February 12, 2009 by samantha.

On Monday I visited my local CostCo to stock up on some supplies. I am sure it is no surprise to learn that my favorite aisle is the books. I slowly go up and down the aisle, looking for my next read. It just so happened that there was a whole bunch of Jodi Picoult books there and we all know how much I love a Jodi Picoult book! I was checking the books to make sure that I had them all and I still bought one that I had already read! Anyway, a lady asked me if I had ever read a Jodi Picoult book and I immediately picked up My Sister’s Keeper. I told her that she could not be disappointed! She was happy with her book and told me that I had to read Sundays At Tiffany’s.

I have read many books by James Patterson. I love his Alex Cross series and Women’s Murder Club series. James Patterson writes a great mystery that always has the read on the edge of his or her seat. I was a bit hesitant to read Sundays at Tiffany’s. It is a whole different genre for the author and the story sounds absolutely ridiculous. But I have to say that I loved the book. I had a hard time putting it down. The story is about Jane and she longs to have her childhood imaginary friend, Michael, back in her life. By chance, Jane and Michael cross paths. The story is beautifully told and made me believe that James Patterson can write a novel that does not involve a common mystery.

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February 10, 2009 by samantha.

Last night, I stayed up late to finish reading Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. I was not to excited about this book at first, but it came so highly recommended that I felt I had to give it a try. It is by far one of the funniest books that I have read in a long time. I caught myself laughing out loud. The book takes place in London and it gave me a chance to catch up on my British slang. The book is just as silly and ridiculous looking as the movie. It was a nice change of pace from the previous book I read. I do have to confess that I think Sophia Kinsella is a new favorite author of mine. I am sure that I will be seeing the movie and comparing the two. I would not be surprised that I will probably like the book more than the movie and I am sure that I will let you know!

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February 7, 2009 by samantha.

About two years ago, I read My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult and I quickly fell in love with the author. Her books are thought provoking while being a page turner. Jodi Picoult never picks a light, easy topic. But she has a way of making the reader relate to each character. Change of Heart was no different. It is the story of a man on death row for killing a young girl and her father. The prisoner wants to give his heart to the the murdered girl’s sister, who is in desperate need of one. Of course the request is declined. In come an ACLU lawyer and a Catholic priest that are fighting for the prisoner’s rights. Like I said, Jodi Picoult never picks a warm and fuzzy topic. As I read I felt like I knew the characters and I could feel their pain. I was rooting for the prisoner, but at the same time I was rooting for the family of the murdered victims. It made me think about my views of the death penalty. It got me thinking of my own religious beliefs. As I read the book, I found myself crying and laughing. I could not find a character I disliked. And as depressing of a topic as the death penalty is, I did not end the book feeling deflated. I was eager to read more. I wanted to know what happened to the all characters a year after the book ended.

If you have not read a book by Jodi Picoult, you must do so! You will not be disappointed.

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January 2, 2009 by samantha.

As the second day of the new year comes to an end, I am happy to report that I have no complaints. Things are going well and hopefully it is a sign.

Yesterday, I went couch shopping. I am a great window shopper. I can window shop all day long and never spend a dime! But I think it is time to get some new couches. Since no one is buying furniture, I can get a couch, loveseat, coffee table, and end tables for a steal. And since mom and dad are still visiting, they can be here for the delivery. I think I should go back and look at the couch again tomorrow.

I did buy some much-needed bookshelves yesterday. I am anxiously awaiting them to be delivered. Again, mom will be here for the delivery. Parents can come in handy! Right now I have piles of books all over the house. There is no rhyme or reason to the piles either. In other words, organized me has my beloved books in stacks of disarray! On Tuesday, they will finally have a designated home. I am already organizing my books, on my new bookshelves, in my head.

Today was a big day for Val. She went to the vet and had her teeth cleaned. I am happy to report that she had no cavities and had to have no teeth extracted. Currently, she is asleep on her throne, gums a little sore, and trying to forget the necessary torture she had to endure. Thankfully, she will not have to go through the experience again for a year or two.

While Val was at the vet, I took my mom to get a pedicure. Both us were overdo for one and enjoy the experience very much. I now have beautiful hot pink toes. Aren’t you glad to know that? We ran a couple more errands before rescuing Val.

Today I also finished my first book of 2009.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World was as hokey as it sounds. And I loved every minute of it. The book is about Dewey’s life as a library cat in a small Iowa town. It chronicles how he touched people and helped a town weather it’s hard times. It is not a book for everyone. It is sappy as can be, but I found it an enjoyable read.

Posted in House, Holidays, Val, Family, Books, Rants | 1 Comment »

October 26, 2008 by samantha.

I just have to start this post by saying I had a great time this weekend! As you may or may not know, I am a site rep at my school for the local teacher’s union. Since I am a new rep, I had to attend a training conference so that I was educated for any case that may come my way.

Since the conference was held in Anaheim and it did not start until 6pm, it seemed only natural that I skip school on Friday and go to Disneyland. I was excited to see the park decorated for Halloween. It never fails to amaze me the job that Disney does with its decorating. They take holidays seriously!

Saturday was filled with classes that I found very enjoyable and informative. The trainers were excellent and really knew their stuff. It was nice to know that most of them were former teachers and site reps. I always find it frustrating when someone who has no idea of what I go through on a daily basis, tries to train me.

Saturday was party night. We all went out for dinner and had a fantastic time. It was nice to get to sit down with our board members. We picked their brains and get to know them. And did we ever live it up. I was out way past my bedtime and could have cared less.

Sunday was all about one thing. Getting through the final class, eating brunch, and getting home! Then again, the highlight of my weekend happened on Sunday. I won, not one, but two Barnes and Noble gift cards! I am so excited! So since I am playing hooky again tomorrow, I think I will spend my day at the bookstore! What a great way to spend a day!

Posted in School, California, Weekends, Travels, Books | No Comments »

October 7, 2008 by samantha.

As I mentioned before, I raided the school library so that I could catch up on my teenybopper literature. Yes, I still like to read from the “young adult” genre every once in a while. Call me immature if you want. It would not be the first time!

I have been a fan of the Traveling Pants series since the first book was given to me as a gift. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood is the final book. I am happy to say that it did not disappoint. The series follows four girls and how their lives evolve, as they grow apart. The one thing they hope will keep them together is the infamous pants that started it all. I would not say that Ann Brashares is a great novelist, but she writes a fun and easy book to read.

I find it ironic that I found a new favorite quote in a book like this.

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
-Greta Randolph-

As much as I agree with it, it is hard to follow it sometimes.

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October 5, 2008 by samantha.

We had rain this weekend! Yippee! It was the first rain of the season. It did not rain long or very hard, but it was enough to wash away a majority of the dust and let the plants sparkle.

Saturday was Tamale Day. I went over to a friend’s house and worked on the assembly line to help make tamales. It was a lot of fun. We snacked all day long and had a fantastic time. Usually, Tamale Day is a family thing. But her mom and no problem assigning jobs and letting us know if we did something wrong. We made three types of tamales: a green, a red, and a sweet. Each one is just as good as the previous. I cannot wait until next year’s Tamale Day!!!

The big claim to fame of the week was that I finished my book. I was happy that A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini was just as good as his first book.

It is the story of two women and how their lives involved in Afghanistan. What I like about Hosseini’s books is that they are a history lesson as well as a novel. Even though the author is man, he was able to capture the women’s thoughts and feelings.

Since I needed a new book to read that was light and easy, I raided my school’s library. I checked out three books and I am having a hard time staying up so that I can read. I have been falling sleep earlier and earlier each night. Of course, that means I am getting up earlier than normal. Is that a bad thing?

Posted in Friends, California, Weekends, Books, Rants | 1 Comment »

September 28, 2008 by samantha.

This week is National Banned Book week. I am sure we all know where I stand on the matter. I will say that the list has introduced me to some of the best books I have read. As a matter of fact, my two favorite books, To Kill A Mockingbird and The Giver are both on the list. When I was in school it was my goal to read every book on the list. I even went as far to get a copy of it and cross out those books I had read. Unfortunately, life has gotten in the way as well as a million other books to add to my “Must Read” list. But in honor of the week, events across the country, are being held to make people aware that books are still being banned in the twenty-second century for ridiculous reasons. But what do we expect? We live in a country were art is still being censored.

I guess I did a poor job of not sharing my opinions. Did you expect me too? Want my opinions on the $700 billion bailout? Iraq? Bush? McCain? Palin? Obama? Dogs wearing clothes?

Anyway, why is banning books so high on people’s lists? Isn’t there more important things to do? Is banning a book really going to change anything? I probably wouldn’t have known about half the books that I have read if it was not for the list. The Banned Book list made me want to read more books. I wanted to see for myself why certain books were banned. What was so horrible about them? Are you telling me the The Catcher in the Rye is worse than most horror movies?

Or maybe we do not want people thinking for themselves! That would be horrible! Should we do what we are told to do? Is thinking of ourselves such a terrible thing? Shouldn’t an adult be able to decide if a book is acceptable to read or not? I could go on and on. Already I playing devil’s advocate in my head. I can hear the arguments.

Still, what is so wrong with the Harry Potter series, The Color Purple, and Fahrenheit 451, to name a few?

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September 11, 2008 by samantha.

A few months ago, while I was in Starbucks, I discovered Garth Stein’s latest novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain. I read the back of the book and knew that I had to read it. I did not buy it then, but it kept popping up in various stories, reminding me that I wanted to read it. Then, a a couple of weeks ago, I found the book on a bookshelf at school. I was so excited to find it that I quickly scooped it up. I could not wait to start reading it.

Well, I am so happy that I did read it. A book has never made me cry so much, yet I could not put it down. I limited myself to fifty pages a night and had a hard time stopping. The book is narrated by Enzo, the family dog. Through his eyes, we see a family’s highs and lows and how he tried to keep them all together. The story was predictable, but I did not care. I did not want the book to end. I savored the last pages and ended the book wanting more.

As I said earlier, I cried nightly as I read the book. Thankfully I had Val to get me through it. Every night she would hear me crying. She would jump on my bed and put her chin on my chest I would tell her what was going on in the book and I was so excited to have someone (or something) to talk about the book with.

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September 6, 2008 by samantha.

When will I learn that 9 out of 10 trainings are boring? This morning I went to a voluntary training that my district was offering. I had high hopes for it. I was hoping to learn about a program that we are using at school. It was about as fun and informative as going to the dentist. Actually, the dentist is a lot more fun. Thank goodness I did not have to get up early to be there.

The high point of the past few days is that I finished reading The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond. My mom recommended the book to me. She raved about how great it was and how she could not put it down. Unfortunately I did not have the exact same problem. I had no problem putting the book down, but I had to keep reading it to see what happened. The story follows Abby and the search for her fiancée’s kidnapped daughter, Emma. I cannot explain what I did not like about the book. It was slow at times and I had a hard time liking Jake, Emma’s dad. Then again, I wanted to keep reading it. I had to know what happened to Emma. I had my suspects of who kidnapped her, but still I was surprised by the twist at the end. It was interesting and I was familiar with some of the locations that it made the book a little more enjoyable to read.

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