The Vegas Valley Magazine Fall 2012 by Ruben Nervegna

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Fall Reading Recommendations by Maria Thomas-Mickiewicz

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Rating: 5 Stars It’s the future, and what was once known as North America is now a shamble of a place. In these shambles is the nation of Panem. The Capitol of Panem looks very different from the other 12 districts that surround it. The Capitol is shiny, prestigious, well kept, and rich. The other 12 districts are reliant upon Panem in order to survive, and these districts barely have enough food to thrive. Many citizens hunt illegally and sell their loot in the black market known as the Hob. As punishment for a previous rebellion, the Capitol forces a boy and a girl aged 12 to 18 from each district to participate in the annual Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is an event put on by the Capitol wherein 2 citizens from every district are forced to compete to the death on live TV. Enter Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old who takes her little sister’s place in the Games when her name is drawn. Katniss is an expert hunter and survivor who has been caring for her family since her father’s death in the coal mines. She and the other contenders are placed in an arena specifically constructed each year for the Games. It is there where they must contend with weather, each other, the search for enough food and water, 8

and whatever other obstacles the Capitol places in their path. The Hunger Games is a fastpaced adventure that is not easy to put down. You might as well clear your schedule for awhile in order to finish it, as you’ll be engrossed with the plot very quickly. The book touches on many themes, including self preservation, loyalty, love, violence, morality, war, and uprising. It’s difficult to read in the sense that the Capitol has supreme control over its people and enforces it by its use of the Peacekeepers, a post-apocalyptic version of the police force. Through the Hunger Games, the Capitol can control its citizens. They are encouraged to watch the games and must be involved in all local events involving the contenders. Through this government control another rebellion by the citizens is harder to come by.

The Shack by William P. Young Rating: 5 Stars

Mack’s youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and there is evidence that she may have been murdered by her abductor. This evidence is found in a shack in Oregon’s wilderness. About 4 years after Missy’s disappearance, Mack gets a note from God

asking him to return to the shack for the weekend. While the note seems suspicious and strange, Mack decides to make the trip anyway. For me, the story initially moved a bit slow, but I encourage you to stay with it. This is not one of those books where you get halfway through and then feel like it’s been an entire waste of time and you shelve the book. Once it picked up, I highlighted a ton of passages. This is a good book for those who are unsure about where they stand with God, or who don’t know if they even believe in God. It answers many of the basic questions people have about sin, a relationship with Jesus, love, and the religious machinery that many use to warp the idea of God and His true purposes. It’s also about how to move through the changes of life we all face, such as death, sadness, isolation, loneliness, friendship, family, and community. One of the quotes that stood out for me answers the question, If God is good, then why does He allow suffering? The response God gives Mack is, “Just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn’t mean I orchestrate the tragedies. Don’t ever assume that my using something means I caused it or that I need it to accomplish my purposes. That will only lead you to false notions about me. Grace doesn’t depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors.” He goes on to say, “Evil is the chaos of this age that you brought to me, but it will not have the final say. Now it touches everyone that I love, those who follow me and those who don’t. If I take away the consequences of people’s choices, I destroy the possibility of love. Love that is forced is no love at all.” God appears as many different characters in The Shack, which reinforced my belief that God is in everything. He is in music, art, silence, people, nature, Creation, joy, and sorrow. So often we try to wrap our heads around a supernatural being using our natural mindset, which can lead us to doubt Him. Yet He can communicate limitlessly and show Himself to us in the ways that we most need; we are individuals who possess our own personal

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likes and dislikes, and he knows each and every one of them. Variety is the spice of life.

Song of the Silk Road by Mingmei Yip Rating: 4 Stars

Lily Lin is a 29-year-old graduate student living in New York who is trying to finish her first novel as she scrapes by waiting tables at a Chinese restaurant. Among the distractions contributing to her

writer’s block is the mysterious letter she receives from a law firm on behalf of an aunt whom she never knew existed. The letter asks her to travel to the Silk Road in China to retrace her aunt’s journey. Along the Silk Road, Lily must complete a series of bizarre tasks and then take the proof of those tasks to another lawyer in China upon completion. Her reward? 3 million dollars and the realization that she took a risk in life and dared to do something brave. Before her departure to China, Lily must be vague with her lover, Chris, about why she’s taking such a long, arduous trip. I found myself not liking Chris at all. After all, he is Lily’s former college professor who just happens to be married with a child and only cares about himself. I found myself upset with Lily, too, as she displayed a horrible sense of self esteem and a lack of inherent morals and ethics with which to hold herself to a high standard. Yet I also admired the fact that she was in touch with her sexuality and wasn’t afraid to give in to her desires. She seemed to make poor choices relationship-wise throughout the story, yet also had a fierce determination to tackle the crazy requests made by her aunt. She traveled alone to China and visited remote parts of the Taklamakan Desert. I’m not sure I could say

I’d do the same. Song of the Silk Road is an interesting book filled with history and descriptions of the ancient times of Buddha and the Taoist culture. If you enjoy history mixed with a fictional story line that creates a sense of adventure and shocking escapades, you will like this book.

Maria Thomas-Mickiewicz

is a bibliophile and a fan of the lost art of letter writing. She is a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and suffers from the medical condition known as hyperhidrosis. You can find her blogging about her life as a puddle (and other adventures) at www.mylifeasapuddle.com.

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Stacy Prutch Hair

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Smarty Paws

Canine Coaching started ten years ago in the back yard of MaryKay Grahn. In a fenced-in gravel area, students came to learn how to train their dogs in agility. As the sport grew in popularity and the news got out about SmartyPaws, MaryKayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little business grew. Soon she added her first trainer Annie Tate. Basic Obedience was added and as their reputation grew, additional classes followed. As the Las Vegas summer arrived and the weather got hotter, MaryKay was forced to hold classes early in the morning or late at night to avoid the intense summer heat. Eventually all classes came to a screeching halt until the cooler temperatures of Fall provided some relief. The reputation that SmartyPaws was developing as the place to bring your dog if it had any behavioral problems or training needs grew with each class. Soon veterinarians in the area were referring dog owners to MaryKay and SmartyPaws. Then in 2008 just as the summer heat was hitting the Las Vegas valley again, MaryKay decided that it was time to try to find a place inside to train the dogs dur-

ing the summer heat. So on August 1, 2008 SmartyPaws Canine Coaching opened its doors as the first and only indoor dog training facility in Las Vegas. When SmartyPaws opened that summer, they had three trainers in addition to MaryKay. They provided classes in Puppy and Basic Obedience and Agility. In April 2012, SmartyPaws took an additional step in its process of growth. MaryKay sold the business to Donna Foreman who had been a trainer with her back since she was in her back yard. Donna brought with her the experience and love of training dogs with the additional experience of running a business. Donna was teaching the Puppy classes and Basic obedience and the beginning levels of agility. She grew to love the dog business and had a background owning and running a business when she lived back East. The match was perfect. Reborn as SmartyPaws Canine Coaching of Las Vegas LLC, the business is a success story starting with one womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream of starting a business in her back yard to now being the premier indoor dog training facility of Las Vegas with 10 trainers providing a wide variety of disciplines and classes as well as related services. Smart-

yPaws offers Beginning to Competition level Agility training, Basic Obedience, Competition Obedience, Puppy classes, Puppy Agility, K-9 Nose Work, K-9 Freestyle dance, AKC Rally, Treibball (Urban Herding using balls), Herding instinct testing and classes, Canine Good Citizen testing, Canine Life and Social Skills classes, Therapy Dog training, Service Dog training. They even have a Day Care /Training program. This is where you can drop your dog off in the morning and while you are working, your dog is exercising, playing and also getting his brain worked with some training sessions. They are always adding new and interesting classes for dog enthusiasts. In addition to offering classes, SmartyPaws is the training home of Touch N Go FlyBall and Flyin Aces Flyball teams. They are also a distributor for many innovative dog-related products including Dog Pacer treadmills and Julius K-9 harnesses. Visit SmartyPaws website at www.smartypaws.com to get more details and find out how you can have more fun with your best friend.

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