You Were Made to Make a Difference.

Max Lucado collaborated with his daughter Jenna Lucado Bishop in this book for teens. It gives easy, practical tips of ways that you can serve God and your community. I enjoyed how easy this book is to understand, and yet it’s packed with great truths. It displays stories of teens who made a difference, who realized that God created them to do more in their lives than what immediately benefits them.  You Were Made to Make a Difference is enjoyable and clear, full of inspiring stories of young people who rose beyond negative stereotypes and did something to help someone else.

One of my favorite chapters was chapter five: Unplug and Tune In. It talked about how our generation is dulled by technology and media, rarely taking the time to “unplug the headphones,” and see the need around them.

I think that the ideas in this book are vital for teens who need to step out of their comfort zone and make a difference for someone who can’t do it on their own. Max Lucado and Jenna Bishop did a fabulous job of making this relevant for teenagers.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who has read and enjoyed books like Do Hard Things and Start Here by Alex & Brett Harris. My rating? Four stars. Great job, Max and Jenna.

(thanks so much, Booksneeze, for providing this book free of charge.)

Rematch

I finished book number two (Rematch) of the "Miss Match" series by Erynn Mangum. I loved it! I'll admit, It was fairly predictable, like most romance novels, but the characters made me laugh and made the book in itself, very enjoyable. Laurie has done it again! She matched up another pair of her friends. It's hilarious to see her not care what other people in the story think about her or what she does. I don't want to say too much more, for fear that I'll give the story line away. One more to go!
Keep reading!

~Ali~

"Miss Match"

I finished this book in three days, which means something-this book was great! "Miss Match" is a character in the book named Lauren Holbrook. She's very witty, vertically challenged, caffeine addicted, and hilarious. Though this book is "romantic" per say, it's absolutely one of the most funny books I have EVER read. It could just be because I can relate the main girl more then normal, or the fact that I'm a hopeful romantic, who knows? The book doesn't go to deep into the feelings involved with romance, but it has to do with Lauren not wanting to be married. She struggled with the idea throughout the whole book, and by the end isn't completely sure she wants to be married yet. I don't want to tell you to much more without running the book! The bummer-this book has two more in its series... I only have the first one.
But the other two on on there way!
I completely recommend this book, if you're in for light-hearted lovable story, with bunches of laughs.
Comment on this post or on my blog if you end up reading it, if you'd like :)

~Ali~

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The story of a beautiful young man who becomes obsessed with his own beauty. When he sees a life-sized painting of himself, he declares that he wished the painting would show all signs of age and sins, and he remains young.

This book was hard to put down. You wanted to find out what happened to Dorian in the end and if he ended up destroying the picture. Dorian was a fascinating character. Talk about a real case of Narcissism. I think, that, even at the beginning of the book I distrusted him, and he seemed shallow. Not shallow like his character was written shallowly, but he, Dorian, didn't have a very deep grasp of life.

Oscar Wilde is (was? I think he's dead) really a good writer. I laughed the whole time I was reading the Importance of Being Earnest. Even though the Picture of Dorian Gray is very different, Lord Henry really reminded me of Algernon.*

I enjoyed it, and I was happy with the ending, it really made me think. You should read this book!



*Algernon is one of the main characters in the Importance of Being Earnest. Read this play. It is so funny. (funny, like, dry English wit.)

lemony snicket, the hobbit, l.m. montgomery, and c.s. lewis

I miss my books.*

I just added a few pages of Lemony Snicket to my quote page, and now I'm seriously considering naming one of my children Lemony.** That guy is so clever, I love reading him.

I miss the Hobbit.*** I have for weeks. Even before I left I kept thinking about how I needed to read the Hobbit and how much I missed Frodo&Company, but I just never read it. And now I have to wait till August. :(

L.M Montgomery has been towards the front of my mind, especially the Emily books. There are few writers as quotable as she is.

And last but not least, I'm hungering after Narnia. Narnia is one of my favorite places ever, and I really want to go there. Wouldn't it be amazing to be able to travel into books, like the Magic Treehouse? I would sooo buy that treehouse, any day.

If I can just wait until August for my books...

*truly, this isn't a book review, but I promise to review all these books when I get home and can read them. :)
**after Bilbo, Lucy, and Peter, of course...not to mention Anne Shirley, Caspian, and Frodo...
***ever since I watched the Lord of the Rings movies I've wanted to visit/live in New Zealand.

The Great Good Thing

When I was younger somehow I ended up with a book by Roderick Townley. I don't even remember where I got it, but I read it over and over. It's the story a girl named Sylvie who lives in a story. It really appealed to me because I was always the girl with her nose in a book and it was interesting to see the relationship the reader ended up having with Sylvie. I've never thought about books and the characters in books the way they are in the Great Good Thing. The plot of the book that Sylvie lives in is very cliche, but the rest of the book is really original. I loved how Sylvie ended up saving her book and getting it re-written. I always thought it was a great book, and it's one of my childhood favorites. And, there's a sequel! This is a great book to read to little kids with big imaginations, because they'd get it, and likely, they'd never think about the books they read the same way.

Saints in Limbo

"Saints in Limbo" by River Jordan.
I read this book a few weeks back because the cover looked intriguing. As soon as I read the first chapter, I realized River Jordan, was 3 things.
1) a very descriptive author
2) a person who liked out of "the norm" things
3) someone with a very majestic name
None the less, this book is a rather strange fiction novel. I'm not sure if I would really push the reading of this book. Yes, it is very well written, and kind of quirky, but it is also very strange. Here let me say this-they find a magical rock that can take a person back in time, and someone is trying to steal that magical rock. Sounds like it could make you laugh, but this book doesn't really have any humor in it, sadly.

The reason you would read this book, River Jordan develops the characters very well, also the story line has a good twist in it, and the book just in itself it written in the way that make you feel as if you have an emotional attachment to the characters. Plus, River Jordan is possibly the coolest name ever, seriously...I'm not kidding.

Reasons you shouldn't read this book, it's a little boring and strange. Also, there isn't any "life lesson" learned.
In conclusion, if you want to waste some time because you're bored...read "Saints in Limbo"
~Ali~