Posted April 15, 2015 in Reading, Review / 2 Comments
Number the Stars by
Lois Lowry Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell (1989)
Paperback (137 pages)
Rating: Reading Challenges: 2015 Alphabet Soup,
2015 Re-Reading,
Read 2015 Synopsis
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It’s now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are “relocated”. Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen’s life.
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Tagged as 5 star, All Time Favorites, Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge, Read 2015, Rereading Challenge, You Read How Many Books Challenge
Posted April 13, 2015 in Reading, Review / 0 Comments
Shadow and Bone by
Leigh Bardugo Series: The Grisha Trilogy #1 Publisher: Square Fish (2012)
Paperback (372 pages)
Via: Library Rating: Also by this author: Siege and Storm,
Ruin and Rising,
Six of Crows Also in this series: Siege and Storm,
Ruin and Rising Reading Challenges: Read 2015 Synopsis
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
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Tagged as 5 star, Catholic, Catholic Connections, Library, Read 2015, You Read How Many Books Challenge
Posted April 4, 2015 in Faith, Reading, Review / 0 Comments
I just finished this book and did not want to wait to share it. I really loved it. I also think that it fits nicely with the Triduum and the Easter season.
I pray that every one of you has a wonderful Easter weekend!
Seven Revolutions by
Mike Aquilina,
James L Papandrea Publisher: Image (2015)
Hardcover (256 pages)
Via: Blogging for Books Rating: Also by this author: History's Queen Reading Challenges: Read 2015 Synopsis
Combining history, politics, and religion, Mike Aquilina and Jim Papandrea provide practical lessons to be learned from the struggles of the Early Church, lessons that can be applied to the day-to-day lives of Christian readers.
Prolonged, multiple wars in the Middle East. Waves of immigrants crossing the borders. Ongoing economic recession. Increasing political polarization, often with religious overtones. Conflicts over ideologies that pit the progressive against the traditional. Sound familiar? These conditions not only describe the United States, but the situation of the Roman Empire in the third century. That situation led to religious persecution and the eventual collapse of the empire. In the middle of the third century, the Roman Empire was roughly the same age as the United States is now.
In this book, authors Mike Aquilina and Jim Papandrea examine the practices of the Early Church—a body of Christians living in Rome—and show how the lessons learned from these ancient Christians can apply to Christians living in the United States today. The book moves from the Christian individual, to the family, the church and the world, explaining how the situation of the Early Church is not only familiar to modern Christian readers, but that its values are still relevant.
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Tagged as 5 star, All Time Favorites, Blogging for Books, Catholic, Catholic Book, Catholic Connections, Easter, Read 2015, You Read How Many Books Challenge
Posted March 23, 2015 in Reading, Review / 2 Comments
Cress by
Marissa Meyer Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3 Publisher: Square Fish (2014)
Paperback (592 pages)
Rating: Also by this author: Cinder,
Scarlet,
Fairest Also in this series: Cinder,
Scarlet,
Fairest Reading Challenges: 2015 Fairytale Retelling,
Read 2015 Synopsis
Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker; unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.
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Tagged as 5 star, All Time Favorites, Catholic, Catholic Connections, Fairy Tales, Fairytale Retelling Challenge, Read 2015, You Read How Many Books Challenge
Posted March 18, 2015 in Reading, Review / 4 Comments
The Scorpio Races by
Maggie Stiefvater Publisher: Scholastic (2011)
Hardcover (404 pages)
Via: Library Rating: Also by this author: Shiver,
The Raven Boys,
The Dream Thieves Reading Challenges: Read 2015 Synopsis
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
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Tagged as 5 star, All Time Favorites, Library, Read 2015, You Read How Many Books Challenge