers would always (and still) say, "Be your own person" or "Don't be like everyone else". In this poem, I think the traveler is trying to decide whether to follow the crowd, or to go his own way. In the end, he decides to take the "the one less traveled by" or the road that will take him to a place where he will find his own destiny, not everyone else's. 

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Guardians: The Girl Giveaway! Info & Rules

The time has come for me to try something new. It was bound to happen, to try to spice things up a bit and give you guys a chance to interact with me and win an awesome prize. So what better time to do that other than on Nap Snack Read’s two-year blogaversary? The day is coming and it is my wish to celebrate it with my first special giveaway!

So here are the details. The author who has agreed to partner up with me for this special event it Lola St. Vil. She is the author of Guardians series, and has agreed to present the winners with a free copy of the first book Guardians: The Girl in kindle format, nook format, and pdf format. If a different format is needed, just let me know which type you'd need and I'll see what I can do. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this book, click here to see my review on Guardians: The Girl and a full summary of the story. Trust me on this, I highly, highly recommend this book, so you might as well try to win a copy here, right? So take the chance, and apply to win on July 24, which is five days from now. Set your alarms . .  . take note of it in your calendar . . . because this is one book you will want to try to win.

Giveaway Rules

1. Contestant must be a follower of Nap Snack Read (follow the steps indicated on the right hand side, above Blog Archive)

2. Contestant must send an email to napsnackread@yahoo.com with your name and follower profile name or comment on this post with the information

3. Email/comment must also include the type of book format you prefer

The winners of this giveaway will be announced on the 24th of July and be given their prize accordingly. Good luck to you all! 

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Pride and Pronunciation

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen

368 pages

When Elizabeth Bennett first meets Mr. Darcy, a noble and esteemed bachelor, she finds him conceited and ill-mannered. She dislikes him even more when she finds he has been trying to squash the relationship between her sister Jane, and his friend Mr. Bingley. To make matters even worse, they seem to be running into each other everywhere they go. In the humorous, and dramatic events that follow, readers will be transported to early 19th century England with style and grace.

As Pride and Prejudice is one of the world's oldest novels, it has been read and loved by so many that I find it is not my place to criticize or review it. The author is long deceased, so no edits or changes can ever be made. However, I will just say this, everyone should read this book at least once in their lifetime.

As this was my first time reading it, it took me a while to get through. I had to keep looking up words like "vexation" and "vanity" for which I had to learn to pronounce, and flip to the footnotes every paragraph or so as this book was written in a time when strings of long vocabulary with a strange word ordering littered pages.

I find it quite interesting to read books written so many years ago, as you can laugh at the way things were said or done, but you also learn quite a bit as well. In Pride and Prejudice, the reader will learn about old courting methods, marriages of the 1800s, and pastimes and styles of the time.

As I stated before, Pride and Prejudice is not only a much loved British classic, but a must read for all.

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The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Colleen Coble

Summary

Addie Sullivan leads a quiet life in a northern California lighthouse. She mourns the death of her father and endured her mother’s bitterness, until the night a storm brings an inured stranger and a dark secret to her home. The man insists she is not who she thinks she is, but rather “Julia Eaton”—the child long lost and feared dead by her wealthy family. Seizing the chance to be reunited with the Eatons, Addie leaves her lighthouse home but decides to keep her true identity a secret until they can unravel the mystery.

Addie loves the Eaton’s palatial home tucked away among the California redwood forests. She feels secure with the jovial family, adores the young boy who is her charge as a governess, and finds romance with his father John, a young widower. But sinister shadows overtake Addie’s joy. As dusty rooms and secret compartments give up their clues about her past, Addie finds a faith and a love she could never have guessed. To embrace this new world of promise is to risk her life; but to run away is to risk losing the greatest love she’s ever known.

• Number of pages: 306

Review

If you have read the summary to this book then you will understand that this is a Christian book with lots of spiritual messages intertwined with each word. Being a Christian, I myself enjoyed this book thoroughly as it opened up a few points in my faith. Books like this one tends to remind me of things I’ve either overlooked in my faith or never acknowledged. That how it works for me, but, understandably, that is not how it works for every, and I respect that. Which means I also appreciate respect back on my own views.

With that said, I will get on with my review of The Lightkeeper’s Daughter. This is just the kind of book that I use to read when I was younger, when I first started opening myself up to the love of reading. It reminded me of that time because it was sweet in nature, mystery to decipher, a simple love story, and is takes place in the past. I have always had a special sweet spot for historical fictions, and this one happened to take place in one of my favorite times. A time of ladies gowns, bowler hats, and manners is where I found Addie. The time gave the characters a charming nature where I really felt the differences between my time and theirs. That has always interested me, and it was especially highlighted in this book.

The plot itself was interesting enough. Don’t you just hate when a mystery’s answers seem obvious? That wasn’t the case with this book. Well, to be honest, when the mystery was coming to a close I found myself anticipating the answer before it was revealed, which was kind of disappointing in a way but didn’t ruin the whole book’s experience at the same time.

On the religion aspect of this story, I found it subtly yet firm in its beliefs. I liked that. I didn’t feel like the main character, or in this case the author, was shoving her beliefs down my throat, but being a Christian who was looking for the religiousness of the story was intrigued by the little lessons I received from it. I found that while there were obvious religious feelings, I do believe that if you aren’t of the same faith you could still pick up the book and enjoy the story. It was a sweet story if that is what you might decide to do. So from 1-10? The Lightkeeper’s Daughters  is a 6.5

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Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Summary

 As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she ahs the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies’ cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen’s sheltered life on Nantucket descends into the chaos. But the hardest task of all with be forgetting Lucas Delos.

• Number of pages: 487

Review

I remember reading the first book in this sage, Starcrossed, and saying it was such an amazing book. I read it so long ago, and yet I can still remember how excited I was by it. Dreamless, I’d say, was very good as well. I really like how the story was picked up from the last one, and yet the whole plot was completely different—different goals, different struggles, different sides of the well-loved characters. If I were to compare the two books, I would have to say I like the first one better. But I will say that this book, if it were to stand on its own, was very, very good.

The whole point in this book was for Helen to do the impossible and break the curse that plagues all Scion Houses. The adventure was great in the sense that I had no idea what was going to happen, and I was thrilled by the surprises that were in store. Honestly, the end was the best part for me because it set up perfectly for the next book, and made me look forward to it (even though it won’t come out for another YEAR)!!

Now, maybe not every one is very familiar with Greek legends and stories, but if you are then this book in particular would be exciting to read. I got a thrill every time a character or a story from ancient Greece popped up. I would stop and grin because I knew who they were, they were familiar. I think the way that Josephine Angelini incorporated all those stories and people was incredible. It wasn’t an overload, but it was enough to notice her extensive knowledge on the subject. She definitely did her homework! I think Dreamless was a good follow up as book 2, and I am really looking forward to seeing what comes up in book 3. From 1-10? I give it a 7!

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A Bite's Tale: A Furry Fable by Veronica Blade

Summary

A Cinderella who spends her nights as a wolf. A prince with a taste for blood.

Seventeen year old Cydney struggles against her werewolf nature, trying to keep everyone around her safe. No way will she risk exposing the beast at the prince’s ball, no matter how her two cousins try to persuade her. As she attempts to carve out some semblance of a life, Cydney can’t forget the boy she loved three summers ago — or what she did to him after losing control.

Turned into a vampire to save his life, the prince refuses to live up to his royal duties. He just wants to find the girl he loved and lost...the werewolf girl who bit him. But his father, the king, commands him to attend a ball where he must choose a wife. Can he find his Cinderella before he's forced to marry another? He doesn’t even have her real name, much less a glass slipper.

• Number of pages: 165

Review

It’s short stories like this one right here that just makes me wish that it were longer. I was saddened by how fast I polished off this quick read because of how much I enjoyed reading about Cydney and Remy. They were just too cute.

I think short stories are far more difficult to write than the average length books because there is only some much time for the author to squeeze in the introduction of the characters, set up the plot line, and wrap up all the loose ends. Now, if the book is a bit lengthier then the author has enough leisure the do it with enough time. Short stories are to the point, and they can’t lose you attention for a minute. Personally, I think that this particular short story was very well proportioned. Proportion in the way that the intro didn’t take too much time or the climax was too short. It all fit. The plot itself was unique, I thought. The country that they live in is the only one to harbor and protect the super naturals. I loved how it seemed like that average thing, no big deal. Remy and Cydney were the perfect combo of attitude and love and sarcasm and all the rest befitted as roles of main characters. I thought it was great altogether. From 1-10? It’s a definite 8. 

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Austen in August

I am proud to announce that I will be participating in the Austen in August reading challenge hosted by Roof Beam Reader. You can sign up for yourself by clicking on the previous link. You don't need a blog to participate, just leave a comment.

I am currently reading Pride and Prejudice but I hope to read Emma this August as well. All of Jane Austen's novels are accepted as well as biographies about her, or any modern versions of her works.

You might consider reading, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion or Northanger Abbey.

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Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly

Summary

In the wake of the Second Wave, the angel menace has exploded, and Alex and Willow are on the lam. Willow has a prophetic dream that points them to Mexico City, where they connect with a fledgling group of angel killers, Alex takes the team in hand, training them for a rush attach on the Seraphic Council, an elite group already under watch by Willow’s angel-father, Raziel, who wants “The Twelve” dead for the sinister reasons of his own and will stop at nothing.

What Alex doesn’t know is that there was also a boy in Willow’s dream, one she felt overpoweringly attracted to. and when enigmatic Seb shows up in the flesh, he turns out to be another—possibly the world’s only other—half angel.

Seb’s been searching for Willow all his life . . . and as the team prepares for grim warfare against a divine enemy, Willow must weigh her love for Alex against the truth of her nature, with everything to lose.

Number of pages: 638

Review

I am emotionally drained from this book . . . in a definitely good way. Angel Burn was everything I expected from book 2 of this trilogy. In fact, I think it was even better than the first book. Mainly I think it’s better because in the first book, the only characters that really get viewed is Alex, Willow, the bad guy, and a handful of people that pass by. Most of the time it was just Alex and Willow. In this book, you see a wide range of characters. My favorite of those new characters being Seb. I loved him. The whole chemistry between Seb and Willow, even the chemistry between Seb and Alex who were always at odds was extremely entertaining.

I liked how it ended a lot. Sometimes in a series like this, the ending either leaves you unsatisfied or so satisfied that you don’t want the next book to come out because it ended off just the way you want it. This book ended in a way that left me with all the loose ends lied up . . . for now. But then it also left a whole new plot to open up in the next book. I found the way L.A. did that was just great. The story did seem a little drawn out to me in the middle, but overall enjoyable. From 1-10? It’s a definite 7.5

Quick opinion on the cover . . . I didn’t like it at all. Honestly, I understand it after I read it, but it looks completely demonic to me, and I didn’t much care for it. If it weren’t for the fact that I have book one in the hardcover format I probably would have gotten book 2 in kindle because the cover really bugs me. 

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Thin Yet Thick: the perks of being a wallflower

the perks of being a wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
213 pages

Just as a reminder, "Thin Yet Thick" reads are books thin from cover to cover (around 200 pages or less), but have a thick and deep meaning. These reads will leave you feeling great and I think might even change your life. These books should take three days or fewer to read, and most likely are of an easy reading level.

The perks of being a wallflower is written through letters from Charlie, a fifteen-year-old incoming freshman with a lot on his mind. Once he enters high school, he becomes close friends with two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who teach him how to let loose on the dance floor, stick up for himself, and how to feel infinite. Although we don't know where Charlie is writing from, or who he is writing to, we do know his letters are unique, funny, and devastating as he learns not only about himself, but about the difficult world we live in.

Without giving to much away from the story, there is a piece from it that I would like to share with you, and the way I feel about it.

“Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.” 

You could interpret this image quite literally - that watching people dance might be entertaining, but actually joining in yourself, will be a totally different experience. In a more metaphoric sense, this passage could mean something not so different. What if the dance floor stood for something else; like a kid being bullied, or a lost child in the mall? You could sit and watch, or you could be a help, have a say, and even make a change.

In the book, Charlie's English teacher tells him to "participate" more. At first Charlie takes this literally - he goes to the homecoming dance, watches the school's football games, but by the end of the book, Charlie finds another meaning to his teacher's words. The perks of being a wallflower deals with the delicate topic of passivity vs. passion, and what it means through the eyes of a normal teenage kid.

I hope you see just by this snippet of text that the perks of being a wallflower is a story not only to read, but to act on.

The perks of being a wallflower is becoming a movie! See it in theaters Sept. 13th!
Click here to watch the official trailer.

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Happy Independence Day!

Happy Fourth of July! In honor of the patriotic day, I figured I would post some books here that will surely put you in the summer mood, and some, might even take you back to the days of quill pens, gunpowder, and redcoats!

1. Chains - Laurie Halse Anderson

2. Forge  (sequel to Chains) - Laurie Halse Anderson

3. Turtle in Paradise - Jennifer L. Holm

4.. The Fifth of March - Ann Rinaldi

5. Touch Blue - Cynthia Lord

6. Fever 1793 - Laurie Halse Anderson

7. The Penderwicks - Jeanne Birdsall

8. Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons - Ann Rinadi

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