It's Softball Time...

We signed our daughter up for softball last week, and that got me thinking about softball in books.  I've never read nor heard of a "softball book", so I decided to go looking.

Here's some of what I found...

Source:  Goodreads

From Goodreads...
Set in a small Oregon town just after WWII, this is the powerful tale of a community shattered by its reaction to two young newcomers, Aki and Shazam.  Told from 21 different points of view, Bat 6 explores the subject of Japanese-American racial prejudice after the war.

Source:  Goodreads

From Goodreads...
The Story of two sisters and one softball-playing summer.

Source:  Goodreads

From Goodreads...
Everyone thinks being a fourteen-year-old fast pitch softball player is nothing but fun and games.  But ask Rachel Adams, and you'll learn otherwise.  There are millions of problems to deal with, including demanding dads, grumpy coaches, and umpires that make terrible calls.  But Rachel really complicates things for herself when she sneaks out with her teammates, meets some boys, and drinks alcohol...

Source:  Goodreads

From Goodreads...
Brooke Conrad is on top of the world.  She is the star shortstop for her high school's softball team, and it is one of the best teams in the state.  But everything changes overnight when the shortstop for the school's baseball team gets kicked out of school , and the baseball coach asks Brooke to take his place for the season.  Brooke has never heard of anything more ridiculous...

Source:  Goodreads

From Amazon...
Fifteen-year-old Angel Williams has wanted a puppy all of her life, so she is ecstatic when her dad finally agrees he can get one-but on one condition.  She has to hit a home run in her softball game later in the day.  Much to Angel's delight, she does, and she is rewarded with an adorable chocolate Labrador named Homer.  Homer becomes her team's mascot, and he leads them on their quest to win the state championship.  But when Homer is injured in a freak accident, can Angel and the rest of the team continue without him?




Let me know if you've read a good book about softball !

My Thoughts On "The Hunger Games"

Source:  Goodreads

Suzanne Collins
Source:  www.suzannecollinsbooks.com

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I knew nothing about The Hunger Games until I started blogging last year.  Then it was every where.  It seemed like every blog I visited had reviewed this book, and it was on all the must read lists.  My sister and I both love to read and we trade book recommendations back and forth, and I love to buy her books for any occasion...birthdays, Mother's Day, Christmas, just because.  I bought her The Hunger Games, and she liked it.  So over the next few months I bought her the the other two books in the series.  But I still hadn't read it.

Then I read a post on one of my favorite blogs, Susie's Blog.  She had recently read The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and was in the middle of Mockingjay.  She had good things to say, so I decided it was time to read them.  Plus I had just signed up for this awesome reading challenge I'm doing for 2012, and the genre for January is Juvenile/YA fiction.  It just seemed like the time to read it.

Let me just say that I did not expect to love this book as much as I do.  From the very first page I was hooked and couldn't put it down.  I love character driven books, and man oh man is Katniss a character.  I just love her.  Suzanne Collins gives her such an authentic voice.  It feels like someone is telling you their story.  I totally forgot I was reading a book.  Nothing felt forced to me.

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I cannot wait until the movie comes out in March, and just for fun I thought I'd add the preview to my post.

We Share A Passion For Laughing Together

Most of the time when I talk about books it's with my sister.  I'm six years older than her, so when we were kids she got on my nerves.  We fought a lot, but as adults she's my best friend.  We share a passion for reading and laughing together.  Very few people can make me laugh like she does.  Even fewer understand me like she does.  We went and walked at the park today then spent an hour and a half sitting at a picnic table talking about books, the world, religion, our kids, our family...our lives in general.  I love every moment I get to spend with her and it's like therapy for me.  I don't know if she understands how important she is in my life.

My sister and also monthly guest blogger
Source:  My Photo

Our kids go to the same school, and she was behind me in line waiting to pick them up at the end of the day today.  She got out of her car and came and hopped in with me.  She immediately started telling me about her trip to the library today and the books she checked out.  I just kept thinking...how lucky am I that my sister is my best friend and a book lover too!

Sledding!
I'm on the back and Beth's in the front. 
If you look closely at the kids you can see that they thought this was hilarious.
Source:  My Photo

Beth at her college graduation a few years ago.
So proud of her!
Source:  My Photo

Me and Beth
Source:  My Photo