Book Review: Phoenix Rising

Hello friends!

This week we are discussing the book Phoenix Rising by Karen Hesse. The first thing you should know is that this novel is not fantasy, which is what we were initially expecting based on the title. Rather, it is set in the modern day, with a realistic premise. The story is about a girl named Nyle and her grandmother, and how their lives are affected by an accident at a nearby nuclear power plant. 

Sarah's opinions: I found this book to be thought-provoking, but it was too depressing to be called enjoyable. Granted, this is not the measure by which books should be judged; I think I may have been in the wrong frame of mind to read it. In addition, I never really felt a strong attachment to any of the characters. However, there are things to be said in its favor: the writing was well done, and it was clear that the author had done her research. All in all, it was a decent read, and it brings an important issue to light.

Katie's opinions: I too felt that I never developed strong attachments to any of the characters. I'm not quite sure why I experienced this disconnect, because the events of the story definitely felt real. That said, I did end up liking the book, especially as it drew to a close. Though it was set amidst depressing circumstances, I think the overall tone was one of love, hope, and personal growth. Upon reading the inside cover, I discovered that Karen Hesse is also the author of a book I read several years ago called Letters from Rifka. I now plan to revisit it and see how it compares to Phoenix Rising.

Thanks to Alyssa for the recommendation! Have you read Phoenix Rising? Share your thoughts with us in the comments, and feel free to give us your recommendations for future book reviews!

Christmas Movies

Christmas is coming! The goose is getting fat. Except I think we're having turkey, and it's already dead, so it's not currently gaining weight. But you get the point.

Our dad has asked us to make a list of Christmas movies to watch this year, so we decided to share that list on our blog. Obviously, we won't watch every single one of these this year - we don't want to spend our entire Christmas break in front of the television - but we should be able to get through all the priority movies plus a few extra.

Movies to watch:
(Underlined titles get the highest priority. Titles in bold are movies most or all of us have never seen before.)

• It's a Wonderful Life (If our family watches only one movie on any given Christmas, it'll be this one! Add it to your own "to be watched" list if it's not there already.)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated version)
• The Nativity Story
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• A Charlie Brown Christmas
• Veggie Tales Christmas
• The Muppet Christmas Carol
• The Santa Clause
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Eloise at Christmastime
• The Little Drummer Boy
• A Christmas Story
• Home Alone
• Holiday Inn
• STAR WARS: The Force Awakens (!!!)

If you are unfamiliar with these titles, give them a try, and let us know what you think. There are probably a lot of good movies we didn't include here, so please give us recommendations in the comments section! Happy movie watching, everyone!