moya

I love, love, love this furry girl! :) 

Thought I would share a photo of her after our nap earlier. She's such a wonderful dog.

gathering blue review

About the book, taken from Goodreads: 

In her strongest work to date, Lois Lowry once again creates a mysterious but plausible future world. It is a society ruled by savagery and deceit that shuns and discards the weak. Left orphaned and physically flawed, young Kira faces a frightening, uncertain future. Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, she struggles with ever broadening responsibilities in her quest for truth, discovering things that will change her life forever.
As she did in The Giver, Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become, and what will be considered valuable. Every reader will be taken by Kira's plight and will long ponder her haunting world and the hope for the future.

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This novel is a companion to an earlier novel written by Lois Lowry called The Giver.

The story centers around Kira, who is left orphaned after her mother dies. Kira was born with a deformed, twisted leg. However, she has the gift of being able to use threads to create amazing and beautifully embroidered pieces.

After her mother's death Kira is called before the council, and charged by a woman in her village of being useless and worthless. If found guilty Kira would be left for dead.
The council, who have heard that Kira has a gift decides to spare her life if she will agree to sew the damaged robe used for her village's Gathering.
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Lois Lowry weaves a story that is beautiful and heartbreaking. The reader is drawn into Kira's world in such a way that it resonates with you for a while after you've read the last page.

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

my girl & i

My girl & I. Our faces look funny. Moya's licking her nose, lol.

Top 10 Favorite Movies That Are Also Books

10. Sense and Sensibility
(Jane Austen)

9. Angela's Ashes
(Frank McCourt)

8. The Great Gatsby (1974 version)
(F. Scott Fitzgerald)

7. The Duchess
(Amanda Foreman)

6. The Other Boleyn Girl
(Philippa Gregory)

5. The Help
(Kathryn Stockett)

4. Wuthering Heights
(Emily Bronte)

3. Marie Antoinette
(called Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser)

2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
(J.R.R. Tolkien)

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
(JK Rowling)

Book Haul

Today I picked up three new books:

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry is a companion novel to The Giver. I read The Giver when I was a junior in high school. It was required reading, but I found that it really resonated with me. I've already started to read Gathering Blue, and it seems like it is going to be such an amazing read. 

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare is the second book in the Infernal Devices trilogy. I just finished the first, Clockwork Angel. It was incredible, so I couldn't help myself when I saw the second. I like to give myself a bit of time before reading the next book in a trilogy series, so I've decided to read this one after Gathering Blue (if I can stay committed to that because it's difficult to not want to devour it). I recently did a review of Clockwork Angel on this blog.

I also picked up from Aiden a copy of a book that helps you learn Esperanto. Esperanto is an international language that is spoken by approximately 2 million people. It's an easier language to learn than most. I've studied French and will again, so I think that this will be helpful in learning another language. 

What have you picked up recently?

What I'm Reading

Recently I picked up a copy of "Clockwork Angel" by Cassandra Clare. It is the first book in the Infernal Devices trilogy.
I adore watching book review vlogs or vlogs from readers in general. I found a video on Youtube from a vlogger who was showcasing her bookshelves and giving a brief description of each book. Clockwork Angel was one of those books. It looked insanely interesting to me.

From Amazon:

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all. 

This book is truly magical.
The setting, plot, & characters are fantastic. I've fallen in love with Tessa & Jem, & have found myself in a love/hate relationship with Will (mind you I've a little over 50 pages before I finish it).
I have a feeling that this trilogy is going to be one of my favorites.


edit: Finished the book this evening. I absolutely loved it! I'm still a little iffy about Will. I know that so much more is going on with him than meets the eye. This book is a must read!

I'm a bad blogger

It's truly been ages since I've written.

This was in part due to finals, wrist surgery (I had very little use of my hand for a while), & other day to day busyness. 

This coming Wednesday I'm having my hard cast removed from my arm, & I'm very happy about that! I can't wait to get back into crafting, painting, & sketching! My etsy store really needs the inventory, so hopefully I'll be able to make some really lovely things to sell very soon. I honestly can't wait to have a my hands occupied by sewing needles, paint brushes, pencils, crochet hooks, etc. I'm ready to jump back in.

I've been reading quite a bit. I absolutely adore mysteries. I'm currently reading the new Rhys Bowen book in the Royal Spyness series. It's called "The Twelve Clues of Christmas". It's such a fun series to read.
I'm also reading "Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin. It's the second book in the "Game of Thrones series that is so popular. It's also a really amazing series. Such an epic fantasy!

As of lately life has been intense. Maybe it was due to the super moon, or maybe that's just how things happen from time to time.