Kisses from Katie - First Thoughts

Kisses from Katie - First Thoughts

So I have recently begun to read my first non-fiction type book to blog about. It's called Kisses from Katie and is written by Katie Davis about her own life. Here is a short synopsis from goodreads:
 
Katie Davis left over Christmas break her senior year for a short mission trip to Uganda and her life was turned completely inside out. She found herself so moved, so broken by the people and the children of Uganda that she knew her calling was to return and care for them. Her story is like Mother Teresa’s in that she has given up everything—at such a young age—to care for the less fortunate of this world. Katie, a charismatic and articulate young woman, has gone on to adopt 14 children during her time in Uganda, and she completely trusts God for daily provision for her and her family, which includes children with special needs.

 

Katie's New Family:

 

This book is heartbreaking. That's all I'm really going to say about it so far. When and if you ever pick it up do not expect to be able to sit down and read through it quickly. Especially at the beginning. Reading about this life she lives in Uganda, about her daily struggles, makes my life seem so so so easy. Almost pointless. But as much as I'm saddened by the condition of living in Uganda, hearing her own personal struggle with this new life she chose is even harder. She says at one part in the book,

"No matter how many contradictions I struggled with, how difficult certain situations were , no matter how lonely I got, no matter how many tears I cried, one truth remained firmly grounded in my heart... I wanted to be right here in Uganda."

A couple nights ago I was in the car with my mom and my 11 year old sister explaining the story to my sister (my mom has already read the book). I told her how Katie had her whole life planned out ahead of her. Graduate, go to college, get a job, get married, and start a family; until she turned it all around her senior year and moved to Uganda. My sister looked at me straight in the face and told me "That sounds like you, planning your whole life out. Maybe you'll move to Uganda." I laughed. As I read Katie's story I'm realizing I cannot do what she has done and is still doing. And for more reasons than just my paranormal fear of sleeping with cockroaches. I know her story won't push me to move to Africa, but it is showing me what matters in the life I am living. And it's reminding me of what I can do in my own city, in my own home, to make an impact.

Here is a link to Katie's blog : http://katiedavis.amazima.org/

Once Upon A Prince

Once Upon A Prince

So shortly before break I found through another blog (not for school) a series of books that looked really good. It had everything I loved in a book or story all rolled up into one. Romance, Princesses, Weddings, Summertime, and written by a Christian author. I couldn't believe such a book existed. Honestly. So I read the entire 338 paged book in less than 24 hours. It. Was. Amazing. Not entirely sure that literary professors who study the every meaning of every word would like it, but I did.

Here is its description from goodreads:

Once Upon a Prince, the first novel in the Royal Wedding series by bestselling author Rachel Hauck, treats you to a modern-day fairy tale.

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess---just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn't going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon's Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family's tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna's aid under the fabled Lover's Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He's a royal prince. She's a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel's coronation. It's the ultimate choice. His kingdom or her heart? God's will or their own?

I loved how the book set up the story and even though you could probably figure out the ending pretty quickly it still had a few unpredictable moments. The characters were very lively (my favorite was Avery) and had some of the same problems we do... haha.

The setting was written very well and made me wish it was summertime at the beach so bad! Just listen to this, "Sand washed out from under her feet as the afternoon tide pulled the waves back into their ocean boundaries." That sounds so good as I type this looking out my window into the cold and dark day.

Anyway, I loved this book and I loved the story. Can't wait to read the next three!!! :) 

 

 

 

 

Camilla- First Thoughts

Camilla-First Thoughts

The first book I've started to read this year is Camilla by Madeleine L'Engle, the same woman who wrote A Wrinkle In Time. My Aunt gave it to me for my birthday last year and I am just now getting around to reading it. Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

 

Life had always been easy for fifteen-year-old Camilla Dickinson. But now her parents, whom she had always loved and trusted, are behaving like strangers to each other and vying for her allegiance. Camilla is torn between her love for them and her disapproval of their actions.Then she meets Frank, her best friend's brother, who helps her to feel that she is not alone. Can Camilla learn to accept her parents for what they are and step toward her own independence?

 

So far the book has been very slow and hard to sit down and read a bunch of at once. I've gotten through 2 chapters and am already on page 62. A lot of the book so far has just been setting up the setting and characters.

 

Camilla lives in New York sometime during the mid-1900's (I think, it hasn't exactly said). Her family is one of the more wealthy families, they live in a nice apartment and Camilla goes to a good private school. Her entire life has been easy, sheltered. As an only child, her parents gave her all of their attention. Now the book begins as their marriage begins to rock and Camilla is given less and less attention.

 

I am just beginning to read about Camilla's best friend, Luisa, and Luisa's brother, Frank. Luisa and Frank have lived a quite different life from Camilla. Their parents could care less about their well-being and fight very often. They live in a smaller, more dingy apartment. Because of this less sheltered life they've had and their friendship with Camilla, Camilla is beginning to see the world a different way.

 

That is all I have about the book so far, but I'll post more updates soon!