My Favorite Books

I'll admit I don't read quite as many books as I should, but I still read some...and these are my favorites over the past few years.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

You've probably heard of this one, and a movie adaptation is coming out this year. TFIOS tells the story of two teenage cancer patients, Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters and their relationship. Much to my luck, I've never had cancer, but if you've had any sort of experience with chronic illness or depression, you'll be able to relate to Hazel. It's a fantastic read, it's won countless awards, and it's been a best seller. I have copies of all of John Green's books, and they're all wonderful, but I didn't want to make this a John Green post~

Miki Falls by Mark Crilley

The way I arranged this list, it alternates from novel, manga, novel, manga and so on. So! Miki Falls is a four volume manga series by Mark Crilley. I've loved Mark Crilley since before I could read, when my father introduced me to Akiko, his other biggest work, but Miki Falls is a really great story about Miki and her relationship with a mysterious boy named Hiro, but that's not even the half of the story~

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

James Patterson is one of my father's favorite authors, and he writes books that can be read really fast. Maximum Ride is a (technically) 8-novel series about a group of young people with avian DNA and capabilities that live together as a family. It's a really fantastic series, and a manga adaptation has been coming out too, which I love.

Alice In The Country Of Hearts by Quin Rose

Alice in the Country of Hearts originated as a japanese visual novel, and was later turned into two manga series', this being the first. It's a newer take on Alice in Wonderland in which Alice has a bit of a harem. It's not fantastic literature but it's pretty cute and the designs are really nice.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

You might have heard of this one too. Uglies is the first in a four part series about a society in which you get a major surgery upon turning sixteen, that changes your entire appearance and makes you beautiful by this society's standards. This is the story of Tally Youngblood's months leading up to her birthday and surgery. (I haven't gotten to read the next books in the series yet though, I really hope I get to soon! >: )

Avril Lavigne's Make Five Wishes by Joshua Dysart and Camilla D'Errico

This is sort of what you might call an "ameri-manga". And it doesn't have as much to do with Avril Lavigne as you might think. This two part series is actually really heavy. It's the story of Hanna, who, lonely and depressed spends all her time impersonating others in chat rooms, sort of creating alter egos for herself. In time, she finds a way out of five of her biggest problems, but things don't quite work out. (Major warning! Nothing in the other books is too awful as a big surprise but if you're triggered easily, please please be careful about this book! There's major depression and suicides even very early on, so please be aware. ♥)

And those are my top six favorite novels and manga series'. I hope you enjoyed it! See you next time! ♥

Documentaries to Watch!

I've compiled a list of documentaries I liked based on their subject matter. All of these movies are available on netflix instant. ♥

Hungry For Change "Hungry for Change exposes shocking secrets the diet, weight loss and food industries don't want you to know about deceptive strategies designed to keep you coming back for more. Find out what's keeping you from having the body and health you deserve." This movie affected me more than probably any I've ever seen. It's a really fantastic place to start if you want to educate yourself on why processed foods are so detrimental to your health.

Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead "100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids, and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health.  He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days." This one is only around 90 minutes, and Joe Cross is featured in Hungry for Change but this is a good watch if you're only interested in juicing.

Food, Inc. "The current method of raw food production is largely a response to the growth of the fast food industry since the 1950s. The production of food overall has more drastically changed since that time than the several thousand years prior. Health and safety (of the food itself, of the animals produced themselves, of the workers on the assembly lines, and of the consumers actually eating the food) are often overlooked by the companies, and are often overlooked by government. The global food supply may be in crisis with lack of biodiversity, but can be changed on the demand side of the equation." This is a really popular one and also only 90 minutes. ♥

Blackfish "Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity." In my opinion this movie is a must-see and if you don't think badly of seaworld, you should definitely watch it.

The Cove "Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health."

Vanishing of the Bees "This documentary takes a piercing investigative look at the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee. The film examines our current agricultural landscape and celebrates the ancient and sacred connection between man and the honeybee. The bees have a message - but will we listen?" And, it's narrated by Ellen Page. ♥

Miss Representation "Explores the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, and challenges the media's limited portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman." This is seriously a must-see no matter who you are.

It's A Girl "Every year in India and China, millions of babies are killed, neglected or abandoned simply because they are girls." This one is really heavy but it's only 60 minutes. A lot of it has subtitles, but it's good to watch if you want to be educated on what goes on in the rest of the world~

Whores' Glory "An examination of the lives, needs, troubles and hopes of prostitutes in Thailand, Bangladesh and Mexico." This comes in at 110 minutes, but once again is really good for educating yourself on troubles outside of America.