The One That's Not About Diabetes

Having read the title of this post, you might be a little confused. This blog is about diabetes. That's the topic! I'd bet that all my readers either have diabetes or are related to/friends with someone with the condition. But I was sitting in front of my laptop today, thinking about what the heck I was going to write about, and I blanked. Nothing all that interesting diabetes-wise has happened to me this week. No supernatural phenomenon has opened my eyes to a brand new way of life. But this blog is about diabetes, right? So I had to think of something to write about concerning diabetes that I haven't written about before and is captivating. I got nothing.

Then I realized that diabetes affects a lot of aspects, scratch that, pretty much every single aspect of my life. It affects everything I eat, any activities I do, my family, my friends, my health, my body, the way I think, the way I act. From the moment of my diagnosis, not a day has passed that I've been able to completely dismiss it from my mind. Diabetes is such a huge part of my life, and it will remain that way until a cure is found. That's just how it is. Most days, you don't get a choice as to whether or not diabetes takes over what you're doing and what you're focusing on. But we should have a choice, because we are so much more than our condition. We have interests and passions and things we love to do. We are funny (at least we'd like to think that), smart, kind, and perfectly normal (again that's what we'd like to think) people. Diabetes isn't all that we are.

When I thought more about it, I rethought what this blog is about. This blog is about life with diabetes. And living with diabetes isn't always about diabetes, if that makes any sense. Whether you understood what I just said or not, this post is not going to be about diabetes. It is going to be about something else that plays a big part in my life. That thing is reading!

I love to read fiction, history, historical fiction, and fantasy books. I love to write as well, but I mostly write fan-fiction, so that's not going to be mentioned here. Anyways, my absolute favourite authors are Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling (Rowling is pronounced Row-ling, like bowling. A lot of people mispronounce it as Ra-ow-ling. That's not how you say it, J.K Rowling has said this. Just wanted to spread the word.). I read roughly two 300-500 page long books a week on top of everything else I do (Scouts, volunteer work, student council vice president, homeschooling group, writing this blog, school, being a youth ambassador for JDRF). It is absolutely one of my absolute favourite favourite things to do! Below is a picture of all twenty-eight books I brought with me on vacation earlier this year(!)... I am a tad bit obsessed, I'll admit. But, moving on!

My 10 Favourite Books In No Particular Order (stand-alone books & series):

 Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan (a series)

The books in this series are (in order)

1. The Lightning Thief

2. The Sea of Monsters

3. The Titan's Curse

4. The Battle of the Labyrinth

5. The Last Olympian 

I just love this series so much. I cannot stress enough how amazing this series is. It is centered around Greek mythology, and it is so, so amazing. Each book has its own adventure, but they all come together in one story-line and one major battle at the end. Below is a brief introduction to The Lightning Thief.

 *Preteen Percy Jackson is a troubled kid. He's no good in school, and he doesn't have a lot of friends. His awesome mom Sally Jackson is married to this awful jerk named Gabe Ugliano (Percy mostly refers to him as Smelly Gabe) since his dad left them before Percy was born. When it doesn't seem quite possible that his life could get much worse or more confusing, a school field trip leads to Percy being attacked by a winged beast (who used to be his teacher, Ms. Dodds) demanding to know where "it" is, and his best friend Grover revealing a, well, let's say a new side of himself. Percy doesn't know what "it" is, nor how he incinerated his algebra teacher using a pen that turned into a sword, but he does know that something fishy is going on. He is whisked away to Camp Half-Blood where he meets the smart Annabeth Chase and terrifying Clarisse La Rue, learns what "it" is, finds out who his dad is, and embarks upon a quest to stop the Greek gods from going to war and to save his mom.

I could go on all day about how awesome this series is and why, but that would make this post way too long, so I'm just going to say that I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone and it is such a good read. The story is told in the point of view of the very sarcastic Percy Jackson, and it is quite entertaining to be inside his head and read about what he's thinking. The characters are diverse and unique, and I loved getting to know all of them. Ten out of ten for this series. Oh, and if you like the plot of these books, do not  watch the movie adaptions of them. You will be greatly disappointed and the way you pictured the characters in your head will be tainted forever. Please please please do not watch them.

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P.S. There is an amazing song called Soldatino (Nico's Lullaby) that a Percy Jackson fan wrote as a lullaby for a character in the series, Nico di Angelo. It is so sweet and if you click here then you can listen to it. I've memorized it and I listen to it all the time! Okay, on to the next item in my list!

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Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan (a series)

The books in the series are (in order)

1. The Lost Hero

2. The Son of Neptune

3. The Mark of Athena (the ending of this book is evil yet amazing)

4. The House of Hades

5. The Blood of Olympus

This series is the sequel to Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It follows the same characters, but adds some wonderful new ones into the mix, and there is a new battle that needs to be won. I'm not going to add an introduction to the first book for this series as I don't want there to be any spoilers for anyone who might be reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians. But I will say I absolutely adore this series and completely recommend it!

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Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (a series)

The books in this series are (in order... actually, just assume that from now on all of these lists are in order.)

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (my favourite in the series)

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

*This infamous series follows eleven-year-old Harry Potter and how his life changes drastically for the better when he is told that he is a wizard. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry travels from Platform 9 3/4 by train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, leaving his abusive family behind him for a while. He makes some friends, some enemies, and finds his way around the magical community. When he learns that the dark and powerful wizard that killed his parents and gave him a lightning scar on his forehead has resurfaced and is coming to his school to steal the Sorcerer's Stone, he sets out to stop him with the help of his friends, Ron and Hermione (Hermione is pronounced her-my-oh-knee if you were wondering). 

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The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare (a series)

The books in this series are...

1. City of Bones 

2, City of Ashes

3. City of Glass

As it says on the back of City of Bones, when Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder. Much less murder committed by three teenagers covered with odd markings. This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons--and keeping the odd werewolves and vampires in line. It's also her first meeting with gorgeous, golden-haired Jace. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in an ordinary mundane like Clary? And how did she suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

If that introduction didn't make you want to read this series, then I don't know what will. This series is the perfect combination of happiness, sarcasm, realism, heartbreak, and adventure. The characters deal with problems that have to do with demons, but also real life problems that we have. Fitting in, stress, all that jazz. I really enjoyed reading this series and I would recommend it. This series was also turned into movies and a TV show. I haven't watched the movies, but I love love love the TV show! It's a great adaptation of the books, unlike the Percy Jackson movies. And I beg of you once again, please do not watch those movies. They just aren't good at all. Sorry for getting off topic, but as you can tell I feel strongly about those movies.

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The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (series)

The books in this series are:

1. The Hunger Games

2. Catching Fire

3. Mockingjay

When I first read The Hunger Games two months ago, I was just reading it because my older brother wanted me to and I was waiting for The Blood of Olympus to arrive at the library for me to pick up. Pretty much everyone I knew was obsessed with this series and I didn't know why. But then I read the books, and I found out. I stayed up until three in the morning reading the first book, and I would have started the next book but my dad came into my room and caught me staying up late and that didn't really end well so...

Anyways, I've realized that it's easier to use the descriptions written on the backs of the books I'm talking about instead of writing my own, so that's what I'm doing for the rest of the books in my list. But I'm not going to rewrite the descriptions I used for the first three items on my list because I'm proud of those descriptions and I feel like the internet deserves to read them. You know what, here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to put a little star (*) on top of all descriptions that I write, and what doesn't have a star was written by someone else. Anyways, moving on to the description on the back of The Hunger Games!

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to death before-- and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Okay, a round of applause for that please. That was just so captivating... doesn't it just make you want to read the series? It should. I loved reading The Hunger Games for so many reasons, I can't even begin to go through them all. It's like if someone asked me to tell them why I love chocolate so much, or the musical Wicked, those lists would go on for days and days. But I can't stress enough how much I want you to read this series. 

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The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer (a series)

The books in this series are...

1. The Wishing Spell

2. The Enchantress Returns

3. A Grimm Warning

4. Beyond the Kingdoms

5. An Author's Odyssey

6. Worlds Collide

Alex (short for Alexandra) and Conner Bailey's world is about to change. When the twins' grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they're about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

That introduction doesn't really tell you much, so I'll elaborate.

*Alex and Conner are twins, but they are pretty much polar opposites. Alex is super smart and loves school but has no friends, and Conner sucks at school and is a class clown. They live with their mother, Charlotte Bailey, in a very small house. Their father died a year before The Wishing Spell takes place, putting the family in a tricky financial situation. Alex and Conner both miss their dad a lot, and they both cope with it in different ways. Alex disappears into her books, and Conner tells jokes and makes people laugh to put the pain out of his mind.

On their twelfth birthday, they don't expect anything much. They know that their mother is working double shifts at the hospital and isn't going to be home for their birthday, and they are very surprised when they see a familiar car in their driveway when they arrive home from school. Their grandmother's car. Alex and Conner don't see their grandma more than a couple times a year, so they are overjoyed to see that she has come to celebrate their birthday. When they get the Land of Stories, a fairy tale book that their father used to read to them when they were little, as a gift, they don't expect it to portal them into the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real, but not quite as they remembered reading them, but it does! They find themselves racing to collect all the items for the Wishing Spell, a spell that grants any wish to whomever completes it, so they can wish their way home. What they don't know is they're racing against the Evil Queen who intends to use the spell to make right something that wronged her many years ago.

This series is one that is quite close to my heart. I adore it with every part of my being. It brings new light to old fairy tales and is so imaginative, funny, and realistic. I fell in love with these characters, their stories, just everything about it is wonderful. I recommend this one hundred times over. It is just so amazing.

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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (stand-alone book)

This book... there are so many things I love about this book. It's the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster, a sixteen-year-old girl with thyroid cancer. I love that someone wrote a really great book about something that's real and affects lots of people every day, and they didn't sugarcoat it or anything. There is tragedy and heartbreak very much alive in this book. But I liked to see that somebody wrote about finding the happy moments between the sad. I love Hazel's character, how realistic she is. It's sort of freaky how well a roughly-forty-year-old can write about how a girl thinks. And oh my goodness I love the characters in this book. I would suggest this book to anyone and everyone a hundred billion times. Especially as someone who lives with a disease, I love this book.

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The Diary of Anne Frank by (you guessed it) Anne Frank (stand-alone book)

Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic-- a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled from their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the "Secret Annex" of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary, Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.

I've reread this book so many times, and it isn't just because the girl who wrote it has the same name as me (although I do believe that the best people are named Anne or have Anne in their name, like Annie or Anna or Annabeth). I so enjoy being in the mind of someone my age who lived almost one hundred years ago. I loved reading about how Anne learned to find solace in the little things when her entire world, and quite literally, most of the world around her, was turned upside-down by the Nazis. Totally recommend this book. One hundred percent.

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Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (I'm pretty sure this is a series but I've only read the first book)

*Anne of Green Gables, written by Lucy Maud Montgomery, tells the story of a lonely, imaginative orphan girl from Nova Scotia. By a happy accident, she is brought to live at Green Gables in the fictional town of Avonlea in Prince Edward Island with the stern, but loving Marilla Cuthbert and her shy, caring brother Matthew. This classic story follows the entertaining misadventures of Anne Shirley, whose temper, chattering, and runaway imagination are constantly getting her into scrapes. In the opinion of most everyone around her (except her bosom friend, Diana Barry) Anne's love of romance and bold character do her no good and are not befitting to a young lady. This tale teaches us, however, that we can learn from our mistakes, and that sometimes it is good to have a little imagination.

Maybe I do have a thing for main characters with the name Anne, but that's not only because my name is Anne, I promise! I mean, think about it. Anne Shirley is just about the most spunky, sarcastic, imaginative, and wonderful character ever. Anne Frank was this complicated, profound, and lovable person. Annie (from the musical Annie) is freaking amazing! Coincidence? I think not. Anyways, I love this book so much! I love the characters, I love Anne's character, I loved reading about the gorgeous setting of Prince Edward Island. Both happiness and heartbreak are present in this book, and I believe that that is an accurate representation of life. Such a charming, lovable story!

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And my favourite book out of all the books I've ever read...

(drum roll please)

A Little House of Their Own by Celia Wilkins (the last book in the series The Caroline Years)

Just after Caroline Quiner starts teaching at the Concord School, she runs into her fiddle-playing neighbour Charles Ingalls, who's full of plans to head out west. As their friendship turns to courtship, Caroline realizes that she has a difficult decision ahead of her--and a choice that may mean leaving behind her family and everything she's ever known. A Little House of Their Own is the seventh and final book the Caroline Years series, and brings the story right up to where Little House began--to Laura.

This is my favourite book because... well, life nowadays is so busy, so complicated. Everything has a double meaning, people are offended by the tiniest little things, everything has to be tricky. But back in the 1800's, when this book takes place, things were simple. Peaceful, quiet. The plot of this book is really simple, yet it is captivating and sweet. I fell in love the first time I read it, and I fall in love with it again each time I reread it.

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