Kiddieokee

Please vote for Marissa!

http://www.mix969.com/pages/kiddieokee/vote-entrants.php?ag=&gid=3#9

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Still Alice by Lisa Genova was an interesting read.  I finished it about a month ago.  This is a book about a woman Dr. Alice Howland, a psychology professor at Harvard.  She is out jogging one day and forgets how to get home.  Somehow manages to find her way home and chalks it up to menopause "forgetfulness".  She doesn't tell anyone just yet.  She travels a lot for work and does public speaking.  It gets harder and harder to do.  Rapidly she declines, then finally a diagnosis, early onset Alzheimers.  She's barely 50.  This book breaks your heart for not only her but her husband and daughters.  She is able to laugh at herself sometimes, but ultimately this is a sad circumstance to be in.  This book haunted me for days.  I learned a lot about alzheimers, how it progresses, how it affects families and lives of those that are affected. 

Marissa singing Jar of Hearts

Mio Liquid Water Enhancer

I recently was able to get a free sample of this off of Facebook.  I got Fruit Punch flavor.  There are several others to choose from:  Berry Pomegranite, Mango Peach, Sweet Tea, Strawberry Watermelon.  I think they run about $4 each, for 24 servings.  You just add a squirt to iced water, stir and it's ready to go. 

I am enjoying it as I write this and plan on buying it when I run out of my free sample.  It'll be great in the summer, or to add to a water bottle.  It's 0 calorie, sugar free.

Mio

Maci's Marvelous Munchables

Maci got her own blog!  She has been bugging me for weeks now.  So we got her set up.  Check it out!  She would love followers and recipe suggestions.  It's theme is kid friendly recipes.

http://marvelousmunchables.blogspot.com/

The Hunger Games Trilogy

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins are my favorite books of 2010.  I'm a big fan, a big big fan!  I loved the Twilight Saga too.  These stuck with me like the Twilight books did.  I think of them a lot.  I want to read them again.  I can't wait for the movies.  These are addictive. 

The genre is young adult/science fiction.  Normally I would just pass these up.  But I heard the buzz about these and finally reserved them at the library.  I'm so glad I did.  I was sad when I finished them because I just wanted the story to keep going. 

The characters are very real.  The story is very imaginative and futuristic. 

If you are fan of these, tell me what you thought about them.  Are you super excited about the movies?

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls.  I didn't have high expectations, a memoir by someone I've never heard of?  But I liked the title so I picked it up at the library. 

All I can say is WOW.  This is a story worth telling.  Jeannette Walls is a fantastic writer and storyteller.  There are no lulls to this book.  It is just super interesting the entire way through. 

I wanted to scream at her parents for being so selfish and self centered throughout, but you don't come away with hatred for them, you just feel utter disbelief.  The dad is an alcoholic, a dreamer, that's where the title comes from.  He's super smart but can't stay anywhere long enough or work long enough to make anything happen.  The mom is an educated teacher, but doesn't want to teach, she wants to do art, she wants to paint.  She can't be bothered with working and she can't be bothered with really taking care of anyone but herself. 

It starts when Jeannette is in NYC as an adult, seeing her homeless mom on the street and ignoring her.  She is living in a fancy apartment.  So at first I'm like, ok, why is your mom homeless?  Then she starts her story.  It starts when she is 3 and burns herself cooking hotdogs on the stove in a trailer.  Let the adventures begin.  They start in the desert southwest and end up in CA, Nevada, Missippi.  They have no possessions and when they get them, they leave them behind to move on to somewhere else.  When they have money, they eat steaks, when they don't the kids dig out of the trash at school for food.  It's really horrific at times what the kids have to go through, no running water, no heat or electricity.  But through it all is a story of the sibling bond, coping with selfish parents, living in dire conditions and living the nomadic life with minimalist parents who don't believe in food stamps or government assistance but are ok with letting their kids go hungry and without clothes or proper shelter.  The parents simply fend for themselves for the most part, the kids all sort of take care of each other, this bond will eventually help most of them overcome the odds. 

Anyway, READ this!  You won't regret it.  It stuck with me.  I appreciate good writing.  Jeannette Walls has a true gift!  This is a fascinating, unbelievable and incredible story.