Julie's Reading Log

2009-12-29T15:46:00.000-08:00

Hannah's Winter by Kierin Meehan. Loved it! A 12 year old girl from Australia ends up spending the winter in Japan with friends of her mother. She and her friends turn out to be part of an "old story" that belongs to Kai, an 8 year old boy who died during the Edo period. I loved the imagery, the culture, the Japanese words scattered here and there. Such a fun story/adventure. Loved it. And, while finding this picture I found a great site www.commonsensemedia.org where they have great reviews. Feeling super lucky right now. :)

The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson. We all know I love Eva Ibbotson's books. This used to be called Magic Flutes, a name that suites it very well. Like all of her books it includes opera, art, music... it is fun for me to imagine that life. It is set in Vienna after WWI when the city is barely recovering. The main character is a Princess that loves art and hides her identity to "work" for a sinking opera company (she works, but they don't pay her). There is plenty of beautiful homes and clothes and a snobby English lady... and I am always a sucker for happy endings. :)

2009-12-29T15:37:00.000-08:00

The Great and the Terrible, Volume 1. Prologue: The Brothers, by Chris Stewart. I first heard about this book over a year ago,, but I was a little skeptical. I don't always like to read an author's interpretation of a gospel topic. I would rather stick to the scriptures. But when DiAnn and Randy recommended it, how could I go wrong. So far I have only read the first book of the series, but I loved it. The book is about the pre-existence and the war in heaven. It really brings home how horrible it must have been to see our own brother rebel against Heavenly Father and the Savior. So sad. I really enjoyed the way it portrayed pre-earth life. I also loved the characters and can't wait to read the rest of the books. I was going to buy them for myself for Christmas, but I forgot. Don't worry, I still bought plenty of new books. :)

2009-12-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

Dragon Slippers, Jessica Day George. Hurray for Utah authors, especially Utah housewife authors. A delightful book about an orphaned girl who's aunt offered her to a dragon hoping that a nobleman would rescue her and marry her and help her struggling relatives. Even though a dragon hadn't been seen for ages, it turns out that there are still dragons and Creel might need to be saved. Or she might end up saving everyone else. Very fun trilogy including Dragon Flight and Dragon Spear. One thing the books brought up nicely was the idiocy of racism, in this case against dragons, and how "hard" it is to let it go for some, shall we say uneducated, souls. Others, on the other hand, like the Prince... easily let go of past prejudices once they learn the truth. So, hey, don't be a dragon hater.

2009-12-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

The Earthkeepers, Marilyn Brown. I read this book as a teen and thought I loved it. It reminds me of my mom because apparently we went with her to meet the author, it is signed. So I was anticipating a great read. It is a horrible book! I can't believe I liked it before. It is about the Saints who settled Provo. Pretty much everyone dies, every horrible thing that can happen, happens. Hard, hard times. Very sad book.

Austenland, Shannon Hale. This re-read was a blast. I found the book double the pleasure the second time. It was somehow so much funnier the second time. I am not sure how I missed so much the first time. I want to go to Austenland, with my husband of course.

The Cry of the Crow, Jean Craighead George. By the same author of Julie and the Wolves this was a book right up my ally. A girl has a crow as a pet and the book explores the brilliance of crows and how much they can learn/do. My only complaint is how the book ends. Throughout the entire book the story was building towards the climax then the author zips through the it in one paragraph. A little unsettling.

2009-07-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

Yak Butter & Black Tea, A Journey into Forbidden China by Wade Brackenbury. YYYY Our library has monthly themes and the set books out in the front foyer that have something to do with the theme. That is where I found this book. The title and the pictures on the cover called out to me. I generally read more fiction books than nonfiction so I actually read eight books before I finally got to this one. However, this book was wonderful! I wish I were adventurous and climbed mountains and hiked for eight hours a day... but I don't. This Wade guy is from Idaho and lives in Springville, so he was easy to relate to. They hiked into China and Tibet hiding from the authorities. Amazing.

Alphabet of Thorn, Patricia McKillip. YYYY Sorcery, a conquering King, a noble learning to be a mage and an orphan adopted by librarians who works as a translator and scribe; just a few of the characters in Alphabet of Thorn. This is my favorite book of Patricia McKillip that I have read this month. The story kept me captivated and I couldn't see how it was going to end, I like little surprises in books. Another thing I love about her books is the blury line between good and bad people. Her characters make some good choices and some bad choices and it is not always clear what they will choose when its time for a life changing desicion. Sometimes a character I thought was bad made a great choice that helped everything turn out better, and visa versa.

I bought these books for B and wanted to read them first. They are the Wicket Chronicles by Joan Lennon. The first book is Ely Plot. YY The book is probably better for B than for me, hopefully he likes them. The book was fine... it just lacked some spark, like more character development or something. I liked its setting during medieval times on the Fens or marshes. And the main character is a boy who's mother left him at the church before she died of Fen Fever. So, the book really was fine, just fine. Any who, we'll see if B likes it than I can tell more if it is a good book for kids.

2009-07-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

Chalice by Robin McKinley. YYY Of course I love Robin McKinley, my favorite books of hers being The Blue Sword and Hero and the Crown, so I like to try and read all of her books. This book was very interesting. It took some effort to understand the world I was in while reading the book, but it was worth it. A girl is put into a very important position and the book is about her struggles against the power hungry and how she stayed true to herself. I loved it. I gave it three hearts because it did require effort to read, I didn't just gobble it up... but it is a fantastic story.

Little Lord Fauntleroy by Francis Hodgson Burnett. YYY I saw this book at the library and thought it would be unwise to leave it unread. Kind of like it was my duty to read it, so I did. Of course I dream of having a child like Little Lord Fauntleroy, always pleasant, kind, thoughtful... never throws fits etc.... but my kids are a little more "real" than that. Number one lesson I took from the book, kindness can change peoples lives. We need more of that right now in our society, just people walking around being kind to each other, even if they are in a hurry, especially if they are in a hurry.

Straw into Gold, Gary D. Schmidt. YYYY This is a Rumplestilskin -ish story. I really gobbled this one up in one day. Good conquers evil, be true to your heritage... you know, that kind of stuff. I keep trying to figure out why I loved it so much, but I am still not sure. I think it really helps when you can read a book all the way through in a short amount of time. And may I say, I am glad I know who my parents are.

Perloo the Bold, Avi. YYY Susan loaned me this book, we both really like Avi and I was excited to read it. It is about a rabbit-like creature and his struggle to step up and get involved. He would rather stay home in his little burrow and read. I can really identify. The ending left me a little flat, I like the idea of how it ended but it wasn't believable as written. Perloo needed to do a little more to really make it work. Once again, kindness and honestly are very important!

2009-07-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

I went on a little frenzy reading some of Patricia McKillip's books. They all have the same kind of feel and I do enjoy them...

The Book of Atrix Wolfe by Patricia A McKillip. YYY This book was about magical powers and how they can get out of control even if you are well meaning. I can see myself making a magical mistake (how's that alliteration?)... if I had any powers, so I guess it is better that I'm not very magical.

The Forests of Serre by Patricia A. McKillip. YYY This book was delightful. It had magic, an arranged marriage, a crazy witch, a character who couldn't decide if he was good or evil, an ogre (who is really a mean man but very ogre-ish)a beautiful firebird that everyone followed mindlessly if they heard her sing.... Can you believe how great? It was my favorite of the three.

Ombria in Shadow by Patricia A. McKillip. YYY Word to the wise, never become the mistress of the prince. This book was set in a city, Ombria, that has another city in the shadows and underground. Interesting and a little creepy. Also contained plenty of magic... and those who use their magic for evil can cause a lot of damage, I'll tell you what.

2009-06-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Actor and the Housewife, Shannon Hale. YYYY So, lucky me, I have a great friend in California who called to tell me that Shannon Hale was going to do a reading in SLC... and I was able to go! Thanks Ana!!! I have read all of Shannon Hale's books and absolutely love all of them: Goose Girl, Enna Burning, River Secrets, Princess Academy, Book of a Thousand Days, Rapunzel's Revenge, Austenland and now Actor and the Housewife.
This last book was very fun. The dialogue is so witty I often laughed right out loud. It is about a Utah Mormon housewife who makes friends with a hot Hollywood actor. They are both married and the book looks at all of the issues involved when a woman has a man friend.

I included the two different covers because I thought they were interesting. Mine is the brown hair one above. Why do you think they made one sans hair color? And where do you think they are marketing them? Also, the woman without hair showing is a little sexier, tighter shirt, shorter sleeves, brighter lipstick, maybe even better endowed. Hmmmm... Do you think they are selling the brown hair one only in Utah? Interesting...

2009-06-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

Coraline, Neil Gaiman. YY This is the last of Ana's books she loaned me to read. I finally got through it after starting it three different times. I am such a wimp, the book was a little spooky for me... Just something about "other mothers" that freak me out, especially ones with button eyes! So, yes, you must read it... and I'm glad I did, but I didn't love it. Won't be seeing the movie anytime soon. By the by, yes, I know it is a "kid's" book, but I was still "creeped out."

2009-06-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

The Lost Prince, Francis Hodgson Burnett. YY I liked this book, but is was just so wordy. From the title you can see that it is about a lost prince of Samavia. I loved the main character Marco and his qualities. He was very regal even though he was poor and never knew a home because they moved around so much. I have been trying to act a little more like him. The book mentions many times that he could hold still while he was waiting or listening without nervous twitching or wiggling. I'm sure that helped me during the interview I just had. : ) I only gave it two hearts because even though I loved the story it felt like a chore to read all the way to the end. I already "knew" what was going to happen and it felt like it took me ages to get to the end. Another important character, The Rat, also freaked me out a little... just a little too wierd.

2009-06-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

Eva Ibbotson! I love this author. Just look at her picture, isn't it fascinating? (Her hair, the typewriter, pictures on the mantle, all of the books in the background, the telephone... love it.) Here is an interesting article from 2004 about her Jewish heritage and the Second World War. She said her grandmother's ancestors were "rearranged" so she could live out the war in Vienna. http://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/2004%20archive/090904/r090904_6.htm

Eva Ibbotson is now 84 years old. Out of all of her books I have only read Which Witch (which I really didn't like), A Company of Swans, A Countess Below Stairs and

Journey to the River Sea YYYY This last book I absolutely loved. Our heroine is an orphan, she ends up in a horrible situation yet remains "good." I like to imagine that I would hold up like that, but... This book is also fun because of the importance of naturalists in the story and all of the amazing plants and animals. FYI: Wikipedia said that Eva Ibbotson's husband was a naturalist (que en paz descansa). A must read.

2009-05-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

Tam Lin by Pamela Dean. Y I give it one out of five hearts. I checked it out because of its cover, spectacular, but the book....When I am going to learn, you can't judge a book by its cover. The book is based on the ballad "Tam Lin" which I am very interested in studying, alas, I didn't even read it at the end of the book because I ran out of time before the book was due. The story starts out at the beginning of a girl's freshman year in college. She is going to major in English and thinks a little about a double major with Classics. What to do? (I personally didn't really care... and Biology majors were mocked! Horror of horrors.) The author is a lover of English literature and mentioned and quoted extensively, Shakespeare, Keats, Pope... If you are a lover of English literature, this is the book for you.

I was certain something would happen in the book, sometime... and it did. In like the last chapter. The book is set on a college campus in the early 70's, bleh, and I can't believe I made it all the way through! (I wouldn't recommend it.)

Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen. YYYY This book was adorable. May I loved it so much because Tam Lin was so worldly-icky. This book was a breath of fresh air. After reading just a few pages I thought that it had to have been written long ago, it was first published in 1956 I believe. The whole book just has a pure, wholesome tone. It is about a family who moves to their great-grandmas old cabin after their dad is released from a prison camp after the war. They are all hoping for a miracle that the outdoors will help bring their dad "back." They have great neighbors and spend time out of doors... it made me yearn for a small town. So, I have decided that I must act like I live in a small town. I am determined to be a better neighbor.

One part that is so cute... there is a hermit who lives alone with his goats, and when he hears that they have decided to stay for the winter he gives them two goats and eight chickens that he really needed them to take home right then because he had too many. The story is heart warming. Loved it. : )

2009-05-03T17:37:00.000-07:00

Penelope Bailey Takes the Stage by Susanna Reich. YYY The story of a girl who dreams of being an actress, but her aunt thinks it is not appropriate to "act" in front of strangers. It was a fun, fast read. Penelope stays true to her dream and remains a nice girl despite her difficult circumstances. It made me want to be nice to my kids and try not to judge them too much. This author has a number of other books I can't wait to check out.

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull. YYYY Susan introduced me to this book. Thank you Susan. I am always amazed by authors who come up with new ideas. In this book a group of kids fall in with some dangerous magicians who use candy to give the kids super powers. The kids have to be careful not to be outsmarted by the adults trying to use them as pawns. Good luck kids! While I was reading I couldn't wait to see how it turned out!

A House of Tailors by Patricia Reilly Giff. YYYYY I really loved this book! My favorite was the note by the author at the end of the book that this book was based on her great-grandmother Dina from Germany. As a young girl she was a bit of a spitfire, getting herself into many a scrape. She works hard as a seamstress, even though she hates sewing, she must help make a living to keep food on the table. It is a fantastic look at immigration, early US history, family and determination. Loved it!

Chief Joseph!

2009-04-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

The Saga of Chief Joseph by Helen Addison Howard. YYY In case you didn't already know, I LOVE Chief Joseph! Even as a child I loved him. We had this portrait of him hanging in our home and as a young girl I remember looking at him and thinking he was my friend... ever since I have had a special kinship with him. So, I decided it was time to learn more about his life. This book seemed promising, but it only talked about the treaties and battles and his later years. I am glad I read it. Written in the 1950's the racism was a little challenging. This woman respected Chief Joseph and had spent years researching, however, she still called him a red man... annoying. A couple of things she mentioned will give you an idea of what I am talking about.

The Nez Perce as a tribe were peace loving, good people. She talks a lot about how important being charitable was in their tribe and how much they helped each others and strangers and how they recognized all they had was from the Great Spirit. Then she attributes all of this to the fact that Methodist missionaries had passed through teaching them. Like it was impossible to be a good Christian before the white missionaries came to teach them. Racist.

Oh... and when Lewis and Clark spent some time with their band, they asked them if they had brought "the book" with the "spirit law." They were waiting for men to bring "the book." They even sent three warriors back east searching for "the book" with the "spirit law." Sadly, all three men died before they made the trip back home. I say, give them the scriptures already! Obviously they had received revelation that the scriptures were coming.

Another time she explains that during the numerous treaty talks Alokut, Chief Joseph's brother, had drawn a map of their country, where the tribe had lived as long as they could remember. It included all of the rivers, mountains, valleys... all landmarks. She was amazed that "an uneducated redman" could draw such an accurate map. The army tried to take it from him and keep it, but Alokut refused to give it up and he took it home with him.

The history is tragic. In 1855 a treat was signed with the Nez Perce to give them a reservation including the homeland of most of the bands... over 10,000 square miles. The government also promised to set up schools and a saw mill etc. It was signed by the leaders of the different bands of the Nez Perce. Then in 1863 they drew up a new treaty, completely ignoring the previous treaty, a reservation of about 500 square miles that left out the homeland of Chief Joseph's band and many others. It was signed only by the leader of the northern most band, where the 500 square miles were. Using this treaty they forced Chief Joseph's people from their homes. They gave them 30 days to move all of their homes and stock up to the reservation. Even though it was spring and the run-off made the rivers way too dangerous, they set out. They lost most of their stock trying to cross the river! That same night Chief Joseph's wife gave birth... and three warriors from another band of Nez Perce got drunk and went on a killing spree.

Chief Joseph knew no one would believe he hadn't been involved so they started their run north. I won't share every detail... but it is tragic. Once the army caught up with and attacked the camp and killed men, women and children. When Chief Joseph finally surrendered he had 12 bullet holes in the blanket/poncho he wore. Also, at the time of his surrender, Looking Glass, the chief of the band who had started all of the problems, escaped with many of his people into Canada. Not fair.

OK... really, I am stopping. But may I just say, I still love Chief Joseph.

2009-04-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Ana loaned me three books of which this is the first I read. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. YYY It was published in 1986! I could have missed this forever. What I loved about this book is the happy ending. I hoped for it but was never quite sure if what I wanted to happen would happen. There were subtle little twists and turns, opening doors and you would never know what world you would be stepping into. Great fun! She has written many, many more books. I am going to have to check them out.

Wild Orchid A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" by Cameron Dokey, also on loan from Ana. YYYY I have read many of her books, most of them from the Once Upon a Time series. They have not disappointed. She takes a common tale and puts a twist on it. In this one Mulan's mother died and her father was out fighting for the first thirteen years of her life, she was raised by her nurse. She has a great friend, Li Po, that teaches her all the "boy stuff" he is learning like reading, writing, archery and horseback riding. I loved the book. I am a little chagrined to admit that I could hear the Disney movie music in my head the whole time. What can I say, this is an extremely Disney stage in my life!

May I also remind you that Cameron Dokey did not release a press picture of herself. The only picture I could find of her was when she was in a play once. She is in full costume, sitting at a table with two other characters. Come on Cameron! Let us see who you are.

2009-04-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

Brisingr, Eldest and Eragon by Christopher Paolini. The problem with reading a trilogy is that they all get blended in my mind. I can't really think of just one book, they are all one in my brain. I bought Brisingr when it was realeased but it sat on the shelf for months. I was determined to finish the Inkheart books first, which I eventually did.

Finally I started Eragon again, because you know my brain could never remember the whole story for that long. It is a good thing I started over at the beginning. I had even forgotten Brom! Horror of horrors, he is a very important character in the books. I enjoyed all of the books and can't wait for the next one. However, it is obvious that a young man wrote them. To much fighting and over the top descriptions of the fighting, bleh.

I love the toughness of the characters. Eragon fell into his destiny somewhat accidentally, yet he did a great job with what he had. His cousin was strong and determined to fight to protect family and home. The leader of the Varden was a brilliant politician and made difficult choices when she had to. Anywho, I always think about what I want to act like when I am in a predicament, and emergency or if I found a dragon egg. I would like to be like Eragon, Nasuada and the cousin (Ro...what's his name?) and Katrina. I also loved the dwarf. Fun descriptions of the cities. I even tried singing to some trees to see if I could make a little funiture or something. Hasn't worked yet!
Can't wait for the next book!!
It was also fun to hear the kids talking about Mama's dragon books.

2009-02-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

Mary Lincoln, Wife and Widow by Carl Sandburg. In honor of Lincoln's 200th birthday I thought I would research his life a little. I started with this short book about his wife. Well, who knew. She was a hard woman to live with! Her mom died and she was raised by a step-mom. Her mom had six children, I believe, and her step mom had nine children! Only a couple died as babies. I can't imagine. So, Mary Todd made it through that, was well educated, enjoyed parties and teas... fell in love with Abraham Lincoln. They got engaged, then he freaked out a little and so she let him off the hook. A few years later they got back together and got married. I guess it was true love. She would throw fits and they got worse with age, screaming, yelling, throwing hot water out of the window and locking her husband out of the house. But, they loved each other dearly.

As first lady she caused a big scandal because it was war time and she spent huge amounts of money on her clothes (at one point she was $27,000 in debt from clothes and her husband didn't know!) and her home. Apparenty she also was determined that her husband would appoint who she wanted to the cabinet, that also caused quite a bit of fighting. Imagine all of the good Abraham Lincoln did and how he changed our country and the world, even with a crazy wife. That gave me a lot of hope for my poor husband. : ) When her husband was killed she couldn't leave bed for five weeks, during that time many people came through and ransacked the Whitehouse. They stole silver and other items, ripped curtains, destroyed funiture etc. Can you imagine? When she finally left the Whitehouse she removed so many boxes that she was also accused of stealing.

She traveled in Europe with her son then brought him home sick. Soon after he died, the third out of her four sons to die. Then she only went downhill, she wouldn't live with her only son Robert yet she wouldn't let him out of her sight. She was sure that everyone wanted to kill her and she told crazy stories of people torturing her. She also begged for money and asked Congress to pay her what they would have paid Lincoln if he would have lived. Anywho, her own son had to get her declared insane. She spent a couple of years in a mental institution then was able to stay with her sister. After being declared competent again... she actually ended her days sitting in a room of only candlelight. All of the windows darkened, no contact with the outside world. She died at the age of sixty-four. Her doctor was certain she had a cerebral disease and said the post-mortem examination comfirmed it.

So, quite a sad story... and I had no idea.

2009-02-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

Inkspell, Cornelia Funke. Besides having such a great last name I also enjoy the way she rights. Things don't always work out perfectly... or the way I thought they would, it kept things exciting and the reader, o sea, me, on the edge of my seat. Although, I often read laying down. Anywho, I would never have the guts to be Meggie, tell you what. But she is a fun character... and you need to know that when you go messing around with other people's stories, or even your own, things are bound to twist and turn in unexpected ways. I was also able to read Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke. I loved the whole series... but I am perfectly happy to stay right here in my own story and never introduce non-native species from another world!

2009-02-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

Inkheart, Cornelia Funke. I read this book about three years ago, loved it. It was such a new idea to travel in or out of books, loved ones being trapped in the wrong story. It was fun. Months ago I bought Inkspell, the second book in the trilogy; in December I bought Inkdeath, the final book of the trilogy. I had been trying to reread Inkheart since last August. Craziness. Finally I dug in and re-read the book. Enjoyed it the second time as well. I also love the cover art. The only thing that really bothered me about the book was the introduction of non-native species into our world. Sometimes a lizard or a bird would be read into this world from a book. I found the idea very upsetting. You can't just go around introducing non native species into local environments! Other than that, the book was great.

2009-01-20T11:45:00.000-08:00

Old Friends and New Fancies: An Imaginary Sequel to the Novels of Jane Austen by Sybil Brinton. This book was written in 1913, the first fan-fiction book written as a sequel to all of Jane Austen's novels. Ana sent me this book quite awhile ago, before I read it I wanted to make sure I knew all of the characters well so I read or re-read all of Jane Austen's novels. It was so much fun! Then I read this great sequel that uses the main characters from every book. I saw it laying by my bed and decided that I needed to read it again. It was even more fun the second time, especially since with my memory everything is new to me. : )

2008-11-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

A Trian to Potevka, by Mike Ramsdell. This is our book club book for November. The author lives in Layton and was truly a "spy" in the USSR when it collapsed. This is one experience he had while undercover. It isn't the best written book ever, but it is a fantastic story. Nice and faith building. I am so grateful I live in the USA! Russia has really suffered for years, heart breaking.

2008-10-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and husband Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale, of no relation. Delightful graphic novel. Shannon Hale always has such strong female characters. Rapunzel isn't always strong, she has her moments of self doubt and weariness, but then she always remembers what she is fighting for. Go Rapunzel. And who doesn't love a striking beauty with red hair and green eyes. Such a pretty girl. The illustrations are great! I kept finding myself wondering who did most of the work on the project, Nathan (illustrator)? Shannon? Dean, the husband, what exactly did he do in all of this? Hmmmm. My kids love the book as well. B read it and the girls like to look through it often. Fun!

Ever by Gail Carson Lavine. Interesting book, of course it was great. I like all of her books that I have read. There are quite a number of gods in the book and I found myself wondering about what I would like to be the god of... there were gods of wind, agriculture, destiny, pottery, dance, weaving... Think about it. Which would you choose? There were two cities in the book. One worshiped many gods and the other worshiped only one god. The God of All. I couldn't help but think that the author was or has been searching to find out if there really is one God, or if man just prey on the desire of others to believe. I wish I could help her out with that. There really is one God, but he is nothing like the god in her book. Heavenly Father is very loving, patient and kind. That should be a relief to her.

Gossamer by Lois Lowry. I like how this lady thinks, Lois Lowry that is. I was once again amazed by her, how she came up with this idea, who knows. Apparently there are little being that give us our dreams... and very bad beings who give us nightmares. This story is about a little dream giver learning the ins and outs of dream giving. It would be the perfect book for a child who had been abused because a little boy plays a role in the book who had a difficult childhood.

You know how some books (I've heard... because I won't read them) go into gory details about horrible things that happened in the life of someone who has been abused. Even hearing about books like that give me a uncomfortable, depressing feeling. This book makes mention of the little boys life, and it was very sad... but the author did it in a way that shows hope, victory and the joy of overcoming. It is all in the "feel" of the book for me, I guess.

Happy Reading!

2008-09-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

Extras by Scott Westerfeld. A nice little twist in the series. We get to see Tally Youngblood from Aya's point of view. Aya is an Asian girl who was a littlie when the mind-rain happened. O sea, when people didn't have to become pretties and have their brains messed with. She lives in the craziest city where everything is based on popularity. Every one of the million citizens have a popularity rating and Aya's is in the 600,000's when the book starts. That means she has to work for everything she gets. When you get up into the thousands you get bigger houses and more clothes etc. Very interesting set-up. Once again, teens may learn a lot from this book about judging others and putting importance where it belongs. I, myself, couldn't learn a thing from it. Seeings as how I'm already so famous and live in such a big house with closets stuffed with the latest fashions and such.

I do hope he writes another book! Although I did see a picture of him, Scott Westerfeld, flipping somebody off and I am just not sure about what kind of cat he must be. Hmmm... I guess I can read what he writes anyway.

On another note, I made posters for the bookfair as a contest for the students. They had to match the picture of the author to a picture of one of their books. Well, I wanted to include Cameron Dokey, since I have been reading so many of her books lately... and there was not a picture to be found. I searched and searched on line, NOTHING! Shocking... now I am just dying to see what she looks like. Take the challenge and see if you can find a picture of her. Maybe she has a horribly scarred face, or maybe she is a MAN! Think about it. :D

2008-09-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

Washington Avalanche 1910 by Cameron Dokey. A little piece of historical fiction. It was a fine book. A little slow at times but not slow enough to make you put it down. A girl runs away from her wicked step-brother, catches the train, then gets stuck in the mountains because of an avalanche. The avalanche really happened in 1910 and trapped the trains for days, gotta love historical fiction!

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Wow. Loved this book. It is set in Denmark and I felt such a conection with the characters from Denmark because so many of my ancestors came from Denmark. I loved learning a little more about the character of the country. The main character is a young girl whose friend is a Jew, the story takes place after Germany had taken over Denmark. Sad times. Anywho, the book was fabulous! I like to think that I would have been a part of the Resistance fighters.

Specials by Scott Westerfeld. The Tally Youngblood saga continues. I didn't like this one as much as the others. I think the problem was that I kept thinking of a student in BC, Tim, that was into hurting himself. He eventually committed suicide, very sad. So, with that memory it was hard to separate myself from the story and I just kept hoping that the book wouldn't influence teens to be dumb. Rather the story should empower people to know that no matter what happens in their lives the ultimate control of who you are lies within. We control our own destiny. By the by, I didn't really like the ending either. But it is still a definite must read.

2008-09-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Golden by Cameron Dokey. I have been reading a number of books by Cameron Dokey lately. She writes a book that twists a fairy tale a little. This book is about Rapunzel, turns out that Rapunzel is really bald, true story. The characters are fun in this book and it, of course, ends happily ever after.

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. This princess has a wide girth and loves food. She gets in trouble for eating all of the time. I like her. She has a hard life, that only gets worse. Wicked aunt and all. There is a little Cinderella meets Sleeping Beauty and some magic as well. Everything needed to make a great story.

A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson. Wow... do I love this author. She is way more "classy" than me, always talking about paintings and opera and ballet that I do not know a lot about. (Thankfully I recently checked out some Baby Einstein board books that showed most of the art she mentioned, so I was right there with her on that part.) She also uses words I am not familiar with like "epergne" (something on the table) and "shantung" (describing a suit) and plenty of words in French, Italian, Latin and who knows what else. I guess it is good for my brain to read things that stretch me a little. I do know much more about ballet than ever before. Anywho, loved this book!!

2008-09-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

I had to wait a long while to get these books. I put them on hold at the library but I was at least 16th in line. So, finally, after a couple of months I got the first two books. Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld is super-dee-duper. After Breaking Dawn I took a long break from reading. Almost an entire month! OK... not really, but the other books I read were not gobbled, they were read just every now and then. However this delightful book broke right through my reading blues. I gobbled them right up. Tally Youngblood is an almost unwilling heroine. Stumbling into doing great things. I think he chose such a great name for her, especially her last name. Youngblood. Most of all the other characters are known by only their first names: David, Shay, Av, Croy... but Tally Youngblood, she deserves such a strong name.

Any who, the books are about a time in the future when they have taken away the issues of looks. At sixteen everyone is given an operation to become a pretty. The uglies go to school until they turn sixteen, then they can be turned into pretties. Young pretties party all the time and just have fun. Middle pretties choose careers and work. Crumblies just hang around till death. Tally's best friend turns sixteen before her and she is left alone with all the younger uglies at school. She makes a new friend, Shay, who changes her path forever. Pretties is the second book in the series. You can imagine what happens.... Better read them!

I am breathlessly waiting for the next two books, Specials and Extras. Coming soon, only one person is in front of me on the list. May I just say that I wish I had a hoverboard!

2008-08-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

I Walked to Zion, True Stories of Young Pioneers on the Mormon Trail, by Susan Arrington Madsen. This was our book club book for July, but I just barely finished it. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The book shares about 30 accounts of children coming across the plains. It was fun to read their experiences from a younger point of view. I cried many times thinking of how grateful I am that I don't have to try and make my kids walk across the plains and only eat some flour today. Most of the kids were super positive and many of them enjoyed the journey, just walking and playing. There was so much suffering, however. I am eternally grateful for the efforts of the pioneers and I am grateful for this great state we live in!

2008-08-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

This book was one of Stephenie Meyer's favorites listed on her Myspace. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman was an interesting read. It turns out that Anansi the spider really does exist and he can come live in our world as a human whenever he likes. Who knew?

It is set in England with touches in Florida. A young man with a semi-miserable life gets to know his real family and his real self. The book is almost a thriller, not too scary, but with a little action. There is a little love... but I have found that when men write about love it lacks a little spark. It was a good book and I am glad I read it.

2008-08-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

So... of course I re-read New Moon and Eclipse again before I got Breaking Dawn. I enjoyed them so very much... Then, I went to a release party at Hastings with Bonnie and her sister Sunnie. We also met up with my newly found cousin Mandy there. It was fun to look at the decorations and take fake prom pictures. They also had a dance floor sectioned off and I watched teens having a great time there. It is so surreal to be old, I tell you what.

I won a button in a trivia contest for knowing how old Carlisle was, 362 years old if I remember correctly. That was a bennefit of re-reading the books the week before. We bought specialty drinks named after the characters of the books (Italian sodas).
Great fun. But the best part of the evening was getting right at the front of the line. Even though a teenage girl butt right in front of us because she thought it supposed to be in alphabetical order. The register was for those whose last names started with A-G. She asked me what my last name started with and stood right in front of me because her last name started wtih "B." Silly girl.

Turns out that there were two registers for our line and I bought the first book of the night in that register. Winner! We were out of there so quickly it was amazing. But, then I had to read the book.

Breaking Dawn was a disappointment, but I am not really sure why. Ticee didn't like it because Edward seemed to disappear, there wasn't enough dialoge or character development, it was anti-climatic and the characters we had grown to love seemed to no longer exist. Maybe that was it, I'm not quite sure. But I can't say I didn't like it, I just didn't love it. Bummer. I will have to read it again later and see what I think next time. Oh yeah, and Stephenie, the easiest and fastest way to get more blood in our bodies is an IV. Just FYI...

2008-07-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Twilight, Stephenie Meyer. Wow! What a great book. Love, adventure, thrills and chills, scary bad guys, blood, hot guys, overcoming self doubt, a beautiful setting... Why haven't I read this before?! Oh, wait, I have... a couple of times.

Warning... Sad Post!

2008-07-28T12:08:00.001-07:00

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part -Time Indian, Sherman Alexie. This is one of the novels I found on Stephenie Meyers MySpace, listed under books that she loves. I normally wouldn't have ever read a book like this... it swears way too much and it talks about teenage boy issues that I would rather not know about. However, it grabbed my heart right from the first pages and wouldn't let go... even now that I've finished it. It reminded me too much of my time on the rez. The book is about a boy who realizes, with the help of a teacher and a thirty year old Geometry book, that he has to leave the rez if he wants to survive.

Someone who isn't familiar with rez living might think the book goes a little over the top... but it doesn't exaggerate at all. It brought back all of the pain and the joy of my three years on the rez. The smell of fry bread, the excitement of a pow-wow or the Bluff fair, going to sleep to the sound of drums from a ceremony going on in a teepee across the street from the school. I really lived in a "compound" made just for teachers, and I loved the people.

The book talks about the alcohol and death. Just like Steward Sam who died in a car accident on his way home from the Gathering of Nations Pow-Wow in Alberqueque. They had stayed up all night at the '49er drinking and singing and they crashed on the way home. JR Joe survived High School only to get killed in a car wreck a few years later. Jerri Billie was one of the few who went away for college. She came home on a break and went to a party. Although she didn't drink she got in with a drunk driver and was the only one to die in that accident. Shilo and Shauna who had a baby as teenagers... Shauna was at a laundromat and her two year old ran out the door and got hit by a car and died. Roy Whitehorse who died over Christmas break when the hogan exploded. Apparently the propane tank had a leak and when Roy tried to light it, the whole hogan exploded. Those are a few of my students who died, too many to believe, I know.

I also must mention Norm and Shirley Begay from White Mesa. They were killed in a head on collision on Hwy. 666. Then there is Hutch Johnson, who I just adored as a student and a neighbor. When I came home from my mission I asked him why he hadn't written and his answer was that he knew I wouldn't want to hear that he was just getting drunk every weekend. He was right. One night on the ambulance we took a kid in who told us he cut his arm on the window. The next morning an FBI agent was knocking on my door to ask about the wound... he said it had been a stabbing. I was so innocent back then.

Happy times from the rez: Jimmie Claw was the basketball hero, he was tall and talented. I got to coach Jr. High basketball... I loved hearing Ophelia Joe call me coach. We were beating the tar out of Blanding's team and we just kept feeding the ball to a little girl on our team who hardly ever played and scored her only basket during that game in Blanding. Our team and fans just erupted when she finally made a basket. I was invited to a traditional wedding or two. Maurie Yazzie was such a sweet girl and I was thrilled to hear that while I was on my mission she got baptized. I became an EMT! I ate achi' (sheep intestines), learned a lot of Navajo words, took a Navajo class from Clayton Long, can now recognize every pow-wow dance, bought beaded barrets, sand paintings and jewelry at bargain prices, learned I Am a Child of God in Navajo and made many friends. I miss the Rez.

2008-07-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

Beloved Bridegroom, Donna Nielson. This book was recommended for book club and rejected for lack of interest. Wanda, the lady who recommended it, wanted me to read it... she kept offering it to me and I finally relented. It only took me about five months to read it... but it was worth it. I learned a lot about Jewish marriage customs and it is always nice to remember that everything points to the Savior. The thing that annoyed me about the book is that at times she quoted from other versions of the Bible, trying to put the Bible in modern language. That always bugs. I am also grateful that the friend of the groom was not waiting outside of the room while my marriage was consummated so he could announce it to the group of people gathered for the celebration.

2008-07-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

A Countess Below Stairs, Eva Ibbotson.
I just finished this delicious book. It started out rather droll (who knows if it was funny ... it kept using words I didn't really understand, like droll and there weren't enough context clues that I could grasp to really "get it"). The author knows way more than I do about music, art, jewels, history, you name it. I was also having a difficult time remembering the names and keeping people straight. However, I stuck with it and was greatly rewarded. What a fun story! The book is about Anna, a countess in Russia. Her family looses everything during the Bolshevick revolution and she becomes a maid. She is someone I would like to be more like, humble, hard working, kind, fun and full of light. Oh, and the best part of all... Love, love, love conquers all.

2008-06-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

Funny story. I just found out that a couple from the Spanish Branch are moving to Turkey. True story, he is going to teach school there. I had already picked up this book from the library. I chose it because of the cool cover. It turns out that the book it about the Ottoman Empire and refers to Turks and Turkey often. Wow, what a horrible warring history in that part of the world. Parade of Shadows, by Gloria Whelan was a fun and interesting book. Full of intrigue and adventure. Give it a try.

The Frog Princess, E.D. Baker.... this would be a good book for a younger reader. I kept thinking there was going to be some sort of twist or something. But no... the characters were just what they said they were. The snake was just a snake, a bat just a bat, the dog a .... the otter a ... a frog a frog... or was it a prince... or a princess? So, I must say it was a little disappointing in its depth or lack thereof.

Carousel, Richard Paul Evans. This was our book for the book club this month. I had to read it in a day because it took me too long to finish Parade of Shadows. I'm glad I got it all over with in a day. Talk about a hard year, incarceration, death, disappointment, sexual harassment, broken hearts, tragedy, fights, moving, a new school...etc. I liked the book OK, I guess, but I'm glad I didn't invest a lot of time or effort in it. Let's look on the bright side of life, shall we?

2008-06-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

Sunlight and Shadow, Cameon Dokey. A fun book about true love, love at first sight, growing into love etc. It is a twist on the magic flute story. I am finding that Cameron Dokey uses fairy tales often.

Pirates! Celia Rees wrote a very fun book about a free spirited girl who refused to just give in to all of the men in her life who were trying to marry her off and silence her. First her father, then her brothers and finally a scary fiance. Girl Power! I was so nervous about the book because I grabbed it from the adult side of the library. I kept waiting for something "adult" to be in the book. But to my pleasant surprise it was squeaky clean. Aarg!

The Storyteller's Daughter, Cameron Dokey. A twist on The Arabian Nights. Thank goodness that true love can conquer all. A very nice book about a very brave girl.

2008-05-31T15:21:00.000-07:00

Sharon Creech is such a great author! In Ruby Holler she really developed her characters well and I could see depth in each one. The story is about a couple of twins, Dallas and Florida, that are shifted around in foster care. It makes a soul want to save every child they can. But, instead, I made a goal to start with my own kids and try to be more patient. I also wish I could live in Ruby Holler. It sounds so beautiful! You will also love the older couple, and identify with each of them. I know I did. A great book!

2008-05-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

Oh, Wow! This book was amazing. Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. I already knew that I would enjoy the book because he is such a great author, but I wasn't prepared for how much I would love it! I would take it with me to the gym each morning... and there are a few unspoken rules at the gym... like you should show no emotion and not make noise. Everyone has their headphones on in their own little world. The I-pod and I love being in our own little world on the island of the elliptical machine. But, while reading this book I kept laughing right out loud... and even more embarrassing, often tears were rolling down my cheeks. The book talks about Elijah who was the first free born in Buxton, Canada, a small community of free or escaped slaves. Here is a quote from the book, just to wet your appetite...

"Mr. Leroy said, 'No, Spencer, me and 'Lijah's working partners. The boy handles hisself like he's gowned so I hope you don't mind if he stay.'
If I lived to be fifty I was gonna remember this, the first time I got called growned! I waren't expecting this to happen for six or seven months yet!"

Then later: "I left the room and stayed outta sight, but I was still close enough for listening. After all, Mr. Leroy did say I handle myself like I was growned, and I know growned folks don't like nothing better than doing a little eavesdropping."

I think now that I am done with the book, I'd better do a little research on the real settlement of Buxton. I am so glad that the civil war is over and that slavery is outlawed!

2008-05-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

So, Susan's blog of books she has read made me a little jealous with the cover and all... so I decided to copy her. To start off with I am just throwing these on... I may need to practice a little to make it more presentable.

Queste, Angie Sage is the only book I read during the month of April. Can you believe it? It is the fourth book in the series about Septimus Heap. Love them all. Number three left me uneasy but all is well now, the fourth ended happily ever after. Good ol' Septimus. These are a must read.

May 6th was the release date of Stephenie Meyer's new book, The Host. It is a big fat book but I was still able to read it in three days and not ignore my children too much. It was a fantastic book but definitely science fiction. I am not sure if the crazy "Rides the Beast" story will sit well with Edward lovers... but I have long been a lover of science fiction so I am fine with bears that have sharp knife hands on one side and soft paws on the other. Anywho, that really doesn't have much to do with the story. It is full of relationships and all types of love. It is really fantastic.

Stephenie Meyer here we come! See you on Friday. : )

I am also proud to announce that I have finished The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin & Selections from His Other Writings. I have learned much about Benjamin Franklin and about the US... but I am left wanting more. I will need to read some more books about him and his roll in the establishment of the Union. It seems to me he was a good man, very determined to become better and improve things around him. He started the first library here, a fire department, a way to keep the streets clean... he helped in the establishment of the Post Office and ran a printing press. Not to mention his work with electricity. But to read about it in his own words, I think he was also humble. He had no idea how much he would bless not only his town but the entire nation... forever! We may be doing important things right this minute without even realizing their results. Better be careful, eh. Think twice and all that.

OK...I checked out Replay, Sharon Creech and as I started reading it, I realized I had already read it. But it is a great book about family dynamics. Then I read Heartbeat, Sharon Creech. It is all written as a poem, a great book about old age, new babies and running just because you love to run.

2008-04-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

A Little Maid of Mohawk Valley, Alice Turner Curtis. This is the cutest thing. It was published in 1924 and it is from a series "A Little Maid of... (fill in the blank)." The story is about a little girl who is brave and courageous... she gets to save Mohawk Valley during the Revolutionary War. I enjoyed the good values.

Beauty Sleep, Cameron Dokey. This was a fun spin on Sleeping Beauty. It keeps you wondering what will happen in the end the entire book. Read it, you'll like it.

Book of a Thousand Days,Shannon Hale. I recommended this for book club so of course I had to re-read it. I may have even liked it better the second time. Set in a setting not unlike Mongolia a young girl struggles defying her class. She is caught so many times in between gentry (the higher class) and serving them, without misbehaving herself. I have been pondering on social classes... at first I asked myself if there is any where in the world where they still raise people to believe they are lower than another human being. I have thought of the Middle East and Africa and the role of women. Polygamy, the role of women, children and the "Lost Boys." Any abusive relationship can do that to a person, make them lose their confidence and their knowledge of their divine worth. Once again I am so grateful for my upbringing, for the gospel and for this country!

Book club is on Wednesday and I think it will be really fun. Many people have loved the book. All hail to Shannon Hale!

2008-03-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho. I am glad I read this book. I recommended it for our book club for the month of May, so I thought I'd better read it. It has lots of great advice for one and all. Most of all it made me grateful for the gospel and the Spirit. We are so lucky to already know that we need only to listen to the promptings of the Spirit to find our way. . . and the more we listen, the more we can hear.

I must also share with you the miracle of the emu feathers. Susan loaned me the book, The Alchemist as I was leaving Orderville. Isaac also came up and gifted me some emu feathers. Apparently they come in twos, like the Ponderosa Pine needles that come in threes. Isaac gave me one set of perfect feathers and another feather that was all alone, its partner feather had broken off. So, as I left, I stuck them into the book. Well, later in the week I took the book to the gym to read. As I was cruising along on the elliptical machine I noticed a feather falling out. I quickly saved it and searched for the other pair of feathers. They had already fallen out. I almost fell off the machine looking for them, of course I couldn't stop the machine altogether. The handle also almost gave me a concussion while I was searching, but to no avail. When I finished my "workout" I searched again but found nothing. What a bummer to lose the pair!

Then next day I was back at the gym and after my workout I went to get a drink. There lying on the ground, close to the drinking fountain, I found my pair of emu feathers. What a miracle! I scooped them up as quick as I could. Who knows who might be around with the intent of stealing away my feathers. So, thank you Isaac, I love the feathers.

A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray. The jury is still out on this one. It was OK dawg, a little pitchy in the middle... (In case you don't watch American Idol, that is what Randy Jackson says when the performance wasn't that great.) So, the book was a little too adult for me, doesn't take much. I can't decide whether to read the other two books. I don't love the heroine, she's OK dawg, but I don't think she's great or anything. Anyone who has read them, tell me if I should read on or not.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick. I have been waiting for months for the book fair to come to B's school so I could buy this book (BOGO... buy one get one free). So I bought it and read it. What fun! So many great pictures/drawings that help tell the story. The book is fat and a little intimidating, but most of it is pictures. Many of the pages with words don't even use half of the page... so it is really much shorter than it weighs. I read it today. It really is a work of art. The font, the black and white pages, the drawings, the fun story... loved it.

Confessions of an Unbalanced Woman, Emily Watts. A teeny tiny book that DiAnn gave me. She read it again on the plane ride out to come to Grandpa Jack's funeral. I've read it only once, but I need a repeat. It is fantastic and helped me refocus. Here is an exerpt: "I don't know how it is that I can spend hours laboring over a stack of men's socks, laying them out on the bed to make it easier to compare them with each other, holding them up to the light, even carrying them over to the window to ensure that I am matching black with black and navy blue with navy blue... but the instant my husband sits down in sacrament meeting, I can tell that he's wearing one of each. Maybe there's just something about the lighting in the chapel. maybe I should be taking his socks over to the church to sort them." It is a really fun book that helps put thing into perspective.

2008-03-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

The Princess and the Hound, Mette Ivie Harrison. What a great book. I had to finish it today! And the author lives in Utah. We are really getting some great local authors. The book is about a Prince and a Princess, courage, self worth, coming of age and "animal magic." Very fun read.

Trespass, living at the edge of the promised land, Amy Irvine. This is not a book I would recommend to anyone. Bleh. I couldn't even finish it... I just skipped ahead to find out if this poor girl ever found any happiness or peace. But, no... she is never really happy or at peace. She only sees the very worst in everyone and everything around her. It is extremely anti-Mormon and anti-San Juan County, two things that I love. I kept wondering if she was telling the truth about people until I read her explanation of the Book of Mormon as rowdy people getting kicked out of Jerusalem and being sent away on boats. OK... she is probably just telling half truths throughout. Horrid, hateful book. It leaves one the opposite of uplifted. I feel so sorry for this sad, sad girl.

2008-03-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

Mormon Scientist, Henry J. Eyring. Wow, I loved this book. I have always wanted to know more about the famous scientist Henry Eyring, and now I do! His ancestory, his family, his education and teaching, his scientific findings and best of all his testimony. He had no problem at all disagreeing with President Joseph Fielding Smith about the age of the earth and evolution. Henry Eyring said many times that we just don't know everything yet. However the Lord created our earth was fine with him, if the Lord didn't have a problem with science and religion than he didn't either. What a fun book!

The Wish, Gail Carson Levine. A fun Jr. High book about a girl who wishes for popularity, and gets it. Important lessons to be learned about being a good friend. I liked it.

Two Princesses of Bamarre, Gail Carson Levine. Two sisters, one is a coward and the other is an adventurer. They take care of each other, save their kingdom and fall in love. A lot of fun.

When Calls the Heart, Janette Oke. A gift from Ana (thank you!). I loved it. It is set in the old west around Calgary. It reminded me of books I used to check out from the Blanding City Library. True love, adventure, real values, good men and women. It was really fun. Thank you, thank you, thank you Ana!

2008-03-05T13:01:00.000-08:00

New Moon and Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer... again. Wow, I love these books! I laughed (again), I cried (again), I fell in love... I call my husband my Jacob. It was fun being able to notice her great writing style. The first time through I was in such a hurry to see what happened. Now I noticed things like... the rain was like freshwater tears on her face. Love that!

May I say again how much I love Jacob. I love how he doesn't baby Bella. He is brown and warm. He lives on the rez. He is funny and likes to laugh. He is humble. I love Jacob!

2008-03-03T15:32:00.000-08:00

Twilight, Stephenie Meyers... again. I sort of talked our RS bookclub into reading it. Hopefully there aren't any vampire haters in our ward that will freak out (you know, like witch haters that freak out about Harry Potter). How I love these books! I also feel like Stephenie Meyer is my close personal friend. Stephanie and Shannon Hale... in my imagination we are tight. Love ya ladies!

2008-02-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

Standing for Something, President Gordon B. Hinckley. In honor of President Hinckley's passing we decided to read his book again for book club. I am so glad I did! I read it when it came out but the re-read was just as good or better than the first time. It made me want to be a better person and gave me many ideas of what I can work on. The four fabulous things we need to do to keep our marriage strong that Susan heard President Hinckley talk about in her stake conference were right there in the book! Mutual Respect, Financial Honesty, A Soft Answer and Prayer... I would like to make those house rules in my home. I really need to work on each one. Thank you book club for giving me the excuse to re-read and refocus my efforts to stand a little taller.

2008-02-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

The Sisters Grimm, Once Upon a Crime, by Micheal Buckley. They finally got out to go to New York. Nifty... Now I am just annoyed because I want another book. I want Sabrina as a teen, maybe 17 years old. We'll see.

2008-02-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

The Sisters Grimm, Problem Child by Michael Buckley. I am thoroughly enjoying these books. "We are Grimms and that's what we do." They are fairy-tale detectives, saving the world from fairy-tale creatures gone wild. The only thing that is driving me crazy about them is the lack of passage of time. All four books take place in a month or maybe two. It is annoying that all of these adventures are so crampacked into December. It is not enough to keep someone from reading the books, however. They really are fun.

2008-02-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

The Sisters Grimm, Unusual Suspect, Michael Buckley. Fun read. Helps you brush up on your Fairy Tales. Book Two in the series.

2008-01-26T09:59:00.000-08:00

Colobri, Ann Cameron. This book is set in Guatemala so of course I am going to love that. It is about a young Mayan girl de corte, her travels, troubles, and overcoming. I loved it. I want to go back to Guatemala tomorrow.

Tree Girl, T.A. Barron. A fun book especially if you are a tree lover or ever wanted to talk to trees. I loved all of the nature in it... but I am sad for the people in it. It is no fun to be lonely.

The Sisters Grimm, The Fairy-tale Detectives, Michael Buckley. Susan has been recommending these books forever but I couldn't remember long enough to check them out. Well, I have finally started and they are very cute.

2008-01-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. Wow. I want to be Shannon's friend. She lives around here somewhere. This book was fun and more power to the people, girl power and power to the commoner. I wonder if she knows someone who served a mission in Mongolia?

2008-01-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

One in Thine Hand by Gerald Lund ... I grabbed this book from the library thinking that it was a new book by Lund, however, it was published in 1982! It was a sweet book, I felt the Spirit and have a strong testimony of the atonement. A Mormon boy goes to Israel and meets a Mormon Arab and falls in love with a Jewish girl. Guess how it ends, bet ya can't...

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin ... Love It! I hadn't read the book for so long, just depending on the movie... but the book has so many more insights and treasures. I had such a great time getting to know Lizzie again and hoping I am like her and wanting to be more like Jane. Hurray for PBS and the complete works by Jane Austin.

2008-01-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

Jericho Walls by Kristi Collier... I loved this book. It was set in the 1960's in the south but what I liked was that the main character was a white girl, the daughter of a preacher. The preacher father moves his family back home from the north and the daughter had never heard or seen a lot of racism before. She tries to make friends, but the nicest boy is black. It is a cute story reminding me that we all need to be more childlike.

Runaway Princess by Kate Coombs... So fun. If I were a princess, this book would have been about me. She saves the kingdom even though she is just a girl.

I have also read a series of books called Girls of Many Lands. All of these books are about girls coming of age. It is also full of girl power, they are based on the dolls American Girls. Yes, I know that I am too old to read these books, but I liked them.

Isabel: Taking Wing (England) by Annie Dalton.

Cecile: Gates of Gold (France) by Mary Casanova.

Spring Pearl: The Last Flower (China) by Laurence Yep.

Minuk: Ashes in the Pathway (Alaska) by Kirkpatrick Hill.

Neela: Victory Song (China) by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

2007-11-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer.... my favorite books today. I read all three books in just a few days. I started Wednesday night and finished Sunday night. I dreamed about the books everynight for the next week. I still think about them daily. I think Stephanie (I feel so close to her) did such a great job putting the reader right into the story. I want to run to Forks and meet them all. I must also say that I love Jacob. He is a Native American, lives on a rez, is big, handsome, and warm. : ) These books were hot!

2007-11-04T16:16:00.000-08:00

Song of the Lioness, Tamora Pierce... A female warrior set of three books bound together. Loved it! However, she does sleep around which is a little too abnormal for me. There is magic, nomadic tribes in the desert, "city folk," royalty and theives. Everything your looking for.

Fly by Night, Frances Hardinge... This book took me forever to read! Over one month. I don't know why I had such a hard time getting into it. I decided it was the cover. The cover is really cool with a cut out window. One other book I read had a cut out window on the cover, King in the Window, and I had to force myself to read that book as well. Beware of cut outs in the cover. I really liked it when I was done. Set in a fragmented country with lots of "idol worship." The people looking for a leader. A young girl and her goose are the heroes.

2007-10-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Sunflower, Richard Paul Evans... We read this book with the Book Club in the ward. I never would have read it otherwise. I have been boycotting Richard Paul Evans for years, but I can't remember why. I read The Christmas Box when it first came out and liked it fine, I also appreciate the fact that we have a Christmas Box House here in Ogden which does much good. Yet, I was still boycotting him. Hmmmm.... Anywho, I loved the book!! It is a love story, set in Peru, however gringos are the main characters. Read it!

The Last Treasure, Janet S. Anderson... A nice book about the importance of family (and managing your finances ...tee, hee...).

2007-09-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Midshipwizard Halcyon Blythe, James M. Ward

Dragonfrigate Wizard Halcyon Blythe, James M. Ward

Halcyon came into his magical powers at 16 and was relieved to be able to join the navy. He is assigned to a dragon ship. The ship is actually built on the back of a dragon. Nifty... I liked these books more than I want to admit and I'm very annoyed there aren't more. A few of the sailors do swear (about 10 times a book)... I told them to clean it up a little and I think they really listened to me.

2007-09-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

The Barn, Avi. Nice fast read, but I don't recommended it if your father recently had a stroke.

2007-09-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Fighting Ground, Avi. One day in the life of a 13 year old boy who wants to fight in the Revolutionary War. A good fast read. Who's side are you on?

Midnight Magic, Avi. Set in a castello during the 1400's. Reason vs. Magic. Who is really in control?