Winter Garden

Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya’s life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother’s life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.

First let me start off by saying that Kristin Hannah is probably one of my favorite non-fiction author. Her writing style is flowery and I can rely on her books to make me shread one or two tears. Winter Garden was a great read. I found myself being drawn into the fairy tales just like Meredith and Nina did as they were kids. The characters were so different but that difference made the characters work together. Meredith, despite wanting to be like her mother seemed the most like her; She was distent and remote to her husband that she once loved so dearly. Nina is the one I connected with the most, she was wild and free but at the same time she was haunted by the deaths and pains that she has experienced. She hids behind her work and never lets herself be loved.

Ms. Hannah tore my heart out with this book; I loved it to the core. I can not say it was an easy read because it wasn't. I had a hard time reading parts of the 'fairy tale' that so closely hits home for so many people. Winter Garden is a such a bittersweet story!

Some authors when they write from two different points of view they try and make the reader like a certain one, but Ms. Hannah does a great job at keeping each character balanced and so sweet. I loved Meredith and Nina with such vigor that I felt what they were feeling. Anya was my favorite, she went through so much, her emotions were real and can never be forgotten. I gave this book a 5 out of 5!

Review

I really need to do a couple of book reviews, starting now. For the next week I swear to write a book review every day. Its going to be hard, because my laptop totally broke in half the other day but I'll try.

I have a friend that wanted me to get a list of books for her to read. Well I was going though my Barnes and Noble books and I came up with a list that has over 60 books. :) And since I LOVE them all I want to do a book review on some of them.

SOOOO I'm starting off with a series that I love! The first book is called Raised by Wolves, by Jennifer Barnes. This book follows the young heroine of Byrn, who by the title is raised by wolves. Duh...anyway. These wolves have a connection to each other but Byrn doesn't want to feel tied down so she distances herself, because she's the only human in this wolf pack (besides her friend/mother).

I haven't read the series in a while so things are fuzzy for me but I do know that the series is one of the best I've ever read. The only complaint I have is that Jennifer Barnes didn't write a fourth book.

Last Night

Shittiest night of my life. So my best friend and I are going to see two movies back-to-back, and I think I was being sneaky and clever by asking my crush, lets call him Jake, to go with us. He said he would but a couple of minutes later he asks me to invite my other friend. So I do, then he ends up going to pick her up from her house, which is WAY out of his way. Then when they get to the movies he pays for BOTH movies even though she had money. Then when it came for him taking her home he gets her some food. Now that seems like a date to me. I asked my friend to back off but she believes that he's just being nice. Jake isn't the type to be nice just for the hell of it. I don't even want to know what is going on in his f-ing head! Its not like I was being shy about my feelings and half the time he's flirting right back with me!! AGHHH! Guys are so annoying, I'm over and done with them!

Thursday's review

So today it thursday, and since I did my first book review I think I'll do one every thursday I can! So this book I'm going to review is Reckoning, by Lili St. Crow. If you really want to read this, start with the first on in the series (Strange Angels).

Dru, the main character is a half vampire/human and really RARE becuase she's, well a SHE. So everyone wants to protect her, which is hard to do when she's on the run. I got to say, I would give this book a 3.5 stars out of 5 because of the ending. Through-out the WHOLE series she's been divided by two guys, and at the end WHAT DOES SHE DO?!?! Well I can't really tell you, because that would give away everything, but let me tell you that she didn't pick the guy I would've picked!

Another reason why I didn't total love this book was because of the many confusing names, and way St. Crow writes. I think she developed the plot well and the way Dru thinks is very well done but sometimes I was just wanted to ask Ms. Crow why would you write that?

Besides that, Reckoning is a book I would love to have more people read! Its just plain good ol' fashion girl kickin butt and falling in love!

ASL

So my next class just started! Its ASL, American Sign Language! Even before I started I only knew a hand full of signs so hopefully this class isn't to hard! I can't wait! I've always LOVED sign lanuage, ever since I would go to the library and find books about simple signs. Even now I watch Switched at Birth and it really does help. So hopefully by the end of the summer I can be so good at signing that I can actually carry on the conversation for about five, maybe ten sentences before I totally get lost! :)

car crash and broken headlight

Yes, I got in a car crash last night. But the term car crash sounds so much worst then what it was, nobody got hurt, in my car anyway! The lady that hit me ran a red light and then just drove off! I was hot to trot! My best friend was in the car with me and the whole ride home I just wanted to scream/punch/kick someone, my best friend was very calm about the whole thing so for that I was very grateful! At the time everything happened I totally thought that the other lady was at fault but now I'm scared cops are going to come to my house and drag me to jail! Besides that little incident I had such a fun night, it was a total girls-night out! Something I have needed for a while! But now I need a day at the spa to get rid of my thoughts!

My first book review!

 

 

My first book review is Obsidian! I've got to say, that I wasn't expecting this amazing book but thats what I got! Honesty the ONLY reason why I brought it in the first place was bcause of the cover, and the AMAZINGLY HOT guy!! Come on people, he is SMOKING!
So let me give you a summary of what basically happens. This girl, Katy moves to a new place because she and her mom need a new 'scene' since her dad died. So they move in their new house, and it just so happens its next to one of the hottest guy in the world. Daemon and Dee, twins are wary of strangers but Dee wants to befriend Katy despite Daemons warnings. Next thing that Katy knows is that Daemon moves way to fast for a human, can stop moving cars and is just a ball of light in his true form! Daemon and Dee are aliens, and there are more than ANYONE thought there were, and not all of them are nice!

When I read the cover of this book, it just seemed OK. But it really drew me in from day one! I can't get over this series! Looking for a little action/love/hate/friendship then GET THIS BOOK! :) I'm in the middle of trying to get the third book, but I know if I get it now then I have to wait even longer to get the fourth one.

And the guy that models for Daemon is just plan HOT! :)

Punching Dummies

So you know those punching dummies that boxers use? Yeah, I need one. Not only do I need to let stress out but I just want to picture some peoples faces on there and just kick the crap out of them!! Sometime, every now and then, thats just the best cure  to a bad day!!!

Another thing I seriously want to invest in, or just plain INVENT, is the controller from  'Click' with Adam Sandler! So when my mom is yelling at me, I can just mute her. Or if I forgot to do my homework I can just rewind. Everything would be so much more easier!

So if anyone invents that awsome controller, let me know and I'll pay a pretty penny for it. I'm serious, I really do have a pretty penny to trade for it!

 

Aren't they just so PRETTY?! :)

fond memories

I am such a kid at times! I don't think I'll ever get tired of Disney movies, or even the songs from those movies! It just takes me back to a time when the biggest worry was bed time and the only sad part was when my friends had to go home.

One of my favorite memories of my childhood best friend was when she got a pair of walkie-talkies!! And the best part was that we lived right next to each other. Of course my mom didn't want me to stay up all night talking to her, but I thought I could be sneaky. I hide under my bed and we talked for what seemed like forever, but in reality it was probably only ten minutes. But I thought I was the next James Bond!

My childhood wasn't the best now that I look back on it, but when I was a kid I thought I had it made. Of course I didn't always listen to my mom or dad, and I didn't always eat my veggies. :) And I honestly think that Disney helped make my life better, and it sure does now! Even when it gave me the VERY wrong impression that I would have beautiful hair!

Friend, foe, or slut?

How can someone, who you thought was a good friend turn into a complete liar and slut? If you have a boyfriend, then you should stick with that boyfriend. For all the talk of loving this man, she sure has a weird sense of showing it. Keep your legs closed, Jennifer! I can understand liking an other guy, and even thinking about that guy but when you act on that thought then it becomes cheating and you've cheating more than once.

I mean you had a freakin pregnacy scare! And I was the one that called and made you the appointment! And the one that was going to take you there, but you don't  have the freaking guts to tell Jack that you cheated?? Nice move. I really hope he was worth you giving up your dream of being with Jack.

And to Jack, (even though you don't even know who I am, and don't even know that I have a blog) I feel the need to say sorry for your so-called girlfriends actions. I hope that one-day that you can forgive her for her mistakes but once a cheater, always a cheater. And if you do happen to see this, I can only pray that you love her as much as she says you do.

Title of blog

I never explained the name of my blog. Just so everyone knows, I just wanted the blog to be 'gothedistance' but I had to add to it and 'fly high' sounded ok. But anyways, the name came from the song, go the distance from the disney movie Hercules. :) I know crazy, but its one of my favorite disney songs! How it turned into my favorite, it all happened after my grandpa died. My brother and I were talking and listening to music when this song popped onto my ipod. We started talking about how Grandpa was like this song, and the moral of it just reminded us of him. And so we, well I guess I, didn't get over it. I'll always remember that song and that weird conversation that we had that lead to Go the Distance to being one of my favorite songs. So now you know the background story of my blog title. :)