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Christmas is coming, and in light of the festivities, today I am going to share with you an article to further inspire the Christmas spirit. Thanks to Julie from FSB Associates for providing this article for me!

The Ultimate Christmas Gift: Renewed Appreciation for the Lord's Prayer

Kathleen McGowan, the author of The Source of Miracles: 7 Steps to Transforming Your Life through the Lord's Prayer

We are often reminded this time of year, and rightfully so, that "Jesus is the Reason for the Season." I can think of no better way to celebrate what Jesus gave to us than to renew our appreciation for his most amazing gift, The Lord's Prayer. In the Gospel of Luke, when Jesus is asked by one of his disciples, "Lord, teach us to pray." He responds very specifically, with the Lord's Prayer. He also teaches this prayer as a component of the Sermon on the Mount. Thus we see in scripture that when Jesus teaches us to pray it is always with these words.

The prayer is perfect. It is our greatest spiritual gift, from the Great Spiritual Giver.

When I set out to write a book about the power of the Lord's Prayer, I was stunned to discover that there were very few published works that dealt with it in any depth. Nearly one third of the planet's population recites this prayer — over two billion people — and yet there were essentially no books about it.

The time had come! What I have been asked most often since writing The Source of Miracles: Seven Powerful Steps to Transforming Your Life Through the Lord's Prayer is: why did I feel the need to write it and why now? What is it about the Lord's Prayer that is so important for us to examine anew as we make our journey into the new world of the 21st Century?

The simple answer is that using this prayer in a specific practice has transformed my life and I have witnessed it as the source of extraordinary miracles, not just for myself, but for countless others. I know it can change lives, and maybe even the world, for the better. Therefore I equally knew that I had an obligation to share this prayer practice with as many people as possible — and fast. The world is at critical mass, people need hope to go forward, and this prayer can and will bring them that — and more. Everything we need for personal transformation is included in just over fifty words that most of us already know by heart, but many of us have forgotten how to use effectively.

In my own journey as a writer and researcher, I came across an amazing prayer practice that was taught by a Christian sect in France during the Middle Ages. For these medieval Christians, the Lord's Prayer was not only the cornerstone of their faith, it was the guidebook to living a perfect life. They understood that every word of the prayer was carefully considered by Jesus, and given to us as a loving and careful instruction for building our faith while living a joyous life through God. I began to work through this prayer as a spiritual practice in the medieval manner, which breaks the prayer down into seven lessons about life: Faith, Surrender, Service, Abundance, Forgiveness, Overcoming and Love. The results were astounding and immediate. My faith was strengthened and my life transformed in ways I could never have imagined prior to learning how to live through this prayer.

The Lord's Prayer is now, as it was when Jesus lived, the incorruptible formula for personal and global transformation.

While most of us can rattle off this greatest of prayers, many of us have forgotten the extraordinary power and meaning behind the words, if we ever thought about them to begin with. I learned the Lord's Prayer when I was three years old, in pre-school, many years before I would ever know what words like hallowed, trespasses or temptation meant. Like most children, we were taught to speak it on cue, like obedient little parrots who could make the appropriate sounds come out after endless repetitions, but had no ability to understand the somewhat exotic sounding syllables.

I can assure you that we were not taught the origins of the prayer as children, and even if someone had tried to explain it to us, we were far too young to understand it as a dynamic spiritual practice and a fool-proof recipe for creating a joyous and fulfilled life.

So many of us grow up never knowing that, with the Lord's Prayer, Jesus was giving us the formula for manifesting miracles; not only when we most need them, but on a very regular basis. It was his gift to us, and one that we can reclaim for ourselves and our loved ones this holiday season. We can create our own miracles in this season which is dedicated to them. It is literally the gift that keeps on giving!

The Lord's Prayer addresses the issues that hurt us, confound us, and impede our progress, and illuminates the way in which we can overcome these obstacles. The prayer is our guide to purifying our spirit of anything that troubles it and holds us back from functioning at our highest potential, a potential that leads directly to happiness and abundance. Using this prayer regularly as a spiritual practice creates real and lasting change at the soul level, change which becomes manifest in very earthly, visible ways.

When spoken with faith and intention, these are literally magic words.

I believe that if you study and hold tight to the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, a handful of parables, and what Jesus tells us in Matthew 22, verses 37-39 — love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and love thy neighbor as thyself — then you pretty much have everything you need to live a perfect life and encourage peace on earth. But foremost of these gifts, the center from which all blessings spring, is the Lord's Prayer. While the other elements teach us valuable spiritual lessons, this great prayer is the tool that connects us immediately and directly to the source that is within each of us: the source of faith, the source of love, the source of forgiveness. And, in combination, those things are the source of very real miracles.

My own life has been transformed dramatically by utilizing the Lord's Prayer as a regular spiritual practice. As a result, I have witnessed the most miraculous events, including wonders of life and death. My own life has been blessed with extraordinary abundance and joy, thanks to the gift of this prayer practice. I hope to share this joy with you through the great prayer that unifies us all and is available to everyone. Together, we really can create heaven on earth — just the way Jesus taught us. Amen!

©2009 Kathleen McGowan, author of The Source of Miracles: 7 Steps to Transforming Your Life through the Lord's Prayer

Author Bio

Kathleen McGowan, author of The Source of Miracles: 7 Steps to Transforming Your Life through the Lord's Prayer, is an internationally published writer whose work has appeared on five continents and in at least fifteen languages. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three sons. Kathleen is a dedicated activist, and commits a portion of her time and royalties to causes that protect women and children from the horrors of human trafficking and sexual slavery. She has teamed with The Emancipation Network and Made by Survivors to fund and participate in programs which provide shelter and safety for victims of abuse, and raise awareness of this global epidemic.

For more information about the book, please visit www.KathleenMcGowan.com.

Monday I will be posting my review of "Source of Miracles," and thanks to Julie at FSB Associates, I am able to post the introduction to the book as a sort of teaser for my review.

Introduction — The Lord's Prayer

Kathleen McGowan

Author of The Source of Miracles: 7 Steps to Transforming Your Life through the Lord's Prayer

On Easter Sunday in the year 2007, the Los Angeles Times reported that two billion people worldwide were united by one powerful common denominator: the Lord's Prayer. On that date, nearly one third of the planet's population

While Christianity has been divided since its inception into factions with theological differences, this single prayer unifies all of them. The content of the Lord's Prayer cannot be affected by dogma or politics. Even while different denominations may make minor variations, the essential words and the teachings they impart remain unchanged since the day that Jesus first taught them to his followers. The two billion souls who call themselves Christians often differ in more ways than they are alike, yet this single prayer is the common ground for all of them. Jesus gave us a prayer so universal and impactful that it would endure for thousands of years and against the harshest odds. It is not only indelible, it is eternal.

The Lord's Prayer is now, as it was when Jesus lived, the incorruptible formula for personal and global transformation.

Most Christians learn the Lord's Prayer in early childhood and can recite it by rote and without effort. It is so ingrained in our memories that we don't even have to think about it.

And therein lies the problem. We don't even have to think about it.

While most of us can rattle off this greatest of prayers and know that it is a cornerstone of Christianity, the full extent of our understanding often ends right about there. Many of us have forgotten the extraordinary power and meaning behind the words, if we ever thought about them to begin with. I learned the Lord's Prayer when I was three years old, in preschool, many years before I would ever know what words like hallowed, trespasses, or temptation mean recited that prayer in their native languages as an expression of faith.t. There wasn't a child in my class who could have told you the meaning behind the prayer, and yet we were all able to recite it flawlessly on Parents' Night. We were taught to speak it on cue, like obedient little parrots who could make the appropriate sounds come out after endless repetitions but had no ability to understand the somewhat exotic-sounding syllables.

I can assure you that we were not taught the origins of the prayer as children, and even if someone had tried to explain it to us, we were far too young to understand it as a dynamic spiritual practice and a fool-proof recipe for creating a joyous and fulfilled life.

So we grow up never knowing that, with the Lord's Prayer, Jesus was giving us the formula for manifesting miracles — not only when we most need them, but on a very regular basis.

While interviewing a random selection of Christians from different denominations, I was stunned to find how few of them even knew that this prayer came directly from Jesus. "Wait a minute — Jesus created the Lord's Prayer?" was the shocked question I heard over and over again. Even some truly devout churchgoers looked at me in surprise when I said this prayer was the work of Jesus. Some didn't believe me, even when I cited the gospel accounts that attest to this origin. One replied, "But they didn't teach us that in school," as if such an omission in our spiritual education were unusual!

But Jesus was, in fact, the author of this most perfectly constructed blueprint for spiritual change. In the New Testament, the Lord's Prayer can be found in the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 6, verses 9-13, as a component of his Sermon on the Mount, and then again in Luke, chapter 11, verses 1-4, when one of the disciples asks Jesus to "teach us to pray." And teach us he did. In doing so, he gave us this priceless treasure: a set of simple and unchangeable directions, in the form of a prayer, for discovering the real secret of how to have the life you truly desire — a life filled with love, happiness, and yes, even wealth. The prayer shows us that all these wonderful gifts come about through an increase in faith: faith in God, faith in ourselves, and faith in our fellow humans — in that order.

The Lord's Prayer addresses the issues that hurt us, confound us, and impede our progress, and illuminates the way in which we can overcome these obstacles. The prayer is our guide to purifying our spirit of anything that troubles it and holds us back from being "fully realized" human beings — which is to say, human beings functioning at our highest potential, a potential that leads directly to happiness and abundance. Using this prayer regularly as a spiritual practice creates real and lasting change at the soul level, change which becomes manifest in very earthly, visible ways.

When spoken with faith and intention, these are literally magic words.

On the eve of my thirtieth birthday in the spring of 1993, I became an ordained minister as an expression of my commitment to studying and understanding the teachings of Jesus. Fifteen years, thousands of pages of reading, and hundreds of hours of spirited discussions later, I have come to what some may consider a simplistic, and therefore perhaps controversial, view of Christian teachings. I believe that if you study and hold tight to the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, a handful of parables, and what Jesus tells us in Matthew 22, verses 37-39 — love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and love thy neighbor as thyself — then you pretty much have everything you need to live a perfect life and encourage peace on earth. But foremost of these gifts, the center from which all blessings spring, is the Lord's Prayer. While the other elements teach us valuable spiritual lessons, this great prayer is the tool that connects us immediately and directly to the source that is within each of us: the source of faith, the source of love, the source of forgiveness. And in combination, those things are the source of very real miracles.

My own life has been transformed dramatically by utilizing the Lord's Prayer as a regular spiritual practice. As a result, I have witnessed the most miraculous events, including wonders of life and death. I have been blessed with extraordinary abundance and joy. But this was not always the case.

To show you how I came to truly know the Lord's Prayer as the perfect formula for dramatic transformation — and how you can do the same — I must first take you with me into the past, through the once locked doors of a secret society and into the heart of a medieval mystery school.

I must first introduce you to the Mystery of the Rose with Six Petals.

The above is an excerpt from the book The Source of Miracles: 7 Steps to Transforming Your Life through the Lord's Prayer by Kathleen McGowan. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen McGowan, author of The Source of Miracles: 7 Steps to Transforming Your Life through the Lord's Prayer

Author Bio

Kathleen McGowan, author of The Source of Miracles: 7 Steps to Transforming Your Life through the Lord's Prayer, is an internationally published writer whose work has appeared on five continents and in at least fifteen languages. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three sons. Kathleen is a dedicated activist, and commits a portion of her time and royalties to causes that protect women and children from the horrors of human trafficking and sexual slavery. She has teamed with The Emancipation Network and Made by Survivors to fund and participate in programs which provide shelter and safety for victims of abuse, and raise awareness of this global epidemic.

For more information about the book, please visit www.KathleenMcGowan.com.

I am "stealing" this from The Story Siren. If you want to find out more about it in my blog. Anyway, these are books I got this week at the bookstore, library, and in the mail, of course. This week was the winter season Library Sale... yes, I said LIBRARY SALE! The great thing about library sales are that the books are not in perfect condition — which means that when my students dog-ear the pages, break the spines, tear the covers, or sneeze on the pages (yes, that happens) it doesn't really matter! I love it! I got three bags worth for $6! For Review: Won: From the library: Purchased:

• "Midnight for Charlie Bone" (Audio)
• "Tuck Everlasting" (Audio)
• "Burned"
• "The Book Thief" (Second copy)
• "The Au Pairs" (Second copy)
• "City of Ashes"
• "The Time Capsule"
• "Where Are the Children" (one of my FAVORITES from High School!)
• "Crusade"
• "Brian's Winter"
• "Titanic Crossing" (favorite from Middle School)
• "The Secrets of Sarah Revere"
• "The Battle of the Labyrinth"
• "The Diary of a Teenage Girl: I Do"
• "Holes"
• "Brinsingr"
• "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen"
• "Fahrenheit 451"
• "Eldest"
• "The Lightning Thief" (second copy)
• "Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code"
• "Pretty Little Liars #1" (third copy)
• "The au pairs: Skinny-Dipping"
• "Speak" (third copy)
• "The Virginity Club"
• "The Year of Secret Assignments"
• "I Am Not Esther"
• "The Sight" (exciting find!)
• "Flawless"
• "Flawless" (second copy)
• "Ghostgirl" (MOST EXCITING FIND)
• "Blood Promise"
• "The Truth About Sparrows"
• "Jane and the Genius of the Place"
• "Jane and His Lordship's Legacy"
• "13 Little Blue Envelopes"

• Well, it's been a month since my last bookshelf post. I feel like my book shelf has changed dramatically — mostly due to the huge dent I made in my review TBR pile: Lighting Their Fires, Prince Harming Syndrome, and The Recipe Club. Plus, after my Thanksgiving at the Inn Giveway, I lost TWO more books. It's been a crazy couple weeks.
• Here is my bookshelf as a whole
• Notice my green journal, "A Death for Beauty," Ipod, alarm clock, Purell, and fan on top? First shelf is my Harry Potter books for class

• 

  Second shelf is divided: the left side is Review/Recreational Reads and the left side is dedicated towards textbooks. Notice I only have two more Review Reads (as of write now) — very excited! I feel like I'm making progress!

• The final shelf is, apart from the curlers, what I have read and need to take home to 'clear' my shelves. Although, the two massive books are literature unit books for my educational methods class. I won't be taking those home, and will, in fact, be quite glad to return them to the library soon.

  

• 
  

Over at Reading with Tequila, book bloggers have compiled a list of book blogger recommendations. When I say a list — I mean a LIST! It's 266 books long! The list was compiled by 34 book bloggers and the ranking order "was painstakingly compiled factoring in how high the book was ranked on each bloggers personal list as well as how many bloggers mentioned the book." From this list there will subsequently be a Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge for 2012.

Of the 266 favorites listed — I have read 34 (a measly 14%). For the most part I agree with the standings of the list, although my personal top five would be different. But most of my favorite books are listed — the only one left out that I notice right now is "The Goddess Test" by Aimee Carter.

I think it's important to realize that as book bloggers we look at books different than the "average" reader because we read more than the "average" reader. Our comparisons between books are more vast. We also are in the "know" of good writing versus bad and all of the drama that exists in the publishing/reading/blogging world. I am, of course, alluding to "Twilight."

On this list "Twilight" is listed as # 266. Despite the "bad writing," I would have personally listed "Twilight" much higher on the list simply because I really did enjoy it as a guilty-pleasure read.

What about you? How do you fare according to the list compiled? I see tons of books on my TBR that apparently need to be moved up.:)

Thanks to those book bloggers who have compiled The List:

Em @ A Beautiful Madness
Marce @ Tea Time with Marce
Melissa @ Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
Sarah @ Sarah Reads Too Much
Jessica @ Book Bound
Alita @ alita.reads.
Riv Re @ Riv Reads
Fiona @ The Book Coop
Ivy Pittman @ Visible Woman Online
The Keeper @ Tales from the Crypt
Creative Mind @ Creative Mind
Jennifer @ Reading with Tequila
Belle @ Belle's Bookshelf
Shannon @ Books Devoured
Suey @ It's All About Books
Jennifer @ Jenaissance
Ash @ Typing Tiara
Amanda @ The Vintage Bookworm
Nulaane @ Katzenjammer
Hilde @ The Turn of the Page
Amy @ Bookzilla
Heather @ Proud Book Nerd
Jennifer @ Fictitious Musings
Penelope Lolohea @ The Reading Fever
Nancy O'Berry @ Romancing the Blog
Samantha @ Paper Cuts
Sana Deen @ Book Sisterhood
Jenn Baker @ PonyTails Book Reviews
Kristie J @ Kristie J
Michelle @ Realizing my Dreams & More
The Book Vixen @ The Book Vixen
Scribacchina @ Parole/Words
Rae Reads @ The Novel Nymph
Janina @ Synchronized Reading

"It definitely had it's "oh" moment... I just couldn't stop the gasp of air or the look on my face." — Miss Remmers

From Amazon.com...

"Loyalty, loss, and the ties that bind. These are the ingredients of The Recipe Club, a "novel cookbook" that combines an authentic story of friendship with more than 80 delicious recipes.
Lilly and Val are lifelong friends, united as much by their differences as by their similarities. Lilly, dramatic and confident, lives in the shadow of her beautiful, wayward mother and craves the attention of her distant, disapproving father. Val, shy and idealistic—and surprisingly ambitious— struggles with her desire to break free from her demanding housebound mother and a father whose dreams never seem to come true. In childhood, "LillyPad" and "ValPal" form an exclusive two-person club, writing intimate letters in which they share hopes, fears, deepest secrets—and recipes, from Lilly's "Lovelorn Lasagna" to Valerie's "Forgiveness Tapenade." Readers can cook along as the friends travel through time facing the challenges of independence, the joys and heartbreaks of first love, and the emotional complexities of family relationships, identity, mortality, and goals deferred. The Recipe Club sustains Lilly and Val's bond through the decades, regardless of what different paths they take or what misunderstandings threaten to break them apart... until the fateful day when an act of kindness becomes an unforgivable betrayal. Now, years later, while trying to recapture the trust they've lost, Lilly and Val reunite once more—only to uncover a shocking secret. Will it destroy their friendship, or bring them ever closer?" This book, again, was different than any book I've read due to the unique set up. I read this book in less than 24 hours and I enjoyed it. The first couple 'emails' between Lilly and Val definitely caught my attention and interest — making this a book I couldn't put down for long. I also loved the recipes — and I will probably need to make a few of these.. I loved reading the letters between the two girls as they grew up and learning about them.

It did get a little confusing, I found myself forgetting to look at who wrote what and when it was written — it wasn't until halfway through the book that I decided a note card was necessary in order to tell the two girls apart and keep them separate.

It definitely had it's "oh" moment, and unfortunately I was in the Writing Center, where I tutor, waiting for my next appointment when I read this particular part and, I'll admit it, people looked. I just couldn't stop the gasp of air or the look on my face.

I will definitely be keeping this book for my classroom — it's appropriate in that it's interesting, captivating, and has enough 'spice' (PUN!) to keep readers' interests. The theme of moving on and growing apart if one that any high school girl can relate too. I think that female readers will be able to relate to the relationship between Lilly and Val. Plus, I think that students will really appreciate the recipes.

Favorite Quotes:
"How do you fix a broken heart? Maybe with ricotta cheese" (128).
"Sometimes people we love can't love us in ways that we wish to be loved. Not because we aren't worthy of that love, but for other reasons, beyond our control" (128).

This week I'd like to welcome Sheila from One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Thank you Sheila!
*********************** From Amazon.com... "I'm marooned.
Abandoned. Left to rot in boarding school... Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at an all-girls school in South Bend, Indiana, far, far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York. Now Viola is stuck for a whole year in the sherbet-colored sweater capital of the world. Ick. There's no way Viola's going to survive the year—especially since she has to replace her best friend Andrew with three new roommates who, disturbingly, actually seem to like it there. She resorts to viewing the world (and hiding) behind the lens of her video camera. Boarding school, though, and her roommates and even the Midwest are nothing like she thought they would be, and soon Viola realizes she may be in for the most incredible year of her life. But first she has to put the camera down and let the world in."
OMG! LOL! Really and truly I adored this book! I enjoyed this book from the first sentence, “YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO BE ME.” I loved the dramatic voice of our fourteen year old Viola. I remember those days when the world was going to end because things did not go the way you wanted. Life was so…. intense. So here I am deeply engrossed in a book all about Viola and her wonderful BFFAA (Best Friend Forever And Always) Andrew, her three new roommates in boarding school who seen to have already pegged her from hour one, and the possibility of a new relationship with a boy who’s love is calculated by the number of IM’s, and texts, four kisses, one hand holding, one date, one cookie and one book.
Ahhhh… first love. ♥

Tie all that in a hip and happening Grandma (Grand) who has a back ground in acting, two adoring but at this time anyway distant parents… and you have the making of one great read.
I have to thank Jennifer at BookClubGirl who introduced me to this book and then sent me a copy to read and be part of the live chat with the author Adriana Trigiani on Wednesday of this past week. I didn’t get to say a lot during the live chat as I had to run Chance to Youth Group in the middle of it but it was fun to participate and see the conversation roll out.
A great YA…. I applaud Adriana Trigiani for this youthful book and I plan on looking into more of what she has written.
*********************** Thank you so much Sheila for such an awesome review! Check out Sheila's original review here! Please stop by and visit Sheila and share some book love! Thank you!

"While a bit of a let down after "Need," "Captivate" surpasses it's predecessor in regards to plot and with an added "drool-worthy" male protagonist (or antagonist)." — Miss Remmers

Book Description:

"Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure — despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life — and his."

Why I read this: I enjoyed the first novel in the series, "Need, " and wanted to continue with it.

Plot: I much more enjoyed the plot of "Captivate" than the plot of "Need." With "Need" I felt left out of the loop, constantly curious about what I had missed. "Captivate" was just as fast paced and captivating (no pun intended), but I didn't feel lost in all the mystery. I still love the idea of evil pixies, but I'm not even more in love GOOD pixies! I'm definitely Team Astley (if there were such a team).

Characters: If you look at my review of "Need, " you'll notice a significant decrease in my love (or lack there of) for these two books. "Need," despite the overly mysterious plot, was fantastic. "Captivate," at times, made me cringe and I feel like a lot of it has to do with characters and dialogue. The dialogue felt forced, overly dramatic and self-righteous; I really struggled with the tone and voice of this novel. To me, because it sounded so forced, it sounded fake and weak when the characters were meant to be real and strong. The monologues of self-righteousness just killed me as well as the monologues filled with Buffy pop-culture. While the plot line of Buffy and these novels are extremely similar, I would have never recognized it without the character constantly bringing it up. Now that I'm aware of the similarities it is all I can think of.

All is not lost, however, because of the fantastic character that is Astley. He is the reason I will continue to read this series. Fantastically mysterious and potentially dangerous at the same time, I can't wait to find out what happens next (and I pray that Zara doesn't break his heart)!

Cover: Again, isn't this cover fantastic!!

Random Thoughts: I think I covered most of my random thoughts about dialogue and monologues when talking about characters.

Final Thoughts: While a bit of a let down after "Need," "Captivate" surpasses it's predecessor in regards to plot and with an added "drool-worthy" male protagonist (or antagonist).

Originality: 10/10
Ending: 8/10
Characters: 5/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 8/10
Theme: 10/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 3/5
Style: 3/5
Tone: 3/5
Cover: 10/10 (I LOVED this cover!)
Overall: 85/100 B

To the FTC, with love: Bought

The third NEED novel, Entice, will be released on December 14th, 2010.

In case you missed my big Twitter Announcement, last Saturday I got ENGAGED!! Dan and I went to a corn maze in Harrisburg, SD; about half way through, while I was navigating and looking at the map, Dan dropped to the ground (I thought he fainted) and pulled out the most gorgeous ring I've ever seen and asked me to marry him. I obviously said yes and cried like a girl.

We've set the date for June 10th, 2011 in Bismarck, ND. I am so very happy and excited for the next eight months or so. I am very thankful for the out-pour of "Congrats" that we received via Twitter — it's great to feel so loved! Stay tuned for the juicy details (you know I won't be able to keep the drama a secret! just kidding!).

The very spot! Moments after the proposal!

No Spoilers!

"It's a bit hard to review such a talked about book. I don't have really anything to add besides: AMAZING!" — Miss Remmers

From Amazon.com...

"Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12."

It's a bit hard to review such a talked about book. I don't have really anything to add besides: AMAZING!

Why I read this: This is clearly obvious. The Hunger Games was fantastic. Period.

Plot: Fast-paced and captivating, Mockingjay did not disappoint. While the ending was a bit abrupt and not as romantically enhanced as I would have preferred, it kept my interest. The ending plot line was absolutely fantastic and heartbreaking at the same time, but it was the perfect ending (except romantically...) .

Characters: The beloved characters of The Hunger Games are still the same beloved characters, sort of. I found Katniss to be less self-centered and whiny and then there's... well, you know. At first this dramatic character change upset me, but now that I've had time to think about it, I realize it made the story that much more intense. I did feel a lack of character connection throughout the novel, even in the Epilogue. This made me sad simply because I needed that connection as closure. But, who am I?

Cover: Perfect for the story. I love it!

Random Thoughts: Absolutely a fantastic read! Thank goodness it was "Recreational Reading" day in all of my classes! What a great invention! Without giving anything away, I'm just going to say: TEAM PEETA!

Final Thoughts: Highly recommended (obviously)! I can't wait to talk about this book with my students who read it in the future!

Originality: 10/10
Ending: 9/10
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 10/10
Theme: 10/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 10/10
Overall: 97/100 A

To the FTC, with love: Library Loan

Comments, of course, are always appreciated. But please remember not everyone has read the book yet; I don't want to indirectly be responsible for spoilers being leaked to unexpecting students/readers. Please be "spoiler conscious."

This week I'd like to welcome Sharon from Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews as this week's Guest Reviewer! Sharon is so enthusiastic about my mission that I've decided to post this review on a completely random day — my birthday! Most Guest Reviews are on Wednesdays, but it is my birthday — so I figure I can do whatever I want (right?).

*******************

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte — Syrie James

From Amazon.com...

" "I have written about the joys of love. I have, in my secret heart, long dreamt of an intimate connection with a man; every Jane, I believe, deserves her Rochester."

Thank you SO much to Sharon from Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews. I've been meaning to read this and it sounds so great! Thank you for your enthusiasm and for spreading the word, to all of my past and future Guest Reviewers, I'm so glad I'm not in this fight alone. Make sure to stop by to visit Sharon and share some book love!

If you're interested in fighting the good fight — find out how here.

From Amazon.com...

"From the very first page of this stunning novel, readers are drawn into the lives of eight seemingly ordinary women who pass through Manhattan's swanky Four Seasons Hotel. While offering sanctuary to some, solace to others, the hotel captures their darkest moments as they grapple with family, sex, power, love, and death.

Trish obsesses over her best friend's wedding and dramatic weight loss. Robin wants revenge after a lifetime of abuse at the hands of her older sister. Anne is single, lonely, and suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Drug-addicted rock star Louise needs to dry out. Southerner turned wannabe Manhattanite Franny is envious of her neighbors' lives. Sheila wants to punish her boyfriend for returning to his wife. Ellen so desperately wants children that she insists she's pregnant to her disbelieving husband. And Morgan, the hotel manager, haunted by the memory of her dead sister, is the thread that weaves these women's lives together."

Two giveaways in one week — no, I'm not crazy. But much like "Life After Yes," my priorities have changed since receiving "Based Upon Availability" for review. School is looming ever so close and I'm feeling the pressure begin to build. This book has great promise for an adult read, but it's not something I could easily sell to my ninth graders.

Because this was a review book, I ask that the winner be willing to forward their review link to the author/publisher. I will email the winner the contact person's name and email. This would be a great opportunity to network.

If you'd be interested in receiving this book all you have to do is email me at google [at] gmail [dot] com with your address AND a link to your favorite review for me to put up as a Guest Review. The first person to do this wins — simple as that. Once I get an email, I'll comment on this post who will receive this great read. Please make sure that I don't already have a review of the book by looking in the left sidebar. I would also really appreciate it, since I did not review this book, if, after reading it, you sent me your review as Guest Review.

Reminder: Please read my Contest Policy — at this time I can only afford to mail books to US addresses. I apologize for this inconvenience.

I think I've finally discovered the appropriate meme I've been looking for!

I am "stealing" this from The Story Siren. If you want to find out more about it click here . Anyway, these are books I got this week at the bookstore, library, and in the mail, of course.

Last week I received in my mailbox three books! I am very excited!

For Review:

Thanks to Bostick Communications, I received a personally signed copy of "Elemental Shaman: One Man's Journey into the Heart of Humanity, Spirituality & Ecology". Thank you!

From Amazon.com...

"This fascinating true story chronicles one man's journey into the mysteries of spiritual consciousness and the indigenous healing practices of four shamanistic traditions: Toltec, Cherokee, Maya, and Buddhist.
In his travels around the globe, Rosales witnesses the powerful channeled spirit Niño Fidencio, receives messages and healing from a Toltec shaman, and experiences a dramatic soul retrieval from a Cherokee spiritwalker. Rosales travels to Guatemala, where he meets a Mayan high priestess, or a'j' r'ij, and the secret brotherhoods called cofradias, whose mission is to guard Maximón, the last living Mayan god. Rosales's last journey is to Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon, where he spends time with a holy lama."

Again,thanks to Bostick Communications, I received a copy of "Sugar Time" by Jane Adams. Thank you!

From Amazon.com...
"What if you got one last chance at both love and success but getting one meant giving up the other? Sugar Kane hasn't created a hit TV series in years but now she's older, wiser, and ready to prove she can still deliver — unless her young, scheming assistant doesn't steal her new show out from under her. Then Sugar faces a crisis that threatens her career, her health, and the unconditional love she's finally found, long after she stopped hoping she ever would."
Won:
I won a copy of "The Imposter's Daughter" from Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

From Amazon.com...

"In this delightfully composed graphic novel, journalist Sandell (Glamour) illustrates a touchingly youthful story about a daughter's gushing love for her father. Using a winning mixture of straightforward comic-book illustrations with a first-person diarylike commentary, Sandell recounts the gradual realization from her young adulthood onward that her charming, larger-than-life Argentine father, bragging of war metals, degrees from prestigious universities and acquaintances with famous people, had lied egregiously to his family about his past and accomplishments. Growing up with her two younger sisters and parents first in California, then in Bronxville, N.Y., the author records signs along the way that her father, a professor of economics with a volatile temperament and autocratic manner, was hiding something, from his inexplicable trips out of town, increasing paranoid isolation, early name change from Schmidt to Sandell, to massive credit-card fraud."

From the library:

"Suspense and Sensibility"
"Cotillion"

I am very much excited to read these books.

Definitely look up Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. She has an amazing blog and is always reading something interesting. Thank you Sheila for the book!

Until next week — Happy Reading!

Hosted by Sheila — Thank you!

After setting a small goal that I actually completed, I'm doing the same thing this week (hopefully to keep the good momentum flowing).

This week I'd like to read:

"Imaginary Girls" by Nova Ren Suma

"Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

With palpable drama and delicious craft, Nova Ren Suma bursts onto the YA scene with the story that everyone will be talking about."

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry

"Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back."

"Wildefire" by Karsten Knight

"Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm."

Every now and then I hear of this "elitist" blogger. There are, from what I discover, two types of the supposed "elitist" blogger. The "elitist" blogger is either A) a new blogger who assumes that he or she "deserves" ARCs and tons of followers right away or B) a more popular blogger with a significant follower base who receives books from publishers and is therefore (obviously) stuck up and cliquey.

I hear of these "elitist" bloggers from time to time in different posts (generally having to do with whatever drama is currently circling the YA book blogosphere). Now (again, generally) these posts and discussions are pretty heated. These discussions generate loads of discussion and can lead to hurt feelings and nasty words. It seems every couple months there is another incident that is drama driven and results in more posts about the ever elusive "elitist blogger."

This elitist blogger can be (and many times is) eluded to in various Q&A posts when they ask the famous questions like "how do I get more followers" and "I've only been blogging for a month — how do I get publishers to send me books." We've all read these posts and heard of this "elitist" blogger.

Or the elitist successful blogger is verbally attacked in jealous posts.

Now, I have been blogging for a year and the truth of it is: I have heard of this "elitist" blogger many times throughout the past 12 months but I have yet to meet this blogger (either A or B). I've read the Q&As where the new "elitist" blogger is chastised for expecting everything to be given to them (books and a strong follower base) and posts about how unfair it is that the successful elitist blogger has everything.

My question to you is have you ever met either the new or the successful elitist blogger? Or is the idea of the "elitist" blogger a made-up concept? A concept driven to either attack successful bloggers by making them out to be cliquey, possessive, and exclusive or the new blogger to be arrogant and all about the "gimme."

Thoughts?

I have a small confession: I am a sucker for the guy who doesn't get the girl.
Recently there have been a few characters who I feel should have gotten the girl. Either they're too boring or are "what their parents or society are telling the girls that they should marry," but for some reason lately it seems that the guys I would choose just aren't getting the girl.
Now, when I was a teen full of angst, I would have wanted Tom LeFroy, Peter, Gabriel, James or, heck, even Will Turner! But today, a few weeks from getting married, I'm reevaluating what I look for in the perfect husband-to-be.
First, let's start with a favorite movie of mine: "Becoming Jane." In this film Tom LeFroy attempts to court Jane Austen. He has little money, is a fighter, very handsome, and definitely not what the Austens or even the LeFroy's had in mind for a match*. On the other hand, a very wealthy Mr. Wisley adores Jane and asks for her hand in marriage. She says no. Now I'm not endorsing not marrying for love, I'm just saying that Mr. Wisley was a smart match. He adored her and was very sweet and romantic and even stood up for her after she turned him down! Sometimes I feel like society tells us that when a boy treats us right it must not be love or that we must fall in love with the boy that we cannot have... the rebel. Think, how many of us have fallen in and out of love with the rebel of our youth — I know I have.
*Remember this is fictional.

In another great movie, Red Riding Hood, Valerie falls in love with the poor, but extremely handsome, and slightly tempered Peter. Right around the corner, Henry, the son of the smith or something like that, asks for her hand in marriage. Henry is just as handsome, slightly more wealthy, and adores her. Again, I'm not saying "go for the guy with money," I'm just pointing out that perhaps, sometimes, our mothers are right.

In Lauren DeStefano's "Wither " you have two similar archetypal characters: Linden versus Gabriel. I've made no reservations about declaring myself Team Linden. I think he's a very caring guy albeit naive and sheltered. Most importantly, I believe he really cares about Rhine. Gabriel, on the other hand, I feel no real connection too. Yes, he "saved" Rhine from a life with "misogynistic" Linden, but that's what society tells us we should want right — the guy who rides in on a white horse? I don't know, maybe I'm spinning circles. While Linden's father was psychotic, I don't think Linden should be held responsible for his father's evilness.

Then there's James versus Henry in Aimee Carter's "The Goddess Test. " Oh, Henry! I adored him! He was absolutely fantastic — one of my recent male character favorites. But society, in this case, still told Kate not to like him because of the whole Hades complex and the "prisoner" bit.

And finally, there's poor, handsome, likable William Turner versus Commodore Norrington. This reference for me is not so much of a "versus" just a quick "did you think of this... " I like Will Turner. I think he genuinely cares for Elizabeth (obviously) and I'm happy for them. But, I think Norrington was made out to be a false "villain" for no other reason than because he had money and status. I think that he, too, genuinely cared for Elizabeth and was attempting to gain her affection the socially acceptable way. But, again, society condemns him for "following the rules of society" (irony) and tells women to fall for the poor guy.

Which begs the question: is it wrong to want a guy who adores me, has some kind of social status, is not poor, and follows the dating rules set by society? If it is not wrong, than why does society continue to impress upon me via literature, movies, etc that I should want to marry the guy who treats me like crap, is full of drama, who my parents hate, and has no money? What's wrong with normalcy in a relationship?

Granted, we read/watch movies to get away from normalcy — I'm just trying to make a point. In real life, what are you looking for? The Mr. Darcy or the Mr. Bingley? For years I've said I want to marry my own Mr. Darcy. But, and no one hate me, the fact of the matter is that I would never want to date/marry Mr. Darcy. His inability to communicate, I feel, would set our marriage up for failure. Sorry, if I'm crushing anyone's vision of perfection here. But why is the "good guy" the wrong guy for the relationship? Do the "good guys" really come in last? Is that society's fault or our own?

When I was sixteen I wanted the rebellious Tom LeFroy and would have and probably did turn up my nose at anyone my parents actually liked. But now, as an adult, that's what I want in a relationship. I want to marry a man my parents like, a man with a job and education, a man with no drama attached, a man who adores me and I don't have to work for it.

Thank God I found him.

"I think I struggled with this book because I'm not used to the unsugarcoated truth; I've grown up with Disney movies and "happily ever afters." But life, as Hannah Moskowitz has illustrated, isn't always as cookie cutter perfect as it appears. " — Miss Remmers

Release Date: April 19th, 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster's Children Publishing
Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge

"Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive... ."

This book is misrepresented. It appears to be a light, summer, beach read and it starts out that way. I loved the beginning of this novel because it reminded me of home and of summer. Having grown up on a lake in Northern Minnesota all I know is lake houses and summer. My favorite part of summer was when the "tourists" would come visit on the weekends and the whole town would buzz with excitement and then they'd leave on Sunday evening or Monday morning and, while it was still summer and the sand and the water was all the same, it felt completely different — like a different kind of summer. Then the tourists would return Thursday or Friday and the routine would continue.

In the beginning when Chase and Noah are waiting for their neighbors to return I could almost smell my own beach in MN and feel the sand and hear the water (sans the salt). I envisioned the summer families unloading, unpacking, the excitement of summer finally here. This was the part of the novel I loved — the family, fun, beach part.

But that's not what this book is about. I think if I would have known that going in I would have enjoyed this book as a whole more. I read the synopsis and figured "love triangle" and summer. What I got was a whole lot more depth and I wasn't prepared for this.

For the better half of the novel it was a summer read and then I started picking up on the undertones of the novel (subtle or not): Claudia's rebellion, Noah's disillusionment, Melinda's games, and the fighting. I began to realize that this wasn't a fluffy read and that serious "stuff" was about to be addressed: family, rape, responsibility, handicaps, etc.

I wasn't prepared for this.

I loved Chase and I loved Gideon. But there were all these allusions to Noah's past and his need to run — why did he need to run? I felt like that was really left hanging open for readers merely to accept. Melinda and Chase. Melinda and Noah. Melinda, Chase, and Noah? That was extremely awkward. The families portrayed at the beginning of the novel, my "tourist" families, were shattered, broken, but seemingly perfect. While this bothered me at first it made me question: what about my "tourist" families who come each summer and look so happy. Are they really that happy? Is it all a facade? Furthermore, what about my family? Are we as happy as we appear to strangers and observers?

This book was honest.

Did I enjoy this book? Not as much as had hoped. But despite this, it's undeniable that this book evoked such strong emotion in me that I could feel it throughout my body: rage, sorrow, anger, hatred. With "The Goddess Test " by Aimee Carter my heart felt so connected to the characters and plot, but with "Invincible Summer" I felt disconnected to the characters and plot but there's still this raw emotion inside of me. Even while writing about this I'm angry and upset but I don't really know why. If I didn't like the book why would I be feeling this way? If I didn't like the book how can I be so emotional about it?

Maybe I just didn't like what happened in the book. Maybe I just didn't like how honest the plot was. Maybe I didn't like the book because it's filled with raw emotion, it's real, and it's life. And really, isn't it that very raw emotion what makes a good book? I think I struggled with this book because I'm not used to the unsugarcoated truth; I've grown up with Disney movies and "happily ever afters." But life, as Hannah Moskowitz has illustrated, isn't always as cookie cutter perfect as it appears.

Favorite Quote:
"Hiding behind an attitude is no better than hiding behind literature" (178).

-Visit Hannah around the web here: Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook

To the FTC, with love: Review from Publisher (hard copy)

I'd like to welcome this week's guest reviewer — Catherine from Constance Reader's Guide.
************************* About a hundred and fifty years ago, when I was in high school, and dinosaurs roamed around amidst the Model T Fords, I was what you would call, in the parlance, a "theater geek." I spent half my day in my traditional high school setting, and then at noon I was bused over to the Governor's School for the Arts, where my classmates and I learned to dance, sing, "act," swordfight, smoke cigarettes, build flats, paint scenery, and gossip over the loudspeaker without being overheard.

(We all took ourselves so seriously, then. I remember sitting around and talking about the motivations behind the character of the dancehall prostitute in Sweet Charity: had she been abandoned by a father figure? Had she grown up poor, during the Depression--is that why she was so fixated on finding a Big Spender to provide her with financial security?)

I'm laughing about it, now, as I type, but back then it was a big deal. I lived, breathed, and ate theater. I murmured lines from Arthur Miller as I walked to the bus stop and wrote glowing reviews of myself as characters in various Broadway plays in my journal. I read Eugene Ionesco for fun.
I snapped to my senses during senior year, sometime after getting a letter of acceptance to a conservatory up north, and realized that a life of dramatics isn't very secure, and renounced My Craft in favor of an English degree from a state school (heaps more secure, duh). But there is a part of me that will always be a theater kid, even if I haven't been in front of an audience in over ten years.

So when I came across this first edition copy of Sinclair Lewis'sBethel Merriday, and read the first line, "That was the first time anyone ever called her an actress--June 1, 1922, Bethel's sixth birthday," I knew I had to have this book, despite the hefty-ish price tag, because I was going to love it. And oh... I did. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Bethel's fledgling career as an actress, from her days of college Dramatics Societies, through her summer stock experience, to her year-long stint as an understudy with a traveling company performing Romeo and Juliet. Plenty of greasepaint and floodlights and lots of 1930s finger waves and gin fizzes to boot. That sounds pretty much like heaven, to me.
This book was surprising, coming from Sinclair Lewis. My only other foray into his oevre so far has been Main Street, which I loved, but which I found rather cutting and sarcastic. Bethel, by contrast, is heartbreakingly earnest in tone, sort of like Anne of Green Gables, if Anne of Green Gables had been written by Edna Ferber. Lewis was active in the theater, when he attended Yale University in the nineteen-aughts, and this book isn't a satire or a drama or a sociological critique of modern government: it is a love story, pure and simple. It's a theater geek's love letter to the stage.
Bethel is enchanting, but the true stars of this story are her fellow actors in the stage company. Somehow a rag-tag bunch becomes like a family, and it's darling to watch. And Lewis manages to convey in such an authentic way the struggles of an undiscovered actor:
[Bethel] walked to the office of Equity, the actors' organization, and, with a milling of other girl crusaders, studied the bulletin board for notices of who was casting, who was organizing a road company. She was not a member and not supposed to intrude there, but as she couldn't join Equity until she had a contract, and as she probably never would get a contract till she was a member of Equity, such trespass as hers was tolerated. The paradox which ruled all young actresses was that you couldn't get a job if you hadn't the experience, and you certainly could not get experience till you had a job, and so you just weren't going toget a job.
Pages later, unlucky Bethel is forced to turn to other lines of work to support herself while she searches:
Bethel asked of the girl elevator runner, "How do you go about getting a job like yours?" "You got to have experience before you can run an elevator," said the operator, as the floors slipped downward past them. "How do you get experience running an elevator if you don't get a chance to run an elevator?" sighed Bethel. The young woman looked at her with dark suspicion. "I don't know. But that's the rule."
Main Street was acerbically funny, but this is the type of quiet humor you get in Bethel Merriday. It's sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes frustrating, although I rather like that Lewis doesn't have Bethel vaunt to sudden fame. She's not anything special--just a girl who loves the theater, who makes a life for herself on the stage, like thousands of other girls who have some talent, and don't give up on their dreams. It's real, and refreshing and better than it would have been the other way.
There's a love story aspect here, and it's perfectly charming, but by far the most wondrous thing about this book--even the kids who aren't theater geeks can appreciate it--are the glimpses of small town America that Lewis offers. He excels in small town America, and is just the best at pointing out its quirks and beauties:
Station platforms and cues and shirred eggs with little farm sausages and No. 17 purple lining salve and the 7:47 A.M. and the rhumba on a revolving floor under lights changing from green to fog to crocus... down and across the mighty prairies of the Mississippi Valley: Iowa and South Dakota and Nebraska, where, through today's cornfields and cement roads, move the ghosts of the Mormon pioneers... St. Joseph, only it's really "St. Joe," with its bright hills above the Missouri River that are shrines to Jesse James... when she reached Nebraska, the Bethel who had been coddled in Connecticut as in cotton batting was certain she was practically in California, only a step more from Hawaii and China and Australia--yes, and perhaps really going there. She loved her tight New England as much as ever. But she had had a bath of greatness, and she came out of all this not a Yankee but an American.
And an American who, born in 1916, might live to see the fabulous Great Land of the year 2000.
(This might be my new favorite book.)

Bethel Merriday is out-of-print, but you can read it here, courtesy of Project Gutenberg. ********************* What a fantastic review! I love how Catherine brought her own life into it! Thank you! Big thanks to Catherine for the great review! Please visit her at Constance Reader's Guide and read her original review. Thank you Catherine!

"'The Devil Wears Prada' was definitely an attention-grabbing novel that kept my interest; a light read, but definitely a guilty pleasure read." — Miss Remmers

From Barnes and Noble...

"Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job “a million girls would die for.” Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile, fabulously successful editor of Runway magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts Prada! Armani! Versace! at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart-wrenchingly stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine-ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates into a scared, whimpering child."

First of all, while I didn't notice who it was until the end, I did recognize the voice of this narrator. When I realized who it was... I couldn't believe it! Rachel Leigh Cook! Yes, that Rachel Leigh Cook — the girl from "She's All That."

I saw this movie when it first came out and really enjoyed it. After reading "Shopaholic" I remembered this movie and decided to check out the audio discs from the library. While I'm on the topic — yes, I did like this audio book more than "Shopaholic." It was easier for me to relate to Andie because her "change" wasn't dramatic and I found myself getting caught up "in it all," whereas with Becky she didn't really have change as a person and was much harder to like as result.

I found Andie to be funny and real. I loved the voice and tone of this novel, which may or may not have had a lot to do with Rachel Leigh Cook's narrating. There was something about the language of the novel that made me want to keep listening/reading. I found the story extremely believable and, as mentioned, I was able to relate to Andie.

Also, side note: anyone see "The Proposal?" I see a direct coincidence between Miranda and Andrea and Margaret and Andrew. Except for the whole getting married and love thing... anyone else?

The ending was a bit of a disappointment as I felt like it was all of a sudden. It was as if Weisberger had a page limit and 2/3rds of the way through she realized she needed to hurry up and finish.

Other than that, "The Devil Wears Prada" was definitely an attention-grabbing novel that kept my interest; a light read, but definitely a guilty pleasure read.

Originality: 9/10
Ending: 4/10
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 8/10
Theme: 9/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 10/10
Overall: 86/100 B

To the FTC, with love: Library Loan

I came across this review over at The Bookworm shortly after having read and taught "The Necklace" for the first time. I hadn't thought of reviewing the short stories in our current unit, but it's a great idea and I'm a bit embarrassed that I hadn't thought of it before.

"The Necklace" was this unit's first short story and I felt like it went really well. If you haven't read it, add a bit of "class" to your life and spend five minutes reading it online for free. But in case you refuse to leave my presence — a synopsis:

"The Necklace" follows Madame Loisel and her husband through a decade of troubles. Monsieur Loisel is a clerk and thus, despite Mme. Loisel's dreams of being rich and fashionable, the pair live comfortably at a clerk's wage. One day M. Loisel brings home an invitation of a big party but Mme. Loisel isn't happy because she lacks an evening gown. So, giving up money for a rifle, M. Loisel gives his wife money for the dress. Weeks pass and Mme. Loisel is still unhappy because she doesn't have a piece of jewelry to wear with the nice dress. M. Loisel suggests she ask a more wealthy friend to loan her a nice piece of jewelry.

The night of the party comes and Mme. Loisel dances with everyone including the prestigious Minister of Education (if you are teaching this short story, make sure to tell your students that Minister doesn't imply priest — we really struggled with this so I had to bring up The Minister of Magic in order for it to make sense) while her husband, who must work the next morning, sleeps in an arm chair. By four in the morning the party subsides and couple return home only to find out that the priceless diamond necklace that Mme. borrowed is missing! M. Loisel offers to retrace their steps in search for the necklace while Mme. Loisel sits at home and worries — again, he must go to work at 10am.

A week passes and the couple take steps to replace the expensive necklace. M. Loisel borrows 36,000 francs from loan sharks and friends — signing his name without certainty that he can ever pay the money back. Mme. Loisel must do their own dishes and laundry by releasing the servant girl from their home. They also move into a smaller home and life basically sucks for ten years.

Ten years pass and the money has all been paid back and Mme. is so proud of herself that she finally tells her friend that she had lost the original necklace and had to replace it and that she and her husband have spent the last ten years slaving to pay off the loans. The friend is aghast to tell Mme. that the original necklace was made of paste and was only worth 500 francs.

I love a bit of dramatic irony in the morning!

This was a great story to begin our unit with. The students were a bit weary with character names, but once we got past that I think they thoroughly enjoyed discussing this short story (maybe even more than reading it!). The vocabulary words we focused on with this story were facade, prospects, privation, and misogynist. The students are still struggling with facade, so many of them want to say "facading" and "She is facade." But I think the term misogynist was definitely the highlight of this unit.

We spent an entire day discussing whether Guy de Maupassant was a misogynist or not. He did, after all, set Madame Loisel up with all these troubles. Her portrayal was that of a selfish, egotistical, unhappy girl who was dissatisfied with absolutely every attempt to make her happy by her husband. The other side, of course, is that is her portrayal an unfair one or simply honest? With this side we talked about Prom and the fact that with prom most students (not all) buy a new expensive dress every year and with the dress, jewelery, hair, nails, shoes, limos and all of the other "necessities" ensue. So is the portrayal of Madame misogynistically unfair or an honest portrayal of women?

"The Necklace" and the discussion that followed added a depth to my class that I was unprepared for and I highly suggest reading it. You'd assume it is out of date, but I guess the question is: has society really changed as much as we think it has?

To the FTC, with love: Class Read