Book Review: Chosen by Ted Dekker

Book Title: Chosen

Author: Ted Dekker

Publish Date: April 13, 2010

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Christian Fiction

Series Name: Lost Books (#1)

Plot (from Goodreads):

Think with your heart and prepare to die . . . for you have been Chosen.

Thomas Hunter, supreme commander of the Forest Guard, has seen a great evil decimate much of his beautiful world. With a dwindling army and an epic threat, Thomas is forced to supplement his fighters with new recruits ages 16 and 17. From thousands, four will be chosen to lead a special mission.

Unknown to Thomas, the chosen four are redirected to a different endgame. They must find the seven lost Books of History before the Dark One. For these seven books have immense power over the past, present, and future, controlling not only the destiny of their world . . . but that of ours as well.

Why I Read this Book: I love Ted Dekker novels.  This book is a re-read for me.  I have read the first 4 books in this series, but I have not read the last 2 books in the series.  I intend to re-read this first 4 books in order to refresh my memory in preparation for the last two books in the series.

 

Review 

Full of action and adventure, Ted Dekker's books never fail to deliver.  There is a slight minor plot that involves romance, but the major plot is full of adventure, excitement, and fighting.

There is also some comic relief present in the form of the rouch, Michal and Gabil.  I talked about this some in my epic bookish battle royal for the Bout of Books read-a-thon.

I also like the Christian allegories that are present.  Most of the time, these allegories are very subtle.  One of the main allegories is to God through Elyon who is the loving God in this series.  Although there are Christian allegories, I believe that this series would be great for anyone who loves fantasy, action, and/or adventure.

One last comment: the cover.  Have you seen the new covers for this series?  They are gorgeous.  I cannot keep my eyes off of them.  The original covers were not bad, but the new covers are AMAZING.  Here is a peek at the old covers:

The new covers are so pretty and not as plain as the old covers.   I also think that the new covers appeal more to both males and females; whereas, the old covers appeal more to a male audience.

 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for intense action scenes

Overall Rating: 5/5

Children's Book Review Tuesdays: O'Shae the Octopus

Book Title: O'Shae the Octopus

Author:  Brandee Buble

Illustrations: Eliska Liska

Publish Date: May 15, 2014

 Why I Read this Book: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes from NetGalley.  This in no way influenced my review.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review

This is a great book that illustrates that just because we are different than others does not mean that we are not special.  In fact it means that we are more special.  This short book illustrates how bullying is wrong and urges us to accept everyone around us.  The message of the story is not the only great thing about this book; the illustrations are cute and filled with color.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any Age

Overall Rating: 5/5

Book Review: My Name is Chloe by Melody Carlson

Book Title: My Name is Chloe

Author: Melody Carlson

Publish Date: January 10, 2003

Genre: Young Adult Christian Fiction

Series Name: Diary of a Teenage Girl: Chloe (#1)

Plot (from Goodreads): Chloe, Josh Miller's younger sister, is a free spirit with funky clothes and dramatic hair. She struggles with her own identity, classmates, parents, boys, and -- her biggest question -- whether or not God is for real. But this unconventional high school freshman definitely doesn't hold back when she meets Him in a big, personal way. Refusing to change her image to fit into the "stereotypical Christian preppy mold," Chloe expresses God's love and grace through the girl band she forms, Redemption. In her development as a musician and performer, tender-hearted Chloe will learn tough lessons about following God, her heart, and her dreams.

Why I Read this Book: I found this series at my local Goodwill and they looked really interesting.

 

Review 

My favorite part about this book is that I learned more about God while reading it.  Chloe, although a new Christian, has wonderful incites about God and His love.  For more about this, read my post on my other blog, God Speaks Through Everyday Things.

The writing style for this book was very simple and plain.  There were some really slow parts in the book and there did not seem to be a strong central plot.  The book is written as a series of diary entries in which Chloe tells about what is happening in her life.  The plot seemed to be the act of Chloe discovering what it means to be a Christian and to have a relationship with God.  

I do plan on continuing with this series.  I think that it is intended that the reader reads the Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin series before the Chloe series, so I think I will read the first Chloe book next and continue from there.

 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: 13+ for mature and appropriate discussion about sex

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Write On Review-a-thon Wrap Up

 

I am participating in the Write on review-a-thon.  Here is the blurb about it from the website:

The Write On review-a-thon is a monthly event created and hosted by Brianna at The Book Vixen. It’s 2 days dedicated to getting reviews done, whether you have one review to write or 30+. This edition of the review-a-thon takes place all day Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1st. Let’s get those reviews done!

I was busy yesterday (Friday, May 23) and was unable to write any reviews.  On Day 2 (Saturday, May 24), I was able to review a good number of books.  Here are the reviews that I have written and the days that I have them scheduled to appear on my blog:

1. My Name is Chloe by Melody Carlson - Sunday, May 25
2. Chosen by Ted Dekker - Wednesday, May 28
3. Immersed by Jennifer Stewart Griffith - Friday, May 30
4. Deception by Stacy Clafin - Sunday, June 1
5. Gaither Homecoming Bible - Wednesday, June 4

I also finished writing reviews on Goodreads and Amazon for the books that I have read and published reviews for on my blog.  This was around 5-8 books.

Free Ebook Offer: The Exile by Eric Buffington

Eric Buffington is offering free ebook copies of his book The Exile (book 1 in the Stones of Power series) on Smashwords.  All you have to do is follow this link and use the code: sw69s.

Even better is that he is also offering 33% off of ebook copies of the second book of the series, The Invasion.  Follow this link and use the code: uk44j.

I have not read either of these books yet, but the author offered these discounts to my followers.  His goal is to give away 10,000 free copies of Exile in the month of June.  I have received a copy of The Exile for review, but have not been able to read it yet.  Be looking for a review soon!

Bout of Books 10.0: Day 7 (Sunday, May 18)

Reading Completed:

I read a total of 107 pages.  I did not meet my goal of 200 pages.

• Continued My Name is Chloe by Melody Carlson (pg 40-149; 107 pages)

Other Bout of Book News:

I participated in one challenge today, Retitle Your Current Read, which was hosted by Oh Magic Hour.

I also participated in a few reading sprints.

So Today I: 

• Continued 1 book
• Participated in 1 challenge
• Participated in a few reading sprints

Book Review: Thrive by Mark Hall

Book Title: Thrive

Author: Mark Hall

Publish Date: February 11, 2014

Genre: Christian Nonfiction

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Taking the Next Step in Your Faith Life to GROW DEEP AND STRONG The only way to be the hands and feet of Jesus is to love him and serve others out of our love for him. But to do that we must first be deeply rooted in our life with God. In Thrive, Mark Hall, lead singer for the popular band Casting Crowns, shows us what it really looks like to walk with Jesus. In part 1, Digging Deep, Hall demonstrates how to truly engage with the Word and a community of faith, worshiping and pursuing God wholeheartedly as our hearts and minds are transformed. In part 2, Reaching Out, we see the fruits of our engagement with the Word and the community, the grateful giving back of service and love. Using relatable stories, grounded teaching, and great application, Hall helps everyone who wants to take the next step of faith and see their life grow deep and strong.

Why I Read this Book: I received a free electronic copy of the book for review purposes from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This in no way influenced my review of the book.

 

Review 

This book is amazing.  It teaches us how to thrive through life and not just survive.  I loved the ideas that Mark Hall presents on why we should dig deep and reach out.  This book revives your spirit and reminds you to seek God and do His will.  It reminds us of God's love and urges us to learn more about God so that we can look more like Jesus.  This would be a great book for new Christians and Christians who are hoping to become even closer to God. 

 

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age: Any Age

Overall Rating: 5/5

Write On Review-a-Thon Participation Announcement

After completing the Bout of Books read-a-thon.  I am going to have a good number of reviews to write, so I am planning on joining the Write On review-a-thon.  Here is the official blurb about the review-a-thon:

The Write On review-a-thon is a monthly event created and hosted by Brianna at The Book Vixen. It’s 2 days dedicated to getting reviews done, whether you have one review to write or 30+. This edition of the review-a-thon takes place all day Friday, May 23rd and Saturday, May 24th. Let’s get those reviews done!

Below is a list of all of the books that I hope to write reviews for during the review-a-thon:

1. Thrive by Mark Hall
2. Chosen by Ted Dekker
3. The Gaither Homecoming Bible
4. Deception by Stacy Claflin

I also hope to finish a few books during the upcoming week for which I will also need to write reviews.

I plan to publish these reviews not only on my blog, but also on Goodreads and Amazon.  I might also start to put my reviews on other sites such as Barnes and Noble.  Another goal that I have for these two days is that I will go through all of the books that I have reviewed on my blog and make sure that I have reviews on Goodreads and on Amazon.  Sometimes, I get so excited about the book that I forget to publish my reviews on places other than my blog.

Are you planning on participating in this review-a-thon?  If so, leave a link to your goals in the description.  I would love to hear your plans.

Bout of Books Day 6 (Saturday, May 17)

Today was another busy day where I did not get to read very much, but I am still happy for all I have accomplished during this read-a-thon.

Reading Completed:

I read a total of 112 pages.  I did not meet my goal of 200 pages, but I think that I got a lot accomplished in the time that I did read.

• Continued and Finished Deception by Stacy Claflin (79%-100%; 79 pages)
• Started My Name is Chloe byMelody Carlson (pg 7-40 [book started at page 7]; 33 pages)

I am not sure how I feel about Deception.  There are things that I really enjoyed about this book and things that I hated about the book.  A full review will be coming though :)

I started My Name is Chloe by Melody Carlson.  This is one of the books that I purchased at Goodwill this week.  It is the first in a Christian YA series.  This series is written as diary entries by a girl who is going into 9th grade.  So far, My Name is Chloe is a good book and the premise is great.

Other Bout of Book News:

I participated in one challenge today that was hosted by Doing Dewey.  This challenge was entitled: Show An Author Some Love.  The goal was to promote an author that you do not think is appreciated enough or well known.  Here is my tweet:

#boutofbooks Day 6 challenge: You should all read a book by @cidneyswanson because she is an amazing author #showauthorlove
— Jessica Bradley (@blog_gal) May 17, 2014

So Today I: 

• Continued and Finished 1 book
• Started 1 book
• Read 112 pages
• Participated in one challenge

Bout of Books 10.0: Day 5 (Friday May 16)

I was busy all day and was unable to read very much.  On a hppy note, I got to try on wedding dresses today and I picked up 9 books for $6 at my local Goodwill.

Reading Completed:

• Continued Deception (71%-79%; 30 pages)

Other Bout of Book News:

Nothing for today, but I hope to read a lot more this Saturday :)

So Today I: 

• Continued Deception
• Read 30 pages

Bout of Books 10.0 Challenge: Retitle Your Current Read

This is a bittersweet moment.  This is the last challenge of Bout of Books 10.0.  I have really loved this read-a-thon and it is sad that is coming to an end.  Here is a blurb about this awesome challenge from the host, Oh Magic Hour:

For this, your final mini-challenge of the readathon, I thought it would be fun if we all tried to come up with a new title for our current read, or really anything we’ve read during this Bout of Books 10.0.  For me, a great title can really go a long way toward making me want to read a book and I thought it would be fun to play with that concept a little bit.  Your new title can be something you ACTUALLY think would make a good title, or just something descriptive or something funny!  It’s totally up to you!

I thought that I would come up with a funny, but definitely true, title for Deception by Stacy Claflin.  This is also kind of a preview for my review, coming soon.

My retitling is, "The Never-Ending Love Triangle that is Reminiscent of Twilight".






Did you participate in this challenge?  What book did you retitle? Link me up :)

Blog Tour, Review, Excerpt and Giveaway: Second Chances 101

Tour Schedule

Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver

Thirty seven year old Francie Davis, a recent widow and empty nester, gets to attend college at last. She’s sure her luck has changed when she also lands a job on campus that will pay her tuition, as administrative assistant to a history professor. When her handsome new boss yells at her on the first day of work, Francie worries she will never be good enough.

For Professor Alex Diederik, life is going downhill fast. Not only is his bitter ex-wife trying to poison their only daughter against him, but now his one place of solace—his work environment—is being complicated by his attractive new administrative assistant. She drives home his feelings of failure as a husband and father, and Alex wonders if hiring her was the right thing to do.

Francie will have to put aside her hurt and insecurities or risk her dreams, while Alex must look outside himself if he’s to mend the breach with his daughter. And, perhaps, find someone who can help heal his pain.

Author Donna K. Weaver

Donna K. Weaver has always loved reading and creating stories, thus she’s been ever entertained. An avid cruiser, she’s sailed the Pacific five times. Wife-mother-grandmother-Army veteran-karate black belt-Harry Potter nerd.

Website * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest

Review

This is a great, sweet romance about two people who were previously married and have children.  It is perfectly sweet, but a little cliche.  The writing style is perfect.  The suspense is eloquently written and it leaves you wanting more.  There were sexual references, but no details were provided.  This was probably one of my favorites in the series, but I do have to give it a 4/5 because this series is supposed to be a clean romance series.

Recommended Reading Age: 16+
Rating: 4/5

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/26/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

EXCERPT

The door burst open and a pretty girl with long strawberry blond hair stomped out. Her headlong rush drove her right at Francie, who squeezed against the wall, almost out of the way. Their shoulders hit, and they both stumbled. As Francie steadied herself, she could see tears in the girl’s heavily made up eyes. Staggering for a couple of paces, she managed to stay on her feet and then ran down the hallway.

“Come back here,” a man yelled from inside. He dashed out the door and halfway down the hall before it was obvious the student had made her escape.

Yelling at a student and chasing her down the hallway? That can't be my new boss. Francie couldn’t help staring at the compact but solidly built—almost buff—man who stood with his back to her. The angry energy came off him in waves, and she had to fight a primal instinct to run and hide. Giving a quick glance over her shoulder, Francie began to edge away. Maybe she could pretend she hadn’t seen. Suddenly the man swore and spun around, seeming to see Francie for the first time.

“What are you doing there?” he growled. “Eavesdropping?”

Bout of Books 10.0: Day 4 (Thursday, May 15)

I have added one goal to my #boutofbooks goals.  I am hoping to listen to at least 30 minutes of The Scorch Trials audiobook everyday for the rest of the read-a-thon.

Reading Completed:

I read 216 pages today.  Today was a day that I could not just settle into a book.  Here is what I read:

• I began an Audiobook of The Scorch Trials by James Dashner yesterday, but I did not get far at all (less than 3 minutes).  I continued the Audiobook today and finished part one and went onto a little of part 2 so that I could finish the 8th chapter (1 hr 15 min; Chapters 1-8; 11% complete)
• Continued and Finished Thrive by Mark Hall (86%-end; 30 pages)
• Started Unstoppable by Nick Vujicic (page 1-17; 17 pages) 
• Started and DNF Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn (page 1-30; 30 pages)
• Started and DNF Prom Anonymous by Blake Nelson (page 1-16; 16 pages)
• Continued Deception by Stacy Clafin (38%-71%; 123 pages)

I am greatly enjoying The Scorch Trials.  I did not really enjoy The Maze Runner.   The pace was much too slow for me.  I might reread this in paperback form when I am finished with the Audiobook.

I finished Thrive by Mark Hall and it was AMAZING.  Review will be up soon.

I also started Unstoppable by Nick Vujicic.  This is the first book that I have read by him, but I have seen some of his sermons on TV.

I found out that we would be going to Goodwill tomorrow, so I decided to pick up a few books that I was not sure if I would like in order to deicde if I wanted to donate them or not.  First I picked up Deep and Dark and Dangerous.  I thought that this was a contemporary book, but I found out that it is actually a horror/ghost book.  I had not looked at Goodreads before I started reading the book.  I decided to DNF this book because I am not a huge fan of horror books.  The writing style was pretty good though.

I also picked up Prom Anonymous and also decided to DNF and donate this book due to inappropriate content. 

 I continued Deception and I am starting to not enjoy this book as much.  It is really starting to go down hill.  I will discuss this more after I finish the book and write a review.

Other Bout of Book News:

Today I did one Bout of Books challenge: Spell It Out Challenge

 I also participated in several informal reading sprints.

So Today I: 

• Listened to 1 hr and 15 min of an audiobook
• Continued and Finished 1 book
• Started and plan to continue 1 book
• Started and DNF 2 books
• Continued 1 book
• Read 216 pages
• Participated in 1 challenge
• Participated in informal reading sprints

Blog Tour and Review: Rylee Everley Series Books 1 and 2

The Rylee Everley Series

By S.M. Knowles

Young Adult ~ Paranormal Romance

Unusual Awakening

Book 1

With tears and a tight hug, Rylee Everley’s dad left for Afghanistan with the Army Reserve. Since his deployment, her mom has been distant, her sisters are constantly fighting, and Rylee, at only thirteen years old, has to be the glue to keep them together. While her mother stays locked in her room, Rylee has been forced into the role of parent.

Now, two years later, a freak accident involving a bus at school promises to restore some normality to her family. In spite of not knowing how their father is, her mother is happy and her sisters don’t seem to fight as much as they used to. Rylee herself is seeing more of her friends and is even trying to sort out her own feelings about Brock Parker. However, something dark threatens to disrupt that normality for personal gain, and that darkness is willing to break every rule to get what it wants.

Amazon | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Amazon UK

The first book in this series was not my favorite book.  There was not much of a plot and there was a lot of confusion about how the storyline was progressing.  The pace of the book was really slow and I took several breaks while reading this book.  That being said, there is a lot of potential in this book.  The characters were pretty interesting and that minor romance plot was also interesting.  I enjoyed the emotions that this book led me to have.  The sadness that was in Rylee's family because of her father being gone was really touching.  I believe that with some further edits, this book would be amazing.  I incredibly enjoyed the last 10-20% of the book when the pace of the plot really picked up.

Rating: 3/5

Awakening Dream

Book 2

Since her father disappeared while in Afghanistan, Rylee Everley has been taking things one day at a time. After burying their friend over the summer, she and her friends returned to school for their junior year. While her friends are worried about career choices and the future, she hangs on to a secret. Witches exist, and they live here among us. She has been asked to help vanquish a half witch who has caused some problems with only a wisp trapped in a necklace to help her, her own manifesting gifts, and cryptic dreams to guide her.

To top it all off, her childhood friend, and crush, has been acting really strange ever since he started dating Adysin. He ditched the football team, and he acts like a totally different person. They were once so close, and now she finds herself missing him and feeling guilty for pushing him away. Is this just concern for a friend she’s feeling or could it be love? Can Rylee save her childhood friend from a witch who’s willing to go to any length and pay any price to keep him?

Amazon | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Amazon UK

Wow!  This book was really great!  The pace of the plot really picked up in this book and it was packed with adventure!  The paranormal aspects of this book were not incredibly unique, but they were certainly interesting and heightened the plot and the emotions in the book.  I cannot say much about the plot, since this is the second book in the series, but this series is well worth reading!  I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.  I will be buying it as soon as it comes out.

Rating: 4/5

S.M. Knowles was born in Elmira, New York where she was swept away in a whirlwind to the Land of Oz--Independence, Kansas. Her parents were relocating for working opportunities and decided that this would be the perfect place to start new roots. Little did she know that this place would contribute to the inspiration for the first book she wrote in her Rylee Everley Series.

While growing up, S.M. would travel the roads around her house while imagining she was somewhere else. Her imagination would take her everywhere, making the long hot summer days seem shorter throughout her fantasies.

At the age of twelve, she decided to write her first book. Filled mostly with dialog, she filled up one-hundred pages, front and back. After taking the book downstairs to show her mom, and persuading her to buy her more paper, she excitedly ran back to her room. As she barreled through the door, S.M. tripped over items left on her floor, and her papers came raining down in her room. Discouraged, she stood there in tears, picking up her papers and throwing them in the trash. Her work had no organization, no numbers on her pages, just a child fulfilling a joy that she would put down and not pick up again.

When she became older, she joined the military for something different. In that time, she was able to explore many places and even met her husband in Iraq. After coming home, she started her family in Arizona and went back to school, earning a Master's degree in Adult Education and Training.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Amazon | Goodreads

Bout of Books 10.0 Day 4 Challenge: Spell It Out Challenge

I have not gotten anything read yet today, but who doesn;'t like a good book related challenge.  Today's Bout of Books challenge is entitled, "Spell It Out Challenge".  Here are the rules:

The Rules

1. Use the first letter in any book you’ve read or want to read to spell out a word. You can choose first name, initials, your birthday month, or your zodiac sign.
2. Share your word on your blog, Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads.
3. Submit a link to your post in the linky below! You’ll get an extra FIVE entries in the Rafflecopter international giveaway for an eBook of your choice (Amazon or B&N, up to $10 USD) for participating in this challenge. You MUST be participating in Bout of Books 10.0 to be eligible to win the giveaway, but you can always post your answer in the comments just for fun if you aren’t a participant.
4. If you tweet about this challenge, don’t forget to mention me, @kimberlyreads, and use the #boutofbooks hashtag.

Today, I will be spelling out my first name in books that I have read and really loved.  Here it goes:

 

 

Bout of Books 10.0: Day 3 (Wednesday, May 15)

Reading Completed:

Today I read a total of 247 pages.  I surpassed my goal :) Here is what I read today:

• Finished Awakening Dream (44%-end; 131 pages)
• Continued Thrive (76%-87%; 25 pages)
• Read some out of my Bible from the Book of Job and the Book of Psalm (5 pages)
• Continued reading Deception (15%-38%; 86 pages)

I enjoyed Awakening Dream so much more than the first book in the series, Awakening Dream.  The plot was so rich!  More about that though in the review that will be posted tomorrow.

I am really enjoying Thrive, but it is very rich in spiritual inspiration and guidance that I can only read so much in one sitting.

I did a Bible study with my fiance and read some out of Psalms today.  I continued my reading of the Book of Job also.  It's really great, of course.

Deception is so amazing!  It is one of the best and unique vampire books I have read in a long time.  It is written so well.  I cannot wait to read the rest of this book!

 

Other Bout of Book News:

Today I did one Bout of Books challenges: This Made Me Think of That

 I also participated in several informal reading sprints and the twitter chat.  Here are some of the questions and some of my answers for this twitter chat:

Q4. You’re being written into a book as a character. What type of character would you be and why? #boutofbooks
— Kelly Rubidoux (@soulswallo) May 15, 2014

A4: I would be the nerdy best friend that is too focused on reading a good book that the main character dies #boutofbooks
— Jessica Bradley (@blog_gal) May 15, 2014

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q6. Fill in the blank: “Did you know that I___?” (tell us something unique about yourself!) #boutofbooks
— Kelly Rubidoux (@soulswallo) May 15, 2014

A6: Did you know that I do not know how to ride a bicycle #fail #boutofbooks
— Jessica Bradley (@blog_gal) May 15, 2014

Here are some other great/funny answers:

A6 everyone else is saying awesome stuff and I'm sitting here like....... I like potatoes #boutofbooks
— Beth's Books (@booksbybeth) May 15, 2014

A4: I would be the one who reads all the time but secretly time travels and solves mysteries... #boutofbooks
— What Katie Read (@KatePoseyPhD) May 15, 2014

 

So Today I: 

• Continued and Finished 1 book
• Continued Reading 2 books
• Read 247 pages
• Participated in 1 Bout of Books Challenge
• Participated in unofficial reading sprints
• Participated in the Twitter chat 

Bout of Books 10.0 Day 3 Challenge: This Made Me Think of That

Today's Bout of Books 10.0 challenge is entitled, "This Made Me Think of That".  Here is a blurb from the host of this challenge, The Overstuffed Shelves:

Just think about the book you are reading now, or one you've read before, and tell me something you think goes with it and why.
The something can be another book, a movie, a song, a ballet, a drink, a special food or meal...no need to get Proustian about it, but if madelines are involved, it's okay.

 I am going to relate the Unusual Awakening by S.M. Knowles to a few things.  I just finished this book yesterday for Bout of Books, so it is fresh on my mind.

This:

 

 made me think about:

http://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2013/jun/18/sick-man-etiquette-short-term-illness

 

 

and

http://annawrites.com/blog/2013/08/14/real-family-real-sacrifice-whats-that-about/

This book made me cry so many times because of the bad circumstances that Rylee was in.  It also made me think about the importance of my family because Rylee's family was very important to her.