Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Yet another of Zarr's amazing masterpieces. This time about a sixteen-year-old girl named Samara Taylor (or Sam) who has a pastor for a father and a pretty blondie for a mother.

Life for Sam had been pretty bumpy in the past few days. First, the air condition failed, then Sam's mom got into a crazy car crash and was thought mental and therefore was brought to a mental health ward for help. So Sam was left with a 100 degree temperature house and no mom. Add a busy pastor of a dad and a very close friend named Jody missing. Life was downright terrible. It was not long before Sam started having questions about her religion, and doubting there was even a God out there in the first place. And Nick, Jody's eighteen-year-old brother was being accused of kidnapping his own sister! Sam knew this was not true of course since Nick was the most innocent boy she knew; he would never do that to sister. He had neither the means, the motive, OR the opportunity. So Nick was off the list. Days passed, and thirteen-year-old Jody was still missing. More questions arose in Sam's head; more doubts.
Would Sam survive this difficult test, or would she give up and turn away? Would she ever see her mother again? 

Looking for the answers for these three questions? I've found the perfect solution for you; go to your library, or nook, or kindle, or anything like that, and enter Sam's world.

A Hero For Wondla by Tony Diterlizzi

If you didn't read the first book of this series, you most probably will have no idea what I'm going on about. So read the first book. And if you DID read the first book, awesome! I'll try my utmost best not to be a spoiler. ;)
Brief overview of what happened in the first book for those of you who were too lazy to read the first one:
A 12-year-old girl by the name of Eva Nine lives on a strange planet with no other human being than herself and a robot for a mother. Throughout the book, a whole lot of disasters occur and basically at the end Eva is left with a alien type friend and a dead Muthr. Add meeting a guy named Hailey who is actually human!

In the second book of this compelling series, Hailey Turner, the guy Eva thought was a friend, unexpectedly takes a 180 degrees turn leaves Eva in a human inhabited city. Eva searches for her friendly alien friend, Roverder Kitt (preferably known by Eva as Rovee) however fails to find him through flow of events that are flooding Eva's life. To make things even more crazy, Eva meets her "sister", Eva Eight. Eva Eight was born in the same sanctuary as Eva, and was brought up by the same Muthr until she was whisked away to the city. Apparently Eight was waiting for Nine the whole while and desires to escape back to the other world with her, since the human world did not meet Eva's anticipations. Eva is torn between friends and her sister, and if you read the book, you might well discover Eva's choice.

This book is filled with thrillers and shivers, so I highly suggest reading it....NOW! (okay, maybe you can put it on hold if you can't get it immediately :) Five stars hands down!!

Twice Upon a Time: Sleeping Beauty (The One Who Took a Really Long Nap) by Wendy Mass

I've mentioned this series before in another book I reviewed by the same author. Now, I can actually tell you about it's awesomeness. Basically Wendy Mass puts a twist to the plot of the popular fairytale, Sleeping Beauty.

Basically everything is the same in the beginning except that the prince is a son of an ogre, but thankfully didn't inherit any ogreness. In fact, the prince is quite handsome, with startling blue eyes and light brown hair. Unfortunately for the prince his mother despises beauty, but thankfully she doesn't notice her son's sudden teen handsomeness. The chapters fluctuate from the princess's point of view to the prince's. The prince actually doesn't have a name; he is just known as "the prince". The princes on the other hand is named Rose, and her beauty lives up to her name's beauty, if not more. Her fairy godmothers' bestowed a gift upon Rose which was everlasting beauty and perfection in every single thing she did.

I'm not going to tell you the twist in the story that Mass fabricated, but I am going to tell you it's amazing. This book is the definition of perfection; a little bit of this, a little bit of that. It's the perfect read for anyone anytime anywhere! :) So what's there to stop you from reading it?

The Seventeen Traditions by Ralph Nader

This book really made me look at life in a completely different spectrum than I used to. I really recommend this book for tweens and up. It really makes you think how different the world would be if people just opened their eyes and observed.

Basically Ralph Nader is talking about what traditions his family created via the family. Now, all families have traditions, for example eating together at the dinner table. When you talk about tradition with your family, it's always what we used to do. But what Nader is trying to say is that it really doesn't have to be like that. You could still uphold your traditions even if you are grown up. "The garb may change, after all, but the wearer does not." As quoted by Mr.Nader. If you think about it, it really is important to keep up traditions. If all politicians did this, our presidents and congress would be way more considerate people. Tradition basically equals love and kindness. And the only way to uphold tradition is practice it. Practice it with your own family, practice it with your friends. It will actually be beneficial to the people around you because they too will get a taste of what is the end result of tradition. And the end result is something amazing and full of love and consideration for others.

The book began with Ralph as a young boy, moving from town to town. He names each part of nature which he would make a tradition. For example, a rock, a tree, a lake. Tradition is something you practice regularly at a young age. Ralph would go to these pieces of nature and just experience nature. Only a kind heart would take the time to really go out and observe God's creation.

Also, another important thing is having exemplary parents. Why? Parents are the people in your life that you look up to; your role models. In Nader's case, he had very kind traditional parents who wanted to create a successful but gentle road to Ralph's adulthood.

Anyway this is just a brief preview of how the book is like. It really can be life changing! I rate this 5 stars :) You'd never think this is what America is missing. Tradition. 

As We Speak: How to Make Your Point and Have It Stick by Peter Meyers and Shann Nix

I'm basically going to summarize the book here:

The book began with a scenario of a person public speaking. This speech was a complete failure, being that the individual had no knowledge how to start his presentation and get the audience interested. Also, he did not give a good entrance on stage; his palms were sweating, and a drop of sweat was rolling down his forehead. This of course, is the perfect example of an inexperienced public speaker.

One very important thing about public speaking: being prepared and rehearsed. For example, if you just walk up to that platform and surprise! You have no idea what to say or do. This is just a basic example. However, situations like this have occurred, and that is why it is always important to prepare and rehearse. It’s no different than putting on a play; you plan, create, and rehearse. A good habit to form is to do a dress and tech rehearsal prior to the day of the presentation. You could even ask a few friends to come over and act as the audience. This might seem strange at first, but when the day of finally comes, you will have already experienced how it’s like to be on a stage, talking to an audience, and you won’t be quite so nervous.

Once you begin your speech, picture yourself saying: “Hi, I am so glad you all could come out to this event. I think this subject is very important because it impacts me in a numerous amount of ways.” What word do you think is being used most here? It’s I. You’re just spewing off about yourself. This is the worst mistake you could make while presenting. Why? Because this causes the audience to be disinterested. The audience doesn’t care about you. They didn’t come out to this event to listen to an “About Me” they came to be inspired and fascinated. The number one thing that will draw in an audience is to talk about them. How what your talking about will impact them.

Before you even decide on doing a presentation however, it is always important to ask yourself three questions. What do you want to accomplish when doing this talk? How will you present the information? Is your topic important and prominent? Now, let’s break up these questions further. The first question: What mind frame do you want your audience to have when you’re done with your presentation? Basically, will they be on the same spectrum as you? Second question: Will you present the information in a way that will be bland and drift your audience away? More simply, make your information interesting. Make it understandable. One good method to use is to use metaphors. This will give your audience a clearer picture of what you’re talking about. Now, third question: If your presentation is about how we should all love rap music, will this impact and improve anything in a productive way? No. Absolutely not. Therefore, think about your topic, and ask yourself why you want to do it.

To get your audience inspired and take action, you need your objectives to be realistic. If I say, “We should sell cookies and raise 1000 dollars.” Then my, do I need a lot of cookie-lovers and batter. Look at your reaction to the cookie idea. You were probably thinking, “Is this some idea of a big joke?” This is exactly the mind frame your audience will have as well. However, if you say, “We should sell cars and electronics and raise 1000 dollars.” This is more reasonable. Your audience will consider this. But my friend, consideration is not enough. You need to give at least five reasons how and why this should work. You need to get your audience sure about themselves.

Next, your voice. Just the manner in which your voice is going is important. A lot of people don’t notice, but we humans tend to mumble and mix up all of our words. You need to listen to yourself as you speak. Catch yourself when saying things like “um” or “uh”. A good habit to form is to listen to yourself as you talk to a close friend. You wouldn’t really think about clarity while talking about Riley’s new baby, would you? Just this habit alone will improve your speech immensely. Another good routine to start is to read books your working on aloud. Try and stumble on fewer words each time, until, surprise! One day, you’ll find that your speech is completely flawless and clear.

Going back to the scenario that began this book; a person is nervous and uneasy in public speaking. Ever heard of the saying, “Practice makes perfect”? well, this abides to a numerous amount of situations, however public speaking is not one of them. Sure, you get used to being nervous, but how exactly do you perform a speech without the butterflies? Unfortunately, you cannot completely eliminate the nervous breakdown you have before stepping onto that stage, but what you can do is find ways to control it. Again, rehearse your presentation, so that you know what you’re going to say and how you’re going to deliver it.

Now, at the end of a presentation, we always should have a Q&A session, to give your audience a chance to ask. The way you give your answer is very crucial. It is very important to be open and sincere when answering a question. Also, if a person was to ask you a question with a very argumentative nature, it’s very essential not to mirror their tone. If you, the speaker and leader of a large group of people, are arguing with an audience member, how petty would that seem? Therefore, make sure the question is merely out of curiosity and inquiry, rather than to put you down. If you come across one of these questions, than just answer in the most open way you could, and never, ever get frustrated.

Suppose a person is to ask you a question that debunks all your ideas and plans. What a pleasant “The End” to your presentation that would be! This is why, after your Q&A session, always prepare a closing. You can never know with questions what kind of ending they will leave, that is why it is important for you to decide what kind of conclusion your presentation will take. Conclude with a final flare to your presentation that will leave an inerasable mark in your audience’s hearts. Something that your listeners come home and really think about what you said in bed. Play with their emotions, and be specific. Most importantly, conclude leaving your audience members satisfied and ready to take action.

I learned a lot while reading this book, and I will definitely put these ideas to practice! This is just a brief summary of the book, just to get a feel of how it’s like. I highly recommend this book if you’re planning to do presentations, or if you’re just having a casual conversation. Public speaking is in the form of many situations; you could be taking to three people, or over 100 people. However, this doesn’t matter. It’s all about delivery, content, and state. You’d be surprised what situations could be considered public speaking. It could be just having a normal conversation with a close friend. Imagine how good your voice will sound with clarity and no “ums” Even if you’re a completely confident person, there’s always more to learn, so never stop!!

Finis

PS. This book is very informative for all you shy people out there by the way :) it will completely change your life!

 

Forest Born by Shannon Hale

Shannon Hale. Is. The. Most. Amazing, Author. Ever. Ok, this is the last book in her The Books of Bayern series. This book encapsulates fantasy and a touch of historical  fiction. (if you're looking for romance, read the other books int the series) Well, this is the only book I can read without romance. (Yes, it's that good)

Forest Born starts with a girl named Rin who lives in, surprise, the forest! She is the perfect example of a complete angel of a daughter but has one flaw. People Speaking. Basically, if you didn't read the other books, it's an ability to speak and be obeyed instantly. Rin is not the only person with this ability however, the infamous Selia has it as well, but unlike Rin, she misuses it.
When Rin gets the opportunity to go to the city with her brother, Razo, she starts living a completely new life. She meets the beautiful, kind Queen Isi and her baby son, Tusken.
Rin learns a lot about life just by visiting the city, and it's not soon before danger creeps in.
Can Rin suceed and use her abilities for the best?
Find out in Forest Born by Shannon Hale.

Yes, I know, lovely suspenseful ending I put to that :)
Well, I hope you're the curious type and go on to actually reading the book as well as the rest of her series.
It's wonderful!! Million thumbs up!

13 Gifts by Wendy Mass

Oh my goodness! This is the most amazing book! A perfect read for any day. This is the third and final book in Wendy Mass's amazing trio. I have to say, I read all her books, and I love every one of them. The perfect twist of fantasy and modern day.

13 Gifts starts with a twelve-year-old named Tara Brennen breaks into her principles office in the dead of night and attempts stealing the principle's most cherished stuffed goat. Apparently this was actually a dare from her snobby friends in school. Of course however, Tara get's caught in the process and the principle leaves Tara to her parents to meet her doom. Tara's parents were originally planning to go to to a large island off the coast of Africa that summer, however when this incident occurred, her parents decide to leave Tara with her aunt in the sleepy town of Willow Falls and go without her.
Tara, having no other choice, gets on the train and is off. Once Tara gets to the town though, strange things start happening, things that have to do with a certain duck-shaped birthmark.

Now, if you want to know what strange occurrences are happening and who is the weird ducky woman, I would put reading this book at the top of your LOTTD list. It's definitely infinity thumbs up!!
I also recommend reading the other books by her, including 11 Birthday and Finally. This is actually not the only series she wrote (yep, there's more) she also wrote a series called, Twice Upon a Time.
Complete awesomeness as well :)
Ok, hope you take my recommendations; you won't regret anything!

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

This is one of those books which you pick up thinking, "Looks amazing!" but once you read it, you are terribly wrong. As they say, don't judge a book by it's cover! (or it's introduction for that sake) As much as I would  love to say, all books rock! I'm sorry, but this one just does not meet my expectations. The plot sounded quite interesting once I read the front cover, but as I started reading the book, I started getting more and more bored. A good plot calls for a good description, however the way this book was written was just not compelling enough.

The book started out with a sixteen-year-old girl name Maggie. She resides with her old hag of a grandmother and an old man. When Maggie's grandmother is executed because she was accused of witchcraft, Maggie is left all alone to find out her supposedly living relatives. Surprisingly enough she finds them and starts to live with them. The down side is that her uncle is terribly preoccupied with another dilemma, and is somehow put to jail! Now, Maggie is alone with only women, who were so weak and insignificant when the story is set.

Well, that's the best description I personally can give of the book, I recommed it only if you're interested in writing a history report. Ok, fine, I'll give it one star. :)