My Friend Anne Frank by Hannah Pick-Goslar

Hello my lovely readers!

It took me a LONG time to finish this book (again, blame the pregnancy), but I finished it a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Fun fact: I'm a HUGE Anne Frank fan. Weird, I know, but I discovered her in 2001 when I was 12. 

Anne Frank: The Whole Story aired on ABC over two nights and 12-year-old Naomi was shook! I related to Anne in feeling that no one truly understood me and that I always wore a façade with my friends and family. As a diarist myself, starting when I was 6-years-old, my diary was and still is the only place I can let my freak flag fly freely without judgement.

The house that I lived in at the time, had a huge attic that had a spiral staircase and twin bed (I dragged it up there) where I practically lived in eighth grade year. I was the Black Anne Frank as far as I was concerned.

I say all that to say, that after watching the movie and reading The Diary of a Young Girl,  I became obsessed and bought all books related to Anne Frank and became slightly obsessed with the Holocaust. Needless to say, I know all the players in her story and have read all the books about her and the people within her circle. When I found out her friend Hannah Pick-Goslar was writing her official memoir on her life, the Holocaust and Anne Frank, I was stoked. Let's get into it!

The Raptures by Jan Carson

 

Hello my lovely readers!

I bought this book when I was in Ireland last year and I started reading in July. It took me a YEAR to finish it. I blame the pregnancy!

BACKGROUND

 Before we get into the review, here are a few pictures from Ireland! This was my first time returning to Ireland in 13 YEARS. I had first visited in 2010 for three weeks as part of a study abroad program with my university. Ireland is one of my favorite countries and this time I got to see it with my husband! We only spent three days, this time around, but we definitely will be back.

We spent most of our time in Dublin, but we did travel to the Cliffs of Moher and had a quick stop in Galway.

As always, I made sure to find a local bookstore, but it turns out Chapters is a bookstore chain. I didn't learn this until after the fact and was a bit disappointed, but what matters is that I FINALLY bought a book by an Irish author in Ireland.  The employees at Chapters helped me decide which book to buy and it ended up being The Raptures by Jan Carson.

BOOKISH/LIFE UPDATES

Hello my lovely readers!

I've been gone for a MINUTE!

Let's just get into it....

1. I'M A MAMA NOW
My last post was right before my baby shower in February and a few months before I gave birth. On April 13th, I gave birth to my beautiful, bouncing baby girl Charlotte. It was a relatively easy birth, except for the fact that she and I both had fevers at birth and she had low blood sugar so we had to stay a few extra days in the hospital.

It's been a whirlwind transitioning into mommy life, but I love it. I do miss my solitude, but the fact that I have a daughter makes up for it (when she's not pooping on me lol)

2. MATERNITY LEAVE

I had this idea in my head that I'd devour books in my library while on maternity leave, but that was wishful thinking. I finished....maybe two or three books while on leave and they were books that I'd been reading ALL YEAR. It's embarrassing, but that's the life of a first-time mom, right?

I'm three books behind on my reading goal for the year. My goal was to read 15 books and I still think I'll meet that goal. I just have to prioritize reading when I'm "nap-trapped" by Charlotte since I still can't put her down in her crib yet (she only falls asleep if she's on someone, except at bedtime).