G - is for Girl Stolen

Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen--with her inside! Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price? (taken from Goodreads)

Wow! Friends had told me about this one a while back but I finally took the time to read it. It helps a little that it can count across all my challenges. G- for Gatsby, I read it in one sitting, and the ongoing page count. (I love when I can multitask.)

Being kidnapped was always a fear of mine. That might have something to do with me being afraid of just about everything, but still it freaks me out. I kept wondering how I would have reacted had it been me. Cheyenne was a rock star. While I would have been crying in a corner Cheyenne keeps her wits about her and is able to weigh her options. This was one that made me think.

15 years from now . . . .

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. 

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present. (Taken from Goodreads)

Fifteen years ago I was in the 8th grade and there is no way you could have convinced me that fifteen years in the future I would be a junior high librarian. Facebook came out during my first senior year of college (that's right I took a victory lap) and it is amazing to me how much it has changed things. If you have read my whole blog you know that I recently quit the site. This book was so interesting to me because I think it really tapped into the fact that Facebook doesn't give you the whole story. That we shouldn't judge our lives, or the lives of others, off of the few sentences or pictures shared on any social media site.

I'm curious how this will resonate with my students. I totally connected with it being 1996 and found myself laughing out loud at some of the 90's references. When I left home for college my parents finally let me get a cell phone. I remember when Facebook was only at a few schools. Will students get that? Or to them has it always been there?

This was a one day read. I took a weekend ski trip reading trip with some friends. The boys skied all day and I  read. When the girls decided it was time to go shopping and I had 10% left I synced my Kindle app on my phone and finished the rest sitting in a dressing room. Yup, I needed to know how it ended that badly.

2012 - Here we go!

The whole resolution thing never works I've decided on some challenges for 2012. Now that grad school is over I will hopefully have more time to focus on myself and read what I want to read.

Annette at Annette's Book Spot is challenging followers to read a book a day. She has created a list of books that can be read in a short period. I'm trying for level 1 or 2 if I feel really ambitious. 

Abducted by Books 15,000 page challenge is a fun one. I challenge my students to read 5,000 during the school year so this is a step up for me. Can I hit the 15,000 by June 30th? I'll never know until I try!

This is a great idea! Basically an acrostic of book titles spelling out your name.  A clever way to  help pick your next read. Because Lucy, Gatsby, and Walter are my best reading partners  I think I will be reading their names this year. 

Oh, and I'm challenging myself to do a better job updating my progress. 

So, here's to 2012 and all the challenges this year may bring.