Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

One of the best books I've read in a while... 

Amazon's Editorial Review:

It's almost the end of Miranda's sophomore year in high school, and her journal reflects the busy life of a typical teenager: conversations with friends, fights with mom, and fervent hopes for a driver's license. When Miranda first begins hearing the reports of a meteor on a collision course with the moon, it hardly seems worth a mention in her diary. But after the meteor hits, pushing the moon off its axis and causing worldwide earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, all the things Miranda used to take for granted begin to disappear. Food and gas shortages, along with extreme weather changes, come to her small Pennsylvania town; and Miranda's voice is by turns petulant, angry, and finally resigned, as her family is forced to make tough choices while they consider their increasingly limited options. Yet even as suspicious neighbors stockpile food in anticipation of a looming winter without heat or electricity, Miranda knows that that her future is still hers to decide even if life as she knew it is over.

*My Review* About a week ago, I was walking to English class and I realized I'd forgotten to bring a book to read for independent reading. My friend Lauren was walking with me to another class, so I asked her if she had a book I could borrow for the period. She handed me Life As We Knew It, and I was thankful I wouldn't get a zero for class participation that day.

I began to read the book in class that day, and I was amazed at how Miranda's journal entries captured my attention. I was so into it, that when my English teacher told us to stop reading, the period was over, I looked up from the pages and thought, 'Hey, the electricity came back on!' For the next couple days, I would "forget" to bring a book and I would borrow Lauren's. Finally, I got a copy of the book from the library (even though I was already halfway done), and finished it in about a day.

I really enjoyed how Susan Beth Pfeffer wrote Miranda's journal entries. There's just something about her writing that makes me read nonstop and relate to the characters easily. I could picture them vividly, from Matt's (Miranda's older brother) muscular arms, to the cozy sunroom in their house. I was almost sad when I finished the book because the story was over, and I was looking forward to more journal entries. 

So before picking up The Dead & The Gone, (which is very good so far), I vowed to start and keep my own journal :) 

The journal is the thing I look forward to most on my Christmas list now...

Going Green!

As I slept I had this notion

That going green was our devotion

A world where global warming was no longer

And the power of recycling became stronger

So when I woke and prepared for my shower

I told myself, only ten minutes, not 15, nor ½ an hour

And as I brushed my teeth with care

I turned off the water, for some to spare

I contemplated if I should drive or bike to school

I decided on biking, for part of pollution comes from fuel

I waved to a mother and her baby daughter

And wondered if in some time, if they'd be wading in water

I thought to myself, about the things that we could do

To make our world's existence utterly new

I came up with new green actions

That just might start chain reactions...

Recycle paper no matter what you do

Items recycled can be made into something new

Reuse bags when you go to the store

These are tips you cannot ignore

Follow these rules and you will be okay

Trust me, your grandchildren will thank you someday

Just think of everything that you will save

And all the help to our world you gave!

I "recycled" some stanzas from my previous poem, Mother Earth. By the way, Happy Halloween!! Mine was great. Even though everyone's costumes are getting more simple as they grow older. I was a dead/goth ballerina. How was your Halloween?

I Found A New Blog!

I've been looking for some YA blogs lately and I came across Harmony Book Reviews. They're hosting a book giveaway for Sleepless by Terri Clark here. I've read reviews on Sleepless at some other blogs, and it sounds like a book I'd enjoy. Have you read or heard of Sleepless?

Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist

Nick and Norah both live in a world where music is their salvation. Nick is the bassist in a band called The Fuck Offs. Norah is a smart girl who takes care of her friend Caroline who is never sober. Nick is getting over his ex, Tris, who cheated on him. And Norah is getting over her ex, Tal, who basically controlled her life.

One night at a popular club, Nick sees Tris with another guy and wants to make her jealous. Standing next to him is Norah who knows who Nick is, but Nick doesn't know her. "Will you be my girlfriend for five minutes?" Nick asks, and the night goes from there. 5 minutes turn into 7 minutes, which turn into 1 hour, which turns into the rest of the night. They like each other. Even though they started out using one another, a friendship starts to form and turns into something more. The rest of the book takes place over the one night that they meet. Nick and Norah use music to figure out how to get over the past, welcome the future, find themselves, and find each other.

Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist is told in 3rd person. Every other chapter alternates from Nick to Norah. The book would be enjoyable for girls or boys 13 or older. There's the F word in practically every other sentence... either used as an adjective or noun. Haha. And some of the chapters... actually most of the chapters have adult content. Aside from the overused F word, I liked this book. Some parts were extremely hilarious. And I totally got a kick out of one of the bands called Where's Fluffy. Anyway, read this book if you have a love for music or enjoy cute love stories.

Kids These Days

Kids these days need to read more. I was sitting in my reading class the other day and my teacher asked our class to write the last two books we read over the summer on an index card. Some kids had blank looks on their faces so she added, "...and if you didn't read at all over the summer, which I know is a majority of you, write 'none'."

How could kids not read over the summer?! I read 16 books in all. I love books! A lot of people in my grade think reading is boring. But I'm sure if they found a book they'd enjoy, they would read more often. Others say reading is stupid. Mmhmm... riiiight. Most kids who read probably do better in school. What are your thoughts on this subject?

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Most middle school and high school students these days are so wrapped up in fitting in. So what do they do? Well, in my town, I know that most girls have a pair of Uggs, shop at Hollister or Abercrombie, roll their shorts for gym class, and wear eyeliner and mascara, and always are concerned of what others think or make of them.

In Jerry Spinelli's book Stargirl, a new student at Mica High shows her town how to do random acts of kindness for other people. She shows them it's okay stand out. Stargirl walks into school on the first day wearing an off white dress all the way down to her toes, her pet rat perched on her shoulder, and a ukelele in her hands. She leaves everyone speachless after serenading someone with the Happy Birthday Song on her ukelele in the cafeteria. How did she know it was their birthday? Is she some phony the school board sent to liven up the school? Is she real? Everyone is talking about Stargirl. One wise man says she's as real as we get.

The main character, Leo Borlock, falls in love with Stargirl. It turns out she adores him, as well. Soon enough, Stargirl becomes one of the most popular people in school. After doing something that most high schoolers would consider 'weird' or 'un-cool', Stargirl becomes shunned by everyone except Leo. Now everyone is ignoring Leo, too. Throughout the book, Leo is being asked the same question over and over... mostly by himself, "Whose affection does he value most, hers or others?"

After reading Stargirl, I felt inspired to not care what others think anymore. Stargirl is now one of my favorite book characters of all time. This book made me laugh out loud, and cry. Stargirl brings many smart messages in the end.

School Is Here!

Now that school has started up, I probably won't be able to write reviews and read recreationally as much. But I did read a lot of great books over the summer that include:

Violet On The Runway
Violet By Design
Cut
Audrey, Wait!
The Tail of Emily Windsnap
If I Should Die Before I Wake

Coraline
The One Left Behind
Jinx
Twilight (re-read)
New Moon (re-read)
Breaking Dawn
Violet In Private
The Bar Code
The Bar Code Rebellion
Next Year's Model

Some of my favorites out of those books are Audrey, Wait! which I wrote a review to here. I also enjoyed Jinx (read my review here), and Violet In Private... you can read my review for that here. I also really enjoyed the series The Bar Code by Suzzanne Weyn. What was your favorite book that you read over the summer?