Mundie Moms

Sunday, September 11, 2011

We Will Never Forget 9/11


Today we're taking a moment to think about those who's lives were lost in the tragic events that unfolded 10 yrs ago today. It's hard to believe it's already been 10 years since our nation faced such an unthinkable tragedy. It's definitely a day we'll never forget. We can still remember exactly what we were doing when we heard the news. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be those who survived the attacks and with those who lost loved ones that day. Thank you to all the brave women & men (whether you're a firefighter, police officier, or serving in the military etc) who risk their lives every day for us. They are our every day heroes!

Book Reviews: Taking Off & Laney, The Brookehaven Vampires

Good Reads reviews is a series of posts (outside my normal review posts) that will have a couple short, sweet and to the point reviews for books I've recently read that I've had sitting on my bookshelf. These will be a combination of books I've bought or have received for review from the author or publisher.


Published by: Bloomsbury Teens
Released on: January 4th, 2011
Source: book from publisher to review
4 stars: I Liked It
Purchase from: Amazon| Barnes & Noble

Reimagining the days surrounding this unforgettable event in history, readers are brought back to 1986 as the astronauts prepare for the Challenger mission, and Christa McAullife trains to be the first teacher in space. When a teen named Annie meets Christa, she is fascinated by Christa's courage. Truly inspired, Annie is determined to make it to Florida to see the Challenger launch, a trip that will forever change how she thinks about herself and her secret desire for her own future. Although she is devastated when tragedy strikes, Annie honors Christa by following her own dream, despite the obstacles. Bringing in her experience as a NASA engineer, Jenny Moss weaves a moving story that recaptures the inspiration teens must have felt years ago as they watched Christa McAuliffe reach for the sky.

A wonderful read that intertwines growing up, falling in love, and finding yourself centered around the story of the Challenger. I really liked the way Jenny Moss created such a believable contemporary around such a tragic event. Jenny does a suburb job at taking her readers back to that fateful day in 1986 when a team of astronauts, including school teacher Christa McAullife where to embark on a mission of a life time. Fulfilling her dream of watching the challenger take off is Annie, a senior from high school who's meet and become so inspired by Christa, that she starts to really examine herself and what her own goals and aspirations are.

After seeing first hard the tragedy that unfolds, Annie goes from being a complacent character, to someone who starts to make changes in her life and decides to follow in Christa's footsteps by following her own dreams. What unfolds is a realistic, inspirational story. Annie finds inspiration from Christa, which helps her find her place in the world, it helps her to let go and branch out of her comfort zone. She experiences heartache, true love and finds the desire and courage to make her mark in the world. I still remember the events that unfolded and how sad I felt with the news of the challenger, so I can only imagine how someone like Annie would have felt and how moved they would have been by seeing this first hand. Taking Off is both an inspirational read and an enjoyable one. I recommend picking it up.




Published by: Brookhaven Publishing
Released on: October 30th, 2010
Source: book from author to review
3 stars: It's A Good Read
Purchase from: Amazon

In a small college town in Northern California, Laney Alexander leads a regular, uneventful life-that is, until the charming and alluring Oliver Knight enters her world. Who is this gorgeous and mysterious stranger? Or, rather, what is he? As Laney's sophomore year of college begins, so does an unbelievable adventure-including a love she didn't know she longed for. She soon learns that Oliver is not ordinary, nor is the rest of his family, including a sister who openly hates her and a brother who will stop at nothing for revenge. As she fights for her life, and Oliver's love, Laney discovers that the fictional world of vampires isn't so fictional after all. Nobody is safe, especially Laney, Oliver's most important priority, and he will stop at nothing to protect her. With her mortality at risk, and a commitment revealed that she, without a doubt, knows she wants, Laney's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn...

A realistic, unique vampire story with romance, and action, Laney is the first book in what I think will be a good vampire series. Laney has a good, solid story line that's fun, and enjoyable. I felt that both the main and secondary characters were developed nicely. I liked that while they're all in college, they're written in a way that older YA readers will be able to relate to them. Laney herself was someone I at times had a hard time connecting with, and other times I found her relatable. There's of course a hot vampire who enters the picture and totally shakes up Laney's quiet college life. Oliver is definitely a knight in shining armor. He and Laney have insta-chemistry, and I liked how their relationship develops through out the story. The story is written in a way that makes me think that both the romance and the intriguing vampire mythology are going to continue to develop and get better as the series goes on.

Laney for me was a good read. I really wanted to like it more than I did, but I there's a few things that kept me from falling in love with it. I felt the story was overly descriptive at times like with the little details on what characters are doing, and what they're wearing, which took too much attention away from the story for me. The pacing started off a little slow for me, and it took until around 100 pages for me to really get into the story. The second half of the book however is full of action, and twists, and I liked how the story ended. I love this cover and I think it's a perfect match for the book. I feel like Joann has done a good job at setting up the rest of her Brookehaven Vampire series with Laney, and I'm really looking forward to reading the more of Laney's story.

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