Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow

Author: Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Genre: World War II, Nazis, documentary type

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Non-fiction

Number of pages: 158

Time period: 1940's, World War II

Main characters: Several, actually.

My overall opinion: Hitler Youth...you've probably heard of them, but how much do you know? This book will probably enlighten you, as I know it did me. It's a book full of pictures and stories, and very sad. You hear about kids sneaking out at night so that they could be part of the Hitler Youth, though their parents don't want them to. I find it amazing that these kids, my age, and even younger could be so blind to what Hitler was doing. They didn't know the full extent of the concentration camps, but they knew enough to know  better, in my opinion. A good book.

The Journal of Helene Berr

Author: Helene Berr

Genre: Journal, adventure?, life

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Non-fiction

Number of pages: 291

Time period: 1940's, World War II, Holocaust

Main characters: Helene

My overall opinion: It seemed to me that this journal was a little slow reading at first. But it was never meant to be public anyway, so. This is the story of Helene who is a French Jew. I'll tell you that in the end, she is captured and executed in Bergen-Belsen, I believe, a few days before liberation. However, to see France at that time from the eyes of a Jew is definitely a new experience for me!

Sixteen Brides

Author: Stephanie Grace Whitson

Genre: Romance

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Type: Historical fiction

Number of pages: 348

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Quite a few, actually.

Exciting events: Several!

My overall opinion: Women are taken out west, being told by a deceptive man that they can get their own land and homestead. Most of them are widows. However, it is discovered once they get there that the scheming man has "sold" them to men as brides! A very exciting story. :) It's based on actual happenings, though the characters are fictional.

Chariots in the Smoke

Author: Gilbert Morris

Genre: Romance, life

Series: The Appomattox Saga

Number in series: 9th

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 7.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 291

Time period: Civil War, 1800's

Main characters: Leah, David

Exciting events: Definitely. :)

Passage from book: "Load! Load!" Ballard cried, but it was too late. All along the line, the Confederates who had fired the only shot they would get off were facing the steel. Suddenly one man threw his gun down and turned, running as fast as he could. It was a signal for the others, and David, without thought, whirled and ran blindly. He didn't do so conciously, nor perhaps did the others, but they ran. They left the field to the Yankees. It was a blind insanity, and David never remembered running. He heard the screams behind him, and as he fell and scrambled along with the others, he felt no shame, only a determination to get away from what was happening...

My overall opinion: A good one. :)

Song: Down to the River

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Singer: Katherine Jenkins

Type of music: Sleepy, sort-of. Calming.

Length: 2:59

Lyrics: As I went down to the river to pray // Study about that good old way, // and who shall wear the golden crown, // Good Lord, carry me through. Oh sisters, let's go down // let's go down, come on down, // oh sisters, let's go down, // down in the river to pray.

My overall opinion: It's a song that'll put you to sleep at night, being both repetitive and rather quiet. I like it. :) Check for it on youtube.

As Time Goes By

Author: Lori Wick

Genre: Romance

Series: The Californians

Number in series: 2nd

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 279

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Jeff, Bobbie, Cleve, Sylvia

Exciting events: There are some. :)

Passage from book: Seventeen-year-old Jeff Taylor was not hearing one word of Pastor Keller's sermon. While keeping his head totally still, he could shift his eyes until he had a perfect view of Sylvia Weber's profile. Unfortunately he could also see Richard Black.

My overall opinion: I enjoyed it. :)

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Beneath the Mockingbird's Wings

Author: Gilbert Morris, Aaron McCarver

Genre: Romance, life

Series: The Spirit of Appalachia

Number in series: 4th

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 7.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 270

Time period: 1700's

Main characters: Hannah, Fox

Exciting events: Indian battles, jealous uncle, much more!

Passage from book: A light snow crusted the frozen earth, and the acrid smell of woodsmoke hung in the air as Fox stood stone-still behind a clump of elderberry bushes. He had remained in this position for half an hour, the only motion the involuntary blinking of his eyes and the slow, methodical rise and fall of his chest. He had grown taller and more sinewy than most boys of fourteen. In fact, he looked several years older than his actual age.

My overall opinion: I enjoyed it!

Giveaway #1!!!!!

Yes, I have finally gotten around to posting our first giveaway! I can't promise that they will come in evenly spaced time periods, but hopefully they will all be done by the end of April. Okay, here we go!

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

First giveaway is for the book Blood Covenant by Lisa Harris.

The copy that I'm giving away is signed by Lisa and will include two bookmarks. You can read my review here. I found it an exciting story and I think you'll enjoy it.

To enter:

Mandatory entry: you MUST be a previous follower of Austenitis. No new followers! However, if you start following now, you can enter any giveaways that I post after April 17. Comment and tell me you follow. Leave your email address if you want, but it's not a must.

+2 entries for blogging about the giveaway. Leave a link please!

+1 entry for putting the Austenitis blog button on your blog.

+1 entry for inviting me to be your friend on goodreads.com. If we're already friends, you can have the entry too. :)

+1 entry for adding me to your Etsy circle. Just look up Charity U on Etsy and identify me by the picture that's the same as my profile picture here.

+2 entries for emailing four friends. This is ONLY for people who don't have a blog. If you have a blog, these entries don't count.

+1 entry for those people who I know in person. :) I know, this isn't usually an entry, and I'm sorry for all of you who I don't know in person, but that's what I'm doing.

+1 entry for commenting on any other post on Austenitis.

+1 entry for following Giveaways Galore. Yes, that's my blog, but it doesn't show up on my profile.

+1 entry for following The Birthday Blog. Also my blog. I love that one. :)

That's all. You can get a few more entries on Photographer at Heart. If you are not allowed currently to view PaH, email me and ask to be permitted. photographer4ever832[at]gmail[dot]com

One other thing. Many of these entries are posted on PaH as well, along with a few others. If you already completed those entries here, you cannot do them again. For example: if you added me to your Etsy circle, and left a comment here saying you had, don't leave a comment on PaH saying you did. Each entry can be earned only as many times as are after the + sign. Make sense? I'm having trouble explaining. :P

Now, on the entries for blog button. You can get one entry for having the Austenitis blog button AND another entry for having the Photographer at Heart blog button. The same goes for commenting on the seperate blogs. Also, in order to get the entries for doing the PaH button, you must follow that blog. Who knew this was so confusing? Let me know if you're lost.

Please make sure you leave a seperate comment for each entry. If you put all your entries in one comment, you'll only get one entry.

I will post the winner of this giveaway hopefully in one week. I will choose the winner using a random number chooser, I think. If you win, it may be up to two weeks before I get your prize mailed. You may leave your email address if you want and I'll email you if you are a winner. :)

Giveaway will close on April 16. Giveaway is extended until Sunday, April 17, because of computer problems. Last chance!

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer

Author: John Grisham

Genre: Mystery

Series: I think there's going to be a Theodore Boone series, and I'm quite sure there's going to be a sequel to this book, at any rate.

Number in series: IF it's a series, this is the first.

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 7.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 263

Time period: Present

Main characters: Theodore, others

Exciting events: Hmmm...

Passage from book: Theodore Boone was an only child, and for that reason usually had breakfast alone...

My overall opinion: Hmmm...it's a lawyer book. Theodore is a kid with a brain for lawyering, so to speak. However, there is (warning: this is probably a spoiler?) a particular law case that is followed through the entire book...and while several smaller issues are resolved, this primary law case isn't. So it makes the ending feel pointless, or something. I'm not sure. However, it was a completely clean and good book!

Hearts Awakening

Author: Delia Parr

Genre: Romance

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 350

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Ellie, Jackson

Passage from book: While other women her age were busy preparing a hearty breakfast for their families in snug, warm homes that crowded the city or dotted the outlying farms, Elvira Kilmer was hurrying down an unfamiliar roadway, hugging the woods along the eastern shore of Dillon's Island to meet a total stranger.

My overall opinion: I enjoyed this book! Jackson managed to exasperate me so much sometimes and I don't see how Ellie was always so patient with him as she was...I wouldn't have been. :P I really enjoyed Delia Parr and recommend the book!

Stats

I don't know about you, obviously, but I like statistics. I like knowing how many. :) (However, I dislike math...) Anyway, back to the subject, here are my current stats. This does include the ones waiting for publication in my drafts folder.

Books: 143
Movies: 26
Songs: 13
CDs: 8
Posting landmark: 6
(note: I actually just put those down as they came to mind, then looked up numbers...didn't know they end up in order!)

Adventure: 44
Mystery: 26
Romance: 42
Classic: 12
Missions: 2
Cooking: 2
Comedy: 6
Amish: 1
Childhood: 4
Fantasy: 22
Family: 4
Growing up: 5
Holocaust: 4
Life: 34
War: 5
Western: 18

Fiction: 89
Non-fiction: 18
Biography: 3
Children's book: 7
Historical fiction: 12
Story with a moral: 4

Animated: 1
Documentary: 1

Bible times: 4
1200's: 4
1500's: 1
1600's: 1
1700's: 7
1800's: 48 (anyone wanna guess what my favorite time period is?)
Early 1900's: 8
1900's: 3
1930's: 4
1940's: 13
1950's: 1
1960's: 1
Present: 34

Revolutionary War: 2
Civil War: 11
WW I: 2
WW II: 5

*ahem* Yes, maybe I got a bit carried away. ;) But hey, I had fun. And now the stats will be preserved in history...scary. Oh well. :)

201st Post

Yes, this is my 201st post! I'm so delighted to have reached this many! I hope that you have all enjoyed reading them as much as I have writing them. :)

Wow...all those reviews!

I want to specially thank each of my 29 followers! I am so glad you all follow. :)

Also, I want to mention that the giveaway is coming this month! I have a ton of fun prizes and am really looking forward to it. :)

BTW, I'm really not sure that 201st is correct...I think it is. But I accidentally published a review for my 200th post, so this is the 200 and first. However you say it. :P

Where Eagles Dare

Author: Alistair MacLean

Genre: Mystery, adventure

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 7.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 312

Time period: Present

Main characters: Smith

Exciting events: Too many! Absolutely tons! Very exciting book.

My overall opinion: I really enjoyed this book. :) It's got a great story BUT unfortunately there is a problem. There are many uses of God's name in vain. I believe that that is the worse of the swearing, but there is plenty of it. Way to ruin a good book! Otherwise, though, it's a very good and exciting book.

Borden Chantry

Author: Louis L'Amour

Genre: Western

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 170

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Borden Chantry, others

Exciting events: Classic Louis: gun-fights, fist-fights, etc

Passage from book: "I ain't in no hurry." The cowboy straddled a chair, accepting the coffee. "Dead man out in the street." "Again? Third this week. You just wait until Saturday. Saturday night's when they let the wolves howl. You stick around." "I seen it here and yonder. Ain't figurin' on it. I'm ridin' over to Carson an' the steam cars." He jerked his head toward the street. "You seen him?"

My overall opinion: Pretty much a classic Louis L'Amour. :)

Surviving Hitler

Author: Andrea Warren

Genre: Holocaust

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Type: Non-fiction

Number of pages: 127

Time period: Holocaust, 1940's, World War II

Main characters: Jack

Exciting events: Concentration camps for three years!

My overall opinion: This is the incredible true story of Jack, who spent three years in the Nazi concentration camps. It has pictures, and is written in story style. Ms. Warren says she took some liberties to add in the conversation, but it's all written off of what Jack remembers. It is technically a children's book,  but I'd say no one under 12 should read it...the Holocaust is heavy material. However, if you're older and interested in the Holocaust, this is something you should read! Also includes a list of other books you could read  about the Holocaust at the end.

Blood Covenant

Author: Lisa Harris

Genre: Life, adventure

Series: Mission Hope series

Number in series: 2nd

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 295

Time period: Present

Main characters: Paige, Nick, others

Exciting events: Terrorists!

Passage from book: The crackling of gunfife ripped through the morning air. Fear closed in on her, constricting her lungs, and she ducked beneath the door frame. Rural Tennessee had its problems, but they never had included being chased by rebels with machine guns. This wasn't Tennessee. Another round of shots split the air. Simon slumped beside her.

My overall opinion: This was an exciting book! I'm sure that you'll enjoy reading it. I haven't read one quite like it before! It's a great book. :)

Pippi Longstocking

Author: Astrid Lindgren

Genre: Childhood, children's book, life

Series: Is Pippi Longstocking a series?

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Type: Fiction, children's book

Number of pages: 116

Time period: 1800's, I guess. But really no idea.

Main characters: Pippi, Annika, Tommy

Exciting events: Vacation, picnics, birthdays, burglars, etc, etc,

Passage from book: Way out at the end of a tiny little town was an old overgrown garden, and in the garden was an old house, and in the house lived Pippi Longstocking. She was nine years old, and she lived there all alone. She had no mother and no father, and that was or course very nice because there was no one to tell her to go to bed just when she was having the most fun, and no one who could make her take cod liver oil when she much preferred caramel candy.

My overall opinion: Pippi is such a delightful character. :)