Reviews of the Books I’ve Read

 

Books are marvelous things. I have loved almost every book I have read, so I figured I would share those books with you so you can love them as well!

When Marnie Was There   By: Joan G. Robinson

I first started loving When Marnie Was There when I watched the movie. I loved the way the movie was done, and what it was about. Eventually I learned there was a book, and, since I loved the movie so much, I figured I better read the book. As soon as I read the book, I was awed. When Marnie Was There is such a beautifully told book, it is absolutely wonderful to read. I encourage you to read it, it is truly an amazing book. Great job, Joan G. Robinson! You made an amazing book!

The Serafina Books   By: Robert Beatty

These books are AMAZING. You absolutely HAVE to read them. They are wonderful mysteries and adventures stored in a book. The stories of Serafina’s adventures are INCREDIBLE to read. I love them so much. Thank you Robert Beatty! I am absolutely hooked on the Serafina books. I only own tow of them and I am really looking forward to getting the rest, they are such great books!

The Harry Potter Series    By: J. K. Rowling

These books are too great for words. It is amazing to see how brave Harry Potter is. I love reading these books so much! I also love watching the movies. My family and I have a tradition of reading one of them before Halloween, and then watching the movie on Halloween. These books are…. Just… Wow. J. K. Rowling is a very creative writer. She is a genius. The amount of people that have read her books are too many to count. Her books are sooooooooo… good! I haven’t read all of them yet, but they just keep getting better and better! Infinite cheers for J. K. Rowling!!

Monkeys On The Road    By: Mary Hollendoner

Before I read this book, I never thought about travel. I’ve been carsick for a couple years now, and it never occurred to me that I might actually enjoy traveling. But once I read this book… It changed my life. Mary Hollendoner shared her story with the world in a book, and for that I am grateful. Now I have big plans for travel. I am hoping to travel to lots of places in a van, just like Mary did with her family. I loved reading about her journey, and all the places she went to. I never thought about visiting Mexico, but now it’s on the top of my to-do list. Mary Hollendoner has inspired me. I now know that it will be worth it to travel to different places in a van, despite being carsick. Mary Hollendoner is my role model. Thank you, Mary Hollendoner. 

Ponies Of Chincoteague, the series   By: Catherine Hapka

These books have wonderful morals, and are very fun to read. They teach you not to stress over things you don’t know for sure, to not worry about fitting in, and other fun morals. And you get to hear about the main characters having fun with their horses! It is a very enjoyable book to read, and very great for kids who like horses. They are very fun books to read. Thanks, Catherine Hapka.

Beauty, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast    By: Robin McKinley

This book is very detailed. It really helps you imagine the surroundings in the book. It is such a great book. As you read, it’s not just Beauty that comes to love the Beast despite his appearance, it’s you as well! At first, Beauty (and maybe even you) doesn’t like the Beast, but eventually she sees his inner personality. It is such a beautiful book, I love it so much! Thank you tons, Robin McKinley!

I have many more books that I could list, but that would make for a very long post, so I will just stop here. I hope that I have convinced you to read some of these books, so that you will love them just as much as I do!

My Thoughts On Acting and Theater

 

Acting

Acting is very fun! My sisters and I love to put on little plays for our family all the time. It is an effort to memorize all the lines (especially when you don’t have a script paper! We don’t use them) and it may be a little tough at first to act in front of people, but trust me, it’s fun! Whether you’re acting at home, or at a proper theater, it is always an amazing experience. It is also very meaningful; people always clap because they liked your show and it is very special to know that they had a good time. 

Theater

Theater is an amazing thing. I love to watch plays! It really shows you that hard work pays off. Going to the theater is always an exciting experience. And at the end you are allowed to get the actors’ autograph! The theater is a really inspiring place; it can inspire you to act, it can inspire you to be more creative, and it inspires you to follow your dreams and think bigger. If you have never been to the theater, then you need to go. It will change your life, I promise. Watching a play always makes me happy, it may just be the fact that they worked really hard, or that they did it to please the audience, or that they enjoy being in the play as much as I love watching it! Either way, theater has changed me for life. I especially love Christian plays. It is always beautiful when you get to see the Bible Times put in action, or when the play teaches you a very good moral. 

I just want to end this post by saying, thank you. Thanks to all the people that work hard in plays, whether they’re the star in the show or the lights manager, you have inspired me. Thank you.

Cross-Shaped Pull-Apart Rolls

 

Makes: 12 rolls     Time: around an hour and 15 minutes 

There are so many things you can bring to an Easter dinner with your family, but what’s better than bread? Ok, you can probably name loads of things, but I love bread and that is why I decided to make it. And this bread isn’t just any old bread it’s cross-shaped pull-apart bread! This bread represents the Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, and when you pull the rolls apart, they represent the stone that guarded Jesus’s tomb! This bread is perfect for Easter.

Ingredients:

One package instant yeast

1 1/3 cup of milk, heated at 105-115 degrees.

3 1/4 cup flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Dissolve the yeast with your warm milk and your sugar in a large bowl

2. Stir in ONE cup of your flour, all of your oil, and all of your salt. Beat until smooth (you can do this with an electric mixer, or a spoon. The electric mixer is quicker, but the dough gets stuck to it making it hard to clean, and the spoon takes hard work and perseverance)

3. Stir in the rest of your flour, and stir until dough forms

4. Cover the bowl with a lid or towel, and let it sit in a warm place for around 45 minutes

5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

6. Grab a pan and oil it

Tip: if your dough is too sticky sprinkle a little flour on top before rolling it into balls

7. Roll your dough into balls, and stick those balls in a cross shape on the pan. Place the rolls in the same arrangement as the picture above, and make sure they are touching

Note: you will have one or two extra rolls, just stick them on the side of the pan, not letting them touch the cross, before cooking

8. Bake until the top is golden brown, around 15 minutes

9. Now enjoy with butter, jam, or whatever!