The Lucky Ones by Tiffany Reisz

The Lucky Ones by Tiffany Reisz

They called themselves “the lucky ones.” They were seven children either orphaned or abandoned by their parents and chosen by legendary philanthropist and brain surgeon Dr. Vincent Capello to live in The Dragon, his almost magical beach house on the Oregon Coast. Allison was the youngest of the lucky ones living an idyllic life with her newfound family…until the night she almost died, and was then whisked away from the house and her adopted family forever.

Now, thirteen years later, Allison receives a letter from Roland, Dr. Capello’s oldest son, warning her that their father is ill and in his final days. Allison determines she must go home again and confront the ghosts of her past. She's determined to find out what really happened that fateful night--was it an accident or, as she's always suspected, did one of her beloved family members try to kill her?

But digging into the past can reveal horrific truths, and when Allison pieces together the story of her life, she'll learns the terrible secret at the heart of the family she once loved but never really knew.

A vivid and suspenseful tale of family, grief, love—and the dark secrets that bind everything together—Tiffany Reisz’s latest is enthralling to the final page.

Tiffany Reisz first fell onto my radar after a friend told me I should read The Siren several years ago. I can’t remember how many books were out in that series when I began reading them but... I. Could. Not. Get. Enough. Her Original Sinners series is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES!!! Nora is Queen!

She’s since gone on to write several standalone novels and I’ve devoured those as well. The Night Mark and The Bourbon Thief are excellent!! But…back to The Lucky Ones.

We begin our novel with Allison who is being dumped by her current lover…rich lover I might add. But this lover has decided that the woman who is now carrying his baby - not Allison - should be his man focus. He’s an ass. 

N-T-Way

During this breakup Allison gets a letter. We find out that Allison grew up in a foster home in Oregon in a house that looks like a dragon if you’re looking at it at the right angle. Dr. Capello, her foster father, is dying. Allison only lived in the foster home for a few years and loved it but because of an “accident” that she suffered (and doesn’t really remember) through while she was there, it ended with her going to live with an older aunt. 

Allison decides that because of her breakup it is a good time to go back to Oregon to see her foster father and foster siblings because she hasn’t seen them in 13 years. She reconnects with her foster siblings and father but learns while she was there, that there were many secrets being kept in that house. 

Once she delves into finding out these secrets you find out that the other foster children brought into this home and the home itself is not as happy as she remembers. 

Tiffany Reisz is as awesome storyteller. There are twists and turns and once you begin reading, you will become engrossed in finding out the secrets residing in this dragon house by the sea.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.
But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

This book was sooo much fun to read. An African American zombie hunter after the Civil War! Ha! Who would have thought? Jane, the lead character is whip-smart, funny, and a typical teenager who has the most awesome petty comebacks, which I absolutely loved. 

About the book - Sometime around the last days of the Civil War, the dead became the undead (shamblers). Now that it’s over, most of the younger females have been enlisted to go to elite schools and train to become zombie hunters and attendants to the more affluent whites. Jane is one of these females and attends Miss Preston’s School for Combat in Baltimore. 

There is nonstop action fighting zombies, and Jane, along with a couple of friends (loosely) in Red Jack (an ex-boyfriend) and Katherine (rival), also try to solve a mystery of disappearing people. Trying to solve the mystery of the disappearances (which includes the disappearance of Red Jack’s little sister) get these three in a little bit of trouble. Since this novel takes place right after the Civil War, you see that blacks still face oppression, racism and how they try to survive, dealing with these issues. A uniqueness I also found about this book is that each chapter begins with a letter written by Jane to her mother. Through these letters we learn about who Jane is and her history. 

This book is the beginning of a trilogy so don’t look for a happily ever zombie killing after at the end but only the beginning to Jane, Katherine, and Red Jacks stories. If you are a fan of the Walking Dead and/or historical fiction and you want a little diversity in your reading, this book just might appeal to you. It did to me and I’m eagerly waiting for book #2.

Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts

Shelter In Place by Nora Roberts

Sometimes, there is nowhere safe to hide.
It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses. Mothers and children shopped together, and the manager at the video-game store tended to customers. Then the shooters arrived.

The chaos and carnage lasted only eight minutes before the killers were taken down. But for those who lived through it, the effects would last forever. In the years that followed, one would dedicate himself to a law enforcement career. Another would close herself off, trying to bury the memory of huddling in a ladies' room, hopelessly clutching her cell phone--until she finally found a way to pour her emotions into her art.

But one person wasn't satisfied with the shockingly high death toll at the DownEast Mall. And as the survivors slowly heal, find shelter, and rebuild, they will discover that another conspirator is lying in wait--and this time, there might be nowhere safe to hide.

***I received an advanced reader copy of this book before it was released.***

I must say that when Nora Roberts' crew released the first chapter of this book before I received the ARC – I wanted to read it. BAD!!!

I knew this book would focus on a touchy and tough topic (mass shootings) so I wanted to see how she dealt with it. 

I was blown away! 

This book was sooooo good!!!  I don’t know anyone who has the ability so eloquently tackle a topic the way Nora Roberts does. 

So about the book…Simone Knox’s two best friend’s drag her out of the house two attend a movie to help her deal with a breakup. Halfway through her favorite soda she needs to use the restroom – a decision that ultimately saves her life. While she’s in the restroom – a gunman enters the movie theater and begins shooting. At the same time, Reed Quartermaine is working at a restaurant in the mall and takes his break hoping to score a date with a young lady who works in a kiosk in the mall. His decision ultimately saves his life because the mass shooter – has friends.TWO OF THEM! Both Simone and Reid are able to “shelter in place” and come out of the mall alive – but forever damaged by the events that happen to them. But if you think this story is over – you’re so so wrong!!! 

Roberts has a very good grasp of the romantic suspense so if you’re a NR fan or a romantic suspense fan and feel you can get through reading about a sensitive topic – then this novel is for you.  

Very well written!!! The first few chapters will leave you gasping...

The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz

Tiffany Reisz will take you places in her stories that you were never prepared to go. I learned this while reading her Original Sinners series on the recommendation of a friend. I guess I should have learned my lesson but I didn’t and I in truth it really doesn’t matter anyway because whatever Ms. Reisz decides to put on paper I’m going to read it no matter what. She’s just that great a storyteller.

The Bourbon Thief begins in The Rickhouse Bar owned by Cooper McQueen. When Paris walks in his bar he is immediately smitten…or wants to take her to bed. He’s completely thrown off when not only does she not hesitate but tells him, “I could own you by morning!” I think from that moment in the book I was hooked. But Paris has an ulterior motive for not only walking in Cooper’s bar, she has a real reason for wanting in his house. The last known bottle of Red Thread bourbon. After Paris steals the beer, she is caught but instead of immediately calling the police, Cooper allows him to tell her the real history behind Red Thread and what follows is an interwoven tale of deception, revenge, and the sins of a family willing to do anything to keep their bloodline going.

The story of Tamara Maddox and Levi Shelby is not for the weak and timid reader, but the way Ms. Reisz weaves this story together will have you wondering what the heck did you just read? I enjoyed it thoroughly getting lost in the past, the story of the bourbon and a relationship that’ll make you question everything you know about true love.

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A few of my favorite lines from the book...

“And bourbons like the truth, you know.”
“How’s that?”
“The first taste burns, but once you get used to it, it’s the only thing you want in your mouth.”

Thinking About Plagiarizing? Dont!

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty

When you hear the word "cheating" what scenarios come to your mind?

• Copying off of someone's test.  
• Copying your friends homework because you forgot to do your own. 

These two things are important, but they are only a small part of plagiarism and academic dishonesty. 

As a student it is your obligation to get an education...an honest education. That means, doing your own work, studying for tests, researching and writing your own papers. 

There are many consequences to "cheating" or "plagiarism." 

But the riskiest consequence, is people's ability to trust you as a person. 

Don't let that happen. Make the effort to be a good student. People who engage in academic dishonesty deprive themselves of a good education. 

The Legal and Ethical Debate of Copyright Law

Inspiration VS Appropriation

Inspiration - something that influences, propels, or inspires you to create something new.

Appropriation - to use someone else’s creative work to make something new, often without their permission. 

There is a debate in the music industry today about sampling and remixing. Some people think it is fair use, while others believe it violates copyright law. People in the music industry have various perspectives on this issue.

Inspiration is when you...

• Write a story in a style that resembles another story you've read, but is something different (Remember all the vampire books that came out after Twilight Series!!) 

Appropriation is when you..

• Use the melody or the base of a song you like to create another song.

For example: 

It's OKAY to be inspired by someone else's creative work to create something of your own but when you copy and paste, or use an entire song as the backdrop for something you created...you are violating copyright law. 

Reference:

Rights, Remixes and and Respect

Common Sense Education

Evaluating Websites

Well...it's that time of year again in my building when students are getting ready for semester exams and are being asked to complete RESEARCH. Last year I worked with a couple of my ENGLISH teachers showing their students how to "evaluate" websites for credible information. One of those teachers has asked me to do this again. Last year her students were researching someone they thought was a "Hero." This year they are doing "Greek Mythology." 

I pulled out my trusty Website Evaluation Form and the PowerPoint presentation and decided to "tweak" them both. 

I decided to create a Prezi (first time) this year instead of using the Powerpoint and made it a little bit shorter. I also created "two" Website Evaluation Forms because a few of her classes needed modifications. 

I'll be presenting with my iPad (first time using my 30-pin to VGA Adapter) and the students will also be using iPads to evaluate two websites chosen by the teacher (one good/one bad). 

At the end of the day, I'll post my reflections from the lesson and let you know what worked and didn't work. 

Reflection and What I Learned...

• Know the Student's You are Working With.
• What I mean by this is their reading and comprehension level. The first three classes I worked with needed a shorter version of the Website Evaluation Form. The form I used with them, after talking with the English teacher, I modified it. Instead of having 19 questions to determine if a website was a credible resource, I reduced it down to 8. This really helped those students feel successful. Also, after I worked with the first class, I realized I needed to guide the students through the first website, asking each question on the form and giving the students a few minutes to search for the answer. This helped a lot. 

• Set Time Limits
• It was also helpful to "time" them. Because we only had a limited period of time, they needed a deadline or they would begin discussing other things or get wrapped up in the "research" part of learning about Greek mythology which the teacher didn't want them to really do until the next day. This activity was strictly about finding credible sources. 

• Know The Limits of Your Technology
• My original plan was to have the students complete an "Exit Ticket" about what they learned by clicking on a QR code that would lead them directly to this blog and they would answer the question in the comments. However, because this blog is connected to my "work" Google email account, it required a Google sign in before you could comment. And actually, that's fine because our students DO have school issued Google emails, but, after the first class I ran into students who "forgot" their password. So, instead of having the students use the QR Code, I had them access the "Notes" app on the iPads they were using and answer the question. After, I realized I could "print" their note to a printer in my Media Center because it was connected to the network. Worked like a charm! I was able to print each note, then delete it off the iPad. 

• Easy Access To Pre-Selected Websites To Evaluate
• The teacher pre-selected two websites (one good/one bad) for the students to determine if it was a credible source. I also recommend this for whatever you  will have your students research. If you just send them out there to the WWW who knows what they'll pull up. But, if you give them at least 2 pre-selected websites it'll make it so much easier for this activity. One of the things I knew would be an issue was typing in the correct URL. So, I created QR codes for each website. So, all the students had to do was scan the QR code and answer the questions. It made the whole process very simple. 

• Student Exit Ticket Comments
• "I learned that you have to be very specific about what kind of website you use. Certain websites can give you the wrong information when you're looking information up. I have to be very careful." Sydney J. 
• "Today I learned that not all sites for research are reliable. Some creators of the websites are extremely biased and not accurate." Derrick J. 
• "I learned not to use websites that doesn't give you enough information about what you're looking for." Taishi W. 
• "What I learned today is to always look for the authors info when evaluating a website." Austin H. 
• "You can find real and fake stuff when you evaluate websites." Maria G. 
• "This was a good learning experience because I have trusted Answers.com and now I'm totally like, no." Nina R. 
• "I learned how to check a website to make sure it's relevant." Cedrick C. 
• "I learned specific details about figuring out how to get on a reliable website for new information." Cherlissa M.
• "What I learned today is to always check the website I browse on to see if the information is up to date and relevant." Ivory C. 
• "Some websites may not have correct information to help with certain projects or school work. Always look for the author and credible sources." Timothy J.