A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

I know it's Valentine's Day, where you should show love for those who mean the world to you. But sometimes there isn't love in those you see as family or your significant other. Sometimes our visions are bluffed on so many levels that we can't determine where bond and survival should be separated.
Abuse comes in all forms; psychological, physical, sexual.

We are taught as children not to talk to strangers, tell someone if someone touches you, etc. But what do you do when the person you would go to for these things is the person who is also doing the harm? Who do you tell? How do you get help? How do you survive?

In A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer, these questions are the very ones that Dave must face at a very young age. The abuse inflicted by his mother is profound and disgusting on so many levels that I won't even begin to quote them. But this is one of the many reasons someone should read this book as well. The survival instinct in Dave at such a young age is tantalizing, the strength he holds within himself for survival is breathtaking.

This story is not one of love and devotion, but of survival and perseverance in the darkest of situations. Through it love prevails in the heart of Dave. The fear Dave faces hinders his heart as he fights for his survival. Dave's love for his brothers, even his mother, conflict with his emotions and instincts for survival leaving him to question the very existence of himself many times.

This page-turner is short but well worth the read. If I could find the nerve and emotional capacity I would re-read this over again. When picking this book be prepared to harbor ill feelings towards humanity during your course of reading this novel.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

How can you review such an iconic piece of history? I asked myself this numerous times before determining I wanted to review it. It's not because of the literary excellence or the historical significance that I decided on reviewing this. It's the fact that as a child had to endure so much terror that her lasting legacy is that of the written word. Her story of survival is a window into the heart, soul and horror that reigned over Germany and Europe between 1933-1945. Anne didn't know her fate or future when she decided to keep some normalcy in her life as she wrote. All she knew was that her world was changing & she wanted to capture it.

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Each entry brings you into the mind of Anne, at thirteen years of age her life changed forever. The decision to go into hiding was for protection of the family. Her studies and dreams put on the back burner at an attempt to save her life, she had difficulty understanding the need for this change. She wanted to be outside, remembering the beauty of gardens and walks home from school, and to play music without fear of the SS or Gestapo. She wanted to be a teenager.

Anne had the typical dreams of a teenage girl, from boys to being a famous star. She was innocent and naive in her young age. When Anne started writing it was about her typical day, when slowly the war creeped into her entries. Ironically, Anne wanted to be famous, but her fame came in a different format than she could have imagined. The moment she was placed into the annex her life had changed, she found it to be a nuisance more than a lifesaving measure. Her complaints of everyday life where slowly interrupted with fear of being captured, fear of death and the loss of the future. From the tinest squeak of the floorboards to lighting the candles on the menorah, her life changed piece by piece inside the annex.

I cannot review her writings, for they are her thoughts, life and passions of the moment. But as a book I find that this is a great way to look at the changing mindset of a teenager stuck in the horrors of one person's ideal expectations of race. Anne expresses her misunderstanding of the hate that is shown towards her religion and race. Something that many cultures face even today.

The lessons learned from the words Anne leaves behind are needed now as the world faces distress and strife between countries and races. We need to learn from the past to move forward and find peace in the world. This was the ending lesson that Anne's diary held. To repeat history is to fail the victims of the past; whether it's over race, religion, or space in time; learning from the fear and innocents written in the past is where Anne Franks Diary comes into our history lives.

I wish that I had read this book as a teenager more than an adult, because I would understand Anne's mind more. But as an adult reading this, I realize that the innocents we all have had is one that is taken away quickly by the actions of others. So whether you're a teen or an adult, I recommend this book as history and humanity lesson for the future.

Ruby's Diary By Ruby Gettinger

I was formally a fat girl. I admit it, heck I have the pictures to prove it. So when I started watching Ruby on the Style Network years ago I instantly connected with her. No I wasn't 400 lbs, heck I didn't even realize I was close to 300 lbs.

She understood my journey and gave me courage to hit the gym. I owe many of my first completed workouts to her, I watched her TV show over and over again on my Ipod will sweating it out. I didn't feel alone or like the only fat girl in the room.

So obviously I was excited when she released her book Ruby's Diary.

The book lets you go past the TV screen and dive into her thoughts about her life. The memories and tone of the book will keep you in stitches for hours while reading it. Even after putting the book down I was still laughing.

But laughter is not the only thing you can pull away from Ruby's story. There is so much more to the reasoning behind Ruby's journey. Gaining a glimpse into Ruby's life through her Diary allows the reader to understand that weight isn't always about the food we put into our mouths. We all have a past, one that can either push us or hinder us, towards the future. In Ruby's case she can't remember a certain period of her life, on that is full of trauma. Her mind is protecting her from reliving the pain over again. But Ruby understands that these missing pieces to the puzzle are ones that are also holding the weight left on her body.

While comical in a southern sweet voice, Ruby expresses her desires of needing to know what happened to her so she can move forward with her life. With the help of her two best friends, Jeff and Georgia, she explores the journey of natural weight loss, the emotional roller coaster of finding out the missing pieces and loving life to the fullest.

Ruby's journey is inspirational even to those who only need to lose 10 lbs or those with a traumatic past. Her struggles are real and happening everyday throughout the world. Obesity is not just about too much food and Ruby does a great job of allowing the reader and watcher into the life of someone struggling with the psychological aspect of obesity.

I recommend this book for not only the laughs, but to gain an insight into the struggle of so many American's (particularly) dealing with the scars that have caused their obesity. It's a roller coaster ride and I'm "hacky" (Rubyisms as it's called) to share this with my followers as one of the best non-fiction books I've read.

They cage the animals at night by by Jennings Michael Burch

Exploring the meaning of love and family is an adventure we all take in our lives. Some have a harder time learning while others find it very easily. For Jennings his journey was one of unraveling agony.

They cage the animals at night was nothing of what I expected when choosing this book. I thought it would be a journey of over coming abuse and abandonment, what it turned into was the journey of finding the meaning of love, acceptance and confidence. However, to find that Jennings had to endure some of the worst experiences an adult, let alone a little boy, should ever have to experience.

From the beginning you learn that Jennings life is one of difficulty when his mom leaves him at his first orphanage. The back story of Jennings mother isn't fully disclosed which I found annoying, besides the accident that removes her from his life at the end of the book, her story is never explained or explored. Why did she need to "rest" so many times? Which just brings up many back stories left for exploration in Jennings story.

His brothers, father, and many of those who walked through his life had stories that played out to why things where happening and yet they where never explained, leaving the reader with a million questions on why did this happen, why didn't they care, etc. Thankfully he put an epilogue in to give a small detail into the lives of what happened to many of those main characters in Jennings life.

With all the abandonment and discourage put in front of Jennings I found that this was a page turner, always wanting to learn where he would end up. The raw emotions of a boy learning the rules of the homes and the abuse he suffers throughout his life really brings you into the mind set of a inquisitive little boy.

His story has a happy ending as he learns what it's like to be loved, accepted and seen for who he really is, just a little boy trying to understand life, love and the roles he has been given. The abuse he suffers is deplorable and still seen everyday within our country, where many people turn a blind eye to it everyday. However, stories like Jennings help pull this part of society out from under the rug in a sense. Exposing the abuse many suffer through "the system."

Overall this was a good book, while it left me with many questions in the end I would still recommend. If anything to open your eyes into the workings of the system. While this took place in the 50's many things still say the same, I'm not saying abuse is found in orphanages, but I'm not withholding the idea either.

These children live with the idea that they are not worth anything, in which many will take advantage of the vulnerability of the innocent. Just as they did to the children in many of the homes Jennings experienced.

Bearded Lady by Mara Altman (Kindle Single)

I don't normally talk about the books I read, especially to my co-workers. However, this book I found hilarious and something that a lot of woman could totally relate too.

Bearded Lady by Mara Altman is exactly that kind of book. This is a short available on Amazon for the Kindle but can be read on a PC.

When I found this single I was looking for something quick and easy, what I got was the realization that I'm not alone. As a white female aging brings the dreaded hair, that dark hair just on the corner of your mouth or on your chin that you swear wasn't there yesterday.

I have had many "water cooler" conversations finding out what works best for who. From plucking, shaving, waxing, bleaching and the crazy ideas many women have stated, everyone has their own remedy. I didn't feel alone in this ugly battle, however society depicts women as being hairless in which many of us feel we should conform.

In Altman's single she too divulges the depths women go through to hide this plague. She talks about her adventures of finding the perfect remedy to her hair, the fear that her man would learn of the unwanted hair and the path to accepting that it's all just a part of life. The single is truly a letter to her future husband, which I found a little odd, but acceptable.

I laughed through the majority of the book, shaking my head with every new step in her adventure in understanding. I laughed so much I had to pass it on.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

What do you do when you learn you have no more options, no more chances and that you’re going to die in a certain time frame?

You probably will want to pass on your wisdom to those most important to you. For Pausch this meant savoring his life for his three young children. Pausch's The Last Lecture was one heard around the world not just through the actual lecture but through the preservation of the events in his book, co-authored by Jeffrey Zaslow.

Pausch's life was full of many accomplishments, but not without road blocks. Each chapter discusses one lesson of each accomplishment within his life. Going into this reading I thought what could he really teach me? What could I really take away from this book?

Surprisingly I walked away with many of my own personal situations put into perspective suddenly. While everyone has a past, some parts of our past can be painful, confusing and downright dirty. Pausch reminded me never to dwell on the pain, but to allow myself time to heal as well.

At this point in my life I truly needed to read, see and understand that lesson, what better way than to hear it from a dying man?

At the end of the book I found myself pulling out bucket list. Some of the stupidest things are listed on there, things that people do every day of their lives, so I decided to edit the list and make it into the top things I want to accomplish with my life. As Pausch states I may never fully reach those goals, the lessons from attempting to reach them are the biggest gift.

Pausch unfortunately passed away leaving a legacy of lessons behind for his children; something that I hope to someday be able to apply towards the love and nurturing of my own children.

Over all my expectations for the book where zero, just something everyone else read and talked about, what I walked away from with this book was a better understand of situations in my own life and the expectations for it. I recommend this book whole heartedly, if anything to find some type of understanding during a difficult time within your life.

Pausch passed away July 25, 2008.
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