The Water in the Middle East

When Camels Fly by NLB Horton
Published: May 15, 2014 by NLBHorton, via Amazon’s White Glove
After Grace daughter is abducted she's goes off to rescue her, and succeed. But then when both Grace and her daughter are captured again, both her husband and son travel to Israel to rescue the rest of the family.

Several years ago I was lucky enough to travel to Israel and absolutely fell in love with the country on this trip. I loved how ready this book brought me back there. I could so clearly see the characters at the Western Wall, or riding camels in the desert, or eating in a bedoiun tent.

This is me, riding a camel in the deserts of IsraelUnfortunately though, I didn't quite connect with the story the same way. There was so many different things going on and so many twists and turns. But it changed the point of view without any clear guidance of who we were hearing from. There were lies and double crossing. And while it was meant to be complicated unfortunately I was lost for a good portion of it.

This is the author NLB Horton, also riding a camel in the deserts of IsraelI realize I don't read very many thriller and I think maybe if I did I would have had a better grasp as to what was going on. But even so it definitely was an entertaining story and I had fun with it.

2.5/5

If this sounds like the type of book you might enjoy reading, I have a copy for you! Winner have the choice of either a print copy (US only) or ebook. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter.
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Disclosure: I was provided this book through Virtual Author Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.

Today I'm linking up with Blonde Undercover Blonde for Book Club Friday!

Mailbox Monday (53)

Every week bloggers gather at Mailbox Monday to share all the exciting books they've picked up recently. This link-up tours to a new host each month, and for November our host is supposed to be I Totally Paused with Beauty in the Ruins as our back up host.
Purchased
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Yes, like everyone else I picked this up. I haven't started it yet, and so far I've avoided spoilers, but I'm really excited to see how it all ends.

From France Book Tours
The Consolations of the Forest by Sylain Tesson
This is written by a French author, and I believe is one of his first books to be translated into English. The story is about a man who spends time in Siberia to find himself.

From Goodreads
The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti
This books seems to always be up for giveaways on Goodreads. In some ways that makes me a little skeptical of it, but I can't help but be excited. This one if a fictional story about the Israel/Palestine conflict.

The Truth About You by Susan Lewis
This looks like a fun chick-lit type, plus is has a gorgeous cover. While I have heard of this author before, this is the first time I'll be reading anything by her.

What do you have in your mailbox this week?

Don'f forget to enter my giveaway for a copy of Gracianna by Trini Amador while you're here!

Top 10 Books of 2012

In the next few days I'll be recapping December along with the entire year, but felt for me in order to really wrap up the entire year I had to include the books. It was interesting going through this, because some my opinion on some books changed with some time. (My number 1 pick wasn't even a 5/5 rating at the time I reviewed it.) So without further adieu, here are my top 10 books of 2012.

1. Celebrating Interfaith Marriages by Rabbi Devon A. LernerWhile I enjoyed this when I read it, it wasn't till I started thinking about our wedding ceremony that I realized how amazing it was. I realize I haven't blogged our ceremony yet, but when I do, I will be referencing this over and over again.

2. The Dovekeepers by Alice HoffmanI loved this one because it brought me back to my time in Israel. Although think even if you've never been, you will still absolutely love this one.

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen ChboskyReading this brought me right back to high school (although not always in good way). I have read some negative reviews of this lately, which surprise me a little considering how much I enjoyed it.

4. Song of the Nile by Stephanie DrayI loved this book and was so excited when I heard a third book in the series was planned for 2013. I may have been swayed to put this here, by the fact that Stephanie Dray found my blog and commented on my post. But still, this was a fun read on a time period I hadn't really read before.

5. Divergent by Veronica RothI feel like I'm a year late reading this, but now can join the club of its fans. I do have Insurgent to read, although feel like the longer I wait to read it, the less time I have to wait for the third book of the trilogy.

6. Gone Girl by Gillian FlynnThis is the book that everyone is talking about this year. If you haven't read this one you need to, if only so you can read it before anyone spoils the twist for you.

7. Wither by Lauren DeStefanoI was so excited when I finally got my hands on this. I wasn't as big of a fan of the sequel, but can't wait to see how Rhine's story ends when the third book comes out later this year.

8. Courting Her Highness by Jean PlaidyI love all the Jean Plaidy books I've read, but this one has to be one of my favorites. It's interesting going back and reading how I lamented they were no longer republishing her books in that review, especially since they've started to again, just with a different publishing house.

9. Where We Belong by Emily GiffinEmily Giffin is an author, like Jean Plaidy, that I always seem to love. In my review I said this was probably my favorite of hers. As time has passed I'm not so sure on that anymore, but think because I read this so quickly I don't remember it that well. I guess that just means I probably need to go back and reread it!

10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig LarssonI didn't think I would like this one nearly as much as I did, but I guess I should have listened to everyone who recommended it sooner. I haven't picked up the next two books yet, but plan on doing so soon.

What books would make up your top 10 reads of 2012? And have you read any of the books on my list?

Today I'm linking up with Blonde Undercover Blonde for Book Club Friday!

Sunday Social (9)

I've been in California the past few days celebrating Thanksgiving with my family. But last night we got back into Louisiana, and so far we've been enjoying a relaxing day around the house. I've been writing about the trip eventually, but for now I'm linking up with A Complete Waste of Makeup's Sunday Social.
1. Name 4 jobs you’ve had in your life:

1. Summer Camp Counselor
2. Lacrosse Team Manager
3. Head of College Math Lab
4. Underwriter at an Insurance Company (Probably the most I've ever said about my current job on the blog.)

2. Name 4 movies you would watch over and over:

1. Love Actually
2. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
3. The Little Princess
4. The Notebook

3. Name 4 places you have lived:

1. Long Beach, California

2. Towson, Maryland

3. Avignon, France (Assuming 3 weeks on a study abroad trip counts.)

4. Baton Rouge, Louisiana

4. Name 4 of your favorite foods:

1. Lasagna
2. Feta Cheese
3. Foie Gras
4. Creme Brulee

5. Name 4 things you always carry with you

1. Cell Phone
2. Book I'm currently reading
3. Wallet
4. Camera (At least I try to make this happen.)

6. Name 4 places you have been on vacation:

1. Paris

2. Florida Keys

3. Japan

4. Israel

If you haven't linked up with Sunday Social, let me know some of your answers in the comments. And if you have, please say hi so I can stop by your post!

Sunday Social

I feel like so many of the blogs I follow are participating in A Complete Waste of Makeup's Sunday Social, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and join in.Best trip you've ever been on
It's hard for me to pick a favorite since I feel like I've been on so many awesome trips, but it would have to be either my Birthright trip to Israel,

Can you find me in this picture?or our family trip to Italy in 2000.Funny enough, both of these trips were actually taken with my BFF/MOH.

Best idea for a girls weekend trip
Back in college we took a spring break trip to the Florida Keys. Except it wasn't a drink all day/go crazy type of spring break trip. Instead we spent most days lounging at the beach, and grilled out at our condo most night. (Although we did spend one night out in Key West at a drag show, where we went a little crazy.) Anyways that's the type of girls' trip I'd love to have, a laid back weekend at the beach.
Best idea for a couples trip
I would love to go to Turtle Island in Fiji. I mean you have your personal private beach. What could be better than that?

Best vacation on the cheap
Growing up we used to also go camping up on the mountains. They would be a good bit of planning involved trying to make sure that you had enough food packed for a week, and all the camping necessities. But it wasn't a high cost trip. I haven't gone to the mountains since college, but I'd love to take a camping trip with the boy.

Yes, this is me, blonde hair and all.
I'm around 3 or 4 here.Place you most want to visit
My top three would have to be Australia, Greece, or Egypt.

Vacation/Travel necessities
Obviously a book, but more importantly a book that takes place where I'm visiting. I still remember reading Walking the Bible in Israel, or a modern day Venetian love story in Italy, or a Guinevere book in England. I just think it's fun to actually read something that makes the most of the trip you're already on.

If you're here from Sunday Social, thanks for stopping by, and be sure to let me know you were here! And if you haven't linked up, what would be your answers to these questions?

On Masada

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
As soon as I heard about this book I knew I had to read it. First it's a historical fiction, which I'm always happy to read. Second it's a Jewish historical fiction, and some of my favorite books (such as the Rashi's Daughter trilogy) have fell into that genre. And third it takes place at Masada, which I was able to climb and view the sunrise on my Brightright Israel trip to Israel 4 years ago. Basically it was the perfect book for me.

Except when I started reading it, it felt a little slow and took me a while to get into it. It was such a let down to think that this book that I'd been dying to read wouldn't live up to my high expectations. Although, I told myself that once the action actually moved to Masada it would get better. And while it wasn't immeadiate, as the story progressed I started to fall in love.

The story follows the 4 female dovekeepers on Masada. The book was broken into 4 sections, so each was able to tell their story. There were some whose stories I enjoyed more than others, but within each one's story is the story of Masada.

For those that haven't heard of Masada, which I hadn't until I actually climbed it, it was originally built as a summer palace for King Herod. One hundred years later as the Romans started enslaving and killing Jews, many fled to Masada where they had their own outpost. The Romans weren't able to climb the narrow snake path up the mountain to capture the city. So instead they built their own ramp out of dirt to climb to the city. But when the Romans got city to capture the Jews, everyone was already dead. The Jews had decided they would rather die at their own hands than at the ends of others.

For such a tragic story to tell, I found the whole book beautiful. As soon as I finished the book I was ready to pick it up and read it again. Reading the words I really felt like I was at Masada, although I think the fact that I've been there helped me picture it. And I shed a few tears by the end of the book, although not neccessarily where I would have expected. I'm glad to say that even with the slow start, this held up to my expectations, and definitely will join my list of favority books.

5/5

And for fun, and since I wanted to share, here's a few of my favorite photos from when I was lucky enough to visit Masada.

View of Masada

The snake path, which the Romans weren't able to climb with their troops.

The Roman ramp which allowed them access to the city.

Ruins of a Roman camp. Since the Romans spent so much time building the ramp, they left their own ruins behind.

Ruins at Masada. This was actually the synagogue.

These were the Roman baths during King Herods time, but used as a mikvah before the seige at Masada.

My maid of honor and me standing on top of Masada at sunrise, with some of the ruins in the background.
Have you ever read a book where you felt like you were able to get more out of it because you've visit the place where the story takes place?

Today I'm linking up with Blonde Undercover Blonde for Book Club Friday!

In My Mailbox (37)

I really didn't expect to be linking up with The Story Siren's In My Mailbox today. But when I saw The Dovekeepers bargained priced a book I've been wanting to read ever since I heard about it. Again in hardcover and bargain priced? I couldn't say no. And since I was already buying something, I might as well go all the way, right? Let's get to the damage.
Purchased
The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
See my intro above! I'm so excited for this! I love the fact that it takes place at Masada, which is one of the places I was able to visit on my trip to Israel a few years ago.

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
My brother actually read Eragon first, then my mom read it, and I finally read it to see what the fuss was about. It's kind of funny because even though I was the last to read it, I believe I'm the only one who has read the 3rd book. After 10 years of waiting, I'm excited to see how the series finally turns out. (And if you notice this was the only book I picked up that wasn't actually bargained priced.)

Insatiable by Meg Cabot
Another steal of a book! Vampires and Mega Cabot? Well, count me in!

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
I'm pretty sure I've heard of this one before. And with it's price again, it seemed like a win-win situation, right? In case you couldn't guess from the cover, it's a historical fiction book that takes place at Niagara Falls.

Hollywood is Like High School with Money by Zoey Dean
I know I've heard of this one before. Although I don't know exactly what it's about, but I have a feeling it'll be a little like YA meets chick-lit. Plus it has such a fun title.

All-in-all I think I wound up with a great In My Mailbox, especially since I really wasn't planning on buying any books. But knowing that almost all of what I purchased was at least bargained price, I can't feel that guilty, right?

What did you find in your mailbox this week?

Back to the Beach

This week edition of Classy in Philadelphia's Where in the World Wednesday I'm bringing it back to the beach. The week were headed to the beaches of...
Tel Aviv
This was taken on my Birthright Israel trip, almost two years ago. (Seriously! Two years? How did that happen?) Our flight landed on a Friday afternoon, which meant we couldn't actually do anything until Sunday since it was Shabbat. So instead we got to start our trip with a relaxing day at the beach. This was almost the complete opposite of how much we did in the days following. Here's a picture of the actual beach, which is fun since it shows off the Tel Aviv skyline in the background.
If you're looking for more Where in the World Wednesday posts, be sure to head over to Classy in Philadelphia. Or if you'd prefer, you can see Where in the world I've been here.

~Shoshanah

Blogoversary Q & A

I've been wanting to do a Q&A session for a while, but I was a little scared as to the questions I was going to get. What if they were all questions I didn't want to answer, or even wasn't sure how to answer. But you all surprised me, and I loved all your questions. I've kept rereading them, and I've been awfully excited to answer them all! I was a little surprised that in general they seemed to fall in categories, and figured it would be easiest to organized the answers that way. I hope you enjoy reading the answers as much as I enjoyed answering them!

In General
Amber asked "What did you go to university for?"
In college I doubled majored in math and chemistry. And I went to grad school for a Masters in math.

Amber asked "What is your current career and is it what you'd hoped/planned to be doing?"
and
Classy in Philadelphia asked "What's your job?"
I do try to avoid talking about work in general, but I can let you all know I work in the insurance field. (And yes, I realize how little that narrows it down.) I actually had no idea what I wanted to be doing, and kind of fell into the whole situation and field. But I do think its a pretty good fit for me overall.

Crazy Shenanigans asked "I want to finish hearing about how you and the ended up together. You left us hanging WEEKS ago!!!"
Haha! You're right! I do have a full entry planed to answer this, so I will keep you waiting a little longer. How about I make a New Years resolution continue the story!

Abbie asked "What is your favorite season?"
I would probably say summer, most likely since I've always lived in fairly warm climates. I do like visiting the snow, but I'm not a fan of actually having to live in it.

Suz asked "Do you have any nicknames?"
Not really, people have tried but in general they tend to to stick for too long. I've had people have tried Shosh, Shoshie, or even Shaun, and the boy's niece has been calling me Aunt Sonna lately.

Traveling
Anais asked "I'd love to have a list of all the places you've been! Whenever you talk about a new one I'm like - OMG you've been there TOO!"
and
Baker Girl asked "I too would love to know all the places you've been. It seems like you're always throwing in some other place and I'm all 'Whoa she's been there too???'"
My parents gave me the traveling bug early. They decided that it would be a great idea to take me to Europe as a baby. I can't tell you all the countries I went to on this trip, since I don't quite remember. But I can tell you all I spent my 1st birthday skinny-dipping on the French Rivera. But the trips that actually count (excluding Mexico and Canada, both of which I have been to at one time or another, and various US States I've been to)
England - Summer 1998
Italy (& Nice,France) - Summer 2000
England (and Wales) - Thanksgiving 2003
France (Mainly Avignon & Paris) - Summer 2004
Japan - Spring 2008
Israel - Spring 2008

Lisa asked "Out of all the trips you've taken, which one is your favorite?"
and
Classy in Philadelphia asked "What's your favorite place to travel to?"
Its hard to choose, but I think I'd say my trip to France in 2004. I was there for 3 weeks on what my college called an "Intensive Study Abroad Course." I got to live with a host family, and at times felt like I was actually living in there. I think that's the main reason why I'd say it was my favorite, because I actually got to feel like I was living there.

Movies & Books
Anais asked "I know you love seeing movies - which is one of your favorite ones, the first one that comes to mind?"
I have to go with two, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and A Little Princess, the 1995 version.

Classy in Philadelphia asked "Because I love books, what's your favorite book?"
My favorite book series is the Betsy~Tacy series by Maude Hart Lovelace. It's a semi-autobiographical series (similar to the Little House on the Prairie books) that starts when the author is 5 and ends with her marriage. If you never heard of them I'd really recommend them all! They even re-released the high school books recently. But if I had to choose an actual singular book, it would probably be Gone with the Wind.

Lisa asked "Have you always been a big fan of going to movies or is this something you started doing when you started dating your boyfriend?"
and
Abbie asked "What sparked your interest in movies? And because the cost of going to the movies is ridiculous are you at all getting paid for going to see them?! (Ok, so the second part of this question is a joke...kind of!)"
I've always paid attention to movies. I've always looked at weekly box office reports, love watching the Oscars, and in general always knew what movies were coming out. And while I always had a list of movies I would want to see, and didn't see most of them. But the boy loves going to movies and actually makes a point to see them. So basically I the movie love has always been there, but the actually seeing part is somewhat new. And I wish someone was paying for my all tickets! (Although honestly the boy and I do try to split the cost.) But if someone wants to sponsor me, let me know!

Suz asked "How do you find the time to fit in so many movies and books into your schedule?"
With movies, its mainly what the boy and I do together. We don't really go out a lot, instead we spend most weekends at the movie. With reading, its a similar situation in that I make time for it before other things. Although I am a quick reader, so that helps. Normally I'll read before part or sometimes on my lunch break. But if its a really good book I'll pretty much read whenever I have a chance till I finish it.

From L.A. to LA
Katie asked"Do you plan on staying in Louisiana- is it home now?"
and
Lisa asked "Do you think you'll ever move back to California?"
I think in a perfect world I would like to move back to California. But the boy would rather not live in California. I think what is most like to happen is that we'll wind up living in a different state all together to try to be "fair" to both families. But luckily, the boy still has a few years left of grad school before we need to come to any type of decision.

Amanda asked "Clearly, there's a bit of difference between L.A. and LA (which is why your blog title works, lol) - what was the biggest "culture shock" moment you had after moving, and is it still surprising to you?"
Its funny because some of the biggest culture shock moments are actually due to some pretty small issues. First there's the fact that instead of sidewalks next to the round there tend to be huge ditches. I get that they're there to collect all the rainwater, but its still a little unsettling to me. And on a similar topic, the yellow lights in Louisiana are incredibly long! Silly thing to point out, but its a noticeable difference from California, and something you might want to pay attention to if you're from Louisiana going to a different state.

Abbie asked "What do you like most about Louisiana? What do you like least?(I absolutely fell in love with Louisiana when I was there over the summer and my husband's family is from there so I guess that's where my curiosity comes from!)
I do like the food, but how can you refer to Louisiana and not mention that. But I also think something that stuck out was a bit of the "Southern Charm." For example, I can't say I've ever had a guy go out of the way to open a door for me. And over 3 years into our relationship the boy still makes a point to open almost every door for me. While its something I've gotten used to, the idea of it still shocks me a little. And the least, I'm not a big fan of the weather. Or more specifically I really hate driving in the ridiculously scary rain that Louisiana gets.

Thanks everyone for all your questions! And if there's anything else I didn't quite answer, feel free to ask me in the comments and I'll respond there!

~Shoshanah

What's in a Name

(a Where in the World Wednesday post)
I think I might be one of the only ones doing a Where in the World Wednesday today, but that's fine with me because I still want to share this picture with everyone.
This is me in Jerusalem on Ben Yehuda street. And in case you can't read Hebrew, the sign at the very top says "Shoshanah's Bar." I was so excited to see this, because as you might imagine, in America its awfully hard to find my name in print. All of those gift shop's that have personalized keychains for tons of names, will NEVER have Shoshanah. Except things are a little different in Israel where Shoshanah is a pretty popular name. In fact, I've heard there's an Israeli song where the only word is my name repeating.

I know there's other names out there where its hard to find it already in print. Or if you have a common name, you might spell it an uncommon way so you can't find it either. Have you always been able to find your name in print, or it is almost impossible for you to find it like me? (And if anyone else is participating in Where in the World Wednesday, let me know!)

~Shoshanah

One Year Ago Today

I just spent the past weekend in Santa Cruz (which I will be writing more about). And while I did have a great time it doesn't quite compare to what I was doing at this time last year. What was that you ask? Well let's see, last year on June 16, 2008...

I hiked up Masada to watch the sunrise.

Had a second hike at Ein Gedi, that ended at a waterfall.

Floated in the Dead Sea

Covered myself in mud from the Dead Sea to beautify myself

Arrived in Jerusalem

Where I discovered a bar named, "Shoshanah's Bar"

Crazy to think how much can change in a year!

~Shoshanah

P.S. I went to Israel on Birthright Israel with Experience Israel, if your Jewish, between the ages of 18 to 26 and you haven't been on Birthright yet... well what are you waiting for!