Counted Worthy

Counted Worthy by Leah E. Good
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received Counted Worthy yesterday afternoon, started reading immediately. Kept me up until eleven.

Today, practically all I've done is read Counted Worthy.

What did I expect?

An AMAZING debut by my friend, Leah, that not only was dystopian, but Christian.

What did I get?

A do hard things story.
And exactly what Brett Harris said that is printed on the cover, "[A] PHENOMENAL DEBUT."
I knew for sure that it would be awesome, but not as awesome as this.

It was gripping. And I cried.

Another thing I would like to say is that the beginning reminded me a LOT of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Read the sample on Amazon, you'll understand.

And I couldn't believe this was Leah's debut! The writing is incredible!

I love her writing voice so much.

The story amazes me.

Inspires me.

Heather lives in fear of repeating her past. She steals Bibles from the sorting center. Then one day the police trace a Bible back to her house, her world just starts to crumble.

This story, it has inspired me to trust in God completely, even when I am scared.

I recommend this book to absolutely everyone.

I would thoroughly like to thank Leah for sending me a copy of Counted Worthy. I cannot wait to lend it to my cousin. ;)

I cannot wait for more of Leah E. Good's books to release, especially Counted Worthy's sequel!

View all my reviews

Top Ten Tuesday

I wanna try something new and I wanna try to do this every Tuesday. (Yes, I know today isn't Tuesday, but I wanna do this) BEST OF ALL, IT'S BOOKS. Otherwise I'd be posting this elsewhere. It is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Anyway.

This week is Ten Book Covers I Like/Dislike.

I'm supposed to do 10 (total duh right?), so I'll do five of each.

Book Covers I Absolutely LOVE:

Book Covers I Don't Like as Much

[I love this book, not the cover so much]

[I liked this book, the cover made me think that it'd be AWFUL(i still don't like it)]

[I haven't read this yet, but have watched the movie. Don't like the cover]

[LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, etc. THIS BOOK. This cover is elleck]

[I will be reading this sometime soon, I dunno. The cover is ok. But Dickerson's other covers are even better]

I do NOT in ANY WAY mean to insult these covers, just making some pointers about what i like and don't like.

Hope you liked this post!

Abrielle Lindsay

The Archived

The Archived by Victoria Schwab
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I checked out The Archived from the library after my friend, Kezle, read it.

Oh. My. Word. I was not disappointed.

Mac gets the job as a Keeper when her grandfather, Da, dies. She hunts the dead--Histories--that awake in the Narrows. Some are yet to have slipped, but others slip all too soon.

This is the main idea of the book. There are parts when there are adult Histories,ones that nearly kill Mac. There are parts when teen Histories want to kill Mac--because they've slipped.

What I thought BEFORE I read it:

Kezle read it. The cover is interesting. The back cover copy makes it sound amazing. MUST. READ. IT.

What I thought AFTER I read it:

OH.MY.GOODNESSGRACIOUS. This is pure awesomeness!! (Ok, the romance was kind of gross (actually it was), but the rest was really great!)

There was minor language in this book.

I would plan on being 12/13 years old before reading this book.

Ok, but seriously?! This book was amazing. ABSOLUTELY.

I look forward to getting my hands on book number two, The Unbound. *grins*

What I Marked this Book: 2014 reads, ya, a must read, favorites, icky romance (yuck)

View all my reviews

Bookish Quiz

I just took this quiz. I thought it was really cool. =) I was The Eclectic Reader.
Oh, you want to take the quiz, or even look at it.

Here's THE LINK.

Abrielle Lindsay =)

The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to hand it to Markus Zusak. I have never read anything like The Book Thief. Ever.

I won The Book Thief in a giveaway held by [insert title here]. This is how I was given the opportunity to read this piece of art.

I must say first, that there were a lot of curse words, cuss words, etc. And I got permission from my mom to read it once I found out that there were some. Just wanted to point that out.

Onto the book:

The Book Thief takes place in Germany on a place called Himmel street. Himmel means heaven.

Liesel comes to that street. She comes and lives with a foster family. Her new Mama and her first Papa.

Papa teaches her to read and write.

And you know what Liesel does? She starts stealing (her first book was before any of this).

As it says on the back of my cover, "Zusak doesn't sugar coat anything". I love that, and it's so true. ;)

Papa, Mama, Rudy, Max, Tommy, Death, and Liesel are the most perfect characters ever.

Death is the POV character--one more thing to make this book outstanding.

I have to say why I marked this book as a rule breaker. I just have to. Just about everything I learned NOT to do while writing, was broken in this book. But it was done pretty expertly. =) Death gave us snippets far into the future. It was as if Zusak used three POVs. First person, second person, and third person.

Oh, and one other thing. I've never, ever, EVER cried over a book. The Book Thief was the first one. And I didn't just cry once. I cried five times in five different places.

Oops, I forgot one thing about the book. Max is the best character of all. Max's books are the best ones of all. Max is the best. No one in the book, not even Papa, can compare to Max.

I hope I'm allowed to watch the movie.

What I marked this book: ya, favorites, nazi, german, 2014 reads, so so so so sad, rule breaker, a must read

View all my reviews

The Long Way Home

Title: The Long Way Home

Series: The Homelanders

Stars: 5+++

Age Level: Young Adult, so 12+

Violence: Yah, there's some.

What I Thought:

Absolutely amazing. Klavan does an absolutely fabulous job--just like in the last book.

One thing I really like about Klavan's writing is that it drops you right into the inciting incident. It's quite wonderful. ;)

The Long Way Home is a fantastic sequel to book one. =) I highly recommend it ;) Even if you didn't like book one, push through it. =)

abrielle lindsay

Silent Tears

Title: Silent Tears

Stars: 5++++

Age Level: Depends on when you can stand to read something so heartbreaking. I think about 11+

What I thought:

First, I would like to thank Leah with all my heart for giving me a copy of this book. 

Silent Tears is probably the bast book I ever read. One of the best.

Kay Bratt goes to China with her husband and youngest daughter with two goals. To keep a diary and help the children at an orphanage. 

She does both. 

This book is an amazing insight of a Chinese orphanage. But she assures us that this is only her experience. That some orphanage really are loving, caring, and kind.

Silent Tears is a book that I would recommend to everyone who has the slightest attraction to orphans. This book will break your heart, but be restored when you find out that just a little love can go an unbelievably long way.

And for those of you who have read the book and don't know that Xiao Gau WAS adopted, I just told you. =) 

Monday's Minutes Challenge

This is something that I do every Monday/my Tuesday. But, why you here have never seen it is because I usually post on my blog Indonesia Around Me. And it's getting a new design right now. =) So I'll do it here. ;)

and yes by the way, i have been reading. i've got some really great books that i'm trying to finish in six days.

I am going to use the sentence prompt: "We will never be the same again." 196 words.

"We will never be the same again." I took a deep breath.

“Why not?” I made my stuffed animal wave its paws around.

“Look at me! Janesa, do I look like you?” I pressed three fingers against my chest.

“But, we have to be the same,”

“We don’t have to be the same,” I smiled at the stuffed kangaroo.

“Yes we do,”

“Why?”

The stuffed animal jumped out of my hands and became real. She became a real kangaroo, filling up my floor space.

“Janesa…” I whispered, my eyes wide.

“Yes, Livi?” Janesa snout seemed to smile at me.

“Y-you talk,” I huddled on my bed.

She laughed, “Yes, I do.”

“Wh-why do you need us to be the same?” I whispered.

“So that you can enter my world and help me.” the kangaroo pressed her paws against her chest.

“But, I still can’t be the same as you, Janesa, now you’re a talking kangaroo and I’m still a eight year old little girl.” I wrapped my hands around my knees.

“That part doesn’t matter, it’s you heart. You heart has to be the same as mine.” Janesa set her two furry hands and her chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope ya'll like this! =)

abrielle lindsay

The Eagle of the Ninth

The Eagle of the Ninth

Title: The Eagle of the Ninth

Stars: 4

Age Level: 10+

Violence: Um, not a ton, just kind of details a fight that happened between Romans and tribesmen

What I Thought:

I admit, I was NOT excited to start reading The Eagle of the Ninth when my mom handed to me to read for school.

But I read it. I couldn't pay attention to it, my mind can wander, until Cottia was introduced, then I was clinging to the story, all of it. Even when Cottia wasn't there. 

Over all it was a great story! I loved Marcus, Esca, Cottia, Cub, and Marcus's uncle--fantastic characters! 

Just like my review with The Book of the King, Keep. On. Reading. It gets better

About the Author:

Rosemary Sutcliff was a British novelist, best known as a writer of highly acclaimed historical fiction. Although primarily a children's author, the quality and depth of her writing also appeals to adults, she herself once commenting that she wrote "for children of all ages from nine to ninety."






Enjoy!
Abrielle Lindsay

The Last Thing I Remember

The Last Thing I Remember

Title: The Last Thing I Remember

Stars: 5++++++

Age Level: YA book. 12+, I think. 

Violence: I don't think I need to go into what violence is in here, just let me say, (HI, no, no, just kidding) there's a lot, but no where NEAR as much as there is in Left Behind >The Kids< series. 

What I Thought:

WOW. I am serious this book is just one big WOW.

Britt, over at Daughter of the King, highly recommended the If We Survive by Andrew Klavan. And after reading the back cover blurb I wanted to snatch it away and dive in. But I couldn’t. And I had never seen it at my library before. =(

BUT, I have just recently been exploring the adults area of the library and have found numerous TEEN books to read. =) Which includes books by Julie Klassen, ANDREW KLAVAN, Elisabeth Elliot, and so many more. But I saw The Last Thing I Remember, and thought, “That sounds like a great title,”.

So, I picked up the book, and I’m pretty sure that my jaw *literally* dropped when I saw that it was by Andrew Klavan. I looked back at the section of books where I had snatched it up from. If We Survive was there too.

In a hurry, I shoved The Last Thing I Remember on the shelf and grabbed If We Survive. I went to check it out, but it wasn’t the normal librarian, it was someone else who works there. But I handed her the book anyhow.

Then she told me that I couldn’t check it out because THERE WAS A COUPLE OF PAGES THAT WERE FALLING OUT.

UGH.  So I went back for The Last Thing I Remember. I was a little annoyed about getting it, since the one I really wanted lay behind the counter, out of my reach.

BUT, WOW, I SURE WASN’T DISAPPOINTED!! Andrew Klavan is an EXCELLENT writer and this book is such a great idea.

Charlie West wakes up tied to a chair with bruises and bleeding cuts. He doesn’t know where he is. The last thing he remembers is jumping it bed with a pretty girl’s number on the back of his hand. Then soon falling asleep.

He doesn’t remember anything after that. Lucky him he knows karate.

I’m sorry, I would tell you more, but I’m afraid that I’m going to give away the whole because of how pure genius it is!

My mom’s not sure if I should be reading it because it’s “gruesome” but then I remind her that I read the Left Behind >The Kids<. Which is way more gruesome.

AND BY THE WAY, THE LAST THING I REMEMBER IS A CHRISTIAN BOOK!!! =)

About the Author:

This is his header on his website, I couldn't find a great picture of him on Goodreads. =P

Andrew Klavan, (born 1954), known also by his pen name Keith Peterson, is an American writer of mystery novels, psychological thrillers, and screenplays for "tough-guy" mystery films. Two of Klavan's books have been adapted into motion pictures: True Crime(1999) and Don't Say A Word (2001). He has been nominated for the Edgar Award four times and has won twice. Playwright and novelist Laurence Klavan is his brother.

Enjoy, 

Abrielle Lindsay

Go Teen Writers: How to Turn Your First Draft into a Published Book (2ND REVIEW!!)

Go Teen Writers: How to Turn Your First Draft into a Published Book

I’ve reviewed this book before. But I have to do it again. =) I read it for the second time and still absolutely adore it. Anyone who wouldn’t give it five stars is just crazy. Ok, any writer out there that wouldn’t give it 5 stars is just crazy.

Title: Go Teen Writers: How to Turn Your First Draft into a Published Book.

Stars: 5++++

Age Level: 10+ (or whenever you can sit down, read it, and understand it =) )

Violence: ABSOLUTELY NONE

My Review:

I’ve been reading the GTW (Go Teen Writers) blog since July of 2013. I am amazed at how my writing strengthened because of just reading that blog and reading this book. I also found several good writing friends through the blog that are absolutely wonderful! =)

This book goes step by step through the Macro Edit and the Micro Edit which is totally amazing. Before I started reading this book, I had no idea what a Macro or a Micro Edit was. In fact, I hardly knew any of the writing phrases they used. But after several months of reading Go Teen Writers, this book made even more sense when I read it for the second time. Just because you read it once doesn’t mean you’re allowed to shelve it forever! You have to reread it often!

Morrell and Williamson do an absolutely fabulous job with explaining everything. I love it! They are such great authors! =)

This is a fantastic book, even better the second read! I recommend it for ANY WRITER, not just teens!! It doesn’t matter if you’re teen or not, as long as you are a writer, this book should be helpful!

About the authors:

Stephanie Morrill lives in Overland Park, Kansas with her husband and two kids. Her only talents are reading, writing, and drinking coffee, so career options were somewhat limited. Fortunately she discovered a passion for young adult novels and has been writing them ever since.

Stephanie is the author of The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series and The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet. She enjoys encouraging and teaching teen writers on her blog, www.GoTeenWriters.com. To connect with Stephanie and read samples of her books, check out www.StephanieMorrill.com

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms and the award-winning author of several young adult books including By Darkness Hid, Replication, The New Recruit, and Captives. She got into writing one day when someone was complaining about teen books and she thought, “I could do that! How hard could it be?” Very, she soon learned. But she worked hard, and four years later, her first book, By Darkness Hid, was published and won several awards.

Jill is a Whovian, a Photoshop addict, and a recovering fashion design assistant, who was raised in Alaska. She loves teaching about writing, which she does weekly at www.GoTeenWriters.com. She lives in Oregon with her husband, two children, and a whole lot of deer. Visit her online atwww.jillwilliamson.com, where adventure comes to life.

Enjoy,

Abrielle Lindsay

The Book of the King

The Book of the King

Title: The Book of the King

Stars: 5+++

Age Level: 10+

Violence: *cough, cough* Um, yah, there's some violence in here. Like, a lot. But still ok for kids! =) It's fantasy, and that explains a lot. *winks*

What I Thought:

This is such a great book… for 10+ kids. *winks* But, I mean, gosh it was really good.

Jerry B. Jenkins (Chris Fabry too) wrote it and, ohmygosh, he is one of my favorite authors ever. (read the Left Behind >The Kids< reviews…)

When I read the first chapter I was intrigued. The second chapter, yep, still straining my eyes to finish. Chapter three went a little towards the boring edge for me… So I started to read a bunch of other things.

Then I joined the GTW Book Club that goes on in the GTW Email Loop, and the first month (February) we had to read a fantasy book. So I decided to finish what I had started: The Book of the King.

AND I DO NOT REGRET IT FOR A MOMENT!!! If you start to get bored with The Book of the King DO NOT STOP READING IT!!!! Whatever you do, do NOT stop!!! Keep reading to the end. And then run to the library or Amazon for book 2 (I have to get it soon!)

The Book of the King is pure genius, I tell you. Absolutely brilliant. Any Christian 10+ year old that hasn’t read this book is SO missing out. GO BUY IT PEOPLES!!!

I love how Jenkins and Fabry did the POV (Point Of View) in this book. I love it. =) It’s kind of second person and kind of third person. For the first two chapters the author or narrator keeps saying, “We’ll get to Owen soon, but….” And then it jumps into a third person kind of POV. I love it.

So, all that to say if you are above ten, and have NOT read this book, boy, are you missing out on something good.

(and for the record, Chris Fabry is an excellent writer also who helped write the later books of Left Behind >The Kids< which I will always be recommending =) Go get ‘em! *Both series*)

About the Authors:

Jerry Bruce Jenkins is an American novelist and biographer. He is best known as co-author of the Left Behind series of books with Tim LaHaye. Jenkins has written over 180 books, including mysteries, historical fiction, biblical fiction, cop thrillers, international spy thrillers, and children's adventures, as well as non-fiction. His works usually feature Christians as protagonists. In 2005, Jenkins and LaHaye ranked 9th in Amazon.com's 10th Anniversary list of Hall of Fame authors based on books sold at Amazon.com during its first 10 years. Jenkins and his wife Dianna have three sons and eight grandchildren.

Chris Fabry is an award-winning author and radio personality who hosts the daily program Chris Fabry Live! on Moody Radio. He is also heard on Love Worth Finding, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, and other radio programs. A 1982 graduate of the W.

Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University and native of West Virginia, Chris and his wife, Andrea, now live in Arizona and are the parents of nine children.

Chris' novels, which include Dogwood, June Bug, Almost Heaven, Not in the Heart, Borders of the Heart, and his latest release, Every Waking Moment, have won three Christy Awards and an ECPA Christian Book Award, but it's his lyrical prose and tales of redemption that keep readers returning for more. Continue reading his bio on Goodreads.

Papua Pilot

Papua Pilot

Title: Papua Pilot

Stars: An Absolute 5

Age Level: 9+ (really just depends on when you can understand the book)

Violence: Ehh, I don't think there was much, but, oh gosh, it was very appropriate. =)

What I Thought:

VERY, VERY, VERY GOOD BOOK. Excellent. Wonderful. GREAT. WOW. All of these explain Papua Pilot. You’re probably not surprised that I read and am reviewing this book since it is based in Papua. (my home) But honestly, I have been putting off finishing this book.

But, I looked at the books I am “Currently Reading” on Goodreads and decided it might be time to finish what I start.

When I had “stopped” reading it, it was on my Kindle. Sometime in between October 30th and February 28th, my brother broke my Kindle. =’( So, I’ve kind of taken over my mom’s Kindle—the first generation, which is oh–so big *winks*—for the most part. And I just started over reading Papua Pilot on Monday, March 3rd.

I was intrigued instantly. And wanted to read it through in one day. But I only got 32% that evening. =(

Ok, I have to admit that I thought I didn’t like autobiographies/biographies. But I started reading this, and now I’ve fallen in love with autobiographies. And then I realized that I’ve adored them for quite a while because I’ve been reading lots of Christian Heroes: Then and Now series.

This book is fantastic and a great example of selflessness. And such a great read. Probably many have not read it, but you are sure to not be disappointed. (You can’t be!) It is so worth buying. =)

About the Author:

Paul Westlund, 57, was welcomed into heaven on September 22, 2011, as a result of an airplane crash while serving as a Missionary Pilot in Southeast Asia. He loved to surf, exercise, and build and fly model airplanes. Paul was an animated storyteller and would become emotional nearly every time he got to the crux of his story line. Paul faced many difficult trials during his overseas service, and yet he could regularly be heard saying, "Isn't this just the best life a guy could have?" Paul is in heaven now because he gave his heart to Jesus.

(This is at the very end of the book...)

Dane Skelton is the co-author of this book. =)

Enjoy,

Abrielle Lindsay =)

Top 10 Most Influential Books

Sarah over at Inklined tagged me! =) Thanks Sarah!! =D I'm really excited to do this, you can go on over to Sarah's blog to see what her top 10 most influential books were. =) Now. For mine.


Get ready

TW/Abrielle's Top 10 Most Influential Books

10. The Year of Miss Agnes

My mom read this to me when I was five or six. I loved it so much I was very disappointed that there wasn't a squeal. Like, really disappointed. Then my mom said, why don't you write the next book? It

was the first book that wet my appetite for writing. =) I think I should pick it up and read it again...

9. The Three Musketeers

Ok, I have to admit that when I first read the Children's classic I was in love with this book. Honestly. I loved them. It said that even through bad time, friends should always stick together--I didn't want to pay attention to the 'get back at that person because she killed my love,'. But seriously, I love this book and if you haven't read The Three Musketeers, go to your library now and

pick up that book. You probably (and hopefully) won't be disappointed. *winks*

8. Socks

Surely everyone has read Socks. In my perspective, you cannot have a good childhood without reading that wondrous book. Heh heh, just kidding. But if you want to have an excellent childhood, read Socks. I absolutely adored Socks when my mom read it to me for school. As soon as she was done, I took it and read it in the matter of days (it might have been three or four). Socks taught me that when I grow up and get married and get an animal, then have a baby, to not neglect it. Just try to keep on being as great of a owner as you were before, even if it's hard.
You can read my review here.


7. No Dogs Allowed!

If you know me in person, like know me so very well, you probably know that I love this book and make a habit to read it twice a year (usually). I bought it used in 2011 just thinking about another pet book that I was going to like. WOW. "Like" does not even amount to how much I still adore this book. When in Indonesia, you have dogs--usually. But, unless something really strange happens, those dogs don't last long. I moved to Papua in February of 2012, since April 2012, I have had five dogs, and only

one still remains. And it's really hard to love these dogs when you know that one day they'll be gone, and that day might be today, or tomorrow. This book always reminds me to love our pets, even if they'll disappear tomorrow. They need the love.
You can read my review here.

6. The School Story


I don't know what to say about this book, except WOW. Wow. I love this book so much, it to inspired me to write. Plus, when I read it in the third grade, it made writing and publishing sound like pie. Well, guess what, pie isn't easy and neither is publishing. (Unless you have a Zoe on your hands and your mom works in the publishing company (and you write a really good book)) But, ohmygosh, I read this book at least once a year, and even though I've read it nine million time (not that many, but close) I listened to my mom read it to my other siblings, but I wasn't allowed to answer any questions.

5. The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet

You guys probably think I talk about this book too much, sorry, I can't help it. But The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet totally inspired me in the writing area. She seemed to say that, yah, teens can do things too, people! Even if they have to hide themselves away to write a book. But this book is totally fantastic. Totally. I don't know where I'd be today without reading this book. Ok, I'd probably still be here writing even worse than I do now. But The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet and The Unlikely Debut of Ellie Sweet are both total must reads. (especially if you are a teen writer, go to your library now and demand that they order them. You will not be disappointed.)
You can read my review here.

4. The Hedge of Thorns

I have no idea how many people have read this book, and I'm not sure I would quite be able to sit down and read it myself (yet). But my dad has read it to me and my siblings twice, and it is a very good book. It taught to listen to your parent's instructions (and follow them!) and to stay inside the hedge of thorns. Ok, I can't explain it great, if you want to know what I mean, go pick up the book and you'll understand. *winks*

3. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 

Something a lot of people would personally like to beat me up over is that I have not finished reading the Narnia series. Even though I have a library with all of the books, and my family owns two sets of the series. But, before you cyberly regret yourself, let me say that I have read the first two books and half of The Horse and His Boy--that's where I stopped because I was *all of a sudden* getting moved back to Papua, and I didn't know where to pick back up again. (but i will read the WHOLE Narnia series when we are in America =)) But The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a good one. =) It was kind of like The Three Musketeers when it involves the friendship stuff, but it also said to me that I still needed to have an imagination, even if I was an almost teen. *winks*

2. Left Behind >The Kids<

I am a fangirl to these books I could probably talk them to death. So, I'll *try* not to. Left Behind >The Kids< is a series that I adore, but I didn't even make the pick to read them! LOL, my mom gave me the 1st book and said that she wanted me to read it and see how i liked it. I loved it. So I got book 2, and then I had to stop at book 5 because we were going to Bandung to have my baby brother. *folds arms* I was not able to continue the series until three months later, and then I was flying through the books, they were that good. This series taught me that I should always be ready for Jesus coming. I sure don't want to be left behind!
You can read some of the reviews here.

1. Red Sun Blue Earth

You might be surprised that this is number one, but, well, it is. You might think it is because it's written by my friend's sister. That's not the reason. The reason is this: Red Sun Blue Earth was written after the tsunami hit Japan in 2011. The main character is at school when it hits, but her mom and sister were at the house, so she doesn't know if they're alive or not. Sayaka is on the search for her mom and sister, but also learns to love and inspire others along the way. She goes through hard times, but still tries to be happy. It's a really good book. Very influential on me. =) (but it is a YA book, so 11 or 12+) You can read my review here.

Now. I tag...

• Mary
• Bekah
• Britt
• Ryebrynn
• Wild Horse
• Journey

That's all =) But if you are reading this and want to do it, feel most welcome! =) (And BTW, this is our 100th post! =D)

Abrielle Lindsay

Blog-irthday

One year ago Adelaide, Amanda, and I started this blog. :D
We haven't been the best bloggers ever, but I'm really trying hard to get as many reviews up as I can. But, i don't read as much or as fast as I did a year ago due to my little obsession with writing. :)

Anyway, our blog is one year old! :D We hope you enjoy our posts. :) Even if they're pretty seldom. :)

Abrielle Lindsay for all three :)

Shadow Spinner

I realize that i never did this review. :P I meant to, honest. It has been on of the greatest books I've read for school. I loved it!! :D

Almost 1,000 nights of stories, but she's running out... can a crippled girl help?

Title: Shadow Spinner

Stars: 5

Age Level: 10+

Violence: Um. Eh, the whole point is that one woman is saving the lives of tons of others since the sultan is marrying a woman at night and then killing her in the morning. It's pretty violent. :P

What I thought about the Book:

I was very surprised at how good the Shadow Spinner was. I expected a "so-so" kind of book, an ok book--but I was wrong. 

Marjan's story is enchanting and I loved to read about her escapes out of the harem to visit the "old blind storyteller". *sigh*

I loved Susan Fletcher's voice, description, characters, everything. The story felt real and alive. Fletcher does a perfect job describing certain items, ways that I could never think of. It's amazing.

Shadow Spinner was an amazing book that I was very surprised by. I picked up it to read for school, and loved Marjan from the first page.

About the Author:

Susan Fletcher is the author of a popular trilogy that includes the books Dragon's Milk, Flight of the Dragon Kyn, and Sign of the Dove, as well as of several other novels for young readers.

With a medieval setting inspired by pictures of the Welsh countryside from where Fletcher traces her roots, the dragon trilogy features Fletcher's imaginative, dragon-centered plots, which have won praise from reviewers and readers alike. Calling 1993's Flight of the Dragon Kyn "a joy to read," Booklist contributor Deborah Abbott added: "Fletcher pens some of the best yarns around."

Born in Pasadena, California, in 1951, Fletcher and her family moved to Ohio when she was seven years old. She had dreamed of being a writer ever since she entered the third grade. "Back then my name was Susan Clemens," she once explained. "One day my teacher told us about a famous author named Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, whose daughter's name was Susan. It was fate, I thought. I decided not to become the daughter of a famous author (which is impossible to arrange), but to become a famous author myself (which is difficult enough)."

*Finish reading her bio at GoodReads*

This is a great book! :) And a total must read!! Seriously. I was so surprised at how much I loved this work of art!! :D

Abrielle Lindsay

How I Started Writing by Monica

I am very pleased to have Monica Cole with me today! :) Welcome Monica!! :D

Hi! I’m Monica Cole. I’m a 15 year old homeschool student and blogger from Bellingham, WA. I have been blogging at readingwritinghighschool.blogspot.com for a year, and I blog about books, writing, homeschooling, and more. I have completed NaNoWriMo (a challenge to write a novel in a month) three times, and plan on doing it many, many more. I edit nonfiction books about tracking and more for money, and I love it. My dreams for the future are to be either a librarian or an editor.

How did I start writing? I think that many writers probably can’t name a particular day when they started writing, or when they decided to be a writer, and I am part of that group. Since I was very little, I have loved books and reading, and I think a love of writing came quite naturally from that. I remember writing stories that were a few paragraphs long in kindergarten and 1st grade, but when I was seven years old, my writing career began for real.

It all started one day when I read the book, The Landry News by Andrew Clements. That very day, I decided to start a newspaper. Now, I’m sure lots of kids decide to start a newspaper for their family at some point when they are young, but for some reason, I went a little bigger with my project. I enlisted my mom for help, and then I sent letters to all my aunts and uncles, grandparents, and some close family friends, asking them to subscribe for $10 a year. Many of them did, and in January 2006 the very first edition of the Classical Academy News was sent out. Each copy was two double sided pages, and included a some short pieces about what I was doing in school at the time, a summary of what our family did for Christmas that year, a book review, a recipe, and a short puzzle on the back page.

It was more popular that I had expected, and for the next four years I continued publishing it every month. In the beginning I relied a lot on my mom for help, and her patience with me was truly amazing. :) As time went on, things shifted a little, and I did more and more of the actual work. The newsletter, as it came to be known in our family, was always two double sided pages. Each edition always included a piece or two about what I was studying in school at the time, a recipe, a puzzle, a poll for readers to answer, a book review, and after a while, a feature I called “This Month in History,” which is exactly what it sounds like.

In late 2010, after four years in print, the Classical Academy News was retired. I was now 12, and I was going through a really crazy time in my life. I just didn't have time any more. I didn't do that much writing for about a year, until in September 2011 a friend told me about NaNoWriMo, which is an event that happens every year where you try to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. I went for it that year, and I finished with 50,003 words. The following year, I did it again, ending a day early this time.

In February 2013 I started up my blog. I had had blogs before, but none of them had stuck. This time, though, I was determined that I would stick with it, and I did. I knew from the start that it would be a book blog, and book reviews are still my main type of post. I also post a lot about writing.

Over the past eight years since I first really started writing, I have done a lot of it. I wrote a newsletter, I’ve written hundreds of blog posts, I’ve written three novels, and I’ve written dozens of essays and papers for school. What I’ve realized in that time is that writing isn’t a thing you just do. It’s a thing you work at and refine for years. Now that I’ve written three novels, I can tell you that I don’t really see myself as an author, though I definitely plan on doing NaNoWriMo many more times. I like writing nonfiction and opinion pieces (like blog posts), and I have grown to love language and the written word. I see myself putting all these experiences to good use, maybe as a journalist, or an editor.

I think that when it comes to writing, the journey is far, far more important than the destination. Whatever your destination: a published book, a job as an editor, a successful blog, a completed novel, don’t lose yourself heading towards it. The  journey towards that goal may make you realize that you didn’t even yet know your true destination when you began.

Find her Here::

Reading, Writing, and Graduating Highschool (Someday)

Thanks for coming over, Monica! I loved your posts! :D

TW Wright