In Which I Discuss What I've Been Reading

You might know that reading is just about my favorite thing to do in the world. Right up there with breathing and talking and stuff. I love it; I'm fueled by books.

Every day at school I go to the library. While most of the seventh grade spends the time to study, take pictures with their friends, or play on their computers, I search the shelves for books. I'm having a hard time finding books that are keeping me interested, though.

Right now I've been working on the Betsy-Tacy books, written by Maud Hart Lovelace.

I first read about them in the book Home for the Holidays, part of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series. I found this series a few years ago, and I love it.

I made no endeavor to read the books. But a few weeks ago my mom ordered the first few books for me.

I loved them. I finished them quickly and went looking for the rest of the series. (Side note: I went to Barnes & Noble looking for these books. Supposedly, they are classic books. But apparently, the woman working at the counter at Barnes & Noble is just doing the job for the money, because she had never heard of them. And that's why I prefer Borders, or even Amazon.) There are ten of them in all: Besty-Tacy, Betsy-Tacy and Tib, Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill, Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown, Heaven To Betsy, Betsy In Spite of Herself, Betsy Was A Junior, Betsy and Joe, Betsy and the Great World, and Betsy's Wedding.

And yes, the main character's name is Betsy, if that wasn't clear.

Betsy, Tacy, and Tib

The stories are based off of the childhood of the author. It takes place around the 1900's. The stories are based in Deep Valley, Minnesota, which is based off of the author's hometown of Mankato, Minnesota. The first book starts when Betsy Ray is five years old, and a new girl has just moved in across the street. At Betsy's fifth birthday party, they meet and immediately become inseparable best friends. That girl is Tacy Kelly, based off of the author's real-life best friend. Later they meet Tib Muller, and expand their group of friends.

Betsy and Tacy

In Heaven To Betsy the girls are starting high school. Tib has moved away and they are all nervous. They quickly become acclimated, and make a group of friends that they call "the Crowd." The Crowd has way more fun than I know I will in high school, because they almost never had any homework. They have lots of fun and adventures. They go to many parties and don't have a care in the world. I'm blaming this book for any unrealistic expectations that I have about high school. I just finished Betsy and Joe, in which Betsy and her friends graduate high school.

If you're still reading at this point I have a surprise for you, but you have to read until the very end to get it.

I have yet to get Betsy and the Great World, but I'm sure it will be a great book.

What I found so amazing about these books is that more than 100 years after they take place, the problems they face are still issues every teenage girl worries about. "What dress should I wear?" "How should I do my hair?" "Who should I go to the dance with?" I think that it has that extra-realistic element because it is based directly off of Maud Hart Lovelace's childhood. She took some of the events directly from her diaries.

You may be asking yourself, "Should I read this?"
You should if you answer yes to any of the following.
I am a girl.
I like to read.
I like historical books.
I like teenage books.
I don't like the Hunger Games.

And even if you didn't answer yes to those, you still might want to try these books.
They're really good.

And, in regards to this amazing reward I promised, I'm afraid you're out of luck. Some guy just came and took all of the rewards I had. Oh well.

And If you still care about what I've been doing, you can keep reading. Golly, I have a lot to say when I should be practicing my Torah portion.

Yesterday I went to my choir's Holiday Concert. I've been singing in the choir for five or six years now, and I have never seen a full concert. I'm taking this semester off to spend more time on my Bat Mitzvah, so I went to go see the concert. It was lovely, but I was too emotional to focus.

I saw my friends singing in the group more advanced than mine. I saw a boy who sung soprano until last year singing with the men instead of the girls. It was weird for me to see all these people I know, all these friends of mine, all scattered all over the choir. I felt bad, because some of these people I may never see again. But when everyone advances at their own rate, people are pretty "easy come, easy go."
I sure am doing a lot of ranting. Thank you to anyone who is loyal enough to read to the end of this exceedingly long post. You are awesome.

And now, dearest Internet, I leave you with a few choice words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you.

If you can tell me where that quote is from, you win the awesome prize.

But seriously.

Goodnight, Internet.