It's been hard to get back on my laptop as of lately to get on here to read others posts and write my own. But one thing I've been doing is catching up on older magazines and still always reading! always! For a minute I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by reading up to four books at once but now I'm just keeping it at two. I'm working on reading the manga series 'Chrono Crusade' - I'm about halfway done with it. And I'm reading 'My sister's keeper' by Jodi Picoult. But here are some of the recent reads that I recommend for you guys:

'Our bodies their battlefield' By Christina Lamb
This was a book that will change your views on the act of war and what it will leave behind with a woman - be it a small girl, an older woman - no matter what age - this book talks of women all around the world and the wars they have survived through and what a toll it's taken on them. Mentally, physically, emotionally. It's a very graphic book but a very real and good book to read and learn about.

'House of stairs' By William Sleator
I picked up this book because I remembered it as a kid and trying to read it before. I'm not sure if I ever did finish it back then but I read it and understood it now as an adult and it held a much more serious, psychological meaning. A book about these orphans but through a strange set of test, sort of like a training to see how they would react - how they would survive.

'Remarkably bright creatures' By Shelby Van Pelt
I read this as part of the book club at my library. It's a tale that connects an older woman, a young boy, an octopus and a few others together through fate. I loved the writing and I think the older woman and the octopus were my favorites throughout. Talks about life, death, finding oneself - it covers some dark topics at times but was also pleasant and sweet at other times.

'Ishi - Last of his tribe' By Theodora Kroeber
This was a remarkably sad book. I mean, by the title alone you know it's going to be a sad but but while reading this one I got teary eyed a few times. The tribe he comes from is the Yahi tribe in California. The wipeout of his people happens in the late 1800's. He loses his close family one by one. Ishi's sotry is nothing but remarkable.

'Dreams of Joy' By Lisa See
This is the second book in a two book series - the first one being 'The Shanghai girls'. I read it years ago and was always meaning to get around to reading the second book but sort of forgot about it. Then one day my mom found this second book in a free library and thought I would like it so she got it for me. The books cover these two sisters and their later daughter during the late 1930's as they leave china and come to America to start new lives. There is a-lot of heartache and growth throughout these girls lives and I'm happy I own both books now. I plan on rereading them closer together again in the future.

'Tree: Exploring the arboreal world' By Phaidon Tdiitors
Many different artists show their many different views and emotions on trees. This book is beautiful and eye-opening. There are brief descriptions of their works. I loved it from start to finish.

'My grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry' By Fredrick Backman
Honest thoughts of this book - at first I did not like it and it took me awhile to get into. But it was suggested by my mom and I usually always finish any book I start. But about halfway through the book started to get better, I started to get attached more to the characters and the story made more sense to me. It felt rather long at times but overall is a good book. Told basically from the point of view of this little girl who loses her grandmother who is basically the only person in the world who gets her - she must now hand out letters to people her grandmother knew and learns more of her grandmother and herself through new experiences.

'Angela's Ashes: A memoir of a childhood' by Frank McCourt
I'm sure a good number of you know of this book. I never read it before and a good friend of mine recommended it to me. The author grew up in America during the 1930's and then moved to Ireland soon after and it's about their struggles and hardships. It was a very raw and eye opening book and covered such themes as alcoholism, extreme cases of poverty, hunger and extreme cases of malnutrition.... I'm tying to remember what else - but this was a pretty heavy book with pretty serious themes so just be aware going into it. But it was good none the less and I had a hard time putting it down.

'The last of the saddle tramps' By Mesannie Walkins
'The ride of her life' By Elizabeth Letts
Both these books cover the same amazing woman - Mesannie Walkins who was told by her doctor that she only had less than two years to live she decided to go on a trip out west to see California. At this point in her life she was already losing her home. This was the 1950's and she was 63. She buys a horse, takes her dog and what belongs she has and goes on a trip of a lifetime. Along the way she gets another horse and over America she makes fast friends with almost everyone she meets and becomes sort of a celebrity. Both of these books were very good and I couldn't put them down once I started them. I found her story inspiring.

'Mae West: The lies, the legends, the truths' By George Eells
I did enjoy this book overall but at times it was hard to keep up with because it talked of many famous people I didn't know of. I don't keep up with celebrities to start with - so I had a hard time with the names and older movies and things that went on for this interesting woman. My dad is a big Mae West fan and recently gave me a collection of her movies, a signed photo of her and this book so I could learn more about his favorite actress. I feel like she was ahead of her time.

'Birdwing' by Rafe Martin
This book is losing based on grim brothers fairy tale and I think maybe some others? It was a good read, I feel like this book is geared towards a younger crowd but covers more adult topics. The story is of these seven brothers who get cursed and all turn into swans. Their sister has to knit them sweaters in a short time period to save them. All the brothers get saved except for one who still has one swan wing. He wants to get rid of it and have a normal life at times but then finds his life may be incomplete if he loses it, throughout the book he has dilemmas over the choice. He travels and through some soul searching finds his right path and what's meant for him in the end.