On My Own Two Feet

I saw somewhere that Amy Purdy had written an memoir--On My Own Two Feet: From Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life. I had watched Amy Purdy (a Paralympic snowboarder with 2 prosthetic legs) on Dancing with the Stars, so I got the book from the library. It tells Amy's story from childhood until the sudden, severe bacterial meningitis she contracted at age 19 that made her lose her legs. Then the book carries on with how she moved forward with her life to become a Paralympic snowboarder bronze medalist and a finalist on Dancing with the Stars.

This was a really inspiring book. I really loved Amy when she was on Dancing with the Stars and was impressed by what a kind, happy person she was. It was amazing to read about all the physical challenges she went through during and after her sickness and how she realized she had bigger things to accomplish in her life. I really enjoyed the read. FYI, it does have some bad language, but it's mild and infrequent.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

One for the Murphys

When reading Fish in a Tree a few weeks ago, I saw that the author (Laura Mullaly Hunt) had written another book--One for the Murphys--so I checked it out from the library. This book is about 12-year-old Carley Connors who finds herself unexpectedly in foster care. She gets placed with the Murphys--a family with three boys--and is shocked by the kind of happy family life she is experiencing. While she at first fights her emotions and is resistant to being happy there, she soon finds herself changing.

This was an incredible book. I was enthralled by the story and just loved Carley and Mrs. Murphy throughout the story. The author did an amazing job of connecting the reader to the emotions of the characters. I seriously, literally BAWLED for a good 5 chapters in the book. (So just a warning that if you're a crier, you will cry.) I just loved that the book felt so real, and it showed me the goodness of people. This was a meaningful, beautiful read. But heart-wrenching. Beware.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Queen

I've been reading The Selection series by Kiera Cass and found she wrote another novella--a short story from the perspective of another character in the series. The Queen is about Maxon's mom Amberly when she was in the selection (years before) to complete for Maxon's dad.

This was a quick but fun read. It was interesting to see another side of the story and get to know Amberly and her background and how she came to be queen.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)