Book source ~ Tour

 

Terran’s 17^th birthday begins more weird than she ever anticipated. She expected presents and special food and well wishes. But what she didn’t expect were visions showing her horrible things happening to the Earth and the people and animals around her. Afraid to worry her parents she confides in her best friend Beth and Beth suggests they tell her mom. When the visions get worse, they consult a medium and Terran’s world view shifts drastically. She’s just an ordinary teenage girl. Or is she?

 

Since the title of this book is Rise of Gaia, I don’t think I’m giving anything away by saying that it’s about Gaia rising up to seek revenge on those who are killing her. But she’s this entity, one so massive and powerful and yet sick because of what humans have done to the Earth. So, she calls upon her children to help her. To Terran’s surprise, she’s not just one of them - she’s the favorite. Gaia’s special chosen one. Yeah, don’t get excited, this is not quite the honor you’re imagining it is.

 

The Earth is sick. It’s being destroyed by mankind. On this I agree 100%. I’m pissed about it and I just live here. Think about if someone were slowly killing you. And you knew they were doing it, but you had no voice to fight back and were growing weaker and weaker. Wouldn’t that, you know, upset you a tiny bit? Well, Gaia is more than upset a tiny bit. Whew doggie. Just you wait until you see what happens. And poor Terran is stuck in the middle. I couldn’t help but compare Terran to Dexter’s sister Deb in the show Dexter. There are parallels to their individual situations and if you’ve seen the show and then read this book, I think you might agree with me. I will say no more. This is an intriguing read if you’re pissed about what’s happening to our planet and want to see what Gaia would do if she were a real entity. A great YA Fantasy with roots grounded in the real world. I recommend.

The illustrations really work with the story to show how high the diving board is and how scary it can be. They also do a great job showing Jabari’s dad’s support and the fun Jabari has once he conquers his fear. Jabari Jumps is definitely a new favorite of mine. 

 

OMG I finished it!

Main reasons it took me 3.5 ish years to read this:
- I went through some depression and couldn't read a lot of nonfiction
- Whenever I started to read it my mind would also start to daydream of everything I could possibly do to my yard with the help of this book and then I wouldn't get very far in the book

But I promised myself I would really finish it this year, and I did.

I'm sure I'll continue to use this as a resource for knowledge, techniques, and inspiration. It is really well written and readable, but also can be used as a reference source. I have been using it all along as well - to learn how to sheet mulch, to make plant lists for different purposes - insectary, nitrogen fixing, nurse plants, and more, and to make designs for the herb spiral I built in my front yard, and to redo my front garden very slowly.

This was my entry into permaculture and I still recommend it to anyone who asks about good basic gardening books for a small home.

When Jabari, his baby sister and his father arrive at the public swimming pool, Jabari really wants to jump off the diving board. He’s passed his swimming test, he finished his swimming lessons and he’s NOT scared but he will wait until
 all the other kids go before him,
 he rests a bit,
 he stretches a bit,

Then Jabari thinks tomorrow might be better for jumping until his father tells him that it is okay to be a little scared. His father tells Jabari what he does when he is scared and Jabari decides that perhaps he will climb up all the steps of the diving board. While climbing, Jabari thinks about what his father said. The ending of the novel is cute and will bring a smile to your face. The illustrations are bright and colorful and when added to the sharp black text, this book brings smiles and enjoyment to its readers.

Gaia is unique. What I loved most about her was her strength. She was a woman who spoke her mind, went after what she wanted and was not above trying new experiences. Her biggest strength was also her greatest fear. Was she ready to leave behind the pain of a love loss and open her heart and body to new horizons? Mr. H. may be just the salve she needs to help her heal. Ms. Lane crosses boundaries with her sensuously emotion charged stories. Enter with an open mind, exit with a slightly bruised heart.