Girls Who Read

I found this video clip and I LOVED it! It's all about why you want to date and marry a girl who reads! Brilliant! I must write this one down! New fav poem!  ;D (disclaimer: He does say the A-word for those of you who wouldn't like that-don't click)

Book Haul! Let's talk 37 books in 9 minutes!!

Enjoy! I know I did! :D

My Name Used to Be Muhammad

Let's tease you first-

"I was blindfolded, disoriented, and afraid. I was still in leg irons and handcuffs as two men holding each of my arms pulled me through a labyrinth of hallways. Eventually we stopped and I collapsed to my knees. I could tell that there were other prisoners nearby. I could hear them crying and screaming. It sounded as if they were being tortured. I was so scared. Oh Lord, I thought, Help me. Please."
-Tito Momen

Synopsis:

Tito Momen was raised Muhammad Momen. Born in Nigeria, he was taught to observe the strict teachings of Islam. But Tito's path took an unexpected turn when he was introduced to Christianity. His decision to believe in Jesus Christ cost him his family and his freedom. Sentenced to prison, Tito expected to spend his remaining days enduring a life sentence in an uncivilized Egyptian prison. For fifteen years, he suffered and waited and prayed. "I never gave up hope," Tito says. "I never stopped believing."

What Erika (yes that's me darlings!!) has to say about this book:

Whew! This was one fabulous biography! Sometimes when I read biographies I have to let them stew in my brain for a little while because usually I feel a little blown away about the great things that humankind has done. This book is no exception! It does have parts that are a tad slower but weren't a problem for me at all! Tito Momen was raised in an extreme Islamic family. The story of his childhood is one of very strict religious rules. I found that part of the book FASCINATING! Especially when he described the roles of women because for this specific group of Islamic people it was very oppressive. His mother throughout the story is such a sad character that finally has her one specific shining moment. It was quite tragic. Tito grew up and went to university and began questioning Islam and it's teachings. He was deeply educated in the Islamic faith but then very courageously converted to Christianity (specifically the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). He wrote his thesis on Christianity and was turned in to his school for having a Bible and Book of Mormon in his apartment. This decision caused him to lose his fiance, his schooling, his family disowned him and his mother committed suicide. Then he was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for his beliefs. It's very humbling when you can read a story where you can see the hand of God in someone's life. There were a lot of trials that Tito experienced that had he not had them his life would have turned out very different. When I read biographies that's what I take away the most. That our life is full of small defining moments that shape who we become. Very very good book! I recommend it!

"My spirits were lifted. I had hope again. Hope has a way of being self-perpetuating. Hope breeds faith. And faith produces miracles." -Tito Momen 

Go get your biography reading on!!! Big fat kisses! 

Harry Potter Art lovin!

I found these pictures by Mary GrandPre' and I just HAD to blog them because I'm kind of in love with their awesomenss! Harry Potter FOREVER!!!!!


1. "Diagon Alley"

2. "Quidditch" 

3. "The Mirror of Erised"

4. "Christmas in the Great Hall"

5. "Flying Keys"

6. "The Enchanted Car"

7. "Pixie Mayhem"

8. "Counting the Days"

9. "Three Broomsticks"

10. "The Cloak of Invisibility"

11. "Expelliarmus!"

12. "Rescue of Sirius"

13. "Battle with the Dragon"

14. "The Golden Web"

15. "Dueling Wizards"

16. "Hogwarts Castle"

Truly awesome!!! XOXO!

This or That book tag

Let's talk about this and let's talk about that!

Thanks for watching! Big fat kisses!

The Rent Collector Book Tour

I'm so excited to be apart of this blog tour because this was a favorite read of mine so I jumped willingly on the review band wagon! I'm mean I've already sold a bunch of them by gushing about it to customers so it's only natural that I blog about it right?! Let me tell you about the Rent Collector by Camron Wright. I'm going to post my own words but at the bottom if you want to get the official synopsis-it's there with the authors info! :D 

"I am here today to tell you of a fable. After I finish, some of you may whisper that it is not true. You may say that my words are made up, that my story is nothing but a myth-and you may be right. But as a wise and great teacher once explained so patiently, all good stories-stories that touch your soul, stories that change your nature, stories that cause you to become a better person from their telling-these stories always contain truth." -pg.265 of the Rent Collector 

5 stars and 2 thumbs up! Wowza! This book was fabulous! It's poetry! It is based on the true story of Ki Lim and Sang Ly who live with their sickly son, Nisay, in a municipal waste dump in Cambodia. Life is a daily struggle as they collect trash to trade for money so they can eat barely enough food and pay rent to their cranky rent collector. The dump is a dangerous place with the danger of gangs, combustible piles of trash, and the big dump trucks who don't care if you get in their way. Sang Ly longs for a better life for her family. Redemption comes in many forms in this book where people are not who they seem and it's not where you are but who you are that really matters. And my favorite character in the story is the infamous rent collector, Sopeap Sin. You have to read this book for her! I can't go in depth without being super spoilery! Nothing worse than spoilers! The main thing that I LOVED about this book was the love of reading and literature! Knowledge is power! This books main theme is hope and anyone can rise from the ashes even in the dumps of Cambodia! I say again-read this book! You won't be sorry! :D 

We are literature-our lives, our hopes, our desires, our despairs, our passions, our strengths, our weaknesses. Stories express our longing not only to make a difference today but to see what is possible for tomorrow. Literature has been called a handbook for the art of being human." -pg.93 The Rent Collector

Okay now the official synopsis-(this is not like who wore it better) 

Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working. Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the ill-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money--a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one woman’s journey to save her son and another woman’s chance at redemption. It demonstrates that even in a dump in Cambodia--perhaps especially in a dump in Cambodia--everyone deserves a second chance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR!!!

Camron Wright has a master’s degree in Writing and Public Relations. He has owned several successful retail stores, in addition to working with his wife in the fashion industry, designing for the McCall Pattern Company in New York. He currently works in public relations, marketing and design. Camron began writing to get out of attending MBA School at the time and it proved the better decision. Letters for Emily was a “Readers Choice” award winner, as well as a selection of the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. In addition to North America, Letters for Emily was published in several foreign countries. He lives with his wife, Alicyn, in Utah, at the base of the Wasatch mountains and is the proud father of four children.

If you would like to buy the book OR read more reviews you can click on the link below!

I'M THE LINK CLICK ME!

That's it for me! Go find yourself a good book to read today! Big fat kisses to you all! 

My November to be read list....

Here is what I'm reading this month! What are you reading?! :D

Just for now...

I spent about 5 hours reading today so I do have a few book reviews coming but just for now I want to take it all in and just let you know...I LOVE BOOKS!!! :D Just in case you hadn't figured it out yet! Sometimes you just got to take in your passions ya know?!

Listen to Arthur...

Sorry I have been blog slacken! I promise you I have a bunch of good things coming your way! More movies! More book reviews! I'm still searching for a giveaway! I promise...it's going down!!! But this week has been cray-cray with school and Halloween and work SO instead of a book review I want to talk about supporting your local institutions! Without further ado-

My roommate finally got a library card!!!!!

Ahh the library! My holy land! Books galore and an occasional DVD if I feel like it! Did I mention it's all free! It's like the best "credit card" on the planet! Swipe away! It's not going to do anything to your bank account! And you'll get a TON out of it! It's like my getaway place and I love it! I'm like a proud momma for my roomie here!

We did end up getting some good October books! Perfect for the season! And I'm excited to see if I like Ready Player One because it's getting pretty good reviews on Goodreads! :D

Just remember in the words of Arthur-

Go get yourself a library card and see what magic can happen! I would never steer you wrong on this!!! BIG FAT KISSES!!!