Reloaded: An American Warning ~ David M. Robertson

Most American Citizens could not tell you what kind of government we are supposed to have, even though many recited it each day before class.

How can someone love something they know nothing about?

Our nation is filled with those in uniform who have sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution but could not tell you what Article 4 Section 4 says, or any other Article for that matter.

How can someone defend something they know nothing about?

Many in this nation could not recite the Bill of Rights without the need to look them up.

How can someone exercise a Right that they know nothing about?

Ignorance is defined as "lack of knowledge or information." This more than sums up a large portion of Americans today in regard to the important things. The question is:

Which path will you choose? The path of information or the path of apathy?

History is beginning to repeat itself once again.

Which path do the masses usually take and where do they end up?

Book Review:

I had to read this for my American Political Systems class. My professor gave each of us a list of books to choose and this just happens to be mine. I also have to write a book review with his guidelines so this in a way is my rough draft.

Robertson's voice, throughout this entire book, is very biased, but he does back up his views with a slew of evidence through his cacophonous rants. For some, the language may be hard to understand because this is meant for a more intellectual reader, one who can knit pick at all of the little details. You have to be the type of reader who likes to philosophically question everything you have ever thought in your life, as well. 

He discussion the ignorance and idiocy of much of United States population. Much of that comes from many citizens' lack of knowledge relating to governnment, our Rights, the Constitution, etc. He also discusses the corruption of our government and the path that it is leading us into. I'm not 100% sure that I agree with everything that he said, but I do believe that there is truth to some of it. His evidence is also pretty compelling and very hard to ignore. 

I wasn't completely compelled by this book, mainly because it's not something I would usually read and it was something that I was forced to read but I do believe that it was beneficial in adding to my  collection of genres. 

Pages: 275                                                                                        Rate: 2/5

#AYearAThon #Benchwarmers: The 5th Wave ~ Rick Yancey

After the 1st Wave, only darkness remains.

After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th Wave, just one rule applies; trust no one.

Now it's the dawn of the 5th Wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother - or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or get up.

Book Review:

I'm not much of a sci-fy person. I used to be really into but the past couple of years I have found other interests, memoirs, contemporary, realistic fiction. I think that I went through a really big sci-fy phase when I read Twilight, after that I read The Vampire Academy series, and even The Host, the only other alien-esque novel I have read. After that I kind of fell off of the bandwagon. But I think that between the Shatter Me trilogy and now this trilogy... I'm back on it.

I really liked how the book switched between characters, but not too frequently. Not to the point where it was confusing like some other books I have read. I loved how the main focus was on Cassie but because these other characters were so integral to her journey, there needed to be this focus on them as well.

Oh and now lets talk a little bit about Evan Walker. He is so mysterious. I want to know more about his story! I want to know what is going to happen between Cassie and him, especially now that she knows his secret. The most shocking but kind of expected secret in this entire novel. All in all, I just want to know more about this entire world!

Pages: 457                                                                                      Rate: 5/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

So let's talk Evan Walker's secret...

He is human but an Other is living in his brain?

I have no other way to explain that. As I am writing this, I am half way through the second book in the trilogy and I am still a bit confused. 

It still irritates me that we have yet to find out why the Others are trying to rid the Earth of humans too. I don't understand what their motive is in enhilating the human race. 

Favorite Quote:

“But if I'm it, the last of my kind, the last page of human history, like hell I'm going to let the story end this way. I may be the last one, but I am the one still standing. I am the one turning to face the faceless hunter in the woods on an abandoned highway. I am the one not running but facing. Because if I am the last one, then I am humanity. And if this is humanity's last war, then I am the battlefield.” 

Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family ~ Amy Ellis Nutt

The Maines twin boys were identical - except one always identified as female. From New York Times bestselling author Amy Ellis Nutt comes a powerful and intimately reported narrative of the brave girl and her family at the center of a groundbreaking movement to expand the rights and dignity of transgender children across America.

When Wayne and Kelly Maines adopted identical twin boys, they thought their lives were complete. But it wasn't long before they noticed a marked difference between Jonas and his brother, Wyatt. Jonas preferred sports and trucks and many of the things boys were "supposed" to like; but Wyatt liked princess dolls and dress-up and playing Little Mermaid. By the time the twins were toddlers, confusion over Wyatt's insistence that he was female began to tear the family apart. In the years that followed, the Maineses came to question their long-held views on gender and identity, to accept and embrace Wyatt's transition to Nicole, and to undergo an emotionally wrenching transformation of their own that would change all their lives forever. 

Becoming Nicole chronicles a journey that could have destroyed a family but instead brought it closer together. It's the story of a mother whose instincts told her that her child needed love and acceptance, not ostracism and disapproval; of a Republican, Air Force veteran father who overcame his deepest fears to become a vocal advocate for trans rights; of a loving brother who bravely stuck up for his twin sister; and of a town forced to confront its prejudices, a school compelled to rewrite its rules, and a courageous community of transgender activists determined to make their voices heard. Ultimately Becoming Nicole is the story of an extraordinary girl who fought for the right to be herself. 

Granted wide-ranging access to personal diaries, home videos, clinical journals, legal documents, medical records, and the Maineses themselves, Amy Ellis Nutt spent almost four years reporting this immersive account of an American family confronting an issue that is the center of today's cultural debate. Becoming Nicole will resonate with anyone who's ever raised a child, felt at odds with society's conventions and norms, or had to embrace life when it plays out unexpectedly. It's a story of standing up for your beliefs and yourself - and it will inspire all of us to do the same.

Book Review:

*I'm doing my best to use the pronouns the way that they were used in the book. Please do not get offended if I use them wrong. I am not fully educated. I'd be willing to accept any information that you can give me, but please do not be rude.*

I picked up this book because I know people who are mentioned and I live in a town that they were raised in for the first couple of years of their life. I read this book because I was curious of how Nicole knew that when she was a girl. After finishing this book, my eyes are open to a completely different world. I have always accepted anyone that I have encountered who has been a part of the LGBTQA+ community. I try to avoid any prejudice towards them. I try to be as accepting as I can. I feel that this book has given me a perspective that will make it even easier to be accepting because I feel for people in this community who are constantly having to fight for basic rights because of their gender identity, sexual orientation, etc. 

Nicole's journey was heartbreaking originally. I felt so bad for Wyatt. All he wanted was to be a girl and at such a young age he couldn't understand why he was born a boy, why his twin brother was happy with who he was, and why no one understood why he wanted to do "girl" things. I was so excited for him when he was finally able to be a girl, change his name to Nicole. I was even more excited for that young boy when at 18, Nicole was able to finally able to have her sex reassignment surgery. I cam close to tears many times. 

Pages: 262                                                                                Rate: 5/5

  

Username: Evie ~ Joe Sugg

Like anyone who feels they don't fit in, Evie dreams of a safe place. When times are tough, all she wants is a chance to escape from reality and be herself. Unknown to Evie, her loving father has been working tirelessly to create a virtual world where she can get away, and life as she knows it is about to change forever. Could this be the perfect world Evie has longed for, or does her hardest journey still lie ahead?

Book Review:

I'm not one who normally reads graphic novels. That may be because I was never really exposed to them growing up, my school library had very few and those that they did have never particularly appealed to me. I have read or skimmed through a few in my passings and goings but usually the books I pick up are big, thick, and have no pictures. Username: Evie appealed to me for a couple of reasons; (1) Joe Sugg is the author and I completely adore him and (2) the premise seemed really interesting. I have been that girl who feels like the outcast in my surroundings and who avidly sought out an escape. Even as a Senior in high school, I still am sometimes this girl. 

I had no real expectations going into this story and I think that that mindset really helped me enjoy it so much more. The illustrations were exquisite, and I felt that the colors used on each spread really set a tone for what was about to happen; I could grasp that feeling the second I turned the page. 33 pages in and Joe Sugg threw a "Feels Grenade" into my life. I felt so bad for Evie and so angry at Joe (I love you still though, Joe)!! 

I guess that the rest of the book wasn't something that I really expected. I had kind of expected E.scape to be different somehow. It was still just as empowering for Evie though as what I had envisioned and that really was the point. 

Pages: 182                                                                                  Rate: 5/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

So lets talk about that "Feels Grenade" that I mentioned earlier. Really Joe?! You had to go off and off the dad?! Evie's only parent!? When I tuned to that spread of pages and saw his head hanging and read her talking about the comfort of his speedy typing that she couldn't hear anymore... It crushed me for a good day or so. 

Then we get to the world that he created just for her to escape from reality into, E.scape. I loved the video that he made her and how hearing his voice effected her. Unity was a really unique character as well. Oh, and the fact that people appeared to her as who she was thinking about, that was really interesting. I loved how the one turned into a nice version of the nasty jock from her school, Jaspar (that little nod to everyone's favorite YouTube bromance). It was even better when her E.scape father turned the other guy into who he was meant to be, a version of the sweet and nerdy guy from school, Lionel. 

The part where she jumps into her father's arms in E.scape crushed me. I am a huge Daddy's Girl and if anything were to happen to him, I would be lost. I could feel  the joy radiating off of her, a feeling that she never thought that she would experience again.   

Read-a-thons I Want To Participate In

*These are just the ones that I will be trying to participate in. If you want a more comprehensive list http://www.littlebookowl.com/p/read-thon-calendar.html is a great resource with links for the information on each. I will be post regular updates as often as possible on my goodreads and you can friend me if you'd like, on my twitter @Frantas_Angel. 

January:

Jan 4th-10th: #AYearAThon (benchwarmers)

Jan 19th-25th: #Read-Your-Bookshelf-A-Thon Round 7

February:

Feb 8th-14th: #AYearAThon (Romance/New Adult)

No Date Yet: Underhyped Books

March:

Mar 7th-13th: #AYearAThon (Horror/Suspense)
Mar 13th-20th: Slay That Series

April:

Apr. 4th-10th: #AYearAThon (Re-reads)
Apr. 23rd: Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon

May:

May 2nd-8th: #AYearAThon (Catch up/finish a series)
May 9th-15th:  Bout of Books 16.0

June:

June 6th-12th: #AYearAThon (LGBTQQIAAP+)

July:

Jul. 4th-10th: #AYearAThon (TBR Catch Up)
No Date: Cram-a-thon
No Date: Harry Potter Read-a-thon

August:

Aug: 1st-7th: #AYearAThon (Nonfiction/Biography)
Aug. 22nd-28th: Bout of Books 17.0

September:
Sep. 5th-11th: #AYearAThon (Small books ≤200 pages)

October:
Oct. 3rd-9th: #AYearAThon (Mental Health)
 No Date: Dewey’s 24 Hour Read-a-thon
No Date: Frightfall Read-a-thon

November:
Nov. 7th-13th: #AYearAThon (2016 Debut Authors)
No Date: #AntiBullyReads

December

Dec. 1st-31st: Harry Xmas To You
Dec. 5th-11th: #AYearAThon (Graphic Novels)
Dec. 17th-20th: Cram-a-thon

2016 TBR List

* I obviously may not get to all of these or I may read books that are not on this list. I graduate high school in June and will start college in the fall so it depends on on how all of that plays out as well as other mitigating factors. Reviews will still be every monday!!*

First Time TBR

1) Girl Online: On Tour ~ Zoe Sugg

2) Library of Souls ~ Ransom Riggs

3) Elanor & Park ~ Rainbow Rowell

4) Mistress ~ James Patterson

5) We Were Liars ~ E. Lockhart

6) Me And Earl And The Dying Girl ~ Jesse Andrews

7) Three Weeks With My Brother ~ Nicholas Sparks and Micah Sparks

8) Binge ~ Tyler Oakley

9) The Life and Legend of Chris Kyle ~ Michael Mooney

10) A Bend in the Road ~ Nicholas Sparks

11) The 5th Wave ~ Rick Yancey

12) The Infinite Sea ~ Rick Yancey

13) A Good American ~ Alex George

14) Between the Lines ~ Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

15) Off The Page ~ Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

16) Les Miserables ~ Victor Hugo

17) Sense & Sensibility ~ Jane Austen

18) The Book Thief ~ Markus Zusak

19)Landline ~ Rainbow Rowell

20) The Rest of Us ~ Patrick Ness

21) The Undomestic Goddess ~ Sophie Consella

22) Four ~ Veronica Roth

23) Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

24) Throne of Glass series ~ Sarah J. Mass

25) Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore

26) Between Shades of Gray ~ Ruta Sepetys

27) Wild ~ Cheryl Strayed

28) Emma ~ Jane Austen

29) The Color Purple ~ Alice Walker

30) Hello Life

Rereads TBR

1) The Perks of Being A Wallflower ~ Stephen Chbosky

2) The Lovely Bones ~ Sebold

3) Twilight series ~ Stephanie Meyer