I hope your week is going well! This is going to be a quick post today. I have to admit… this week I got so distracted and busy with other projects, that I didn’t have a chance to read much. đŚ
**Spoiler Alert**
        2.5 out 5 stars
I did manage to finish up “When the Moon is Low” by Nadia Hashimi. I must say, that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would. The first  100 pages or so, were really interesting, but I really couldn’t draw a connection to the characters. I still soldiered on with this book hoping it would get better… but it didn’t . I really was not impressed with the way the story ended. It left so many unanswered questions? Did Saleem ever find his family in England? Did Feriba and her other two children successfully make a home for themselves in England? Did Feriba ever confess to her sister about her past “relationship” with her husband? What ever happened to Feriba’s family left behind in Afghanistan?….. so many questions and zero answers. It would seem that this book warrants a sequel, but I don’t see how the author could make that story interesting enough to fill the pages of an entire novel. I sadly give this book a 2.5 stars out of 5. It hurts me to do so because I loved this authors previous work ( The Pearl Who Broke It’s Shell) so much. Oh well! You win some you lose some .
Other than that, I didn’t read much else. I managed to read one magazine I think ( lol) and a couple of pages each of  ‘The Crying Tree and “Red Queen” . I’m not sold on either yet..  I’m not sure I’m going to continue them. Oh boy! I think I may be in a bit of a reading slump 𦠠Hopefully I can get my butt back into reading gear this week! I’m still continuing with my Proverb a day Challenge.
Quick edition of Wednesday Weekly Reads this week. I am currently tandem reading two books. The first one being, “When The Moon Is Low” by Nadia Hashimi.She is the same author who wrote the book, “The Pearl Who Book It’s Shell”which I absolutely loved. Â ( I read it earlier this year.) Here is its quick synopsis:
In Kabul, 2007, with a drug-addicted father and no brothers, Rahima and her sisters can only sporadically attend school, and can rarely leave the house. Their only hope lies in the ancient custom of bacha posh, which allows young Rahima to dress and be treated as a boy until she is of marriageable age. As a son, she can attend school, go to the market, and chaperone her older sisters.But Rahima is not the first in her family to adopt this unusual custom. A century earlier, her great-great grandmother, Shekiba, left orphaned by an epidemic, saved herself and built a new life the same way.Crisscrossing in time, The Pearl the Broke Its Shell interweaves the tales of these two women separated by a century who share similar destinies. But what will happen once Rahima is of marriageable age? Will Shekiba always live as a man? And if Rahima cannot adapt to life as a bride, how will she survive? (amazon.com)
I encourage everyone to read this book if they get a chance. It really delves into the plight that many Afghani women have to face.Â
Her next book also depicts the plight of life in a war torn country. Â Except this time, the story deals with the hardships that fall on a family, who has lost the patriarch and are trying to escape and make a life for themselves elsewhere. The synopsis of ” When The Moon is Low” is as follows:
Mahmoud’s passion for his wife Fereiba, a schoolteacher, is greater than any love she’s ever known. But their happy, middle-class worldâa life of education, work, and comfortâimplodes when their country is engulfed in war, and the Taliban rises to power.
Mahmoud, a civil engineer, becomes a target of the new fundamentalist regime and is murdered. Forced to flee Kabul with her three children, Fereiba has one hope to survive: she must find a way to cross Europe and reach her sister’s family in England. With forged papers and help from kind strangers they meet along the way, Fereiba make a dangerous crossing into Iran under cover of darkness. Exhausted and brokenhearted but undefeated, Fereiba manages to smuggle them as far as Greece. But in a busy market square, their fate takes a frightening turn when her teenage son, Saleem, becomes separated from the rest of the family.
Faced with an impossible choice, Fereiba pushes on with her daughter and baby, while Saleem falls into the shadowy underground network of undocumented Afghans who haunt the streets of Europe’s capitals. Across the continent Fereiba and Saleem struggle to reunite, and ultimately find a place where they can begin to reconstruct their lives.( harpercollins.com)
I’m just about finished with this book as its story is so captivating, I can’t put it down. I hope to finish this up by Friday.
Next, I started reading a book entitled, “The Crying Tree” by Naseem Rakha,It is also really good. I picked this book on a whim while perusing the shelves of my local library. The synopsis of this book is as follows:
Irene and Nate Stanley are living a quiet and contented life with their two children, Bliss and Shep, on their family farm in southern Illinois when Nate suddenly announces heâs been offered a job as a deputy sheriff in Oregon. Irene fights her husband. She doesnât want to uproot her family and has deep misgivings about the move. Nevertheless, the family leaves, and theyâre just settling into their life in Oregonâs high desert when the unthinkable happens. Fifteen-year-old Shep is shot and killed during an apparent robbery in their home. The murderer, a young mechanic with a history of assault, robbery, and drug-related offenses, is caught and sentenced to death.
Shepâs murder sends the Stanley family into a tailspin, with each member attempting to cope with the tragedy in his or her own way. Ireneâs approach is to live, week after week, waiting for Daniel Robbinâs execution and the justice she feels she and her family deserve. Those weeks turn into months and then years. Ultimately, faced with a growing sense that Robbinâs death wonât stop her pain, Irene takes the extraordinary and clandestine step of reaching out to her sonâs killer. The two forge an unlikely connection that remains a secret from her family and friends.
Then Irene receives the notice that she had craved for so long â Daniel Robbin has stopped his appeals and will be executed within a month. This announcement shakes the very core of the Stanley family. Irene, it turns out, isnât the only one with a shocking secret. As the execution date nears, the Stanleys must face difficult truths and find a way to come to terms with the past.
I’m only about 50 pages into this book. It has the possibility to be a really good book, I hope it doesn’t disappoint me (lol). Hopefully I will finish this up this week.
Other than that, I have a TON of magazines to catch up on and i picked up the book “Red Queen” by Victoria Aveyard from the library. Everybody in the YouTube book world has been raving about it and I want to see what all the hype is about. I’m on day 15 of the Proverbs challenge! I hope this is a successful reading week for you!
Quick post today because I visited the eye doctor for an annual check up and she put drops in my eyes to dilate them and my vision is kinda wonky right now! So typing this is a challenge!
Anyway, to make a long story short, i barely did any reading this week and IÂ probably wont do much for the rest of July (lol) Its vacation season and im jetting off on a plane in 2 days. I have yet to pack….. sigh.
I did manage to finish, “All The Bright Places” by Jennifer Niven. What a great book! I really think that the author was able to capture the face of depression and the mask that so many people  wear when trying to convince everyone that they are okay.You can never truly know what someone is going through, but this books serves as a reminder to us all to pay attention.To treat everyone with love and compassion and to cherish those you love each and everyday. One kind word could save a life…I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.
           4 out of 5 stars….
As for next week/travel, I have no set goals! I really wanted to re-read ” To Kill a Mockingbird” in anticipation of is sequels ( “Go Set a Watchman)release on July 14th. But the way things are going…who knows?
I am also doing the Proverbs challenge! I chapter of Proverbs a day for the month of July. As of right now its day 8! So far so good. I am also continuing with Ezekiel đ
First and foremost, Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians living here or abroad đ Oh Canada!!! đ
Alright, now back to book business! The book I chose to read this week âWatch the Skyâ by Kirsten Hubbard was a total bust. I just couldn’t get past the first 30 pages. The story just didn’t draw me in at all ( Read my synopsis in last Wednesday’s book blog post)  So I had to put it down. Sorry! No offence to the author, but the writing style just really didn’t connect with me .Â
So I put that down and I picked up “All the Bright Places” by Jennifer Niven. The synopsis of this book is as followed: ( as found on Goodreads.com) :
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sisterâs recent death.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, itâs unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the ânatural wondersâ of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: Itâs only with Violet that Finch can be himselfâa weird, funny, live-out-loud guy whoâs not such a freak after all. And itâs only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violetâs world grows, Finchâs begins to shrink.
I have been reading this book for a few days and its pretty good so far. It’s a book I have wanted to read for a while. I’m about 105 pages in so far. It is extremely well written and the content is extremely deep. Considering all the grief I have experienced the past few weeks, I’m not sure why I chose this book…. but hey it is what it is! I recently heard that this book is going to be a major motion picture in the near future.
I hope to finish this book this week. As for what’s up next… I really have no idea. It’s summer y’all! I’m up and down and all over the place so who knows if I’ll even have much time to read this week đ Â I’ll let the chips fall where they may! Have a great reading week guys!!
I hope you had a successful reading week. I did! After completing Roots, I wanted some quick reads that were easier to get through. So I dived back into the world of Young Adult Fiction. đ ( my guilty pleasure)
As I mentioned last week I began the book “Tease” by Amanda Maciel. I managed to finish that really quickly. The content was still pretty deep as the content dealt with bullying/cyber bullying, suicide and the repercussions of your actions. As someone who works with children, It served as a reminder that I need to ensure that the children I am nurturing, are children who are kind, compassionate and wise. If you know of someone being bullied, don’t just let it happen. Speak up and get help. If not, it could cost someone their life. I’d give this book four out of five stars. I’m not sure if I loved the ending of this book. It kind of just ended flatly. All in all, I’d recommend it especially for preteens/teens.
4/5 stars…
Next I picked up the book “Mosquitoland” by David Arnold. The synopsis of this book as found on davidarnoldbooks.com  reads:
After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the âwastelandsâ of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland.
So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound bus to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane.
What a fantastic book! I read this book in a day and a half! This book touches on the serious topics of mental health issues. In this book it becomes evident that the protagonist Mim has some serious issues; mental health and emotional. After being forced to move from Ohio to Mississippi  with her father and stepmother ( leaving her mother behind) Mim is overcome with grief. She decides that she is going to run away and go back home to Ohio and see her mother. For the sake of not spoiling the entire story, Mim meets some interesting characters along the way and in turn discovers some things about herself and her family.  I did find that the last 50 pages or so dragged a bit. I still would encourage people of all ages to read this book. For a debut novel, I am impressed. I look forward to reading more of David Arnold’s work! He has a book in the works right now with a tentative fall 2016 release date. đ
4.5 out of 5 stars…
Lastly, I picked up “Watch the Sky” by Kirsten Hubbard. The synopsis of this book is as follows:
The signs are everywhere, Jory’s stepfather, Caleb, says. Red leaves in the springtime. Pages torn from a library book. All the fish in the aquarium facing the same way. A cracked egg with twin yolks. Everywhere and anywhere. And because of them Jory’s life is far from ordinary. He must follow a very specific set of rules: don’t trust anyone outside the family, have your works at the ready just in case, and always, always watch out for the signs. The end is coming, and they must be prepared.
School is Jory’s only escape from Caleb’s tight grasp, and with the help of new friends Jory begins to explore a world beyond his family’s farm. As Jory’s friendships grow, Caleb notifies Jory’s mother and siblings that the time has come for final preparations.
They begin an exhausting schedule digging a mysterious tunnel in anticipation of the disaster. But as the hold gets deeper, so does the family’s doubt about whether Caleb’s prophecy is true. When the stark reality of his stepfather’s plans becomes clear, Jory must choose between living his own life or following Caleb, shutting his eyes to the bright world he’s just begun to see ( goodreads.com)
I have only read about 20 pages of this book so far. So far it’s not really drawing me in. I’m going to really try to finish it! But if I get bored, I will probably pick up one of the other library Young Adult Fiction I have kicking around my house!
I also feel led to deviate from my weekly devotional and spend time in the book of Ezekiel. So I think that’s what I’m going to do this week!! ( Ezekiel 37 is probably my favorite passage of scripture)
Quick post today. I managed to finish Roots! I found it to be a great read. It took me a lot less time to read than I had anticipated it to! I did really look at the book as a work of “faction” ( facts that are embellished by fiction) I found it hard to actually believe that these incidents took place the way that they did simply because Mr Haley was accused of plagiarism. I think that if this story had been marketed as a work of fiction with some actual facts, the literary world, wouldn’t have been in such an uproar! However, this book has sold millions of copies and was even turned into a miniseries staring Levar Burton in 1977. Tough content, but  very much needed. You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve come from!
This week I started ( and have nearly completed) “Tease” by Amanda Maciel. Â The synopsis of this book is as follows ( as found on amazon.com)
Emma Putnam is dead, and it’s all Sara Wharton’s fault.
At least, that’s what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma’s shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who’s ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media.
During the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment-and ultimately consider her role in an undeniable tragedy. And she’ll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.
So far a really good read! Really relevant content,especially in this social media/cyber bullying age that we live in. Well written! Awesome debut novel by Maciel.
Up next week:
Kinda leaving it up in the air. I have a bunch of library books to get through like:
– Mosquitoland by David Arnold
-All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
-Watch the Sky by Kirsten Hubbard
-The Walls Around Us by Suma Nova Ren
– My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
So continued on with my reading of the classic novel “Roots”. Sadly, being the busy week that it was, I didn’t make much headway. I did manage to read 50 pages or so, bringing me to page 553 of 888.  I have reached the point where Kizzy, ( Kunta Kinte’s daughter ) has grown up and fallen in love with Noah ( another slave boy) Kizzy being able to read and write, helps Noah run away by forging a travelling pass for him. He in turn is caught and rats on Kizzy. Her master, despite the pleas of her parents Bell and Kunta, sells her, inevitably splitting up the only family Kunta has had since coming to America. That’s the part of the story I am at right now. It was pretty hard to read this section and I know the rest of the book will be equally as challenging on my heart.
I deviated from my plan to read only Roots until I finished it because I saw a BookTube vlog on a book that sounded so compelling, that I just had to get my hands on it! The book is called, “Tease” by Amanda Maciel.
The synopsis of this book is as follows:( as found on goodreads.com)
From debut author Amanda Maciel comes a provocative and unforgettable novel, inspired by real-life incidents, about a teenage girl who faces criminal charges for bullying after a classmate commits suicide.
Emma Putnam is dead, and it’s all Sara Wharton’s fault. At least, that’s what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma’s shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who’s ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media. In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this momentâand ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she’ll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.
With its powerful narrative, unconventional point of view, and strong anti-bullying theme, this coming-of-age story offers smart, insightful, and nuanced views on high school society, toxic friendships, and family relationships.
This is a story that is very relatable. As an educator, I see the effects of bullying almost on a daily basis. I do believe this will be an interesting read based on the fact that it shows the criminal aspect and also from the perspective of the bully. does she feel remorse? Is she even the main bully? I’ll have to read and find out. I’m already 40 pages in ( i started today) and I can already see that this bully might not be the only factor in this shocking story.
That’s it for this week! Hopefully I can finish up tease and at least 100 more pages of Roots! Wish me luck!
The synopsis of this book is as follows:( as found on goodreads.com)
