Book Review: Annexed

If you enjoyed Anne Frank:The Diary of a Young Girl you will most likely enjoy Annexed by Sharon Dogar. Take a journey through the boy who was annexed with Anne Frank, Peter Van Pel’s eyes. As a reader, you will experience what it was like to be in hiding with Anne Frank during World War II. Peter and his family has lost everything, but must fight to stay alive under Hitler’s rule.

Follow Peter as he hates Anne Frank at first, but slowly falls in love with her as they grow closer. Peter takes us beyond Anne Frank’s diary and into the Nazi prison camps. Hear Peter’s thoughts about Anne and World War II. Learn what it was like to be a persecuted Jew during World War II in this gripping and emotional novel.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I thought this book was well written and very entertaining. Buy it here! It is on Kindle for $5.99 or in paperback for $7.95. Enjoy!

Book Review: The Lovely Bones

Meet Susie Salmon, a sweet, innocent 14 year old girl who was raped and brutally murdered by her next door neighbor. She watches from heaven as the people she loves search frantically for her, trying to solve the mystery of her disappearance. In heaven, she watches over her friends, family, and murderer and tells the tragedy of her life. Will Susie ever be able to let go of the life she left behind on earth? Will her family ever find out who murdered their beloved daughter? Will her murderer ever pay for what he did?

Find out in the thrilling, suspenseful novel titled The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Be captivized within the first three pages. Read as you watch the characters develop and you hear Susie’s pain as she tells the story.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspenseful and mysterious stories. I enjoyed this story and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good read.Click here to buy it for $4.24. 

Book Review: Divergent

I know the Divergent series are starting to make their way to the big screen and many people want to read the books, but aren't sure if they are any good. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I read the series a couple of years ago and couldn't put the book down. My head was constantly behind the book with my bedroom door shut as I took an adventure through Tris' life as a divergent. Divergent  series is a young adult novel by Veronica Roth. This novel takes place in a dystopian world where there is 5 factions in which 16 year olds are placed after taking a test that determines where they will fit the best. One has to dedicate the rest of their lives in their given faction.The 5 factions are Candor(the honest), Dauntless(the brave), Amity (the peaceful), Abnegation(the selfless), and the Erudite(the intelligent). However, Tris isn't like the rest, she's divergent. Divergent people are in serious danger and are often immediately put to death. Tris must keep the secret and  be aware of who  her true friends are as she chooses Dauntless as her faction and tries to live a normal life. If you are going through a  Hunger Games withdrawal(yes, I did), then you will most likely enjoy Divergent. You will fall in love with the well created characters who are real and you can feel what they are feeling. Divergent is action packed and will never cease to keep you occupied and your heart racing. You can buy this book on Kindle for $4.99 or but it on amazon.com for as low as $5.49. Here is the amazon link http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035

Book Review: Ender's Game

Recently, I have read Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.I recommend that you read this book before you see the movie, if you  haven’t seen the movie yet. If you have seen the movie, I still believe that it is worth reading. This science fiction book will encapture the reader within the first ten pages. Take a journey into six year old Ender Wiggin’s life as he journeys from earth to outer space. It is set in the future during a time when children are sent to space in order to train to become military leaders so they can prevent the dreaded “buggers” from attacking earth once again. Ender is an unusually brilliant child who lives with his parents, his violent brother Peter, and his beloved sister Valentine. Ender was drafted to attend Battle School and had to leave his family for the first time. He fears that he will become like his brother, so he tries his best to maintain a balance between compassion and violence. Despite being a loner amongst the other students, he develops into a strong leader. Could he be the long awaited general to fight the buggers? Ender’s Game is a winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards. I would rate this book as a 4.5 out of 5. If you enjoy sci-fi or action packed stories, I guarantee that this book is the perfect fit for you. The reader can easily connect with Ender’s character and sympathize with him through his hard times and feel happy for him during his good times. You can buy it on Kindle for $3.99 or for as low as $4.82 on amazon.com. Click on the link to buy this book now! http://www.amazon.com/Enders-Game-The-Ender-Quintet/dp/0812550706

Facts About Spaying and Neutering

*Between 3-4 million adoptable animals are euthanized in animal shelters because they can't find new homes. Unplanned litters have led to these high numbers in euthanized animals, they could have been prevented by spaying and neutering.
*Spaying and neutering reduces the number of stray animals on the streets.
*Spaying is the removal of a female animal's reproductive organs. Neutering is the removal of a male animal's reproductive organs.
*Pets should be spayed or neutered before 6 months of age for males and before the first heat of a female.
* Spaying and neutering reduces the risk of your pet getting the most common types of cancer. So, fixing your pet will lead to a more healthier and happier life for your pet.
*The surgery can only be performed by licensed veterinarians.
*The cost of spaying or neutering your pet is less than the cost of raising puppies or kittens for a year.
* 78% of dogs and 88% of cats are spayed or neutered.
*Spaying or neutering does NOT make your pet overweight. Overfeeding and the lack of exercise will make your pet gain weight.
*Early neutering prevents aggression in dogs and unwanted marking in the house.

Source: www.dosomething.org

The Facts About Animal Cruelty

*Puppy mills care more about profit then the well being of the animals. Many of the dogs that are in puppy mills are plagued with diseases and are very unhealthy due to the conditions they live in. 

*Every year thousands of healthy greyhounds are killed because they aren't able to race, lack competiveness, and are injured.

* Dog fighting started in the US after the civil war in the 1860's. It was entertainment for police officers and firemen. Today, dog fighting is in all regions of the US. Dog fighting kills thousands of innocent pit bulls and gives them a bad name.

*There are 900-2,000 new cases of animal hoarding each year in the US. A quarter million animals are victims of hoarding.

* Over 100 million animals are killed each year in US laboratories for chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing. These animals are monkeys, mice, rats, dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and many others. 

*All major circuses have been cited for violating the minimal standards of care by the United States Animal Welfare. 

*Due to genetic manipulation, 90% of broiler chickens have trouble walking.

*The exotic pet trade has killed many animals to be killed prematurely because they are violently removed from their natural homes and it causes a lot of stress. 

* Source: www.dosomething.org 

The Australian Shepherd

The Australian Shepherd is also known as the Aussie. It is a  robust and medium sized dog. They are easy going dogs that have a puppy-like behavior their whole life. They are courageous and make great watch dogs. They are great with children because they love to play. They are attentive, intelligent, and eager to please, making them easy to train. They are gentle with humans. They require a lot exercise and something to keep their mind busy or they will develop behavior problems.Daily walks, bike rides or jogs are needed to keep this dog healthy physically and mentally.  Some Aussies nip at your heels as an act of herding, this behavior must be corrected right away. They are usually not dog aggressive if they are socialized as a puppy. Males dogs are 20-23 inches tall and weigh 50-65 pounds. Females are 18-21 inches tall and are 40-55 pounds. They need to have a large yard and are not recommended too live in apartments. They live 12-15 years. They are easy to groom and are an average shedder. Make sure that when you are looking at puppies that they are not blind or deaf because this is a common health problem in the breed. Some are prone to hip displaysia.

 

 

Information is from www.dogbreedinfo.com and images are from Google.

Junefest 2013 at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church

On Friday June 14th my church St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church held their first annual Junefest. We invited everyone in town to come.  It was to raise money to pay off the debt of our new building. I helped with the games with my friend and brother. It was fun and I think we had a good turn out. There was live music, food, games, raffle, silent auction, and a  cake walk. The silent auction and raffle prizes were crazy! The church had so much donated and really huge prizes. It was nice hanging out with fellow parishoners and welcoming people from the community. I don't now how much the church made, but I hope that it was enough to at least pay off some debt!

Goldfish

I bought two goldfish about a year ago and they have grown so much! I  named them both after characters from the TV show LOST. I love the show LOST, it is amazing! The black moor is named Boone(season 1) and the gold one is Penny(Desmond's girlfriend). I bought them from the feed store in town. They are fun to watch and are very easy pets. This picture is not very good haha! Penny looks like her eye is blurred but it's just a smudge on the glass.

Around the House

I have been working hard at my photgraphy....here's more pictures.

In Action

Pictures of my pets(and brother)...in ACTION!

Walk For Life 2013

This year, I decided to go on the 2013 Walk for Life with my church St. Robert Bellarmine. The Walk for Life is a protest against abortion. I am completely pro life, I don't agree with killing innocent babies. Take their hands and not their life, they have a beating heart even though it may not seem like it.These babies are living, flesh and blood, human beings and don't deserve to be killed at all. It says in the Bible "Thou shalt not kill". My friend came along with me on this trip to San Francisco. We hopped on the bus at 6 a.m. on an Saturday morning. It was a very long drive, about 5-6 hours. There were movies playing on the bus to keep us occupied.When we arrived in SF, it was a HUGE city. I didn't expect it to be so big. When we got to the park where the Walk for Life started, it was  packed. There was literally no place to move. You were crammed with a bunch of other people. This makes me proud that so many people agree with life. We out numbered the pro choice people.We listened to the woman and men who regretted lost mother or fatherhood tell their stories. Most of the women deeply regretted their abortions right after having them. They couldn't live a day without thinking of the child they had killed. Then, we listened to the bishops and priests talk. We also listened to women who were forced to have abortions. These stories were terrible to hear. The people telling the stories were sobbing and were just very sad. So then, all of the churches started the walk after the speeches. We walked through the city of San Fran holding signs that said pro life and we yelled pro life! My friend and I made our own posters with pictures of babies and quotes from the Bible, Mother Teresa, and some of  our own. The pro choice people yelled and screamed at us, cursing us Christians and the Bible. At the end we hopped back on the bus and headed home. We got home around 10 p.m. at night. The city of San Francisco was very cool. One problem was it was a week before the Super Bowl and they were selling shirts that said "defeat Baltimore!", I didn't like that so much.

I enjoyed sticking up for those babies.