To all the beautiful and strong women out there…Happy Mother’s Day! We appreciate all that you do for us. You are always so kind and loving, and know exactly what to say. To my own mom…once again, thank you for all that you do. I love you so much! 💕 Have a great rest of your day, everyone, with the women who make your life special! Be on the lookout for a new read coming your way on May 15th! Cheerio!
Hey guys! Can you believe April is almost over? Crazy to think about right? I just wanted to post a little something about books to pick up your day and mine.
Books are an escape, something we can go to in times of need. Whenever I sit down to read, I’m able to take a deep breath and truly breathe. I love stories that make me cry, laugh, gasp, scream and love all at the same time. So I encourage you: for May, make a goal for yourself just to sit down and read once a day. Doesn’t matter what, for how long, or anything like that, just sit down and read. A lot of terrible stuff is going on in the world right now (if you look at the news, it’s super easy to get depressed) so I encourage you to escape in a book. Forget about all your problems and forget about the world for 10 minutes. I can promise you that you will so much more relaxed (unless you read a Stephen King book 😝) and it will really pick your day up.
Remember these words of wisdom for this week and face whatever comes your way with a book. Now, I will leave y’all with a poem I absolutely love. I will talk to everyone soon (because is almost May 1st!!) and have a great rest of your week!
-your fellow book lover
I Opened a Book
by Julia Donaldson
I opened a book and in I strode,
now no one can find me.
I left my chair, my house, my road,
my town and my world behind me.
I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring
I’ve swallowed the magic potion.
I fought with a dragon, dined with a king,
and dived in a bottomless ocean.
I opened a book and made some friends,
I’ve shared their tears and laughter.
And followed the road with its bumps and bends
to the happily ever after.
I finished my book and out I came
the cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
but I have a book inside me.
Happy reading!!! ❤️📚
To my dear readers,
Happy Easter! Have a great day celebrating this blessing-filled day and spend some great quality time with your family!
-your fellow book lover
The Glass Sentence; written by S.E. Grove
Summary
It’s called the Great Disruption; a split second when the whole world is shoved into chaos. Each continent is split up and thrown into different Ages, or times, either in the future or the past. Now, since these Ages are either so behind or so advanced, they cannot contact one another. Because of this, mapmaking is now the most important job in the world. The main character in this story is Sophia Tims of New Occident, Boston. After her parents disappeared 8 years ago, answering a desperate plea for help, Sophia lives with her famous cartographer uncle, Shadrack Elli. Famous for both reading and making difficult maps, Shadrack is one of the most famous and skilled cartographers in Boston. When it is announced that the borders of New Occident are to be closed, Shadrack starts to teach Sophia how to read maps so they can go look for Bronson and Minna, Sophia’s parents. Suddenly, Shadrack is kidnapped, and Sophia is alone. All he leaves her is a glass map (which turns out to be very valuable) and instructions to go to one of his most trusted friends in a place far from Boston. Together with Theo, a boy refugee from the West, Sophia adventures on both sea and land to try to rescue her uncle, along with friends she meets along the way. Will Sophia be able to save Shadrack and protect the valuable map he has put in her care?
My review
This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Right away, it started off intense, which I why I adored it so much. Ms. Grove did a fantastic job of piecing the clues together throughout the whole book. Unexpected twists and turns regularly occurred. The quote, “expect the unexpected,” is perfect for this story.
Recommended reading age
I would recommend this book for 11 years and up. The Glass Sentence was not a hard read, but I had to read some of the clues and hints a couple times to fully grasp their meaning. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes being surprised and lots of adventure. This book was like a giant puzzle that was very fun to figure out.
Conclusion
The Glass Sentence truly was a unique story. It took me very limited time to finish this book because it was such a page turner and I couldn’t put it down. The Glass Sentence is the first book of a three book series, the other two titles being The Golden Specific and The Crimson Skew. I personally wasn’t as intrigued by the second and third books and did not end up finishing the series. Below are the links to purchase the books on Amazon and the link to learn more about the author. If you have any suggestions for books or for my blog, feel free to comment below. Thanks so much for checking out my post! Happy Reading everyone!
Hannah’s Grade: 8 stars out of 10
Links
Link to buy the book on Amazon here
Link to learn more about Ms. S.E. Grove here
A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt
A Solitary Blue is eye-opening book about a boy named Jeff Greene. The book starts with Jeff being a second grader, but focuses on Jeff as he grows up into a young man. Jeff has a challenging relashionship with his mother, Melody, and his father, the Professor throughout the story. His parents are divorced and Jeff lives with his father, so he doesn’t get to see his mother very much. But that all changes when one summer she invites him to come stay with her. Jeff, having always been quiet and someone who doesn’t care, starts to come out of his shell with his mother. But that turns out to be a mistake, and now Jeff can’t feel anything other than the pain. Read this book to find out more.
My Review
I absolutely love this book! If someone was to ask me for a book recommendation, this would definitely be on the top of my list. However, this book requires a certain type of reader. I recommended this to one of my close friends and she didn’t like it. If you love books with character development, drama, and a little touch of humor, this book is definitely for you. Little warning, this book does start off a little slow, but keep persevering and you will look back on it fondly.
Recommended Age
I would recommend this book for 11 and up because it’s not a hard read but its not an easy one either. It is, as you can see, a Newberry Honor book. Its 250 pages, so not tediously long. I read this book when I was 11, which was the perfect age for me to read it.
Conclusion
A Solitary Blue is absolutely one of my all-time favorites. I loved how Jeff was able to discover himself through solitude. Being more of an introvert myself, meaning I recharge better alone, I can definitely appreciate his experience. The two link below are for buying the book on Amazon and the other one is more information on the Cynthia Voigt. If you have any questions or comments about this book, definitely share them below! If youhave any positive feedback, book suggestions or anything else that would help me develop my blog, I would so appreciate it! Thank you everyone! Happy reading!
Hannah’s Grade: 8.5 stars out of 10.
Links
Find on Amazon here.
More about Cynthia Voigt here
Pay it Forward: the Young Reader’s edition by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Summary
When your teacher gives you an assignment to change the world for the better, it can be difficult to imagine how one person can make a difference. But Trevor McKinney, a small boy in California, comes up with an idea that could work. Do a favor for someone, a really big one, and instead of asking them to pay it back, ask them to pay it forward to three other people. Trevor starts to put his plan into action. It doesn’t seem to be working, until one day, unexplained reports of kindness start to pop up everywhere. And no one can explain how it started. Read the book to read more about Trevor and his ambition to make the world a better place.
My review
I absolutely loved this book! It was such a heart-warming, lift-you-up book that I could not put down. I love how Trevor, Arlene and Mr. St. Claire went through many trials together and came out victorious. Not everyone was supportive of Trevor’s movement. In fact, many kids scoffed at the idea. This goes to show that if you believe in something with all your heart, your dreams could come true. The Pay it Forward Foundation is real, founded by the author of this book, Catherine. The foundation inspires extraordinary random acts of kindness throughout the world each day. Use the link belwo to learn more about their cause.
Recommended Reading Age
I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up because of the overall concept. While light, the concept would need a more mature mind to create an impact in. I do believe that, like in the book, these acts of kindness could some day be a regular occurrence.
Conclusion
Pay it Forward is a inspiring book that makes you laugh, cry and smile all at the same time. I loved this book because of the determination of the characters, who all wanted to succeed in life badly. Thanks for reading everyone! If you would like to buys this book on Amazon, the link is attached below. If you would like to learn more about the Pay it Forward Foundation, the link is also attached below. Like I said before, please give me any positive feedback on my blog, any book suggestions that I should check out and please share this blog with anyone who you would think might like it! Thank you all so much! Happy reading!
Hannah’s Grade: 9 stars out of 10
Links:
Link to buys this book on Amazon here
Link to learn more about the Pay It Forward Foundation here
