Book Challenge: The Five People You Meet In Heaven

Book: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Challenge: A book from the BBC list.

My friend from Let Loose, Cait, suggested this book for me to do to satisfy the BBC list challenge. Generally, I don't read books that play with what heaven will be like, not because they aren't lovely books, I just can't get into them. That was part of my problem with The Lovely Bones. I just couldn't get into it. Anywho, The Five People You Meet in Heaven is about a man, Eddie, who dies and goes to heaven (naturally). While there, he meets five people who impacted his life. He doesn't know them all, but actions from their lives crossed paths with Eddie's. Truly, it was a moving book. There were parts that were incredibly sad, but all in all it was just a really lovely book. It gives a great perspective on how every action affects someone/something in our lives. 

Book Challenge: To See You Again

Book: To See You Again: A True Story of Love and War by Betty Schimmel

Challenge: Free Choice

This may be cheating, if it is, oh, well! It's just a freebie. I read this book for the first time when I was in jr. high. My mom and I found it at the Dollar Tree and decided to give it a shot. I recently reread it, and fell in love with it all over again. Basically, it's the true story of a Jewish girl who was a teenager during the Nazi occupation of Europe. She is separated from the one person who saves her from the horrible war, and spends months searching for him after the liberation. However, she doesn't succeed. Giving him up for dead, she reluctantly began a new life with a husband who adored her. Never forgetting her one true love, she always remained distant. Thirty years later, by chance, they meet again. They realized they never stopped loving each other, and she must decide if she wants to go with him, or stay with her new life.

Don't worry, there are no spoilers there that you couldn't read from the back of the book. I won't lie, this book is incredibly depressing. Heartbreaking as it was, it was still phenomenal.

Book Challenge: Paranormalcy

Book: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Challenge: A novel by a first time author.

Paranormalcy is the first book in the trilogy about a girl, Evie, who can see past the "glamours" of the paranormals. Basically, she can tell who is a paranormal creature and who isn't. She works for the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency), and is discovering she may be part of an epic faerie prophecy.

I'm probably biased because I have a deep love and fascination for fantasy books, but I loved every minute reading this book. I can't wait for the second installment, Supernaturally.

Book Challenge: Dead Reckoning

Book: Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse Series) by Charlaine Harris

Challenge: A book written by an author from your home country, region, or with your ancestral background who lives in a foreign country.

I chose Dead Reckoning for this challenge because the author, Charlaine Harris is from my home state. The is the eleventh book in the series True Blood is based on. I absolutely love these books. If you don't already know, the main character is Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic barmaid from Bon Temps, Louisiana, who is always tangled up in a mess of vampires, werewolves, and other mystical creatures.

In this installment of the series, Sookie is roped into a seemingly perilous vampire plot(per usual) while trying to save herself from someone driven to madness with the want to take Sookie's life. I really enjoyed this book, which, to be honest, I was afraid I wouldn't. The previous book just wasn't as spectacular as I'd hoped, and I feared the same for this book. Unfortunately, I'm already ready to be reading book twelve, but alas, I'll have to wait.

Book Challenge: Howl's Moving Castle

Book: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Challenge: Read a book that was turned into a major motion picture.


For those of you who haven't seen Howl's Moving Castle, it's an anime about a girl who is cursed by a wicked witch and searching for the Wizard Howl to fix the curse. Sort of..in a nutshell. The book, however, is much, much different than the movie. Some people I've talked to who read it after watching the movie didn't like it at all. I enjoyed it. Yes, it was much different, but because I knew this going into the book, I tried not to hold too closely to the movie in predicting the book. It's a fun fantasy read.

Book Challenge: The Book Thief

Book: The Book Thief by Mark Zusak

Challenge: Read a book set in a place you would like to visit.

Set in Nazi Germany, The Book Thief is the story of a girls' life during the reign of Hitler as told by Death. Liesel finds solace in books why her world crumbles around her as she realizes the impact Hitler has had on her life. She finds she must decide for herself what to believe in. While this book is phenomenally depressing at some parts, it is still a wonderful read. I was very intrigued by the creativity of the narrator being Death himself.

Books, books, books!

Sometimes I legitimately wish I had become an English major. I know I give my friend Katie a hard time sometimes, but it's all in jest. Perhaps after I graduate with my first bachelor's degree, I'll marry rich and stay home to read all day! Or go back to school for a liberal arts degree. Hmm...

This is my future library, guys. For real. ;)

Anywho. I can't wait for my summer Calc III class to end! I've got books piling up. So, since I'm on this whole challenge binge right now, I'm joining a challenge I found here. The rules are as follows:

GOAL: 8 titles that you have never read before! (10 for a bonus. Hey, why not )


CRITERIA: Choose any title in the following categories:


1. A book that was turned into a major motion picture. 
2. A book set in a place that you would like to visit.
3. A book written by an author from your home country, region, or with your ancestoral background who lives in a foreign country.
4. A classic novel.
5. A book from the BBC list.
6. A novel by a first time author.
7.  A biography/autobiography/memoir about someone you admire.
8.  A book about the environment
9.  Free choice!
10. Free choice!


This challenge was supposed to be done between May and August, but I'll give myself until September to complete it! I'll post a blog after I finish each book.