perspective

I read a book yesterday, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. No, I wasn't home sick, but my evening was free...and I had even exercised and run errands after school. It was an well written story, but I don't know if I would recommend it. The story revolves around the life of Amir, a young Afghan. It sure does bring a unique perspective to read about people so different than me living a life I cannot quite imagine. It made me feel that people that don't read miss out because reading is a great way to broaden your perspective of life and the world. What do you think? And have you ever read The Kite Runner? I am rather certain the movie would be difficult to watch and have no plans to do so.

Dog Loves Books

Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates is a great picture book. If you have a child who loves books, or you love books, you will enjoy this story. Dog loves books so much he decides to open his own bookstore. He reads so much that he can recommend books to others when they want to know what to read. This is a brief story without a lot of words, so it is a read aloud that would work for preschool children and elementary aged children as well. Have you read any good children's books lately?

places I went this summer

This summer I was able to go to a half dozen places that I have never been before. They are...
1. Amana Colonies in Iowa
2. Herbert Hoover birthplace in West Branch, Iowa
3. Laura Ingalls Wilder place in Burr Oak, Iowa
4. Toronto, Canada
5. Niagara Falls
6. Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio to watch a Indians-Twins game

My favorite was Niagara Falls...we took a ride on the Maid of the Mist and got quite close to the waterfall, which was amazing. The waterfall doesn't seem that impressive until you get really close. But all the places were fun to visit and I would probably go back to all of them, except maybe the Laura Ingalls Wilder place in Iowa. It was smaller and less developed than some of the other Ingalls places I have been to.
Where did you go this summer?

boy quilt

I made this quilt last week for my newest nephew. My quilting fanatic sister quilted it for me, which made it possible for me to complete it in four days. I have never finished a quilt in such a short time, but deadlines (summer almost being over and the baby being here already) sure have a way of making me get things get done.

looking for a good book

Anyone read any really good books lately? I am looking for some books to bring for the choices for our next book club meeting. We read lots of novels, but nonfiction that is easy reading isn't out of the question. I am even just looking for books for me to read...seems like lately I haven't come across anything too interesting.

Renee Riva

This is a trilogy of books by Renee Riva. I am not sure how I came across them, but the three were definitely worth reading and may be books that I will reread some day. This set of books follows the growing up years of AJ. She comes from a Catholic Italian family-one older sister, several brothers and her parents, and an extended family that includes grandmothers that don't get along. The first story is of AJ and her dog Sailor. She and her family live on an island in the summer taking care of things.

Taking Tuscany occurs several years later, where AJ is living in Tuscany, Italy with her family. She doesn't feel like she fits in and longs to be back in the States. AJ becomes friends with several nuns, another classmate, and realizes her extended family isn't all that she expects. This is the one I probably enjoyed the most.

In Heading Home, AJ is 18 years old and returns to the US. Danny, her island friend, is still there. This book has lots of ups and downs and continues the story of AJ growing up.

Riva does a great job at making her characters seem real. There are parts that made me laugh in each book, partly because of the absurdity of the characters behaviors, but also because I can imagine people actually doing some of the things that the characters did. These books are something that I would recommend for anyone that is middle school age or older. If you grew up Catholic or loved having pets as a child, you would enjoy these books.