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.

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...

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."

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.

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.

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. : )

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!