Houston Heat

 So, I'm in Houston for the summer living with my grandparents. Here are a few pics of the Friendswood and Galveston area. I'm reading a huge book right now, so it might be a while before I blog about it...

New York Adventures

Christy, my sister, and I went to New York last week for a few days to see the sights and I had two internships (which went fairly well). Here are some pictures of the highlights of the trip:

Times Square

Christy and I at Times Square

The deli that was in the movie, When Harry met Sally (or something like that; I haven't seen it)

Manhattan

The Statue of Liberty

Statue of Prometheus at Rockefeller Center

The Rockefeller Building

Rockefeller Center

Statue of Baldo at Central Park

Central Park

The One-World Trade Center (aka Freedom Tower)

9-11 Memorial

The Newsies Broadway Musical

Grand Central Station

A lighthouse on the Hudson near Tarrytown

The Brooklyn Bridge

Overall, my favorite parts of the trip were the Broadway musical, Newsies (the choreography was amazing), seeing and hanging out with my friend, Carlee, in the quaint, picturesque town of Tarrytown, and walking in Central Park. What would you most want to see in New York? 

Book Blues

I shouldn't feel this way; I've read these books at least three times. So even though I finished the last page in the last book yesterday, why am I still re-living the battles in Harry Potter, contemplating the character's choices, longing for a chocolate frog or cauldron cake, and hoping for the adrenaline rush as I glide with Harry on his broom as he snatches the snitch?

There's something about these books that draw you in and make you feel so part of the world and the characters' lives that when you're spit back out once it's all over, you have left part of yourself inside the story. I think this is the mark of a great story-teller; that they weave so complex and convincing a world that the reader does not want to leave. The reader will continue returning to the world and characters because the people in the book are friends and the story-world is a kind of home-away-from-home. At least, that's why I re-read novels.  

Rowling does an exceptional job of world-building in this series and the characters seem so real, that is is almost painful to step away from Hogwarts and Harry. It is easier, of course, to bring the reader deeply into a series than a stand-alone book, since the author has more time the build the world and develop the characters. But I have been sad to leave stand-alone novels as well, such as Ella Enchanted and The Giver. Learning from these best-selling books and authors, I want to lace my stories with this kind of magic, the kind of magic that lures the reader back for seconds and thirds and teaches them something new each time.  

Have you ever had the book blues? How did you cope? :) 

What books have you not wanted to leave and why? 

How can writers keep readers interested in their books and make sure they return to the story in the future? 

I'm not going to do a review on this series because it would be too long. However, I did a review on the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which is probably my favorite of the series. That and the last one, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Needless to say, if you have not read these books, go do so NOW! You won't regret it! 

WARNING: These books may cause blurry eyes, obsessive or addictive reading, a belief in magic and snargaluffs, and the desire to ride a broom through the air. 

Hogwarts 

Pura Vida!

My sister and I just arrived back from two glorious weeks in Costa Rica. It was amazing, and very hard to come back to cold, bleak Amarillo. We spent time on both coasts (the Caribbean and Pacific) snorkeling, swimming in clear waters, and kayaking. We also got to zipline over the cloud-forest's canopy in Monteverde (exhilarating to say the least), gallop on horses, and watch sloths climb telephone poles. It was a lovely time. Here are some pictures of the highlights:

Puerto Viejo (Caribbean side)

Punta Uva

Drinking fresh coconut milk. Yum!

A waterfall we hiked to in La Fortuna

Volcan Arenal

Christy, my sister, swinging like Tarzan in the cloud-forest in Monteverde

The beach in Samara (Pacific side)

Tide pools and pools to snorkel at in Samara

It was a lovely trip, and I highly recommend Costa Rica to any travelers. Since I'm no longer in school, I will have more time to read different kinds of books and blogging, so make sure you stay tuned.  

A question to consider/comment on: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Next on my list is Europe, God willing!