banned books week

This week is Banned Books Week where organizations like The American Library Association tries to put the spotlight on censorship and the ridiculousness that happens in our public & school libraries and classrooms across the United States.

This year I went through the lists of challenged and banned books to see how many of these I have read.  I learned a couple of things.

1. People are waaaaay too sensitive.
2. Censorship is alive and well in the good ol' US of A.
3. There are just too many books on that list!

Some books on the list just confused me.  Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, for one.  A girl who sues her parents because she doesn't want to be a donor for her cancer stricken older sister anymore.  And it broke my heart to see Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic on there too.  Books like The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson should be required reading for teens, but instead they're being challenged or banned.  So sad.

Well, you all know how I love my lists so here's my list of books I've read that have been challenged or banned.  I got the list of books from ALA's website.  There's more, but I stopped at 95.  It was out of control.

1. Beauty's Release by A. N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
2. Beauty's Punishment by A. N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
3. The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by A. N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
4. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
5. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
6. Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares
7. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
8. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
9. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
10. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
11. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
12. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
13. Dracula by Bram Stoker
14. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
15. Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
16. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
17. Fight Club by Chuck Palaniuk
18. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
19. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
20. Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
21. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
22. The Immortal Realm by Frewin Jones
23. The Sorcerer King by Frewin Jones
24. Blood Memory by Greg Isles
25. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
26. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
27. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
28. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
29. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
30. Cradle & All by James Patterson
31. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
32. Bone by Jeff Smith
33. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
34. Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
35. Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
36. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
37. Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
38. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
39. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
40. The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
41. Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil by John Berendt
42. Looking for Alaska by John Green
43. A Time to Kill by John Grisham
44. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
45. Red Pony by John Steinbeck
46. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
47. Forever by Judy Blume
48. Blubber by Judy Blume
49. Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
50. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
51. Betrayed by PC & Kristin Cast
52. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
53. The Giver by Lois Lowry
54. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
55. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
56. Sex by Madonna
57. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
58. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
59. Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
60. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
61. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
62. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
63. The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
64. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
65. Story of O by Pauline Reage
66. The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
67. James & the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
68. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
69. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
70. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
71. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
72. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
73. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
74. Cujo by Stephen King
75. Carrie by Stephen King
76. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
77. Christine by Stephen King
78. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
79. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
80. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
81. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
82. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
83. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
84. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
85. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
86. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
87. Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
88. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
89. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
90. Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews
91. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
92. Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov
93. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
94. Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
95. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

That's my list.  I guess the good thing about all these banned books is that it gives me a great tbr list for next year ;) 

chibi vampire

chibi vampire, vol. 1

chibi vampire, vol. 2

chibi vampire, vol. 3
chibi vampire, vol. 4
chibi vampire, vol. 5
chibi vampire, vol. 6
chibi vampire, vol. 7
chibi vampire, vol. 8

yuna kagesaki

graphic/manga/supernatural/romance/comedy

tokyopop

published 2006 - 2008

Karin is a cute little girl who also happens to be a vampire...with a twist.  Once a month, she experiences intense bleeding from her nose - we're talking gushers!  In other words, she's a vamp with blood to spare, so rather than stealing blood from humans, she actually gives her blood to them.  If done right, this can be an extremely positive experience that benefits the 'victim' as much as the vamp.  The problem is that Karin never seems to do things right!

These are super cute and fun to read.  Karin is a klutz and pretty much hilarious.  I love Anju's creepiness and her dolls are definitely up there in the scary factor.  I didn't expect the interesting side stories going on while Karin is still trying to figure out how to seal with Kenta so those are an added bonus.

I'm looking forward to delving into the rest of the series!

love hina

love hina, vol. 1

love hina, vol. 2

love hina, vol. 3

ken akamatsu

graphics/manga/comedy

kodansha comics

published 2002

When he was a child, Keitaro made a promise to the one and only girl who ever liked him.  When they both grew up, they'd go to Todai together and live happily ever after.  Now, at age 19, Keitaro has applied to Todai...and failed...twice.  After being kicked out of his house by his parents, Keitaro seeks refuge at his grandmother's Hinata Inn.  Unfortunately, the inn has been converted to an all-girls dorm and Keitaro must pass a test far greater than the Todai entrance exam.  He must convince the girls he is worthy of staying at Hinata Inn!

Oh poor Keitaro!  He just can't get cut a break.  Crazy stuff happens to him all the time and it's not his fault, but he always gets blamed for it!  And despite working so hard he just can't seem to do better on his exams.

The characters are outrageous and funny.  Each one different than each other and each one seems to have their own huge personality that doesn't quite get enough time.  Keitaro is silly and endearing.  You root for him even though you know he's probably not going to make it, but maybe...just maybe he'll surprise you!

hot gimmick

hot gimmick, vol. 1

hot gimmick, vol. 2

hot gimmick, vol. 3

miki aihara

viz media

published 2003-2004

The story revolves around Hatsumi Narita, a passive sixteen-year old girl who lives in a company housing complex that is ruled by the tyrannical Mrs. Tachibana, the wife of the company's vice president.  How a family behaves in the housing complex can affect an employee's status in the company.  When her promiscuous younger sister, Akane thinks she might be pregnant, Hatsumi gets talked into buying her a pregnancy test.  Unfortunately, things don't go exactly as planned and Hatsumi is blackmailed by Ryoki Tachibana, the arrogant teenage son of the powerful Tachibana family who bullied her as a kid, into being his slave.

I can't believe that this is what shojo is!  It's way creepy.  I hope teenage girls aren't reading this and thinking this is how relationships should be.

First the slave thing is just gross.  He's basically molesting her whenever he gets the chance and the only reason why he hasn't raped her yet is because he gets interrupted.  I kept reading though the first three books hoping that this was just some joke and it would get better, but it doesn't.  It's just disturbing and kind of sick.

The art is good, but the two main male characters look so much alike I keep getting them confused!

bunny drop, vol. 8

bunny drop, vol. 8

yumi unita

graphic/manga/romance/drama

yen press

published 2010

Reconnecting with her biological mother and her new family has put Rin at peace with her unfortunate beginnings.  Now, becoming a big sister is cause for happiness for the levelheaded young woman.  But despite this closure, all is not roses.  The world around her seems obsessed with romance - Kouki still vies for Rin's affection, Reina jumps between relationships, a classmate shows his interest in Rin herself.  Yet for Rin, love isn't turning out quite the way it's supposed to.  Trapped between her head and her heart, will Rin be able to sort out her feelings before someone else pick up on them to a disastrous effect?

Rin has finally met her mother and now has a baby sister.  She no longer feels so unattached to the world, I think.  But the rest of it....I'm not sure if I like where this is going, yet at the same time I can kind of understand it

I definitely don't want Rin and Kouki together.  That doesn't make sense to me at all and I'm sad that Kouki's mother has moved on.  I wish that the story would focus some on Daikichi like it did in earlier books so we can see what he's been up to.  While the teenage angst stuff is interesting I did like how we were inside Daikichi's head before too.

the promise, part 2

the promise, part 2

avatar: the last airbender

gene luen yang, gurihiru & michael heisler

graphic/supernatural/ya

dark horse

published 2012

Aang and Katara work tirelessly to prevent a dispute between Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei that could plunge the world back into war!  Meanwhile, Sokka helps Toph prepare her hapless first class of metalbending students to defend their school against a rival class of firebenders!

Avatar is definitely one of the shows that I miss the most.  We have Korra now, but it's not quite the same.  I really love Aang, Katara, Sokka & Toph.  Gene Luen Yang gets all of their voices so right here so it's like watching the show continue on.  

Sokka and Toph are hilarious and I'm still a little creeped out by Katara and Aang calling each other 'sweetie' so much.  I'm worried about Zuko - he always was the weak one of the bunch.  I have one more to go to conclude this series and then we move onto The Search.  I hope these keep going as long as Yang writes them!

brody's ghost, vol. 3

brody's ghost, vol. 3

mark crilley

graphic/mystery/supernatural

dark horse comics

published 2012

All Brody wanted was to slack off, make some quick cash, and get back together with his ex-girlfriend.  But Talia - a teenage ghost - has other plans: she thinks Brody's just the guy to help her earn her way into the afterlife by catching the Penny Murderer, a serial killer who's targeting a series of young women.

Under the instruction of ghost samurai Kagemura, Brody has toughened his body and honed his supernatural senses.  But Brody gets more than he bargained for when his extrasensory visions hurl him straight into the twisted, murderous mind of the perpetrator himself.

Mark Crilley is just one of my favorite artists to publish.  Not only does he draw incredibly engaging panels, but he writes a compelling story to go along with it.  It felt like not much was happening until we get to the pennies and the extra file.  Whaaaaaat?  Where's volume 4?!?!  I must read it now!!

the lost stories from the secrets of nicholas flamel

the death of joan of arc

billy the kid & the vampyres of vegas

lost stories from the secrets of nicholas flamel

michael scott

ya/historical

delecorte books for young readers

published 2010 & 2011

Joan of Arc was not burned at the stake in Rouen, France in 1431.  She was rescued from certain death by Scathach the Warrior.

The truth of that day is revealed in the last will and testament of William of York.

This is a short story telling the rescue of Joan of Arc by Scathach.  If you've read the books than you'll be familiar with the rescue, but Scott hasn't gone into detail until this short story.  While it was a good addition to the series it was kind of disappointing that it was told from an observer's point of view instead of Joan or Scatty's.  It would have been interesting to know what was going through Joan's mind during that time.  The story is super short, only about 17 pages, but t  chock full of action!

Billy the Kid is immortal.  And being immortal means following unpredictable paths.  Here is the tale of how Billy the Kid and Scathach meet for the first time and join forces against the unseen, deadly and eternally hungry vampyres who control the city of Las Vegas - where Scathach must face her greatest fear.

This short story had a bit more meat to it and even though it's Billy's name in the title, the story is really Scathach's.  In the second to last book in the series (or maybe the 3rd to last!) we find out that Aoife & Scathach had a falling out that revolved around a man they both loved.  Here we get a bit more history about that betrayal.

I liked this one.  Scatty & Billy are two of my favorite characters from the series so extra time is a good time!

let me go

let me go

gretchen lowell series #6

chelsea cain

suspense/thriller

st. martin's press

published 2013

Detective Archie Sheridan is about to receive a birthday present from the last person he ever wants to see again: Gretchen Lowell.  The investigation into Jack Reynolds's drug enterprise is heating up and has Archie heading off to attend a masked Halloween party on Jack Reynolds's island, where Susan is a reluctant guest.  But the next morning one of the guests is found murdered, and Archie quickly realizes that nothing is what it seems.  Only one thing is clear: Gretchen is back, and she's been closer than anyone thinks.  On Halloween Eve, with time running out, Archie will have to risk everything, and choose wisely whom to trust, if he and his loved ones are going to live through the night.

I love how freaking bad ass Susan has become.  How grown up and amazingly tough she is now without losing her humor or vulnerability.  And Archie, well Archie....it's simply amazing that he has survived as long as he has.  It is unbelievable that his body can take so much trauma and still be here.  Of course, it is the true earmark of fiction.  It's crazy and heart-pounding.  It doesn't matter how vicious or evil she gets, I always find myself rooting for Gretchen.  Thinking it about it this time I realized that's probably why I love Alice on Luther so much.  She is how I picture Gretchen even though they're not described physically similar at all!

We've delved deeper into the world that has already been laid out before us before, but not really examined this way.  Most of our time is spent on the island where Jack, Leo's father and the father of one of the Beauty Killer's victims lives and conducts the business that Leo is trying to bring down.  A glamorous party brings all the player to the island and Archie finds himself in quite over his head.

Gretchen is still out there, in the shadows, but she won't stay hidden for much longer.

pretty little liars

pretty little liars

pretty little liars #1

sara shepard

mystery/ya

harpercollins

published 2006

Three years ago, Alison disappeared after a slumber party, not to be seen since.  Her friends at the elite Pennsylvania school mourned her, but they also breathed secret sighs of relief.  Each of them guarded a secret that only Alison had known.  Now they have other dirty little secrets, secrets that could sink them in their gossip-hungry world.  When each of them begins receiving anonymous emails and text messages, panic sets in.  Are they being betrayed by some one in their circle?  Worse yet: Is Alison back?

This is one of those series that I've thought about reading often, but something else grabs my attention and it gets put on the back burner.  I finally decided to start these and try to get through the whole series before the end of the year.  Maybe a little too ambitious...

It definitely grabs you right away.  Secrets and lies and mystery.  It reminded me a bit of Gossip Girl.  The spoiled kids, the mysterious person who seems to know everything they shouldn't.  There's absolutely no way you can read this book and be done with it.  There's even more questions at the end of Pretty Little Liars than there were at the beginning, but for once it's doesn't bug me it just makes me want to start on Flawless right away!

the enchantress

the enchantress

the secrets of the immortal nicholas flamel #6

michael scott

ya/fantasy/historical fiction

ember

published 2012

The two that are one must become the one that is all.  One to save the world, one to destroy it.

San Francisco:

Nicholas & Perenelle Flamel have one day left to live and one job left to do.  They must defend San Francisco.  The monsters gathered on Alcatraz Island have been released and are heading toward the city.  If they are not stopped they will destroy everyone and everything in their path.

But every with the help of two of the greatest warriors from history and myth, will the Sorceress and the legendary Alchemyst be able to defend they city?  Or is it the beginning of the end of the human race?

Danu Talis:

Sophie and Josh Newman traveled ten thousand years into the past to Danu Talis when they followed Dr. John Dee and Virginia Dare.  And it' on this legendary island that the battle for the world begins and ends.

Scathach, Prometheus, Palamedes, Shakespeare, Saint-Germain and Joan of Arc are also on the island.  And no one is sure what - or who - the twins will be fighting for.

Today the battle for Danu Talis will be won or lost.

But will the twins of legend stand together?

Or will they stand apart -

one to save the world and one to destroy it?

Even that synopsis above was annoying.

Well, I'm not very happy with this whole series.  It started out promising, but then went downhill pretty quickly until we got to this final installment.  Like the book before this there were just too many characters, too many things happening all at once and that made it so difficult to keep track of what was going on.

***SPOILERS***



There was so much death and not enough conclusion.  Are we just to believe that time keeps running around in this circle, the events just destined to repeat themselves again and again?  I knew who Marethyu was, there could really only be one person so that revelation wasn't very exciting.  What I really wanted to know was what happened to Aoife?  Obviously, she's saved because of the last two lame sentences in the book, but that must've been quite an adventure.

I don't know.  I just don't like books where the end is the same as the beginning.  What was the point of that?!

holding the dream

holding the dream

dream trilogy #2

nora roberts

romance

jove

published 1997

Surrounded by the sweeping cliffs and beauty of Big Sur, Kate Powell treasured her life at Templeton House...and the family who raised her like one of their own.  Although Kate lacked Margo's beauty and Laura's elegance, she knew she had something they would never possess - a shrewd head for business.  Driven by ambition, Kate measured her life's success with each soaring promotion.  But now faced with professional impropriety, Kate is forced to look deep within herself - only to find something missing in her life...and in her heart.

There's just something delightful about a simple romance novel.  Not one of the bodice ripping, period novels that my mom loves and likes to call her 'smut' books, but just a book with a bunch of romance and a fun story to follow along.  I don't have to analyze anything or wonder who the killer is.  I just get to read and enjoy.

I also like these trilogies of Roberts's because there is the cast of strong, but flawed females who hold each other up and encourage each other along.  The trilogies are great because you get to stay with all the characters for a bit longer without going on over decades with a never ending series.

Kate is the bristly one of the trio.  Always with a smart remark and a scathing glace.  You know she has emotions, but she doesn't really show anything but impatience.  We find her here, slightly vulnerable and wounded as Margo found herself in Daring to Dream.

A light, predictable read for the most part, however there is some mystery setting up the next story so it's not completely vanilla.

divine evil

divine evil

nora roberts

suspense/thriller/romance

bantam

published 1992

A decade ago, sculptor Clare Kimball fled Emmitsboro, Maryland, to take the art world by storm.  Now she's celebrated as the artist of her generation.  But no amount of success can eclipse the nightmares that haunt her - or the memories of her father's suicide.  Just as her star is shining brighter than ever, Clare leaves it all behind to face her demons.

Emmitsboro sheriff Cameron Rafferty loved Clare from afar all through high school.  Now that she's back, they form a bond that grows stronger each day - fueled by an attraction that's been simmering for years.  But Clare's past soon rises up with a vengeance, rocking the town with a sinister murder that is clearly linked to her return.  As an investigation gets under way, Clare and Cameron will learn that evil can linger anywhere...even in those you love and trust the most.  But it's a discovery that may come too late to save them.

I go back and forth with this book.  The last part really took away from the ending I wanted and should have gotten.  Min Atherton bugged me but there were other characters who were so promising, but kind of relegated to the background - like Alice.  Loved her!

But I did like the book.  There was romance, suspense, mystery & the creep factor.  It's funny how things have changed over the decades though!  I remember reading this back in the 90s and liking it, but reading it this time I just found it funny how many chain smokers there were!  I can't think of any current books where the main characters smoke anymore.

sacred sins

sacred sins

nora roberts

suspense/thriller/romance

bantam

published 1987

In the last lazy days of summer, the merciless two-week heat wave is the biggest story in Washington, D. C. But the weather is finally knocked off the front pages when a young woman is found strangled to death - a priest's white silk amice pulled taut around her throat.  Pinned near the scarf is a note that simple reads 'her sins are forgiven her'.  It is a chilling crime, made even more terrifying when it is followed by a second murder...and then a third.  Suddenly, every headline is devoted to the killer the press has dubbed "the Priest."

The slayings have piqued the interest of Dr. Tess Court, a top-notch psychiatrist dedicated to treating the problems of the human mind.

And when the police make little headway in solving the crimes, Tess is reluctantly thrust into the very heart of the investigation.  Called in to create a detailed psychological profile of the murderer, she comes up with a disturbing and frightening portrait of a twisted soul who believes his is not murdering - but ministering.

I don't remember the first time I read this book, but it had to have been at least 15 years ago.  I don't remember not ever liking a Nora Roberts book from back in the day, but this time, this book, I'm not a big fan.

Mostly, it has to do with Ben Paris.  How Tess falls in love with this man is beyond me.  He is nothing but horribly rude to her for most of the book, even after sleeping with her.  But at the same time her 'he has an illness' take on the killer started to get on my nerves too.

For once, the story just made no sense to me.  Or rather, the love story aspect.  It wasn't about opposites attracting it was just that besides being a dedicated police officer what exactly were Ben Paris's redeeming qualities?  The killings started to get a little tired and I was actually more invested in the side story of Tess's patient Joey than the main plot.  

For my second time around I have to say this is a two-star read for me.  I just couldn't get into the characters or the story and then the conclusion, which did take me a bit by surprise was just kind of wrapped up way too quickly.  But hey, with a bazillion books under her belt not liking one isn't bumming me out any!

september photo challenge

I'm still taking pictures!!  Here's my next five days:

September 6 - Getting Ready

Emma's getting ready to make gyoza for the first time.

September 7 - White

Dim Sum for my Auntie's birthday

September 8 - I Made This

We went Girl Scout camping this summer and when I was a GS we always had 'sit-upons' for keeping out butts (somewhat) warm & dry.  Emma and I made some for us before we took off with some duct tape and newspaper.  I was pretty proud of how they turned out, especially since I am not crafty!

September 9 - On The Wall

Artwork by Emma (the penguin was when she was about 4) and a super cool comic book (Batman, of course) purse that my super crafty friend made for me.  These hang out by my desk.

September 10 - Sweet

I help out in Emma's class and when I was done stuffing homework folders Emma's class was out at computer lab.  So before I left I put a sticky note on her desk that said 'Have a good day!  I love you!  xoxo'.  When I asked her after school if she got my note and she said 'Yes, it was so embarrassing!  Everyone was laughing at me because of the xo's!'  So I told her I wouldn't do that anymore and sighed a big sigh.  The following Monday I went in to do homework folders again and when I put everything away I saw that she left me a note on her desk.  It said 'I love you Mommy!  You can do these notes again xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox'  She's such a sweet girl!

I didn't do much editing or try for some ambitious photos this set.  Most of the pictures I just edited the exposure some if they needed it, but that's about it.  For the 'Getting Ready' picture I did use a filter - Orton I think...

let's try this again

Back in July I thought I would do Fat Mum Slim's Photo a Day Challenge.  I got about halfway through and then I just completely forgot about it.  *sigh*  This time, I've added reminders on my calendar with the day's prompt to help me remember so we'll see how that works out.  Though I am feeling this more this month.  I'm getting back into using my camera and also seeing what I can do with my phone.  I also found another free editing site that's really similar to picnik for people like me who are too lazy to learn Photoshop right now.  If you're like me, check out PicMonkey.

So here's this month's prompts:

For some reason the pic I'm getting for that is coming out all crappy, but it's the best I can do!

I'm going to try to do this in fives so I've got an even number for each post.  See how I start out so organized and eager??

September 1 - Together

Got the cousins to take a picture together on Labor Day.  I think I snapped about 30 pictures and this was the only one where they were all pretty much smiling and Olivia wasn't trying to run away.  Didn't do any editing here though it could probably use some.

September 2 - My Name Begins With

'K' is for Kari & 'K' is for Kindle.  This one was edited in Instagram.  Kelvin filter with the focal shift dot on 'kindle'.

September 3 - Lines

I edited the heck out of this one.  Using PicMonkey I applied some kind of filter I can't remember and did an overlay of light lines.  It did take awhile to take the actual picture.  I set up the tripod and played around with the vertical blinds in the kitchen.  Turned off all the lights inside so it was just lit from the outside bright ass streetlight.

September 4 - Alone

Olivia waiting for Emma to get home from school.  All alone with her cute little toes!  Changed to black and white in PicMonkey.

September 5 - Forever

I took this one with Instagram and used the Brannan filter.

 Five days down, twenty-five to go!