I thought this would be a cool little “segment” today – that is, Tuesday! To share some of my favorite books and why I love them so much. I most definitely recommend reading all of them, but they’re all very different so find the one that’s right for you and READ IT! 🙂

1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

WWII. Bombs. A hidden Jew. Rudy, a curious young boy who refuses to give up on that kiss from Liesel Meminger, a foster child who, with the help of her accordion-playing father learns to read by painting a dictionary on the basement wall of their tiny apartment in Munich, Germany. By surviving the tactful antics of Rudy, the bombings and “Heil Hitler”‘s Liesel must endear, she surrounds herself with the on thing she cannot resist: books. She’d much rather read for hours than eat Mama’s pea soup, but in order to do so, she must steal. Anywhere, really – the mayor’s wife’s library, book burnings… but her first act of thievery starts with a dropped handbook from an apprentice – The Gravedigger’s Handbook. The bitter-sweet ending had me in tears, and the entire book was an intense page-turner I couldn’t put down. I recommend this book to young adults and adults of all ages because it’s not leaving my nightstand until I memorize the entire book word-by-word.

2) The Family Tree Series by Ann M. Martin

Four girls, four generations… four books! Although the third book in the series doesn’t come out until April, the first two have impressed me. Two thumbs up! The first book follows Abby, in the late 1930’s and follows her daughter, Dana in the 50’s. The mother and daughter’s childhoods have more in common than it seems, and it’s interesting to follow Abby into the second book (or second generation!), even though she and her daughter don’t have a strong relationship and you get a completely different viewpoint. Both books had me crying and laughing along with the characters, and I sympathized for them in sad chapters, and grinned till my ears hurt in happy ones. It’s also cool to read about another time in history, and still be able to relate to the girls, and learn more about what it was like growing up in that time period. (Almost like the American Girl books.) I can’t wait to read the next book – I’m ordering it the day it is published! By the way… the smell of the pages is amazing!

3) Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis

2012 Glamour Magazine woman of the year, founder of Amazima Ministries, and mommy to thirteen African orphaned little girls, Katie Davis’ book Kisses From Katie is a tear jerker, so come prepared with tissues! When high school graduate Katie Davis dropped everything so she could move to Uganda, not knowing how to speak the language, not knowing anyone there… people must have thought her to be insane! Today, she sponsors over 600 children in Uganda for them to go to school, get proper nourishment and housing, and have fun instead of working for small scraps of stale bread or banana peels. “Look at Mary, the mother of Christ,” Katie says in her book. “Mary was a mother. I am a mother. As long as God keeps giving me these precious children of his, I will continue to love them to the best of my ability.” Read Katie’s story and follow her journey in Uganda – I promise you, you won’t regret it!

4) Faith, Hope, & Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

The spine of my copy of this book is just about coming apart! A worn book is a loved book, though! I bought this one at a book fair, and I have to admit, most books at my book fairs that come to my school aren’t usually the kind I’m interested in. This one was different, though. On an exchange program, Ivy June, home to rural Kentucky and one of the poorest areas in the country, gets a chance to visit Lexington, Kentucky, and becomes fast friends with Catherine Combs, a girl with plenty to eat, indoor plumbing, and two beds in her gigantic room all to herself! It seems the girls are worlds apart, but taking a closer look at their lives tells you otherwise. This story is one of the best. I love it so much and have just finished rereading it for the umpteenth time! Now, this one, I have just about memorized! Definitely recommended to girls my age. Too short for my taste, but I know other girls my age who don’t like reading as much as I do will appreciate a good story in short chapters!

5) Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker

What can I say about this book that won’t lead into a six-page blog about what an amazing book this is? In this love story/historical/realistic fiction, you’ll be tearing up at the end just like I did. (I know by now you’re probably thinking “Geez, she sure does like books that make her cry!”) But when Scarlet Blaine promises her younger brother Cliff she’ll help him build a rocket to Jupiter in a hot, Georgia 1960s summer, she keeps her promise, despite her family’s financial problems, her sister Juli’s hippy lifestyle, and an accident Cliff suffers that shakes her whole world. And, along the way, she might just meet her match.

6) Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris 

Three to this series, there’s also Twice Upon a Marigold and Thrice Upon a Marigold. This is a cute fairy tale about a little boy who grows up in a crystal-cave with a troll named Ed, a princess who people oddly avoid and prefers studying the stars than doing her hair, and an evil Queen who aims to be the sole ruler of beautiful Beuarivage kingdom, no matter who she has to get out of her way to do it. I’ve just started the third in the series and convinced my nine-year-old sister Anna to read the first one who says “I like the funny parts,” and “The princess’ name.” A cute “part fairy tale, part comedy, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” book for girls of all ages. 

I hope you liked this post! I look forward to reading more books and sharing them with you. 😉

Emily