What I've Been Listening To Lately

I think as I've gotten older, my taste in music has mellowed out a little bit.  These are just a few examples of some of the quieter, more relaxing music that I've been listening to lately.

Boy with a Coin-- Iron and Wine

Welcome Home-- Radical Face

The Dumbing Down of Love-- Frou Frou

Upward Over The Mountain-- Iron and Wine

More Than Life-- Whitley
Thanks for listening!
--Jude

A Review of 'Wonder' by R.J. Palacio

"August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school-- until now.  He's about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be.  The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face.  But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?"

This book was recommended to me by the fifth grade teacher I volunteered for this spring.  She said that I couldn't read it in a reading group because the kids probably couldn't handle it, but I should read it just the same.  I had heard a lot of good things about this book before reading it.

I didn't care for August as a character very much.  I hated the fact that his parents babied him so much.  I understand that they want to protect their youngest child who looks different than the other kids look, but this kid is ten or eleven-years-old.  He's going to school for the first time and it's going to be scary, but I feel like they are willing to let him quit way to soon (if he wants to).  I'm not a parent, but I have issues with giving your child the option to quit right out of the starting gate.  If non-home school is really not working for him, that's one thing, but if August knows that he has the option to return to home schooling before he even starts, is he really going to give regular school a chance?  I'm not so sure, despite what is written in the book.

The "supporting" characters were much more interesting to me.  Vi and Jack Will were a couple of my favorites.  Jack is the one who is the first to befriend August.  It's really easy to follow the crowd and go against what is considered right.  There are few people who treated August with any kind of respect.  Yet Jack did.  Well, mostly.  And when he screwed up, he treated August like a person, apologized and realized his mistake.  He realizes that he likes being friends with August and so makes up with him.  He's an example for the rest of the class.  Vi is very much in the background of the story, so I'm really happy that she has a chapter all to herself.  August has a lot of needs and requires so much attention that Vi is often put on the backburner.  Her parents love her, of course, but Vi is definitely forced to grow up a little more while her parents handle her brother's needs.  It's not a good feeling to have to yield to a sibling all the time, as much as you love them.  Despite the fact that she's often in the background, she's so supportive of her brother.  She loves him very much and doesn't complain when her parents need to shift the attention to August.

This book is good if you like books about how young people handle sensitive and difficult situations.

I give 'Wonder':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'The Watch That Ends The Night' by Allan Wolf (Audio Book)

"Arrogance and innocence, hubris and hope-- twenty-four haunting voices of the Titanic tragedy, as well as the iceberg itself, are evoked in a stunning tour de force.

Millionaire John Jacob Astor hopes to bring home his pregnant teen bride with a minimum of media scandal.  A beautiful Lebanese refugee, on her way to family in Florida, discovers the first stirring of love.  And an ancient iceberg glides south, anticipating its fateful encounter.  The voices in this remarkable re-creation of the Titanic disaster span classes and stations, from Margaret ('the unsinkable Molly') Brown to the captain who went down with his ship; from the lookout and wireless men to a young boy in search of dragons and a gambler in search of marks.  Slipping in telegraphs, undertaker's reports, and other records, poet Allan Wold offers a breathtaking, intimate glimpse at the lives behind the tragedy, told with clear-eyed compassion and astounding emotional power."

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book.  My gardening job has started up again, meaning that I have tons of time to listen to audio books during the day.  This one kept my mind busy for quite a while.

I loved that this book looked at more than just the passengers of the ship and more than just the first class passengers of the ship.  My main background for Titanic is the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as well as an extraordinary traveling exhibit that came to the Science Museum of Minnesota a handful of years back.  While I got way more background from the exhibit than I did the movie, I felt like I was missing a lot of the experiences that this book presented.  I liked that this book gave voice to the people who were working on Titanic-- the captain, the people who were sending out the CQD/SOS signals and communicating among the other ships at sea, the stokers in the boiler rooms, the people who sorted the mail, etc.  It was also good to hear from those in the second and third classes.  Some were escaping terrors in their home countries and had to leave while others were facing personal traumas and chose to leave.

I didn't like hearing from the rats or from the iceberg.  The voice of the rat was incredibly repetitive.  It was nice to break up some of the heavier parts that the passengers and workers talked about, but I don't feel that the rat really added anything vitally important to the story.  I absolutely hated to hear from the iceberg.  Allan Wolf writes the various mistakes that were made on board the Titanic (and sometimes these were common mistakes on other ships): the radio communication systems were shut off on other ships (not all, but some), the binoculars in the look-out post had been lost, the ship was going way too fast, the workers were ignoring warnings from other ships that they were heading into an area with tons of icebergs, and of course, there weren't enough lifeboats to rescue everyone on board the ship.  And yet as he gave the iceberg a voice, the iceberg became a hunter-- that it's sole intention was to hit Titanic.  It's taking the blame off of people and putting it on an object that doesn't control how it moves or how people react to it.  I think it's a cop out.  Titanic is a tragic incident, certainly, but it must be understood that some thought-processes on board were fatally flawed.  The number of deaths could have been prevented had more lifeboats been provided and if class separation weren't so vitally important to those on board (or at least those who ran the ship).  You can't blame a piece of ice for what happened.  What could it do?  It can't move out of the way, nor can it launch itself in front of ship seeking to destroy it.  This part of history is tragic because of the oversights of many, many people.  And that's why I hated to hear from the iceberg.

To return to something more positive about the book, I liked the little details that were included at the very end, after the story ended.  The number of the people on board, what the ship was carrying besides people (the car that's in the Titanic movie?  Yeah, that was really there), etc.  I also liked the level of detail.  One such details was the last meals that people in each class had (though they weren't aware that it was their last meal).  It reminded me of this thing on Buzzfeed where photographer Henry Hargreaves took pictures of the last meals of death-row prisoners.  That series of photos was haunting as the pictures of the food (or no food at all) accompanied the prisoner's name, age, home state, and crime(s).  It was a lot like Titanic.  A lot of people were prisoners on this ship and there was no way they could know that until the Titanic started to sink and they couldn't escape their levels and get to the life boats.

This is exclusive to the audio book, but I loved hearing Morse Code as it was punched out.  I also liked the rhythmic reading (sort, shuffleshuffle slot) of the mail room.  They were wonderful auditory details.  I'm kind of fan-girling over them, honestly.

This is a great book if you're very interested in the Titanic story.

I give 'The Watch That Ends The Night':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

One More Year of University Under My Belt

It's really late to be posting things like this, but I'm going to do it any way.  When you notice progress, celebrate it.

My last school year was crazy.  Sometimes in good ways and other times in bad ways.  It was a challenging year.  But I think I've learned a lot and grown as a person too.  Let me count (some of) the ways...

1. Tried My Hand At A Leadership Position.  This year, I was on the Residence Hall Association Executive Board as the Improvements Chair.  I applied to be an RA at the end of my first year and wasn't accepted, so instead, I was approached by the RHA Advisor about being on the E-Board instead.  I met with her to see how I could improve next time I applied and I think that impressed her to some degree.  So I've learned to follow up even on opportunities where I'm rejected.  It can only help me.  Being on the Improvements Chair gave me more experience working with people-- dealing with their complaints so that I could try and make their lives better and working with a group to organize big events and get help.  It was a lot of work, but I'm very happy with my decision to be on the board.  I won't be back next year due to studying abroad and not being a campus resident any longer, but I think the new board will do just as well.

Residence Hall Association E-Board 2013-2014

2. Learned To Deal With Interpersonal Conflict.  This ranges from solving problems with my boyfriend to dealing with my roommates.  This was the first time I've lived with people whom I didn't have any prior experience with.  My first roommate was someone I went to high school with and roomed with in France when we traveled there.  We had a good idea of what the other was like when it came to our living habits and such.  But that wasn't the case this year.  We had problems when it came to being inflexible about certain habits, openly not liking friends, experiencing the affects of each other's stress, and balancing... everything.  This year's living situation took a lot more work, but I'm glad that I went through it.  I think that it was good for me.

3. I Took Some Risks In Classes.  I took a public speaking class in the fall.  I consider myself to be a pretty strong writer, but awful at public speaking, even if 'public speaking' is just in front of one person.  I struggle to figure out how to say what I want to say often.  While I can't say that I'm the best public speaker that anyone has ever heard, I can say that I've improved a little.  I even got a little reassurance when everyone told me that the best speech I gave was when I was teaching the class about the community of people surrounding Harry Potter.  I'm very proud of that speech.  I'll never speak on a political level and I'll never be to the level that my professor is at, but if I can present information well and in an interesting way, I say that I'm doing okay, given what I want to do with the rest of my life.  This particular speech class also helped me learn to communicate with my professors.  In the beginning, we were required to turn in a transcript for every speech.  After the first speech I wrote about my Nani, a speech I'm proud of on paper, I asked my professor if I could do without the transcript, realizing that I was trying to memorize what I had written.  I did much better with a heavy outline.

4. Got The Ball Rolling For Study Abroad.  I filled out my application, I've done my running around to obtain various documents and signatures (still doing that, actually... super last-minute) that are needed before my departure, I bought my plane tickets, I've prepped this blog, met with one of the girls who will also be going on the trip with me... putting aside the fact that I'm not nearly ready to pack yet, I could probably be prepared to leave for the Netherlands in a week or two.

5. I'm Starting An Honors Project For The English Department.  A new project was created for English majors to complete, should they choose to.  Students can write research papers, works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc. and work on it one year leading up to their graduation.  So that's what I'm going to do.  I've met with people who are willing to help me write what I want to write and I've started gathering ideas on how to write what I want to write.  I've also though about what I want to write about.  I want to write a nonfiction something (right now, the plan is a memoir) about my study abroad experience in the Netherlands this fall.  Since I haven't experienced it yet, I can't make any solid decisions.

6. Made The Dean's List.  This is the first time that I've done this since I started college.  Last semester, I earned all A's and A-'s in my classes resulting in a GPA of at least 3.667 for the semester.  I'm really happy with this result because there were classes where I had challenging papers that would bring me to tears some nights, challenging things to think about, tons of stuff to balance... but I did it.  And I'm really happy about this.  I'd like to thank the Academy.

This past year challenged me in more ways that I ever thought possible, but I can say that I made it through alive.  I think that next year will be even better than the last, bringing its own set of challenges and things to work through and deal with, but also some good memories, I hope.  I'm pretty excited for it.

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'This Star Won't Go Out' by Esther Earl (with Lori and Wayne Earl)

"Diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age twelve, Esther (Persian for 'Star') Earl was an exceptionally bright and talented-- but very normal-- teenager.  She lived a hope-filled and generous, outwardly focused life as she navigated her physical decline with grace.  A cheerful, positive, and encouraging daughter, sister, and friend, Esther died in 2010, shortly after turning sixteen, but not before inspiring thousands through her growing online presence.

This unique memoir collects Esther's journals, fiction, letters, and sketches.  Photographs and essays by family and friends help to tell Esther's story, along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green who dedicated his #1 international bestseller The Fault in Our Stars to her."

If you're a Nerdfighter, you'll probably have at least heard about Esther Earl.  Both John and Hank Green mention her quite a few times and have tried to decrease world suck partially because of Esther.

This girl led an interesting and hard life in her sixteen years.  She traveled around the world for a lot of her life, which I thought was exciting.  She also kept diaries throughout her life, documenting changes in herself, her thoughts, her feelings, etc.  I love reading things in diary format.  I feels like the person who wrote them wrote them for you, the reader.

As Esther went through treatments for her thyroid cancer, she'd write about death and also about how it is to be alive now.  She's honest though.  Not every day is hunky-dory, but not every day is horrible and awful either.  She talks about herself in the context of her family and about her friends.  She worries about them as she slowly dies.

I love that Esther's writing is complimented by her family via short essays and remarks about their daughter and sister's life, her friends via online chat transcripts and also short essays and remarks of their own.  It's good to hear about what Esther thought and felt and she's unbelievably bright, but it's something else entirely to hear about what it's like to be close to Esther and to go through these awful changes and experiences with her.

By the end of the book, I was in tears.  Big, bulging tears.  I was reading Esther's father's testimonial and her parents' Caring Bridge updates and I just couldn't take it.  I can't even imagine losing a child, even at this point in my life when I don't have children of my own.  We can get a glimpse of what this would be like, but we can never fully know.  And that's hard, especially if you want to say something.  What do you say to the parents of an amazing girl whose time came much too early?

I highly recommend this book.

I give 'This Star Won't Go Out':

\

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

Beautiful Animation

I have't done this for a really long time, but as I was perusing Facebook, I saw this video.  A Disney Animator made this and since I'm in love with Disney movies, I fell instantly in love with this.  I love that there are no words-- the actions speak louder.

Enjoy!
--Jude

A Review of 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond' by Elizabeth George Speare

"Orphaned Kit Tyler knows, as she gazes for the first time at the cold, bleak shores of Connecticut Colony, that her new home will never be like the shimmering Caribbean island she left behind.  In her relatives' stern Puritan community, she feels like a tropical bird that has flown to the wrong part of the world, a bird that is now caged and lonely.  The only place where Kit feels completely free is in the meadows, where she enjoys the company of the old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, and on occasion, her young sailor friend Nat.  But when Kit's friendship with the 'witch' is discovered, Kit is faced with suspicion, fear, and anger.  She herself is accused of witchcraft!"

I liked this book, but the fifth grade girls I read this book with did not.  I think they're planning a bonfire.

They didn't like this book because it was very slow-moving.  They were used to reading books where the characters would take physical action to get into trouble and also to solve their problems.  But this book has to do with actions via words and character development.  This is right up my alley.

I haven't read too many books about the colonial U.S., so this was kind of a treat for me.  I thought it would be cool because the kids were learning about the Revolutionary War and the time surrounding it in their social studies class.  I also thought it was cool that it was about a girl around this time period.  You don't hear a lot about the women of this time and even less about the children.  It's neat to get a whole new perspective on what the time period was like.  Kit was a good main character because everything was as new to her as it was to the person reading it.  This helps highlight how religious this society is and highlights how strict the people are about tradition and about their beliefs.  I liked Kit very much for not only these reasons, but also because she takes risks for people.  She teaches a young girl to read and befriends an outcast.  Against society's wishes too.  It doesn't sound like much, but it takes guts to do those things, especially when it's forbidden for you to do these things.

I'm not sure that I'd read this book again, but I'm glad that I read it this time.

I give 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Romeo and Juliet' by William Shakespeare

"Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young 'star-cross'd lovers' whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families.

I was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet and Macbeth, is one of his most frequently performed plays.  Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers."

I'm taking a class that is all about Shakespeare this semester-- I love it!  I really like reading Shakespeare and feeling capable enough to read and understand Shakespeare!  It's glorious.

I originally read this book for my ninth grade English class, but now I'm back in my second year of college to read this book again.  I'm really glad that I got to read this again.  I understand it much better than I did when I was fourteen/fifteen years old (wow, ninth grade was six years ago... that's weird...).  Upon opening this book again, I realized how annoying Romeo is.  Half the time I wanted to smack Romeo for being so freaking love-sick and mopey all the time.  It was especially frustrating because even when he met Juliet, he was like this when things weren't working out so well.  He's know her for maybe a week or two by the end of the book.  It's a miracle that Romeo's life lasted this long if he falls in love so hard every time he sees a woman.  He's a ridiculous character...

But by the end of the play, I felt more sympathy for him.  I could see that his pain was real.  Sure, maybe he's loved Juliet for less than a week and that's really weird to me, but by the end of the play, his desperation is just oozing out of him.  He sees no way around his suicide.  His speech about going to die is powerful.  I've decided to write my first paper about that particular speech in the context of the rest of the play.

Overall, I'm really happy that I read this play again.  I feel like I have a better understanding of the connections between the characters and of the general plot.  By the time I finished the play, I fell in love with the play-- more than I did in ninth grade.

I give 'Romeo and Juliet':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'The Wolves in the Walls' by Neil Gaiman

"Lucy hears sneaking, creeping, crumpling noises coming from inside the walls.

She is sure there are wolves in the walls of her house."

I have a new life goal: read everything that Neil Gaiman has ever written.  No matter if it's a children's book like this one, a graphic novel, or a regular novel of all kinds.  I will read them all.

This is kind of a freaky children's book.  Not because there are wolves in the walls of young Lucy's house, but the pictures are verging on grotesque.  The pictures are what scared me a bit.  The art style is interesting, for sure.  It's like a mixture of illustration and photography... like collage.  It has a really eerie feel to it and I just enjoyed Dave McKean's work so much.  If I didn't like the writing, I would buy this book any way purely for the art.

But I do like the writing!  It's witty and sometimes it sets my teeth on edge.  To me, it felt like everyone was in on a secret while Lucy was stuck outside.  They all knew that when the wolves leave the walls, then that's it-- that's the end.  But Lucy had never heard this before.  Does the rest of her family know that there are wolves living in their walls?  Are they just biding their time until the wolves finally come out of the walls?

If you're a fan of Neil Gaiman, dark stories, and charming children's books, The Wolves in the Walls is definitely a good pick for you.

I give 'The Wolves in the Walls':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'The Lost Boy' by Greg Ruth

"Nate's not happy about his family moving to a new house in a new town.  After all, nobody asked him if he wanted to move in the first place.  But when he discovers a tape recorder and note addressed to him under the floorboards of his bedroom, Nate is thrust into a dark mystery about a boy who went missing many, many years ago.  Now, as strange happening and weird creatures begin to track Nate, he must partner with Tabitha, a local girl, to find out what they want with him.  But time is running out, for a powerful force is gathering strength int he woods at the edge of town, and before long Nate and Tabitha will be forced to confront a terrifying foe, and uncover the truth about the Lost Boy."

I went to a mini book convention that took place on my college campus.  I got a book called Journey there as well.  I finally got around to reading this one after having a dry spell with graphic novels.

My favorite part of this book was the illustrations.  I'm not sure how to describe what they're like, so here are a few examples (click the pictures for larger views):

It's like a cross between a photograph and fantasy.  I'm not sure if I can explain it better than that.  No matter what the explanation is, I really like the style.

But there's still a story to be told alongside these images.  I think the story has potential, but it wasn't executed as well as it could have been.  I don't think, any way.  The overall story is an intriguing one.  I like the idea of a tape recorder being left in the floor filled with clues.  I like the idea of small animals and insects being the go-between for humans and this magical land.  What I didn't like was how there were a few parts that took me by complete surprise.  Like, there was no lead-up to what would happen next.  I was in the control of the author and I didn't like that.  When it comes to books, I want a chance to be able to figure out what happens next.  There were no clues as to who this tree guy was that kept popping up randomly.  I would have read a longer graphic novel if it meant that those loose ends could be tied up a little more.

That being said, I'll be keeping my copy mainly for the illustrations and also for the rare gold nugget in the story itself.

I give 'The Lost Boy':

Thanks for Reading!

Predeparture: Start Learning Dutch

One of my goals is to learn (some) Dutch while I'll abroad in the Netherlands.  But I don't want to be a blank slate as soon as I set foot in Amsterdam, I want to be able to say some useful phrases or at least have a very basic understanding of how the language works.  So here are some things that I've been doing to start learning Dutch:

1. Listening to Dutch Speakers on CDs.  I got a set of CDs that's supposed to help you learn the basics of Dutch and eventually master it.  I think my CDs are intended for people traveling to the Netherlands on business, which is unfortunate, because while I'll make transactions in businesses (buying food, probably making an IKEA run, buying a bike and a phone, etc.), that's the extent of my involvement in business.  I don't need to know how to run a board meeting in Dutch.  The CDs are helpful, but they haven't been my go-to method of starting out in Dutch.

2. Watching and Listening to Dutch speakers on YouTube.  There's a book-tuber that I absolutely adore (who responded to me via GoodReads, which I was really excited to see!  She gave me great tips about the Netherlands and Dutch people.  I'm eternally grateful) who happens to be Dutch.  She's great to listen to when she speaks Dutch because she speaks slowly and enunciates so that I can hear practically every letter.  That's exactly what I want!





3. Listening to Music in Dutch.  I've had trouble finding authentic Dutch music that isn't considered traditional, but a lot of the movie music that I like in English, I've also been able to find in Dutch!


Laat Het Los (Let It Go) as sung by Willemijn Verkaik has been a favorite lately.  I love that this is a lyrics video because I can see the word, I can hear it, and since I love to sing, I can say the words almost up to the speed Willemijn has set.  Willemijn has also played Elphaba from Wicked three times in English, German, and Dutch.  She's my hero.







I currently don't have close relationships with anyone who is Dutch, so this is what I do to practice without having a speaking partner!

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Radio Shangri-La: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth' by Lisa Napoli

"Lisa Napoli was in the grip of a crisis, dissatisfied with her life and her work as a radio journalist.  When a chance encounter with a handsome stranger presented her with an opportunity to move halfway around the world, Lisa left behind cosmopolitan Los Angeles for a new adventure in the ancient Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan-- said to be one of the happiest places on earth.

Long isolated from industrialization and just beginning to open its doors to the modern world, Bhutan is a deeply spiritual place, devoted to environmental conservation and committed to the happiness of its people-- in fact, Bhutan measures its success in Gross National Happiness rather than in GNP.  In a country without a single traffic light, its citizens are believed to be among the most content in the world.  To Lisa, it seemed to be a place that offered the opposite of her fast-paced life in the United States, where the noisy din of sound-bite news and cell phones dominate our days, and meaningful conversation is a rare commodity; where everyone is plugged in digitally, yet rarely connects with the people around them.

Thousands of miles away from everything and everyone she knows, Lisa creates a new community for herself.  As she helps to start Bhutan's first youth-oriented radio station, Kuzoo FM, she must come to terms with her conflicting feelings about the impact of the medium on a country that has been shielded from its effects.  Immersing herself in Bhutan's rapidly changing culture, Lisa realizes that her own perspective on life is changing as well-- and that she is discovering the sense of purpose and joy that she has been yearning for.

In this smart, heartfelt, and beautifully written book, sure to please fans of transporting travel narratives and personal memoirs alike Lisa Napoli discovers that the world is a beautiful and complicated place-- and comes to appreciate her life for the adventure it is."

Lately, I've taken to doing an online quiz that tests how many countries/nations of the world that you know.  I have been able to name about 160 of those countries and Bhutan is one of them.  So I'm happy to say that I knew where Bhutan was prior to reading this book!  What I didn't know was: absolutely everything about Bhutan.  So I'm really happy that I read this memoir of Lisa Napoli's experiences with Bhutan and the Bhutanese people.

I like that this book is unlike Eat, Pray, Love in that Lisa wasn't super desperate when she went off to Bhutan.  She is divorced and she's not very into her job any more.  She she rolls with the punches.  When she's presented with an opportunity to go to Bhutan, she goes.  Not necessarily because she has to, but because she wants to.  I like that Lisa's journey was purposeful (at least to begin with).

I also like that while Lisa is in Bhutan, she makes observations and compares those observations with what she knows about the U.S.  What I like even more is that she observed with a level head-- she wasn't in-your-face pro-America (saying that the United States way is the only way), but she picked out things from Bhutan that she loved.  She recognized what she could bring home with her and what would be best left in Bhutan.  This shows her personal growth and also makes what she's writing accessible to her reader.

One more thing that I liked was how Lisa experienced the real Bhutan.  One of my favorite parts of this book was when she flew back to the U.S. after her first visit to Bhutan.  She meets with a woman who went through Bhutan the way tourists do.  This other woman paid a ton of money to live in luxury for two weeks for a family vacation.  They visited Buddhist temples and lived in relaxation.  Lisa, on the other hand, met and befriended Bhutanese people and lived as they did (although, probably a little better, to be honest).  It was interesting to see that stark contrast.

My one complaint was that this book, after Lisa returned from her first time in Bhutan, kind of dragged on.  I think this is because I was anticipating this book to end when she re-entered the U.S., but that wasn't the case.  There was no warning for this (that I found) and it just threw me off.  I think if I read it again, it wouldn't bother me.  I think including more than one stint in this book is beneficial.  Lisa has a really broad knowledge of Bhutan now and by visiting more than once and hosting a Bhutanese girl in her home, she really shows this.

Overall, this book is good for those who like memoirs, travel, and other cultures.

I give 'Radio Shangri-La':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude

A Review of 'Number the Stars' by Lois Lowry

"Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war.  It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town.  When the Jews of Denmark are 'relocated,' Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be on of the family.  Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life."

For a long time, I thought I had read this book, but I'm not sure that I have anymore.  Glad I read it now!

It's nice to get a look at what it was like during World War II in a place that isn't Germany or Poland.  Honestly, when I think WWII, I don't think of Denmark, even though they're right on top of Germany, geographically speaking.

I liked that this book provided information on what happened to those who weren't Jewish and living in the vicinity of Nazi Germany and also talked about what European Jews were going through at the time.  This was a well-rounded reading experience.  Great for those who are being introduced to what the Holocaust was for the first time.  There's tension of course, but it can't be categorized as horror.  That's why it's a good starting place.

I give 'Number the Stars':

Thanks for Reading!

--Jude