T-shirt Quilts

So I have been going through stuff and trying to clean out old stuff and get organized. Well I had a ton of t-shirts from the past years but didn't want to throw them away. I started looking into t-shirt quilts and thought about making one but knew I wouldn't have time to get it done. Then I found this place called Wild Zipper. I sent them my middle school and high school era t-shirts and now my quilt is almost complete. Here is the completed top of the quilt.



How awesome is this? You can take something you don't really use but has sentimental value and create something useful and warm! So just another week or two and the quilt will get finished (the boarder and backing) and I will get my t-shirts back!

It has been awhile since I last posted, however I have did not get as much reading done in January as in most months. I have read some good books though.


Princess on the Brink by Meg Cabot

This was a great book in this series. Finally the main character, Mia is growing up, she is making more mature choices and the content of the books is becoming more mature as are the young readers who have followed the series. I wont go into a summary of the book since it wont make too much sense those who have not been reading the series.







Not Like I'm Jealous or Anything

This book was a series of short stories about jealousy. The reason I got this book was to read one short story by e.Lockhart which feature the same main character and storyline from The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book. I sort of falls between the two books. In this sort story Roo ends up working a bake sale with people she doesn't really like. Of course boys come in and the jealousy ensues. Although I did not read the entire book this short story was a good side note in the Ruby Oliver storyline.






Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost by Cornelia Funke

this book is clearly a childrens book but I was interested to read it because of the author. Like her other books this series is translated from German. It is a cute story of a few ghosthunters who are hired to rid a resort of a small pesky ghost. When they arrive they discover that it is not as they expected instead of a small ghost they are dealing with a GILG (gruesome invincible lighting ghost). Of course the only way to fight it is with frosting and slime from one of their ghost partners. This is a short story that would be good for younger kids to get a little scare without terrifying them.




To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Wow I cant believe I had never read this book before, it wasnt what I expected. From what I had heard I was prepared for a book mainly set in a courtroom dealing with a racially charged case and a white man defending the accused black man. Well that is in the book but the trial is over half way through, the book deals with so much more. It is told from the point of view of Scout and is set in the town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout lives with her brother Jem and father Atticus. The story is about race, prejudice, revenge, growing up, the meaning of family and friends and so much more. I have not yet seen the movie but plan to soon in order to compare the two. There has only been one version of the movie that I can find so I assume it must have been good enough for others to not touch it.

Good Girls by Laura Ruby

Audrey is what is considered a good girl, she is ranked 4th in her senior class, follows the rules and does not get into trouble. One encounter during the summer before her senior year begins starts a change. Audrey and Luke are both at a party and met up, sharing a kiss. From there an Audrey and Luke meet up at every party but never share a word outside of these meetings. On one of these encounters someone comes in and takes a compromising picture with their cell phone. Before she knows what is going on the picture has been sent around the school and even to her parents. Audrey must confront the embarrassment of the photo as well as the consequences of when a "good girl" does something "bad". She comes to understand that the lines between good and bad are not always as clear as people think.

Top 10 of 2006

Here is my list of the top ten books I read this last year.

• Each Little Bird That Sings Deborah Wiles
• Godless Pete Hautman
• Mediator Series Meg Cabot
• Fly on the Wall E. Lockhart
• Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mark Haddon
• Bad Kitty Michele Jaffe
• When I Was A Soldier Valerie Zenatti
• A Certain Slant of Light Laura Whitcomb
• 1-800-Where-R-You Series Meg Cabot
• Life As We Knew It Susan Beth Pfeffer

These are not necessarily all my favorite books but some were just very interesting, funny or just intriguing. So if you are looking for something to read take a look at these. Now lets see what 2007 will bring!

Some catching up...

Its been a little while since I posted titles on here so now we will catch up on what I have been reading.


Santa Cruise by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark

This is the first "adult" book I have read in awhile. It was a collaboration between Mary and carol, a mother daughter set. I usually read most of MHC's titles. In this story some familiar characters are seen. They have have been invited to join the Santa Cruise, a free charity supporting cruise for those people who have worked in charitable work, or gave a large donation to a charity. The cruise line is a new one trying to get off the ground and has come up with this cruise in an attempt to build up publicity. However this is a mystery book, so of course there are a few shady characters on board, including two escaped convicts trying to get out of the country. The story is a short one but quickly solves this predictable mystery.


How To Be Popular by Meg Cabot

Stephanie Landry has a secret desire, she wants to be popular. After and incident with a red cherry big gulp in the third grade she has been a social outcast. However over the summer while in her neighbors attic she finds a book called "How to be popular". This seems to be the solution to her popularity problem. She follows the books clothing, etiquette and style. Come the first day of school Steph is transformed, much to the dismay of her current friends. Her plan seems to be working though as she eats at the popular table at lunch, attracts the attention of the star quarterback and going to the cool parties. Steph has become popular, but it takes a lot of work to try and stay there. Over the course of a week the book reveals Steph's journey into popularity and ultimately to the place she really belongs.


Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Eldest is the sequel to Paolini's Eragon. Although I prefer the first book to this one it does continue to tell a good story. Eragon heads to Ellesmera to continue is training with the elves. Meanwhile his cousin Roran is the target of the Ra'zac and ends up leading the townspeople away to safety. There are many characters and story lines occurring in this book, but it ends in a massive battle with all the characters uniting and some information is revealed about Eragon's family.





What Would Dewey Do? and Library Mascot Cage Match by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum

These two books continue the comic tales of the the library staff at the Mallville Public Library. They are very funny and reflect many actual library situations that most people would never believe actually happen...but they do.





Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

This book begins with a family who lives a normal life. One day on the news they hear about a meteor which is set to hit the moon. Everyone is excited about it and people gather outside to watch the impact. However something goes wrong, suddenly the moon is getting bigger. It turns out that the meteor has knocked the moon out of its orbit and put it much closer to earth. Soon there are massive tidal waves and the gravitational pull of the moon is affecting things on earth. Pennsylvania teenager Miranda is documenting everything in her journal, which is how we read the story. As her mother freaks out and has the family fill the family car with tons of groceries and supplies, Miranda thinks she is over reacting but is still a little scared. Over the next days reports of deaths are mounting and people are really starting to freak out, the price of oil rises since the oil platforms have been destroyed, the power begins to be off more than on, school is cancelled because they no longer have the food supplies or staff to keep it going. The story develops as things continue to get worse and the family must fight to try and survive winter that comes in August. Over the course of the story the mental and physical toll of the tragedy are played out in what I found was an inspirational story.


Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles

Ruby Lavender lives in the small town of Halleluia, Mississippi. Ruby and her Grandmother Miss Eula are very close but when Mrs Eula leaves for Hawaii to see her new granddaughter, Ruby is not happy. She spends her summer learning to raise baby chicks, make new friends and handle her own problems, including the lingering affects of last summers tragic car accident which killed Rubys Grandfather and Uncle. This is a sweet story about a young southern girl coming to terms with her life. Deborah Wiles once again creates what I consider just a good story.