Tag Archives: Reading

07.28.16
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Book Review #14: “Never Stop Singing: A Melody Classic 2”

Melody - amazon

Image Credit: amazon.com

“The difference between a dreamer and a visionary is that a dreamer has his eyes closed and a visionary has his eyes open.

~Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963

If you haven’t already, I would recommend reading my post titled Book Review #13: “No Ordinary Sound: A Melody Classic” before diving into this review.

—

Melody’s story continues just as the New Year of 1964 is rung in.

Along the way, she tries to answer her pastor’s “Challenge to Change” as a 10-year-old would. She decides on fixing up the neighborhood playground. With the help of her friends, family, and community, Melody learns many lessons throughout the winter, spring, and summer.

While Melody learns about leadership and community involvement in Detroit, the story also follows the oldest sister, Yvonne, in the South, plus a family trip to Birmingham, Alabama. The rich history of the year 1964 is interwoven – The passage of the Civil Rights Act, Freedom Summer, and the disappearance of  civil rights workers James Chaney,  Andrew Goodman, and Michael “Mickey” Schwerner.

It was a good mix of tragedy and triumph in the book. Like the first volume, once I started reading, I couldn’t stop!

—

I originally wasn’t planning on buying, or reading, the third volume. The BeForever series has the two classic volumes, and the third is designed to be a “choose-your-own-adventure” style read.

However, after reading the “sneak peek” at the end of volume 2, I’m definitely interested! It sounds like a great adventure – No pun intended.

Plus, one of the characters is named “Ms. Stricker,” which I think is awesome!

—

I’ll leave you with one other quote that struck me.

“As far as I am concerned, freedom summer never really ended.”

~Victoria Gray Adams

—

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.22.16
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Getting Personal #24: “Sign Posts To Our Collective Imagination, The Library” (Reblogged)

I got so excited when I saw this post in my email this morning. I knew I had to share it!

As some of you know, I’m a total bibliophile. I love books. I love libraries. This signpost is amazing!

I love how this one photo captures so many literary worlds.

Narnia.

Harry Potter.

The Hobbit.

Toad of Toad Hall.

Peter Rabbit.

The Wizard of Oz.

Wicked.

I’m reblogging this as a reminder to myself, and it’s also inspiring. Books are never far away. I want to make one for myself!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.19.16
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Tag #1: Reading Confessions

Reading - pinterest

Image Credit: pinterest.com

I just saw this post on Ariel Lynn’s Writing Radiation, who originally saw it on The Melodramatic Confessions of Carla Louise, and she saw it on Getting Through Anxiety.

All of them are awesome bloggers!

I saw the word “reading” and was immediately intrigued!

Have you ever damaged a book?

  • The only instance I can think of was when I wrote my initials on the front dust jackets of a few of my American Girl historical novels. *facepalm*

Have you ever damaged a borrowed book?

  • Never! I can’t even highlight textbooks. I’ve never even written in the margins! Just thinking of it makes me cringe!

How long does it take you to read a book?

  • Excellent question. With my life, it varies. If you’ve read my Book Review posts, know that I try to post those within 24 hours of finishing that book. It depends. When I get in a groove, I can fly through a book. I do have to agree with the ladies before me: If I watched less TV / Netflix and spent less time on Facebook, I’d probably get through more pages in a shorter time span.

Books that you haven’t finished?

  • Fifty Shades of Grey.
  • The Twilight series – I started all four, but never brought myself to finish them.
  • Other than those, I really try to finish what I start!

Hyped / Popular books that you don’t like?

  • Fifty Shades of Grey.
  • The Twilight series.
  • Allegiant from the Divergent series.

Is there a book that you wouldn’t tell anyone you were reading?

  • Nope. I love telling people what I’m reading! To me, word-of-mouth is one of the best ways to promote a book, an author, and reading, in general.

How many books do you own?

  • Picturing my bookshelves at my parents’ house, I’d say probably 150 or so. I used to have many, many more, but I gave away eight full boxes of books to the local library in 2013 when I was preparing to move to my first apartment, and the huge heavy bookcase wasn’t going with me.

Are you a fast reader or a slow reader?

  • Depending on the book, I’m usually pretty fast. Interruptions do get in the way, especially with moving and such, so I’ve slowed down quite a bit. There were times I would plow through 5-6 books in a week or two. That’s certainly not the case now.

Do you like to buddy read?

  • I’ve never tried it. I know what it is though – When you and a friend read the same book at the same time. I think it would be an interesting experiment.

Do you read better in your head or out loud?

  • This is an interesting question. I occasionally catch myself reading certain lines aloud, but in a whisper to myself, and it kinds freaks me out. I’m a visual reader, so I can picture the scenes in my head. I can tell what I’m reading is good when I pause and can see the scene I just read in front of me, like I’m watching a movie.

If you were only allowed to own one book, what would it be and why?

  • This would be a terrible tragedy if it were to occur! However, if it were to happen, my pick would be The Great Gatsby. It’s my favorite book, one that I re-read every year. I love everything about it.

I tag:

  • Everyone! Reading is so much fun 🙂
Reading - quoteslike

Image Credit: quoteslike.com

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.11.16
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Book Review #13: “No Ordinary Sound: A Melody Classic”

NoOrdinarySound americangirl.wikia

Image Credit: americangirl.wikia.com

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have a long history with the American Girl brand. I was fortunate enough to have amassed quite a collection of the books before I received my first doll on Christmas Day, 1996 – My very own “American Girl of Today” that I promptly named Stephanie.

Since the early 1990s, I’ve read nearly every AG historical book that has been released. My original personal collection was eventually given away to other girls that wanted to read them, but the libraries I’ve visited have always had them in stock.

When the company announced that they were revamping their historical line of dolls into the “BeForever” collection, I was super skeptical, and actually really upset.

But then, I realized, that the company was probably doing it to expand their books, dolls, and worlds into more lives of girls and women.

At this point, I’ve accepted the change, and started to embrace it.

I’m slowly getting around to reading the revamped books. This one was the first one that I purchased, and I’m happy I did so. I plan to donate this to my local library very soon, so other girls and women have a chance to read it.

When Melody’s character was announced earlier this year, I was immediately intrigued. This was their first African-American historical doll to be released since Addy! And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that their timelines are exactly 100 years apart (1864 and 1964).

I love stories/media that come out of the 20th century, probably because of Mr. Allen’s 20th Century History class that I took in my senior year of high school. I’ve found myself drawn toward the period between The Great Depression / World War II and the end of 1970s, in particular. I can’t explain why, but I’ve greatly enjoyed learning as much as I can about that time period.

I flew through Melody’s first volume over the 4th of July weekend. I know it is written for younger girls, roughly 170 pages, but I still get great pleasure out of seeing how these authors construct their characters and their worlds. And I can tell that every detail is researched and carefully constructed, so that the historical accuracy shines through.

While reading, I felt great sympathy for Melody and her family, working together to live in 1963 Detroit amidst the struggles that African-Americans faced. I was born at the end of the ’80s, as a white female, so all I know about the Civil Rights Movement is through oral or written histories.

At the same time, I found myself drawing several comparisons to the world we live in now, in 2016. African-Americans still struggle immensely. There is widespread media coverage on many issues: Housing, jobs, poverty, #BlackLivesMatter, prejudice, protests, calls for justice. The list seems endless.

I wrote this post a few days ago, still reeling from the events of this last week. Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were shot and killed by law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Falcon Heights, Minnesota, outside of Minneapolis. And then, last Thursday night, 12 police officers in Dallas, Texas were shot, as peaceful protests on behalf and in memory of Sterling and Castile were underway. It was the deadliest day for police since September 11, 2001.

And those are the stories the media is currently covering / focused on / obsessed with – There are plenty more stories that are not being covered.

It makes me sick.

And as I think about all of that, I realize more and more that I use reading as a true escape from the world that I / we currently live in. I surround myself with fiction and historical fiction (and non-fiction too) to get away from the reality. It may sound like a cop-out (No pun intended), but I think reading, and writing, are two things that help keep me sane in this crazy world.

I applaud the author and all the sources she used to create a historically accurate world of a little girl trying to make her way, and let her light shine, through a tumultuous time in our storied history. I hope to get my hands on volume 2 very soon.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

07.06.16
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Book Review #12: “This Is Where It Ends”

This Is Where It Ends - Goodreads

Image Credit: goodreads.com

“You can’t always keep your loved ones with you. You can’t always settle your life in one place. The world was made to change. But as long as you cherish the memories and make new ones along on the way, no matter where you are, you’ll always be at home.”
― Marieke Nijkamp, This Is Where It Ends

This is the second book from my 2016 Reading Challenge!

Back in early January, when I decided to embark on the reading challenge, I was immediately drawn toward this book. I remember reading the description on Goodreads, and then seconds later, heading for Amazon to order it.

It took me until the middle of June to finish it, but oh well!

I think my expectations were a bit high with this book. I admire what Nijkamp has attempted to accomplish here. But, considering I was wrapping up this book just days after the terrible massacre in Orlando, Florida, I felt a bit desensitized. To me, it felt like Columbine, but “updated” for 2016.

Also, this book is told from four different perspectives. I took that as a challenge when I decided to buy this book. If you remember my review of the Divergent trilogy, I have struggled with multi-perspective novels.

I’ve always had a strange fascination with crime and investigations and forensics. I’ve watched every episode of Cold Case and Forensic Files. This book took a high school shooting in a small Alabama town, and tried to put a modern spin on it. I appreciated Nijkamp’s attention to certain details, in particular, incorporating social media aspects.

But the multiple perspectives, once again, tripped me up. I really wanted to like it and make it work with my brain. However, since I wasn’t able to finish the book in quick succession, I had to backtrack a couple of times to find my place before I could forage ahead. That really bothered me.

On a more positive note, I liked the characters, and how they were all connected, in some way, to the shooter. Nijkamp was really invested in these characters and I could tell that she wanted to explore every detail possible, in the limited time frame that the book was set. Seeing the connections really made me want to finish the book, to see what the outcome was.

The ending was a bit of a letdown, and it was unsettling. But, as I was explaining these feelings to my husband, Al, he brought up a good point. The plot centers around a high school shooting, and the real-life massacre in Orlando had just happened. What more was I expecting?

I wondered that, too.

4 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

04.15.16
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Book Review #11: “The Vacationers”

The Vacationers

Image Credit: amazon.com

“Families were nothing more than hope cast out in a wide net, everyone wanting only the best.”
― Emma Straub, The Vacationers

I’m so excited to be reviewing my first book from the 2016 Reading Challenge!

First up:

Our family friend Lucy brought this book to my parents’ house and let me borrow it. It took me absolutely forever, but I finally finished it.

Confession: I had only gotten about 30 pages in when I abandoned it, so I literally started over, from the beginning. It was a good decision.

Once I got started, I wanted to keep reading. I kept getting interrupted, but I felt great satisfaction once I got to the end.

In total, it took me about two months to get from beginning to end.

The main reason I abandoned the book in the first place was other priorities – Our wedding, the holidays, starting school again. As I started the book over, however, I wasn’t sure if I was going to finish it. I liked the story, but some of the characters bothered me, Franny in particular, Bobby, and Carmen. I wasn’t so fond of Jim, either.

However, determined not to quit again, I kept chipping away at it.

Then, one night last week, I flew through three whole chapters. I wanted to keep reading, but I knew I needed sleep. I reluctantly set it aside with my glasses, and dreamed of Mallorca.

I finished the book, in triumph, earlier this week. It felt great.

My original issues with the characters sorted themselves out as I kept reading. They all have flaws, just like we do. I admire Straub for writing about a completely different country, and making me feel like I was there, with the Posts, the entire time. I was wrapped up in their world, for the whole thirteen days that they experienced.

It’s definitely one of those books I would recommend when you need an escape – Whether you’re traveling, or need a vacation from your everyday life – Straub’s writing transports you to Mallorca with the Posts, without hopping on a plane.

It’s not necessarily a classic novel, but I enjoyed reading it. I’m curious about her other works as well.

The ending left me as a crossroads, likely how the characters were feeling as well. I wanted to see more of them in another work, but at the same time, I felt content and found myself imagining their journeys afterward.

4 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.21.16
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Commentary #14: “2016 Reading Challenge”


Challenge accepted!

I found this on Facebook a couple days ago. I’m really motivated to do this!

Here’s what I’m thinking for accomplishing this list:

A book published this year: This Is Where It Ends, Marieke Nijkamp

A book you can finish in a day: The Language of Silence, Tiffany Truitt

A book you’ve been meaning to read: Go Set A Watchman, Harper Lee

A book recommended by your local librarian or bookseller: Black Rabbit Hall, Eve Chase

A book you should have read in school: Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell

A book chosen for you by your spouse, partner, sibling, child, or BFF: The Red Tent, Anita Diamant (Recommended by my BFF Melissa)

A book published before you were born: The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick

A book that was banned at some point: Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller

A book you previously abandoned: The Vacationers, Emma Straub

A book you own but have never read: New Boy, Julian Houston

A book that intimidates you: The Casual Vacancy, J.K. Rowling

A book you’ve already read at least once: The Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins

Be prepared for many Book Review posts this year!

I’m probably a little too excited to be making time to read again, but, to paraphrase one of these books, I don’t give a damn. Reading is a true escape for me.

Are you doing a challenge like this?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

04.23.15
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Book Review #7: “Save Karyn: One Shopaholic’s Journey to Debt and Back”

“To everyone who’s ever second-guessed a decision they’ve made, our past makes us who we are. Have no regrets.”
~Karyn Bosnak, 20 Times a Lady

One of my favorite places to look for books is in thrift stores.

I can’t remember when or where I bought this book, but I do remember that it sat on my bookshelf, collecting dust, begging to be read.

Toward the end of January, I picked it up for the first time in a long time, thinking it would be a good read on the plane for my recent trip to Florida.

Like “The Happiness Project,” I powered through most of this book by the end of that weekend. This book was quite a bit heftier than “The Happiness Project,” but I was very pleased with myself once I finished it.

It was really nice to be reading again!

I’ve always loved human-interest stories. I feel drawn to them. I’m fascinated by other people’s lives, especially those who have experienced tragedy, struggle, or hardship.

In several ways, I identified with Karyn.

First, there’s the settings of Chicago and New York City.

I was born in Manhattan. I have visited the city many, many times throughout my childhood because my parents took me back to the hospital where I was born prematurely, every year until I was in middle school. It has always been a special place for me. The city excites me. I love watching movies that involve NYC. I love the architecture. I love Central Park. I have had the opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall as a senior in high school in 2007, and visit The New York Times as part of my main college internship in 2010.

Personally, I would never want to live in a big city, but whenever I have an opportunity to visit, I will!

Photo montage!

Mount Sinai Hospital Image Credit: himetop.wikidot.com

Mount Sinai Hospital
Image Credit: himetop.wikidot.com

Central Park Image Credit: centralparktoursnyc.com

Central Park
Image Credit: centralparktoursnyc.com

Brooklyn Bridge Image Credit: www.trekearth.com

Brooklyn Bridge
Image Credit: http://www.trekearth.com

New York Public Library - The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building Image Credit: www.nypl.org

New York Public Library –
The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Image Credit: http://www.nypl.org

The New York Times Building Image Credit: www.forestcity.net

The New York Times Building
Image Credit: http://www.forestcity.net

Governors Island Image Credit: www.nydailynews.com

Governors Island
Image Credit: http://www.nydailynews.com

Carnegie Hall Image Credit: www.artsatl.com

Carnegie Hall
Image Credit: http://www.artsatl.com

Chicago is also an exciting city. I’ve been fortunate to visit there a few times, with one of my dad’s sisters having lived in one of the suburbs for almost 20 years. My heart will always default to NYC, but I look forward to the next chance that I can visit Chicago!

Second, managing money and spending beyond the means.

I’ve never considered myself to be a true “shopaholic,” but I have struggled with managing my money before. There were a few times in college where I didn’t any pay attention to my bank account – I thought I was being responsible, that I was okay.

I ended up overdrafting a couple of times over the course of a few months. That was absolutely mortifying. My parents were angry and upset, but they were more than willing to help me get back on track.

Ever since that wake-up call several years ago, I have tried really hard to get better with my money. Now, as Al’s fiance, I am preparing for our future together. I am more committed than ever to saving every penny that I can and I’ve been watching my accounts like a hawk. It feels so good to see my savings grow and grow. Every dollar counts!

I am proud to be currently debt-free, but I know that so many young adults like myself are not so lucky. Student loans, car loans, credit cards, mortgages, bills in general. I’m sure it feels like a never-ending cycle.

Seeing Karyn’s journey unfold from the pages made me laugh.

It made me cry.

It scared me straight.

As I was reading, I immediately thought back to last year, when I was winding down my 10-month stay in my apartment in Newport News. It was tough, those 10 months. Note – I never went without the essentials, I was able to pay my rent and utilities on time, but it felt like such a drain every month. I felt like I was never getting ahead. I was saving as much money as I could, but it was hard.

Moving back home was one of the hardest decisions ever, but it was one of the best decisions. I needed to experience my independence, for a little while. But I am more grateful that my parents let me come back home!

I have taken that amazing opportunity to squirrel away money like a madwoman, as much as I can, as fast as I can. It feels so good!!

In addition to saving away, I have finally started to realize just how much stuff (a.k.a., crap) I have.

A few weekends ago, I looked around my bedroom and I almost broke into tears. I felt overwhelmed. I felt greedy. I felt absolutely disgusted with myself.

I realized that at that moment, I was fortunate enough to have SEVERAL ROOMS in my parents’ house, rooms that were full of things that I called mine – Furniture, clothes, jewelry, shoes, books. It was too much. It was a tipping point.

I’ll elaborate more on that in a new post, but let’s just say it was a humbling and eye-opening experience.

In short, I took so much away from this one book. It helped me evaluate my life, where I am, and where I’m going. It was awesome!

This will be on my bookshelf forever. I plan to re-read it!!

Karyn is an inspiration. Her experiences from 1999-2002 are still relevant now, for so many.

She turned her life around, and it is so awesome to see that in those pages.

I would absolutely recommend this book.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

04.05.15
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Book Review #6: “The Happiness Project”

Image Credit: goodreads.com

Image Credit: goodreads.com

“Look for happiness under your own roof.”
― Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

I can’t remember where I first heard about this book, but I liked it.

Last summer, I was in Target, and I wandered into the book section. I was instantly drawn to the brightness of the cover, and the the title looked intriguing. I love a good sale, so I was even more excited when I saw the little circular sticker on the cover, advertising 20 percent off. Into my cart it went.

Fast forward six or seven months. At the end of January, Al and I were flying to Florida to see my dad and grandpa (You can read about that trip here).

I like to read on planes, so I was scanning my bookshelves in my bedroom. The cover of this book is very bright, and it stood out to me. I started thinking about how long it had sat there, untouched. So, into my backpack it went.

I powered through the entire book before the weekend was over.

One of the first things that attracted me to this book was the bright colors. I have always considered myself to be a colorful person. The bright blues and yellows of the covers stood out to me.

The other thing I read from the cover (no judging though) was it was going to be funny. The subtitle reads: “Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun”

Wow. Spending a whole year on yourself, and making yourself better, making yourself happier?

Sounded like an interesting ride.

I liked how Rubin divided the chapters into the months of the year. She decided to focus on one thing every month, which is always a good goal to strive for, with anything or any challenge – One thing at a time.

This book made me happier, almost instantly. I loved her humor and her insight into herself and her family. So many of her lines made me laugh out loud over the course of that weekend – I honestly can’t remember the last time a book did that for me.

I like reading about writers. I hope to be one, so it’s inspiring to read about people who have achieved that success and learning about their journeys, their mistakes, their accomplishments, all the ins and outs. And, since I was born in New York City, I’m always intrigued by those who live and work in that area.

I loved this book so much that I plan to read more of her work:

  • Forty Ways to Look at JFK
  • Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill
  • Power Money Fame Sex: A User’s Guide
  • Profane Waste (with Dana Hoey) 
  • Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives

I also looked at her website, gretchenrubin.com. She has so many resources – Not just for happiness, but for habits as well.

It was published in 2009, but it is almost a timeless book to me. It will always be relevant, in some way, no matter how much time passes.

I plan to re-read this book throughout future stages of my life. The chapters on marriage, leisure, and money as I prepare for my upcoming wedding. The chapter on parenthood down the road. The chapters on vitality and eternity years from now. Every chapter is significant, each one is something that all of us deals with.

All in all, this is one of the best books that I have ever read. I needed to read this book during that weekend in January, and I know my outlook on a lot of things in my life changed as a result. I’m excited to have this on my bookshelf, because I know I will be referencing it now, and for a long time coming.

I’m not one to highlight or underline passages in books (with the exception of my Bible), but I like journaling. I have a notebook beside my bed and in my purse, in case I have a great idea or something strikes me. I have a feeling that every time I reference this book, I’ll need that notebook beside me.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.01.15
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Getting Personal #7: A 365-Page Book

Yesterday, I found an awesome image on Facebook:

I love Brad Paisley. I’ve seen him live more than any other artist. He is an awesome performer, singer, songwriter, and a great guy all-around.

So it was great to see this quote from him.

Many of you know that I am a reader and a writer.

I love books. Reading is one of my favorite things to do. I don’t do it or get to do it as much as I’d like to, mostly because of life and staying up late with other things and being distracted. It was great that I read five new books last year – That was a major goal for me, and I really enjoyed it. I want to keep reading as much as possible, year after year. I just need to make more time for it – a.k.a., turning off the computer and smartphone in favor of the trusty pages of a good book.

I love writing too. I love getting the stories out of my head and out on paper, whether it’s in cursive or if I’m typing it out on a screen. I want to write and publish at least one book in my lifetime, hopefully more than that. I love that I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo for three consecutive years, and I am astounded at how many words I’ve written.

I’m so proud that I’ve been blogging consistently for almost an entire year, and I want to keep that momentum going. Seeing all of your likes and comments on Facebook, along with the stats that WordPress provides to me, keeps this writer going. I’m constantly getting inspiration, and I’m so happy to be able to express myself freely through this platform.

This is day 1 of 365, and I am determined to make the most of it. I probably won’t write a blog post every single day this year, but I am going to write every single day this year. Whether it’s drafting a blog post, or adding more to a previous novel attempt, or starting a new story, I feel the need to write every day.

Thank you, my readers, for inspiring me.

Cheers to the New Year! I hope 2015 is one of the best yet.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂