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Showing posts from January, 2015

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

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Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand                 Louis Silvie Zamperini was known as a thief and all around misfit when he was a child. He would steal anything he could get his hands on and fight anyone that got in his way. As a teenager filled with the fear of being institutionalized and possibly sterilized, Louis cleaned up his act and became a track star. His most impressive race was the mile, where his time was steadily decreasing and his popularity growing. Louis’ legs would eventually take him to the 1936 Olympics in Germany, where at the age of nineteen he would run the 5,000 meter race. He didn’t win but had one of the best finishing laps in history at the time and was even complimented by Adolf Hitler. Louis would leave Germany with dreams of the 1940 Olympic that would be held in Japan. Those dreams would end as war began. The years passed and Louis became a bombardier in the Army Air Corps. It was during a res

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami, Translated by Yuki Oniki

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Battle Royale by Koushun Takami, Translated by Yuki Oniki                 There are twenty one male students and twenty one female students in Third Year Class B, Shiroiwa Junior High School. Their bus was supposed to take them on a study trip to the island of Kyushu. But once all the students had succumbed to the gas that forced them to sleep their bus driver, who was conveniently wearing a gas mask once the gas was released, steered them off course. When the students awoke they were all in a classroom, seated in the positions they would be if in their own classroom at Shiroiwa Junior High School. This was not their school as they were informed by “Instructor” Kinpatsu Sakamochi. This class had been chosen for the ‘Program.’ This ‘Program’ was a military exercise conducted for security reasons. The Republic of Greater East Asia chooses fifty third year junior high school classes and all students in a class must fight each other till there is only one survivor. I was so ex

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

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Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren                 A nine year old, freckled faced, red haired girl just moved into the Villa Villekulla, the house at the end of town, with her monkey named Mr. Nilsson and a horse. That young girl is Pippi Longstocking. She has spent her life on a boat with her father and has now moved into the home he purchased for them after he was lost at sea. Her mother is in heaven and she believes her father is now a cannibal King who will one day return for his darling daughter. She has gold pieces in a suitcase and doesn’t see the point of school. The brother and sister that live next door, Tommy and Annika, are her only friends. It is with them that Pippi recounts her adventures, creates new outlandish games to play and above all, has fun.              Pippi Longstocking is such a great book. The characters are well developed and lovable. Pippi is outrageous and hilarious. Tommy and Annika are her willing sidekicks by her side at every turn lost

Revival by Stephen King

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Revival by Stephen King                 Jamie Morton was preoccupied with a hill of dirt and his toy soldiers when a shadow fell across him. That shadow belonged to the young minister, Charles Jacobs, the new reverend at First Methodist Church of Harlow. That was in October of 1962 and Jamie was only six years old. The Mortons would come to know Reverend Jacobs, his wife Patsy and their son Morrie very well. Reverend Jacobs healed Con Morton after he went mute in a ski accident, harnessing the power of electricity in the name of God. Jacobs was very fascinated with electricity. Often during the youth group sessions he would present some of his gadgets and inventions to the younger parishioners. Things changed after Patsy and Morrie died in a car accident. Jacobs’ faith shattered and one fateful day, the Sunday before Thanksgiving in 1965, he delivered the Terrible Sermon and ended up leaving Harlow. It would be decades later, while Jamie was strung out on heroin and at his lowes

Books Read in 2014

Hey Readers, While this year focused on reading Banned Books it was also a year of reviewing for me. Almost all of the books I read this year were reviewed for either my blog, BTS eMag or the OnlineBookClub. It was all a learning experience and one that I really enjoyed. The magic number for this year was 131! That is how many books I completed this year! That is my best year in reading so far. Below you will see a list of all books read in 2014. This spreadsheet will be updated for 2015 to include much more information. The theme for 2015 will be Biographies, Autobiographies and Memoirs. I am super excited about 2015 and will be posting a new blog soon about reading themes so keep your eyes open for it! 2014 Reading list # Book Author 1 The Crystal Heart: Beginnings Anthony M. Swimsinski 2 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone JK Rowling 3 The Qu