Review (2): Plain Truth

Title: Plain Truth
Author: Jodi Picoult
Published: May 1, 2000
Description: The small town of Paradise, Pennsylvania, is a jewel in Lancaster County -- known for its picture-postcard landscapes and bucolic lifestyle. But that peace is shattered by the discovery of a dead infant in the barn of an Amish farmer. A police investigation quickly leads to two startling disclosures: the newborn's mother is an unmarried Amish woman, eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher. And the infant did not die of natural causes. Although Katie denies the medical proof that she gave birth to the child, circumstantial evidence leads to her arrest for the murder of her baby.
(Read full description on GoodReads)

My Review: I recently started reading Jodi Picoult's books. I love her writing and how detailed she gets. She makes you hang on every word.
Saying that, I had to give this book 4 out of 5 starts. And that's because of the ending. I knew there was more to the story of what Katie was saying happened to her baby, but she pretty much lied through the whole book and wouldn't admit that she gave birth, so I thought for sure at the end she would confess to the murder. That is not what happened! To say I was shocked is an understatement and I'm not sure still how to feel about this book. With the ending being what it was, was it really necessary for the book to go on for 405 pages and end the way it did?
I'm going to start another one of Ms. Picoult's books because I can't seem to get enough of her writing. But this wasn't a favorite.

Book Review (1): Thirteen Reasons Why

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Published: October 18, 2007
Description: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.
Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.
(source)

Review: Ok, where to start with this book. First of all, this has been on my must read list for about 4 years now. I have wanted a copy of it forever and even put myself on the waiting list on Paperbackswap, only to be in a HUGE line of people waiting to read this book. I figured it had to be good. So, I finally got the book for my Kindle and read it. And to say I am disappointed in it is a huge understatement. I think I set myself up for failure, waiting so long to read this book and wanting it to be the best book I ever read. 1, because I love the cover, 2 because so many people have loved this book, and 3 because it sounds like an amazing read when you read the description.

I like the statement behind this book, bullying and suicide is a huge part of the world that a lot of people don't think about. Or they do think about it but don't want to act like it really happens, brush it under the rug and it's gone, right? Wrong. Hannah leaves a set of tapes on a boy named Clay's door. This is where I don't get why Clay was the one that was a huge part of the book. He is the one that inbetween each paragraph told what he was doing at that time or his feelings after hearing a certain part of the tape. Even after finishing the book I still don't know if Hannah liked Clay or not. I know that Clay had a crush on Hannah and didn't really tell her that and regrets it, and regrets not seeing any of the warming signs of her going to commit suicide.

Talking about Clay speaking inbetween each paragraph, that bothered me. I think the book would have been better if it would have been a little about each person in the book, or no one at all talking and just Hannah's tapes "playing". You don't actually "meet" the characters in the book besides Clay so it would have been better to just read Hannah's tapes and that alone I think would have been a great book. It bothered me to have to keep reading of Clay going to the locations on the map that Hannah made to go with the tapes.

It just seems there could have been so much more to this book. And why did Hannah kill herself? Was it because others were talking about her? Or was it because she knew all of these secrets from her friends at school? There are so many unanswered questions and I think if the book had been more indepth with the characters it would have been better.

Another thing that bothered me was that you didn't get to hear the reactions of the other people on the tape. What happened after everyone listened to the tape, was anyone turned in for what they had done wrong? Or was it kept a secret between the people who were given the tapes?
All around it was an ok book. It just could have been so much better I think.

Owl Kindle Fire Cover

Please keep in mind that I have never written a pattern before, nor have I ever designed my own crochet projects. I have crocheted for going on 7 years and I always follow a pattern that I have found. I LOVE owls, my kitchen is actually owl themed so when I seen this owl cover and fell in love I knew I had to make one myself.
I found a really cute owl cover on etsy. I didn't want to buy the pattern or buy an already made owl cover so I made my own.

Here it is:

Yarn used:

Red Heart With Love in the color Lettuce
Red Heart Super Saver Solids in Charcoal
Red Heart Super Saver Solids in White
Red Heart Super Saver Solids in Gold

Hook size: H

NOTE: This pattern is for a Kindle Fire. It's very easy to change the size of this, all you need to do is make your chain and make sure that it wraps around the whole width of the Kindle, we are going to be sewing the side and bottom together at the end. So this will be worked in 1 flat piece.

Row 1: Chain 38 with bottom color (Lettuce)

Row 2: DC in second ch from hook. *Sk 1 stitch. in next stitch, YO, pull through 2 loops, YO insert hook in same stitch, pull through 2 loops, YO, insert hook in same stitch, pull through 2. YO pull through all 4 loops on hook, ch 1.* Repeat across. In top of ch 2, DC crochet. Ch 2, turn.

Row 3: Ch 2, DC in same stitch. Sk 1 stitch, in next stitch, YO, pull through 2 loops, YO insert hook in same stitch, pull through 2 loops, YO, pull insert hook in same stitch, pull through 2. YO pull through all 4 loops on hook, ch 1.* Repeat across. In top of ch 2, DC crochet. Ch 2, turn.

Row 4 & 5- Repeat row 3. Fasten off and change color.

With next color (Charcoal) you are going to fasten it on;

Row 6: ch 2, DC in same stitch. Sk 1 stitch. in next stitch, YO, pull through 2 loops, YO insert hook in same stitch, pull through 2 loops, YO, pull insert hook in same stitch, pull through 2. YO pull through all 4 loops on hook, ch 1.* Repeat across. In top of ch 2, DC crochet. Ch 2, turn.

Row 7-12: Repeat row 6. Do NOT fasten off after row 12.
**Reminder, to work this to whatever height you want the cover to be, you can do more than 12 if you wish, or less.

Row 13: Ch 1, SC in next 9 stitches, ch 17, SC in the next stitch and the rest of the way across. Fasten off but leave a really long tale so you can go back and sew the side and bottom together.

**Note: I sewed my flower on where I wanted it first. That way I knew exactly where to put my chain. I put my flower in the top left hand corner of the front of the cover and have my chain coming down at an angle. I recommend putting your flower on first and then figuring out where your chain looks best at. Fold your cover in half and your chain is worked on the top of the BACK cover.

*I opted to sew the flower, eyes and nose on first. I then folded my cover inside out and sewed around the side and bottom, and then turned it right side out again. You can sew the sides and bottom and your face on last, that is totally up to you. Either way works.


Eyes (Make 2):In White:
Magic Ring, Chain 2
Round 1: 10 DC in magic ring, join at top of last DC, chain 2 (10)
Round 2: 2 DC in same stitch and in each stitch around, join to top of last DC, chain 1 (20)
Round 3: SC in same stitch, 2 SC in next, *SC, 2 SC in next, repeat from * around, join to first sc, fasten off leaving long tail to sew on.
Sew 3/4" black button in the center for the eyeballs.

Nose:
In Gold:
Chain 7
Slip stitch in 2nd chain from hook, SC, HDC, DC, DC, TC fasten off leaving long tail to sew on to cover.
Flower:
Hook size: I

Chain 4, join with the beginning chain.


*CH 2, 3 DC through the loop, CH 2, SL ST through the loop. Complete 5 times total from *.



**This is my first pattern so if you find any errors or you think there is an easier way to understand something, I will change the wording. All comments are welcome!

*You are welcome to use this pattern and sell it. All I ask is that credit be given back to me with a link, or a comment. =) I would love to see any of these finished, please leaves links in the comments! Thanks so much!!!

Starting New!

This blog is going to be random things that in somehow are a part of my life. Anything from a crochet project, free crochet patterns, things I find online, books, book reviews, movies... And the list can go on. All things that I am interested in.
I know it's better to have a blog that focuses on one thing, I have tried that before with a book blog and it lost interest to me. This blog is going to be for me, and things that I love. Hopefully others can come to love it as well.. =)