I was just going to pick this one up and browse through it. Next thing I knew I was turning the last page and wanting more.  Just what is so addictive about fitting your life into six words, no more, no less?  Whatever it is, the editors at Smith magazine have captured it in this collection by writers famous and obscure.  Pick up a copy and soon you, too, will be thinking in six word snippets. 

Can you capture your life at this point in six words?  What would it be?

 Fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon was brutally murdered in corn field while walking home from school one winter day.  She know who killed her, but her family is left with nothing but the hole created by her absence.  Police never find her body except for an elbow and lots of blood soaked in the dirt.  The only clues are tattered textbooks and later a charm from her bracelet. 

We first meet Susie while she looks down from her place in heaven to follow the lives of her family and friends.  She discovers that heaven is a pretty good place.  She just has to desire something, and soon it appears for her.  Her heaven is filled with dogs who frolic across the grass, schools where you can light bonfires in the classrooms, and a gazebo where Susie can watch the events on Earth unfold.

The Lovely Bones is beautiful and haunting.   Alice Sebold captures and transforms the grief felt by both the living and the dead as they learn to rebuild their lives around the gaping hole that used to be Susie.  Eventually, they must all learn to let go and move on, but nothing rushes grief.  Sebold allows these characters to move through their lives at their own pace, not letting go until the time is right.

This was not an easy read.  Uwem Akpan captures the horror of war and poverty across Africa in this collection of short stories.  The images he created on the page are seared into my mind.  It will be a long time, if ever, before I forget them.  The hardest part for me is that each story focuses on children who are caught up in and destroyed by the events swirling around them.  In “An Ex-mas Feast,” Jigana, a ten-year-old boy, struggles with both hope and despair as his two older sistesr sell themselves to tourists to earn money to send him to school.  “Fattening For Gabon” tells the story of Kotchikpa and Yewa, a brother and sister living with their uncle because both parents are dying of AIDS.  What they don’t realize is that he plans to sell them as slaves.  “What Language is That?” is the most hopeful story.  Two girls, best friends who are Muslim and Christain, learn to communicate across the gulf created by the riots between their faiths.  In “Luxurious Hearses,” Jubril/Gabriel looks for safety as his country is torn apart by religious zealots of all faiths–Muslim, Christain, and traditional.  Jubril has a ticket on a bus to the south where he hopes to find safety with his father’s people where he was baptized a Catholic.  He can no longer stay in the north where he was raised by his Muslim mother.  “My Parents’ Bedroom” ends the collection as parents of different faiths try to protect their children and each other from the violence sweeping their country.

Even if it’s not an easy read, it is thought-provoking.  I am grateful for the freedom and safety we have in our country.  I pray for those who do not.  When will those who claim to worship God learn that our Father and Creator does not wish us to kill each other.

Tony Dungy, former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bucanneers, is worried that young men today are getting the wrong message about what it means to be a man.  He wrote Uncommon to give his answer to the question:  What does it mean to be a man?  His answer focuses on the basics.  To get respect, treat others with respect.  Athletics are a good complement to academics, and there is life beyond football (or any other sport).  Make faith and family a priority in your life.  Live your life with integrity. 

Even though Dungy directs this book to men, young and old, anyone can take away words to live by.  I’m glad I read it and have lots to think about in my own life.  How can I make the best use of my time and resources to make the world a better place?

What kind of world do you want to inherit?  What kind of world do you want to leave to your children?  Check out the website WhatKindofWorldDoYouWant.com to share your vision of what the world can be.  In addition to recording and posting a video with your answer to the question “What kind of world do you want to live in?”, you can donate to organizations that are working to make the world a better place.  Unfortunately, the site is undergoing renovation at the moment, but check back later.  Meanwhile, leave me a comment a telling what you would like the world to be like?

I finally got the list of your favorite books typed up.  I’m really late this year, but better late than never.  Even though I suspect some of you chose the last book you read (or were supposed to read), but you still have very good taste in books.  Browse through the list for a cure to your summer boredom.

Favorite Books from 2009 – 2010

Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson

• It’s an amazing book and funny! It’s a book teens understand. –Haylea C

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

• It is a very good book. It is really understandable. –Haley B

• It’s about a girl who goes to high school with no friends, no good clothes, or sense of style. –Ashley M.

• I think anyone would enjoy reading this book. It keeps you interested and you don’t want to put it down. –Megan S.

• I don’t like reading at all, but this was a great book….one of the few I have finished. It also is a movie. I would recommend it to anyone. -Cammi S

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

• I like the book because it is an easy read and because it shows adventure. –No Name

One-Handed Catch by Mary Jane Auch

• You should read tis because ti has awesome heart-pumping action. And you never have a problem following the story. –Devin G.

The Man Who Was Poe by Avi

• This book is filled with mystery,murder, love, and excitement. It will give so many mysterious activities that make you want to keep reading. –Destiny E.

Nothing But the Truth by Avi

• It is a good book and people should read it. –Taylor D.

• I like this book because at first it seems confusing, but at the end it was like, the truth? Who’s telling the truth and who’s lying? –Keisha W.

• It is so boring when you wake up you’ve read the entire book. –Eli Y.

Never Give Up by Tedy Bruschi and Michael Holley

• Anyone who loves football or anyone who enjoys comeback stories. Anyone who had a stroke should read this book because anyone could overcome a stroke, but Tedy keeps playing the game he loves, football. –Brad S.

House of Night series by PC & Kirsten Cast

• If you like vampires and romance and adventure, this is the series for you. –Lyndi S.

City of Bones series by Cassandra Clare

• It is a mysterious book series. –Morgan K.

• is an amazing book with characters you will fall for and a plot that keeps you wanting more. –Taylor M.

Very Lefreak by Rachel Cohn

• It’s very teenagerish and relatable. –Laura O.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

• It was the best book I’ve ever read. It’s full of action and it keeps you interested. –Kendra E.

• It’s kind of about the future. It’s detailed and very suspenseful. –TJ M.

Burning Up by Caroline Cooney

• This book is very interesting and it makes you not wanna put it down. It’s kind of like a mystery. –Raven L.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

• You keep turning pages because you don’t know what happens next. –Vanessa S.

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

• Because it’s a romantic comedy. –Morgan R.

Maze Runner by James Dashner

• It is full of suspense and action. It has brand new ideas for a fantasy series. –Mitch D.

The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen

• It is a great book for teen girls, great love story. –Katie T.

Gym Candy by Carl Deuker

• Because it’s about sports. –Nick N.

• It’s a football book. It’s about a young boy that takes steroids to become stronger. –Jason S.

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

• They should definitely read because it’s a great book. You should really read this book. It teaches you about friendship and life. –SuAnn V

Ice Fire series by Chris D’Lacey

• They are an excellent series. –James C.

Battle of Jericho by Sharon Draper

• It is a great suspense book and mystery. –Josh M

• I think this would be a good book because it teaches lessons. –Savannah S

Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper

• Because it is filled with action and nonstop drama. –Samantha C.

Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper

• It’s an amazing love story about two different people! I love love stories. They are amazing. It’s the best! –Ellen P

Gallows Hill by Lois Duncan

• I recommend this book because it has a little bit of history, as long as mischief and suspense. If you like quick actiton, it is is your book. –Nathan B.

Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan

• It is suspenseful and a great story. All of Lois Duncan’s books are great, especially this one. –Taylor H.

• The book was very interesting. I thought it was very suspenseful. –Bre H.

• It’s very suspenseful. –Alex W.

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

• It’s good. It’s the best book ever. –Alex R.

The Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan

• This story revolves around a boy who trains to become a Ranger. It is a very thrilling story. –Brad H.

Bounce by Natasha Friend

• It’s a great book. ENOUGH SAID! –Johnny S.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

• Because it is a really good book. At first I didn’t think it would be, but it was. Even though it was weird at the beginning…! –Kourtney N.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

• Because if you’re a wildlife person, you will love the book. There are some things in there that will show you something you can make. –Melina M.

What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail Giles

• I liked it because it was a murder mystery, and it was just very intriguing. I couldn’t put it down. –Shelby B.

Wizards First Rule (The Legend of the Seeker series) by Terry Goodkind

• They’re excellent and are full of adventure and wars. It’s by far awesome. –Carl C

Looking for Alaska by John Green

• It’s about something that could really happen, and you can relate to the characters. –LeighAnne S.

Paper Towns by John Green

• This book has things that happen in real life or something that could happen. –Destinee S

Dead Man in Indian Creek by Mary Downing Hahn

• I recommend this book because it’s exciting and it’s emotional. –Jesse S.

The Outsiders by SE Hinton

• It’s a good book about a murder and the troubles of a group of troubled lives. It changed my life. –Chris C.

• Life changing. –John F.

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

• I couldn’t put it down. You really can’t tell what’s gonna happen. It’s really short because it’s told in poem form. –Sierra R.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

• Because you never know what will happen next. –Dillon C

• I believe this book is very interesting, and people will enjoy it. –Chelsey R.

• This book takes you through a journey through a girl’s life and struggles. –Harley T.

Glass by Ellen Hopkins

• It’s a really good book. –Kayla C.

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

• Because it is very good and it covers great topics. –Amy H

Silent to the Bone by EL Konigsburg

• I pick this book because the whole thing is a mystery, and it grabs onto you. –Zonnie A.

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

• I am not for sure. I didn’t read it all because it was boring. Maybe you will like it. –Marvin R.

The Giver by Lois Lowery

• It’s really good. –Savannah J.

Cut by Patricia McCormick

• –Jayde S

Mourning Song by Lurlene McDaniel

• It’s an amazing book. It’s a sad but really good book. It talks about a lot of sad things that this girl’s sister has cancer and she does things to raise money to help save her. –Apache F.

Host by Stephenie Meyer

• is the best book I’ve ever read, even though it’s long. The plot is about humanity’s end and other “people” taking over Earth. –Nancy B

• Even though I only got to read two pages of it, it is still amazing. –Ciara F.

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

• It’s a really good book. –Charissa H

• This book is full of romance and mystery. It’s very good book and will keep you interested to read more. –Maddy M

• They are great books, leaving you with wanting more. –Alyssa N.

• It’s a good book. It leaves you thinking. –Ciera O.

• I love the Twilight books. It’s an awesome love story. Even if you hate reading. –Baley W.

• I think it’s really good because it catches your attention right away and ocntinues to throughout the whole book. –Shelby W.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

• is definitely the best book I’ve read so far this year. What I like about it is how different all the characters are, the time in which it takes place, and of course, the story plot! (Of course, if you want to know the plot, you’ll have to read it.) –Shelby H.

Handbook for Boys by Walter Dean Myers

• I like this book and recommend to you because it teaches you skills and values you may need throughout your life. –Kyle D

Z for Zachariah by Robert O’Brien

• It’s a good book. –Makayla S.

Brian’s Hunt by Gary Paulsen

• Because it is a good book. It is for a woodsman. –Austin S.

Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen

• It’s a great book because I say. –No Name

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

• It is really cool how he works to survive and protects himself. –Blake M.

• It’s adventurous. –Justin M.

• A great outdoor adventure for anyone. –Braden R.

My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen

• This book is perfect for dog lovers like me. –Noah C.

• If you love dogs, this is a good book for you. –Jaimee L.

• If you like dog stories, I would recommend this book. –Erika R.

Keeper by Mal Peet

• It’s about soccer. It is very interesting. –Cody B.

All of the Above by Shelly Pearsall

• It is a funny book full of barbeque, chalk, glue, and kids. –Kelby W.

A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

• This book is an inspirational story of great heroic effects. This book is life changing. –Abby A.

• I love this book! It’s a true story about a boy who was abused by is mom. It’s a sad, yet gripping story. –No Name

• –Cheyenne R.

The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer

• Because it’s real. Some people sadly can relate to this book! –Whitney J.

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

• Because it is a good story that touches your heart and makes you thankful for what you have. –Brittany R.

90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

• This book is a good book because it keeps you in suspense to know what will happen next. –Mikaela S.

Freak by Marcella Fleishman Pixley

• Really good, it’s abut life, life as a teen struggling with everyday school and at home life. –Lacey S.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

• Fun, weird, great ending. –Savanna C.

Numbering All the Bones by Ann Rinaldi

• This is a good book. It’s about slaves, but it’s pretty good. –Chris H.

• Cause it’s pretty amazing and about slavery. –Hudson K

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

• It is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and you can’t stop reading. –Tyler C.

Vampire Kisses series by Ellen Schrieber

• It is really good vampire love story about a goth girl and a goth vampire guy. Read it. It’s awesome! –Keiana J.

The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender

• Because it was a really good book, and I don’t like to read!. –Jessica D.

Full Tilt by Neil Shusterman

• This is a really good book. Whenever I was reading it, I didn’t want to put it down. This book makes you wonder what is gonna happen next. –Hannah R.

The Secret Night World by LJ Smith

• It’s a series, but you don’t have to read them in order. The Night World is a group of people (vampires, witches, shape-shifters, werewolves) and more. –Briana S.

Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett

• It is a very interesting series ad can keep you interested the whole time. It is very suspenseful. –Martin C.

• It was the best series ever! You keep reading because you can’t stop. –Elisabeth G.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

• I would recommend this book if you like romance novels because it is an amazing book that keeps you reading. –Tori W.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

• It tells a realistic story and is also a movie. Very detailed and interesting. –Ali K

• It’s a love story but it turns out different than other love stories. –Ali L.

• Because it’s a love story and it has things in it that happen in everyday life. –Claire M.

• Because it’s awesome and sweet and touches ya heart! –Paris P.

• Nicholas Sparks is such a good writer. He writes about actual things that [could] happen. And they are usually sweet and sad stories of love and happiness. –Emily W.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

• Because Noah is sweet. –Frankie G.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

• It gets into the teenager’s life of love and it’s difficulties. I like this book a lot. It’s great. –No Name

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein

• You should read this book because once you get bored with something, something happens that gets you interested. –Sean N.

Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld

• It shows how life isn’t always the way you want it. It shows how different people can live in different lifestyles than you. –Teisha D.

Charlotte’s Web by EB White

• I love that book. It’s been my favorite since like the second grade. –Kirsten G.

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

• It’s about a girl whose dad is a preacher and her mom is in rehab. Then on top of that, one of her friends from church gets kidnapped. –Rebekah W.

The Scream Museum by Paul Zindel

• It’s full of suspense and it’s very interesting –No name

I am in love…with Shiver, that is.  Rather than feel frightened by the wolves who live in the woods behind her house, Grace is inexplicably drawn to them.  Through the winter months, she watches and listens for them, especially for her wolf, the one with the yellow eyes.  Sam, a yellow-eyed wolf, watches Grace from the edge of the woods, not having the words to give voice to his love.  During the summer months, Sam is able to regain his human form, but never gets the nerve to speak to her.  When their paths suddenly collide, their love erupts, but will they run out of time?

I was captivated with this story from the very first word.  Every page oozes with the longing experienced by Grace and Sam until it builds to an unbearable pitch.  Warning, at this point you will not be able to put the book down.  Maggie Stiefvator has woven a haunting love story that still echoes in my mind and heart.  There’s just one problem.  Linger is not out for another four weeks.

Ever since he was a boy growing up in his community’s synagogue, Mitch Albom’s first instinct when seeing a Man of God was to run away.  He grew up, marking the milestones of his faith and then just drifted away from God in pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.  That all changes the day that the Man of God of his childhood, Rabbi Albert Lewis, asked Mitch, “Will you do my eulogy?”  

So begins Mitch’s journey with not one, but two Men of God.  Mitch agrees to do the eulogy on the condition that he get to know the Reb as a man.  Mitch meets with the Reb in his home and office over the next eight years.  During this same time, Mitch meets Henry Covington, a Detroit pastor of a run-down church and leader of I Am My Brother’s Keeper homeless ministry.  Henry grew up in a life of poverty and crime.  He did prison time and drugs.  He gave his life to God while hiding behind trash cans one night in fear for his life.  These two very different Men of God lead Mitch on a journey back to his faith.

I wanted to read this book with pen and notebook handy.  It is filled with words–quotes–I want to remember.  Here are some of my favorites:

“The most inspirational man I knew only reached his potential by helping a child reach his.”  Mitch

“Faith is about doing.  You are how you act, not just how you believe.”  the Reb on the importance of ritual

“That’s what faith is.  If they spit in your face, you say it must be raining.  But you still come back tomorrow.”  the Reb.  You’ll have to read the story it is the punch line to.

“We were part of each other’s lives.  If someone was about to slip up, someone else coudl catch him.”  the Reb, on community

“When you come to the end, that’s where God begins.”  and “It is far more comforting o think God listened and said no, than to think that nobody’s out there.” –  the Reb

“Getting old, we can deal with.  Being old is the problem.”  – the Reb

“I’ve spread as much as God’s word on that wall, as I have inside…Because some people arent ready to come in.  Maybe they feel guilty, on accounta what they’re up to.  So I go out there, bring them a sandwich.” – Henry

“I don’t care if you’re drunk, oryou just left the drug house, I don’t care.  When I’m sick, I go to the emergency room.  And if the problem continues, I go again.  So whatever’s ailing you, let this church be your emergency room.  Until you get the healing, don’t stop comng.” – Henry

“Our faith tells us to do charitable acts and to aid the poor in our community.  That is being righteous, no matter who you help.”  – the Reb

What if someone from another faith won’t recognize yours?  Or wants you dead for it?  “That is not faith.  That is hate.  And if you ask me, God sits up there and cries when that happens.” – the Reb

If the only thing wrong with Jesus is that he’s not yours; if the only thing wrong with mosques, Lent, chanting, Mecca, Buddha, confession, or reincarnation is that they are not yours–well maybethe problem is you. – Mitch

“No, I say.  You knew me.  You knew that person,but you don’t know the preson that I’m trying to becomes.”  – Henry, on overcoming your past

on why there is evil:  “Because one thing God gave us–and I’m afraid it’s at times a little too much–is free will.  Freedom to choose.  I believe he gave us everything we needed to build a beautiful world, if we choose wisely.  But we can also choose badly.  And we can mess things up something awful.”  – the Reb

“I think prayer and God are intertwined.” – the Reb

But it’s not me against the other guy.  It’s God measuring you against you.  Maybe all you get are chances to to do good, and what little bad you do ain’t much bad at all.  But because God has put you inthe position where you can always do good, when you do something bad–it’s like you let God down.  And maybe people who only get chances to do bad, always around bad things, like us, when they finally make something good out if it, God’s happy.”  – Cass

“You can’t work your way into heaven.  Anytime you try and justify yourself with works, you disqualify yourself with works.  What I do here, every day, for the rest of my life, is only my way of saying, ‘Lord, regardless of what eternity holds for me, let me give you something back to you.  I know it don’t even no scorecared.  But let me make something of my life before I go…And then, Lord, I’m at your mercy.'” – Henry

“Youre a man of God, too.  Everyone is.” – the Reb

“My answer here, too, is yes, there is something.  But friends, I’m sorry.  Now that I know, I can’t even tell you.”  – the Reb’s last words (recorded and played at his funeral).

And it hit me, finally, that this was the whole point of my time with the Reb and Henry:  not the conclusion, but the search, the study, the journey to belief.  You can’t fit the Lord in a box.  But you can gather stories, tradition, wisdom, andint ime, you needn’t lower the shelf; God is already nearer to thee. – Mitch

Wow!  City of Glass is the thrilling third installment of  The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.  If you have not read this urban fantasy series, get yourself to the library or bookstore and pick up a copy.  Don’t wait.  Do it now.

Clary discovers that she is not who she always thought she was.  Instead of an ordinary mundane, she is a Shadow Hunter and daughter of Valentine, the Shadow Hunter who wants to take over the world.  Desperate circumstances joined her with the Lightwoods at the Institute as she learned to fight along side them against demons and Valentine.   Now Clary is desperate to get to Alicante, the City of Glass, to find the warlock Magnor Fell who has the antidote that can save her mother.  Once she gets there, without the Clave’s knowledge or permission, she finds the city is under attack by Valentine, who has possession of the first two Mortal Instruments, and is seeking the third.  The only way the Shadow Hunters can hope to defeat Valentine is by joining forces with the Downworlders.  Will they be able to set aside their fear and prejudice of each other to fight a common enemy? 

If you are in love with this series or its characters head over to Mundie Source to enter a contest to win a free ARC (Advanced Reader’s Copy) of Clockwork Angel (the first in a series that is a prequel to The Mortal Instruments).  All you have to do is declare your passion (love or loathing) for any of the characters.  You’ve got until Saturday to get your entry in.  Even if you don’t enter, head over to read the letters already posted.

This series captures all that I love about fantasy–the battle between good and evil whose outcome balances on the choices made by imperfect humans.  Jace captures the power of fantasy when he explains his choices to Clary at the end.  He used to believe that love would make him weak, but meeting Clary showed him that love is the strongest force of all.  Even though she was raised as a weak mundane and never trained as a fighter, love made her strong.  Jace says, “And then I saw how much you loved your mother, loved Simon, and how you’d walk into hell to save them…Love didn’t make you weak, it made you stronger than anyone I’d ever met.  And I realized I was the one who was weak.”  In the end, it was Jace’s love for Clary that gave him the strength to make the right choice.  It was Clary’s rune to reveal who each Shadow Hunter loved most that convinced them to make to choice to stand against Valentine.  Love is the only force that can defeat evil. 

All my favorite fantasies explore this theme:  CS Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe, Madeleine L’Lengle’s A Wrinkle in Time, Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising,  JRR Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings, even Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight.  Which stories, fantasy or not, highlight the power of love for you?