The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

I have read/heard about The Chosen One from many different blogs, and though I tend to not read Young Adult books, I had to read this one. I am fascinated with cults, especially those based loosely on the Mormon faith and polygamy. I read The Chosen One in about 2 hours and throughly enjoyed it. I give it a B+.

Inside cover:
Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters, with two more on the way. That is, without questioning them much- if you don't count her secret visits to the Ironton County Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her.
But when the Prophet decrees that she mush marry her sixty-year-old uncle- who already has six wives- Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family forever.

As I said, this was a very difficult book to read. Some of the things that Kyra goes through is incredibly disturbing, and it brought me to tears. The fact that things like this really does happen in our world, even in our own country, just makes it that much more troubling. I wanted to jump through the pages and rescue Kyra myself. My hear absolutely breaks for her and you can just feel her helplessness. I loved her passion for reading and the escape and courage that books brings to her, and it helped me remember how precious the freedoms that we have in this country, including the ability to read whatever we want whenever we choose to. I highly recommend this book, even if YA books aren't your thing. They normally are not mine but I still loved this book.

I am not sure what I am going to read next but I am out of library books, so down to my bookshelves I will go. I hope to squeeze in a few more hours of reading tonight. Even though it is quite cloudy out and overcast, I think my front porch is calling my name. If you have a few minutes to spare, please head over to Musing of a Bookish Kitty where the lovely and always wonderful Wendy has spotlighted me and my little blog today. If you haven't alread read her, it really is a must read for everyone as she is such a wonderful blogger and more importantly, a wonderful person. Happy Reading everyone!

Flush by Carl Hiaasen

I picked up Flush from a local library because I wanted to include it as a text that I was going to use for a project for school. Though it was written for middle school aged students, I had to read it for some ideas on how to incorporate it. I am glad I did, as it was enjoyable and a fun read. 4 out of 5 stars.

Noah's dad has a little problem with anger control. He tried to stop the Coral Queen casino boat's illegal dumping... by sinking the boat.

But his bold protest fizzles. Within days the casino is back in business, and Noah's dad is behind in bars and out of action.

Now Noah is determined to succeed where his father failed. But even though pumping raw sewage into the waters of the Florida Keys is both gross and against the law, it turns out it's near impossible to catch the flusher- especially when he's already bamboozled the prosecutors, the local press, and even the Coast Guard.

But Noah's got a few allies of his own. There's his little sister, Abbey, an unreformed childhood biter; Lice Peeking, a half-soused ex-mate of the Coral Queen whi is willing to testify...for a price; and Shelly, a bighearted bartender with even bigger biceps.

Okay, so the odds aren't good. But Noah has an ace up his sleeve- a plan so crazy it just might stop the polluting, save the beaches, and prove to be the world that it's the owner of the Coral Queen, and not his dad, who is full of ...crud.

I really enjoyed this book. Carl Hiaasen is a favorite of mine, and I am even listening to his newest adult book, Nature Girl, on CD. I really like his audiobooks, as the readers are really good. Though this book is for adolescents, and it is really good for them, it was enjoyable for adult readers. There was a part of the story where I was held in suspense for Noah and his sister, and I rarely find that in other books I read. I also love the way Hiaasen writes about Florida, which has me imaging and believing that I am there. I would love to move to Florida so that is another plus. I recommend this to any and all who like humor, a little suspense, and care anything about the environment. I have so many ways I am planning on using it in my unit on the environment. Great reading!