It Been A While....

It;s been quite a while since I've written and quite a bit has happened. I went to Washington DC with Invisible Children to get a bill passed to help stop the war in Northern Uganda. And that was great fun. I have pictures up on my Facebook so head over and check it out if you haven't already. But this is a blog about books so I'll save the updates about my life for my other web pages :) I've read quite a few books since I've last written. But the ones that truly stand out are The Language of God and The Name of the Wind.
The Language of God is a great book for those who question whether or not science and faith can live harmoniously together. It was written by the head of The Human Genome Project, Dr. Francis Collins. He does an amazing job of blending science and the bible to prove that both are correct and that one can be a scientist and a believer/follower. Since I've returned to my faith and am a scientist through and through, I always get asked how it's possible for me to be both because they have conflicting ideals and this book explains how each supports the other. A great read for those who are all about either science, God or both like me!

The Name of the Wind is a book that I'm reading currently which is fantastic! I equate it to Harry Potter but for adults (like those who read HP aren't adults). It's about a man named Kvothe who is famous in his world. There are things in his past that have made him famous but, just like in our world, people believe what they want to believe and so his past is a bit blurry. A scribe nicknamed the Chronicler goes to look for Kvothe to find out the true story of his life. The scribe finds Kvothe and makes a deal that Kvothe can't refuse and so the story beings. The story is told in first person as Kovthe is the narrator of his own life. It is written beautifully; full of metaphors. I can't put it down. Its great!

I know I usually only write about books but...

This is a really good cause so I'm writing about it on every one of the outlets I have. but to the left is the cover and name of a book that follows the life of a child soldier.
I couldn't go to bed without writing something about what i just saw. but let me tell you some back story.
I joined a club at school called City Cru, so that I could get help with regaining my trust and faith in God. I picked this club because they were the only Christian club that did community service and volunteering, which I was shocked about. But anyway. At our last meeting on Monday, one of the members informed us about a walk that was going on this upcoming saturday. He decribed what it was about and asked if we wanted to join in. Of course, being the tree hugger that I am, I said I would totally go, anything for a good cause. So, I finally had some time today to do some research and sign up for the event. I could not even have imagined what I was about to see.
Let me tell you what the walk is about. As most people know, The Congo has been in quite a war for the past 20 years. It is considered one of, if not the most, dangerous places in the world. The reason is because of one man, Joseph Kony. This man is the modern day Hitler; he has gained power through fear. The reason this man is feared is because of what he does to the children of Uganda. He abducts them in the middle of the night and makes them become CHILD SOLDIERS! I'm not saying boys of like 17 or 18 years old but of children, some as young as 9 years old. NINE!!! do you remember what you were doing at 9 years of age? I do, I was playing Barbies with my best friend and having sleepovers. I definitely wasn't being abducted, forced to kill people, and burn houses to the ground.
They were dubbed Invisible for a couple reasons. First, is because the way that they are taken; being abducted in the middle of the night from their homes. The children leave no trace of even being there and trace of where they are going. Most of these children are never seen again; their parents not knowing whether they live or die. Its like they never existed, just ghosts from the past. Another reason is that, globally, these children are going unnoticed. These atrocities are happening and nothing is being done about it. There have been peace talks in the past but Kony is not willing to let these children go. One man is doing this, just one man. How can this be?
I sat and watched a video that was made about these children in horror. I could not even breathe for fear of breaking into tears. At some points of the movie, I had to pause it and catch my breathe before I could continue, repeating that I had to finish watching the 30 minute film out of respect for the children in it. I knew that it was bad in Uganda and the Congo but I never really grasped at just how bad it really was. I have even read a book about these child soldiers but wasn't as affected by it as I was with this film. It's true what they say pictures are worth a thousand words. Watching the film made me feel both ignorant and helpless; ignorant because I didn't know that this was so extreme and helpless because it was going on half way around the world and I couldn't do anything to help.
But I am dedicating myself to this walk because it's the only thing i can do, for now. So, this Saturday, April 25th, I am being abducted. With about 2,000 others, I am leaving the comfort of my bed and walking the 3 miles from Hyde street to East Beach (Presidio), leaving behind a picture of my family and myself, representing the family I am leaving behind and being abducted to an faux LRA camp. I am staying the night to bring awareness to the Invisible Children of Uganda. The only way that I can be "rescued" is by a political official coming to the LRA camp and taking notice of the happenings in Uganda.
Now, I'm asking for your help. Please, please, please, join a group in your city. If you can't, make a donation, buy merchandise or send letters to politcal figures. This is something that CAN NOT continue. I have never felt so helpless in my life. I watched the film on the website and couldn't breathe. I will be waking up with puffy eyes from the tears I shed for these child soldiers but my tears will not bring awareness. My voice will have to be enough and I promise these young boys to shout as loud as I can. Let me know if you want more information or you can go to http://www.invisiblechildren.com for more details. Thank you so much for reading this and I hope that my words and tears encourage some of you to stand up for these children who are seemingly INVISIBLE.

The Best Kids Book Ever!

So, I felt like reading something easy, light and breezy. And boy! did i find it! The Name of This Book is Secret is about two kids named Max-Ernest and Cassandra who get entangled with the mysterious death of a magician. Though the magician's death seems like nothing but an awful accident, Cass and Max-Ernest think different. They keep colliding with a couple ,who give the kids, what I like to call, the heebee jeebees! As the story unfolds, it becomes more apparent that this couple might be involved in, not only the death of the magician, but the disappearance of different children in the past.
The great thing about this book is the narrator. The reader has no idea who the narrator is. It is not either of the kids. Plus, the narrator makes it seem like the story actually happened. He always seems to keep some details to him/herself to keep the reader from harm, as if the villans were to actually come and get you!
But it was a great read and just the first book of a series. The second book, which just released, is called If You're Reading This, Its Too Late. And I can't wait to read it. You must check this series out! Until next time...

Two for One

It's been a while since I've had time to write but I have had time to read two books, so I'll give you my review on both of them.
The first is called Girl Meets God. It was a fantastic book about a Orthodox Jewish college student who discovers Christ and becomes a Christian. As most know, there are similarities in these two religions but there is one BIG difference.
This book is a memoir by Lauren Winner and her struggles with telling her old friends that she's converted and keeping her new Christian friends. It also deals with her struggles with humanity, love, friendships and how to blend her old Jewish life with her new Christian one.
It's a great book for everyone looking for a little guidance in all things religious. I would also say that it's educational because the author talks about both Jewish and Christian traditions. GREAT BOOK!


The second book that I've read is The Reader by Bernard Schlink. Though it was a well written book with a interesting plot, I felt a little let down about "the secret" that the main character, Hanna, was carrying. It was kind of ironic because it was in a book and you have to know how to do something to be able to read (if you've read the book, you might understand this comment). But I thought that it was going to be this crazy, chaotic secret that is life shattering; it was very anti-climactic. But I do recommend reading it. The only other problem that I had was because they made a movie of it and then I read it, I could only imagine Kate Winslet as Hanna but I guess that's my own fault. I am excited to see the movie now and see what they did with the book and its "secret".

One of the Best Reads Ever!

I know it's been a while since I've put up a new book. I apologize for that; school has been quite the time hog but in between homework, work and school, I've been reading a book that is out of this world. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, has been one of the most amazing books that I've ever read. It was the kind of book that you want to read quickly so that you can find out what happens in the end but you also want to savor every word on the page, maybe even read a page or chapter over again just to re-live the feeling you got when you read it for the first time.
Usually, I would tell the premise of the story; what era, the characters. But I can't do that with this book. I would LOVE to but it will not let me. Plus, my words would not do the writing in this book justice. This book fits into no categories, no previous plots that I've read, no authors that I've read. The closest author that I've gotten is Chuck Palahniuk because of the dark and morbid writing but even that pales in comparison. ( no offense Chuck!) So, instead, I'll tell you what I know about the writer and background of the book.
This is Andrew Davidson's debut novel, so don't go looking for more work :( The Gargoyle was a work 7 years in the making. ( I know, right) Andrew Davidson did countless hours of research for the book; researching things like old Japanese legends and the Bible. (that might give you some insight) It doesn't look like Andrew Davidson has anything in the works right now but my research could be wrong.
This is a great read for all. Those who love a good dark novel, a religious experience, a cynical narrator or the most amazing love story that not only crosses centuries but heaven and hell. An amazing read that I plan on reading many times in the near future.

Look Me In The Eyes

We've all known someone a bit weird; someone who just seems out of place in a social setting. Well, maybe they are an Aspergian. Yes, you read right; an Aspergian which is someone with Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of Autism. So, what does this have to do with books? Well, I just finished a very funny, eye-opening, well written autobiography by John Elder Robison, who just so happens to be an Aspergian with an amazing life. His story starts with a dysfunctional family, some who you may have read or seen in Running with Scissors, a book turned movie by John Elder's little brother Augusten Burroughs. As his life continues, John Elder notices that he is different from the other kids. He doesn't socialize well and he can't seem to look people in the eye, hence the title of the book. As Asperger's Syndrome wasn't classified in the 60's, 70's and 80's and his behavioral differences were milder than that of Autistic children, everyone around him thought that he was just a delinquent. So, when John Elder turned the legal age, he dropped out of high school. For some, this would have been the beginning of the end but not him. This was just the beginning. I don't want to ruin the book so lets just say that John Elder ends up being an eletrical engineer for one of rock's most famous bands, climbs the coporate ladder in the gaming industry and starts an unlikely business.
John Elder shows you the ins and outs of being just a bit different from the "norm"; everything from friendships to marriage (number 1 and 2) and even fatherhood. This is a great autobiography for those who like the unconventional and like to learn what it's like to be in other people shoes. It's also for those who like to laugh out loud, literally! There were a few occasions when I couldn't help but let out a chuckle and on more than a few occasions when I couldn't help but let out a big laugh. Such a great read!

A Future That I Couldn't Survive

So, another day, another book. I'm back on my kick of reading books that I should have read in high school and I chose an all time favorite for all, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I had never read it before but the premise had always intrigued me. The story started out kind of slow but I kept with it and now I'm so glad that I did. There was action, suspense, murder, science fiction; everything a good story should have.
So, the reason I named this blog " A Future I Couldn't Survive" is because of what the book is about. The book is about a "fireman" named Guy Montag. He's not a fireman that we're used to; you know,the kind that put out fires but the kind that STARTS them. Yes, that's right! He starts them but what does he burn? He burns BOOKS! This is why I said that I could not survive in this future. The book is set in the future where reading and owning books is illegal. Everyone gets their information from wall to wall screens that cover every wall in the living room or parlor. The reason that books are illegal to own is because they make people unhappy. Stories, poems, plays etc. don't always tell of good fortune or happy endings. Some are very real and have unfortunate situtations in them. So, the people who made the laws in the book, the government, decided that books only confused and brought misery to the readers, so they banned any type of reading . How crazy is that! I love to read, obviously since I started a blog about books. I could never live in a time where reading was not allowed.
The other thing that got me was the part of the big screens that cover every wall and what was being played on them. These screens showed "people" or what the book called the family, going about their business like in real life. Does that sound familiar to anyone? hmm...reality tv perhaps? It was just interesting how some of the things that go on in the book resonate today, 50 years after the original publishing of the book.
it's a great read for someone who likes complicated and out of this world plots. Not a hard read but one that must have a little bit of time invested into it. Very science fiction so if science fiction isn't really your deal, I would still recommend it but I wouldn't be surprised if it's hard for you to get through. But I enjoyed it. A future without books, how CRAZY!