Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

I will recommend that you read this series without thinking about the movies. The books are so much better. Granted, I own all the movies. haha. It's not hypocritical, just obsession. The books are great because of all the detail the author includes. The story, world, and characters are developed so well that it is realistic. 


The movies leave so much of the story line out. Not cool.


Okay, this is the story about Harry Potter who grew up wit his aunt and uncle and cousin; they were horrible. On his eleventh birthday, Harry finds out from a giant that he is magical because his parents were. Harry gets to go to a magical school called Hogwarts and learn how to play quidditch. 


If you don't know the story line, then you've been living under a rock. So, go buy all 7 books and get sucked in to the magical world of Harry Potter.

3 days.

I cannot wait to start. I debated when to start. I thought I would start the day after I wrote my list. However, when thinking about more lists later in the future, I decided the 1st of the month would be the best. All of my lists to come will also start on the 1st of the month after I complete the previous list. 


I'm thinking that there is one thing on my list that will not get accomplished. Depressing I know but I wanted to give myself the option. If I accomplish that 'goal' in these 1001 days, I will fulfill a very sick tradition. haha. By sick, I mean seemingly unrealistic but somehow accomplished by my mom, grandma, and great-grandma. Okay, okay, I'll explain. In my maternal history (the females I just mentioned), they have their one and only daughter by the age of 26 and give her the initials of A.J. Freaky, but so true. If I get pregnant in the time allotted for this list, with a girl, I will be continuing the tradition (I will be 25 in Jan of 2012). However, it may not fit into our 'master plan' of when we think we can have a child. If it happens, it happens and we will embrace it fully. 


Oh, to think about what the future might hold!

The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman

This series is like nothing out there. The world created by the author is like an island in the sky. Most of the population who live there, don't know about the other parts of the land. 


Warvold has traveled the world and learned of its good and bad qualities. He built rounded walls around the 4 main cities and connected them with walled streets. He is trying to protect the citizens of these town from what they do not know. 


The main character, Alexa, is charged with saving the world she knows and the parts she doesn't even know exist. Warvold has secretly entrusted her with the mission as his final wishes. He pre-planned everything without anyone knowing except for Alexa and the dwarf and animals that he wants to help her. Alexa's journey is one that only a 12-year-old child can make. She begins to learn about the world she lives in and the secrets it holds. 

The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

This is the first book in a seven book series, The Sisters Grimm. This is a fantastic twist on all the fairy tales we loved as children. The paperback cover is pictured.


The main characters are Sabrina and Daphne, who find out from their grandmother that they are the great-great-etc-grandchildren of the famous Grimm Brothers. They live in a town that was magically sealed by the Grimm Brothers to keep all the fairy-tale creatures from invading the United States. Sabrina and Daphne must help their mystery-loving grandmother solve crimes that are happening in their town. 


As well as crimes in their town, Sabrina is trying to find out what really happened to her parents that caused her and her little sister to become orphans. She has a constant secret mission going to find them.


The world created by Michael Buckley is fabulous. The stories stem from what we believe about fairy-tale characters but with a new twist. Some of them are not as good as we think.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

This book was one I randomly picked up at a Marshalls. I thought I would give it a try. It ended up being a very interesting book.


The main character, Artemis Fowl, is an Irish 12-year-old who is filthy rich. His family is known for their wealth and criminal history. Artemis wants to regain his family's wealth back into the billions. He wants to do so by stealing from the fairy kingdom. Fairies, however, are not like. Tinkerbell. The term fairy describes sprites, leprechauns, dwarves, elves, etc. The main narrator for the fairies is a fairy who is still trying to prove herself and regain the trust of all fairies.


This book is very well written and draws the reader in. The world of fairies is nothing that has ever been presented before, as far as I know. The series has recently published its sixth book.

My List of 101 Things in 1001 Days

Start: October 1, 2009
Finish: June 28, 2012


A friend of mine made one of these lists. I got so inspired that I created my own. I have found that if I make lists, I am more likely to accomplish what I want to do.


Crossed Through = Finished
Bolded = In Progress
{0/#} = My Progress 

School/Work

1. Get all As in masters program

2. Graduate with masters

3. Learn sign language

4. Get a job teaching

5. Help put my hubby through physical therapy school

Family

6. Get pregnant (if we can afford to)

7. Have 2 date nights a month with my hubby. {0/66}

8. Go on 3 picnics with my hubby {0/3}

9. Visit the in-laws once a month while we still live in Oklahoma {0/9}

10. Visit my parents once every other month when in Texas {0/12}

11. Go to the Rees family Christmas party every year {0/3}

12. Take pictures in a photo booth with my hubby

13. Visit a state that neither the hubby or I have been to

14. Say ‘I love you’ every day to my wonderful hubby {0/1001}

15. Make love every day for a month {0/30}

16. Have a board game night with the hubby twice a month {0/66}

17. Travel Route 66 with my hubby

18. Do an craft project with my hubby

19. Finish my poster for my hubby

20. Take a week vacation outside the U.S. with my hubby

21. Go on a romantic weekend getaway with my hubby once a year {0/3}

Financial

22. Pay off at least 1 loan completely

23. Donate $25 a month to a charity {0/33}

24. Save at least 10% of my paycheck every month {0/33}

25. Have 1 yard sale a year {0/3}

26. Put all of our change in a container and count it at the end of every three months {0/11}

27. Follow the budget every month {0/33}

28. Tip a really good waiter/waitress 100%

29. Pay for a stranger’s meal

30. Don’t use the air conditioner/heater for a month {0/30}

31. Update the checkbook every day {0/1001}

Personal

32. Update at least 1 of my blogs daily {0/1001}

33. Buy a flat screen HDTV over 40”

34. Get an iPhone

35. Finish Mason Boggs’ baby scrapbook for his mommy

36. Visit a state that I’ve never been to but my hubby has

37. Go to a state fair

38. Ride a Ferris wheel

39. Read through the Bible in a year starting a Jan 1 {0/365}

40. Feel confident in a bikini

41. Complete Project 365 starting on a Jan 1 {0/365}

42. Get haircut once every 3 months  {0/11}

43. Wear makeup once a week {0/143}

44. Scrapbook this experience

45. Conquer my fear of tiny, dark places

46. Kill a bug when my hubby is nearby (don’t ask him to kill it)

47. Beat my hubby in a tickle war

48. Join or create a Bunco group

49. Go to Vegas

50. Scrapbook Cabo trip

51. Donate food to a local food bank

For Fun

52. Wake up before the sun just to see it rise

53. Stay up for 24 hours, just because

54. Finish a puzzle book

55. Buy a pair of shoes that costs over $100

56. Adopt a lab, golden retriever, or border collie and name her Bella or him Cooper

Household

57. Do laundry once a week  {0/143}

58. Recycle glass, plastic, paper, organics & aluminum every two weeks {0/71}

59. Clean the house once every two weeks {0/71}

60. Plant something without killing it

61. Grow a food (herb or vegetable)

Cooking/Eating

62. Cook 4 nights a week for a year {0/208}

63. Host a holiday dinner and cook it

64. Cook a new meal once a month {0/33}

65. Cook an old favorite once a month {0/33}

66. Eat breakfast four days a week for a month {0/17}

67. Shop for veggies at a farmers market ten times {0/10}

68. Order something new when going to a favorite restaurant {0/15}

69. Eat vegetarian for a week {0/7}

70.  No candy for two weeks {0/14}

Health/Fitness

71. Weigh in the 130s

72. Work out for 30 minutes 4 times a week for a year{0/208}

73. Drink the recommended 8 glasses of water a day for a month {0/30}

74. Take multivitamins (for women) every day for a month {0/30}

75. Brush, floss and rinse teeth twice a day every day {0/2002}

76. Walk Shorty once a week {0/143}

Reading

77. Read 1 book I own that I’ve never read once a month {0/33}

78. Read 1 book every other month from the ‘1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die’ list that I’ve never read before{0/17}

79. Buy 1 book every other month to add to series I own {0/17}

80. Buy 1 book every other month from my Amazon Wish Lists {0/17}

Media

81. Finish AFI’s ‘Top 100 Movies’ List  (have seen 28 already) {0/72}

82. See a newly released movie every other month {0/17}

83. Attend 1 concert by an artist I’ve never seen live

84. Attend a musical or play that I’ve never seen before with the hubby

85. Attend a live comedy show

86. Catch up on Criminal Minds to the present day season {0/3}

87. Watch Season 1 of Lost

88. Finish Season 1 of 24

89. Watch Seasons 1 & 2 of Army Wives

90. Beat Mario Galaxy on the Wii

91. Master 2 cities in Mafia Wars on Facebook

Sports

92. Go to an OSU football game at least once a year after graduation {0/3}

93. Go to 1 pro basketball game

94. Go to 1 pro football game

95. Go to 1 Astros game

96. Go to 1 pro baseball game that’s not at Minute Maid Park

97. Play fantasy football one year

98. Learn the rules of soccer

99. Learn the rules of hockey

When this is finished

100. Create a new list!

101. Put anything I didn’t finish or the next step of something on the next list.

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

This book is written by an author that is great at pulling readers into the worlds that he creates. This is the first book in a series that is very creative in getting non-readers to read. 


This is THE book that I got middle school students, mostly boys but girls too, to start reading. The book is written from the perspective of 12-year-old Ryan. It is not a book however; it is his journal. Ryan lives in a town called Skeleton Creek and his best friend is Sarah Fincher. She is very inquisitive and convinces Ryan to try and find out the mystery behind their town and its name. There are ghosts and secrets that Ryan and Sarah find out about rather quickly.


Ryan's journal stops in places and gives you a password to a website: www.sarahfincher.com. Sarah tells half of the story through her postings on her website. This is what pulled my students into the book. They read a journal and then watch a video online. 


The sequel, Ghost in the Machine, is coming out October 1, 2009. I cannot wait!!!

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

As you know, this is the first book in a very popular series. I avoided this series because it was a huge trend. I didn't trust everyone. However, I was told that once I started I would not be able to set the books down. So, I bought all four books at once. My friend was right and it was a really good thing I bought all four books at once. 

Bella moves from her mom's house to her dad's in Forks, a very small town in Washington. She thinks one guy, Edward, at school is really handsome but he won't talk to her. Then, he saves her life in the school parking lot. Soon, Bella learns of the world of vampires and werewolves is not like the movies portray. She even has to figure out how balance her relationship with both. 

It is very hard to talk about this book without spoiling it. Please, just read the first one and let yourself get sucked into the world of Forks and Bella. 

The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

I told you I like Rick Riordan. This is an interesting series with so many benefits for a young reader. 


The first benefit is how easy it is to read. The authors change every book to keep it interesting. However, you can't tell the difference and they all keep your interest. 
The next benefit is the cards that come inside the cover. They help readers stay involved with the book outside of just reading it. There is also a website that the cards can be entered into. The website prevents anyone under 18 from joining unless they have parental permission. There are extra clues and missions for the readers to do.
One more benefit is that students who hate reading start reading this book. They are totally interested in the book. I had middle school students who refused to read until I had them try this series.


This is the story of the Cahill family. After Amy & Dan's grandmother dies, they have no family left that care for them. Their aunt who they live with hires sitters to watch them. At their grandmother's funeral, a select few family members are offered the choice between one million dollars or a chance to solve 39 clues around the world for a greater reward. This is the first book in their journey.

City of the Dead by Tony Abbott

So, I literally finished this book last night. I was told by a student that this was a boring book. However, this is a student who stops reading if a realistic but entertaining story hasn't captured him in the first few pages. 


This is the first book in a series called The Haunting of Derek Stone. Derek is the main character who tells this story in first person. The book is very easy to read because it is told from a 12-year-old boy's point of view.


I was a little bored at first and was wondering where the ghosts came in. The second chapter gets very scary because Derek describes a train accident that he was in with his father and brother. Both are not found and presumed to be dead. Derek starts to research what really happened when his brother comes home but acts like a totally different person.


I was disappointed with the lack of ghosts in this story. However, they really start to appear in the last few chapters of the book. The kicker is that they are not really ghosts. They are souls inhabiting bodies. Trust me, Derek explains it to you. I don't want to ruin the story. I thought it was very clever of the author to leave the story hanging at the end of the book. It makes you want to go get the next book in the series to find out what happens.


Good thing I bought the second book when I bought the first, huh?

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

This is one of my favorite books of all time. 

It is a fiction romance novel. It is written by an author who is very well known for her Christian romance novels.

This book is based on the love story of the Biblical character Hosea. Hosea married a prostitute but no matter what, she kept running away.

This book is that story but set in the 1800s. This is a romantic period in literature settings anyway because there are no modern distractions. 

The main character, Angel, has never known love, much less unconditional love. She was sold into prostitution by one of her mother's many 'boyfriends'. Michael Hosea comes to her saying that God has told him to love her unconditionally and take her as his wife. The story is told from his perspective also. Michael never married, even though he had many opportunities, unless God told him to do so. He ends up being tested in this every time that Angel runs away. He knows he has done nothing wrong so he doesn't know why she keeps leaving.

This story will make you cry more than any other book. It is a really believable love story. You will learn the true meaning of faith in God and unconditional love.

Magyk by Angie Sage

This is the first book in the Septimus Heap series. I am huge fan of the Harry Potter BOOK series. I love disappearing into the magical world and pretending it's real. This series felt more realistic than Harry Potter. It takes you into the world of Old World Europe but in a location the author has created. The magic, I mean magyk, has new spellings of familiar words. The magyk seems very likely to exist and it feels like it is based out of old wives tales.


The story is about the seventh son of the seventh son being almost a myth but if he is born, he will be very magykal. At the beginning of this book, he is born to the Heap family but said to have died during childbirth. The same night, the queen is murdered and her daughter is said to have died as an infant as well.


The story follows the Heap family as they take in an abandoned baby girl the night their son dies. The fight for ExtraOrdinary Wizard is brought into the public eye.


This book may seem far-fetched but it is so entertaining. As of right now, there are five books in this series: Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, and Syren. Once you read this first book, you will want to stay in the magykal world and finish the series.

The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

This is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. This series has become very popular with students in the late elementary and middle school grades. I read this book after I had purchased the first four books in the series. I know it sounds crazy, but it was so worth it.


This is about a young boy who has many elements in his life that all of the readers can identify with. Percy is diagnosed dyslexic and ADHD. He has been kicked out of the last 6 schools he has attended. His mom is married to a horrible man who acts like a stepfather everyone wants to hate. 


Percy realizes that there is something more to his disabilities. The final straw is when a strange monster chases him and his mom when they are on vacation. This monster tries to kill them both. Percy must figure out who the monsters are, why the monsters are trying to kill him, who is father really is and how to stop the gods from destroying civilization.


I really enjoyed this book for the easy read and topic of Greek mythology. I have enjoyed every book I have read by Rick Riordan. I highly recommend this whole series.