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.