Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

THIS NOVEL HAS NO ENDING!! Ok, so what it basically boils down to is this...Elizabeth Gaskell died before she could finish the "novel"! (I put this in quotes because this novel was really a set of writings sent weekly into the local newspaper.) The editor on the newspaper finished for her and although I wasn't mad with how it turned out, I was a little disappointed because of his obvious lack of telling a story. He just sort of threw the information out there and it was a let-down. I didn't realize this novel had no ending until I was more than half-way through...Ugh! So, I still recommend it because it is very well written, has a wonderful storyline (reminds me of Jane Austen novels), but realize before you pick it up that you may be let down!

Molly Gibson is 16 when the novel starts out and is the only child of the local Dr. Her mother died when she was young and has been raised by her ever-absent father (because of his profession) and the servants.
She is invited to the Hamleys of Hamley Hall where she is welcomed by Mrs. Hamley, who becomes a substitute mother. Molly becomes friends with the younger son, Roger. She knows that although they are friends, nothing can happen because she isn't a well-enough suited match for the Squire's sons.
As the story evolves, Molly's father remarries and she gains a step-sister.

Through the course of the story you come to realize how many burdens and secrets are placed on Molly's shoulders. Everyone trusts her and therefore, she must "save the world"! You see how she transforms and matures through these trials and is all the better for it at the end.

Remember This Blog?

Wow. We must all be really terrible readers. Or else we are so busy with the holidays that we are taking a break from reading. Or we are so busy with the holidays that we are forgetting to blog about the books we do sneak time to read! I just finished an interesting one and thought I'd stick it up here, along with some others I've finished in the past month or so. Enjoy.

First things first. The Salem Witch Tryouts by Kelly McClymer. Just tell someone you're reading this and you'll automatically get a raised eyebrow and some funny looks. The book is about trendy cheerleader Prudence Stewart who was raised in Beverly Hills and is about to be the youngest head cheerleader ever. Prudence has always known she's a witch (Dad's a mortal though), but she's always been discouraged from using her powers. So when she finds out that her parents are forcing her to move to Salem, MA to go to witch school, she's not so happy. Then she finds out that she's years behind everyone else in the magic department! Definitely not the best way to be "kewl" in her new school! She's pretty confident in her cheering abilities though, until she finds out that cheer leading here involves magic and flying! Prudence sets out to figure out her special witch talents and get in with some of the witchiest witches there are!
This was actually a fun, easy read and interesting because not everything was resolved at the end (I've now got to read the sequel, Competition's a Witch).

I've read all of the books by Gail Carson Levine that I can, but I think this was the least good of them all. It was still an ok book, just not a real keeper. The Wish is about a girl who is on the very bottom of the popularity scale at her middle school. When an old lady on the subway offers to grant her a wish, she wishes to be the most popular girl in school. Almost automatically, she's got celebrity status and is adored by everyone. But how long can this last?
I kept expecting there to be some moral of the story about how popularity isn't all it's cracked up to be and how it's better to be true to yourself. That never really happened, and I was a bit disappointed because of it. Not sure it was really worth reading. I'd definitely pick The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Fairest, or even Ella Enchanted.

I really loved Kate DiCamillo's book Because of Winn Dixie, and I even enjoyed The Tale of Despereaux, but The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (left) was more than a little strange. It's about a porcelain rabbit who is very very very proud of how fine he is and has no need for love. Then he ends up far away from the little girl who loves and cares for him with no chance of return and he is forced to look at his life and choose what is really important.
The book had a nice message (how love can fix everything and everyone needs to have and be loved), but I admit I felt weird reading about a porcelain rabbit. He couldn't move on his own, but he had his own thoughts. Whatever.


I've read so many articles by authors that I love (J.K. Rowling among them) who were inspired by the author Edith Nesbit. The Enchanted Castle was often mentioned as inspiring great contemporary works of fantasy, so I decided a while ago that I should read it. I figured that if I loved all the books that it inspired, I should love it too right? Wrong. I actually couldn't finish the book. I'm sure it's a great one and all, but I couldn't make it past about the 5th or 6th chapter. It seemed very slow and I really didn't understand the point to anything that was going on - almost like the plot was very unclear.
If anyone else has read this book, please let me know! I'd love a positive opinion on it if you've got one!

Witch Child by Celia Rees is supposed to be the recently discovered diary of a young woman named Mary who was raised in 17th century England by her grandmother. When her grandmother is hung as an accused witch, Mary is taken out of the country to avoid the same fate. She finds her way to Salem, Massachusetts posing as a proper Puritan girl, and then to a small town further in the wilderness. She then discovers that America doesn't exactly welcome witches either and she is soon caught up in the superstitious culture of early America. As she learns what is and is not accepted, she is faced with many choices, some that she doesn't feel she can live with, since she truly believes that she is a witch.
The pages of Mary's diary were recently found sewn into a 17th century quilt and have recently been published. This was actually a very interesting insight into life during a volatile and dangerous time period. Also, don't worry. There's no crazy sorcery or curses being put on people. Harry Potter has more sorcery in his books that this one does, so I feel comfortable recommending it. :)

Persuasion

I love everything Jane Austen writes! If you feel the same way, I highly recommend the new show out about her life "Becoming Jane." It was good. And so was her last novel Persuasion! I just finished it for the first time this week and loved it! Find it, and read it!



"Persuasion was Austen's final completed novel and was written between 1815 and 1816, and published incompletely revised immediately after her death with Northanger Abbey. As so often in Austen's novels, Persuasion concerns the social issues of her time and particularly the matter of class. The story begins with the letting of Sir Walter Elliot's seat, Kellynch Hall, to his annoyance as a man of self-aggrandising and showy tendencies. Persuasion is the tale of the romance between his pretty and friendly younger daughter Anne who meets the novel's hero, Captain Wentworth and in spite of social barriers and the rival Musgrove sisters - Louisa and Henrietta - pursues his affection having once turned him down as a spouse. Accidents and various engagements ensue leading to what the reader hopes will be another finale of poetic justice and requited love."

Eclipse

So, I know someone already posted on the Twilight series, but I just finished them and loved them. In a nutshell it's sounds totally stupid - teenage girl falls in love with a vampire- but I couldn't put it down in spite of myself. If you've got time, definately a good read!

How to Date Your Wife

Here I am again... I do love it when the weather gets a little cold I always seem to get more reading done. I finished reading this book the beginning of the week but haven't had a chance to post yet. How to Date Your Wife by Stan Cronin is a must read. It was really interesting for me to read because it is a book written for males by a male with some pieces of female information taken from surveys and conversations. Hope that made sense. Anyways, the main idea of this book is that husbands should continue to do things that they did while dating after they are married (ie, ask on cute dates, plan ahead, spend free time with wife, etc). I really enjoyed this book. I really wish that I could read a relationship book written by males for females....that would be some good reading! Stan has been a police officer for his whole career and wrote this book as an after thought. He had some really good points that have got me to do a lot of thinking. One of the things I really liked about this book was the lists of ideas he gave for different dates- weekly, daily, monthly, quarterly, and anniversary.

So where is everybody?

So it's been over a month since anybody posted so I've taken it upon myself to break our silence. I've been reading a lot lately, mostly recomendations from this blog- thank you to Katie for recommending 'Hearts in Hiding' I really enjoyed it. And another thank you for the post about Eragon and Eldest. I'm hooked! I've also discovered a new author for your reading pleasure- Laura Childs. I just read, what I think was the 4th book in her Tea shop mysteries series "The English Breakfast Murder". It wasn't stellar, but it was an alright, clean, descriptive read. Here's a review of her first novel, "Death by Darjeeling" taken from Amazon.com.

"Theodosia Browning is the owner of a teashop in Charleston's historic district. When developer Hughes Barron is found poisoned with a cup of her tea in his hand, she's upset. But when a friend becomes the prime suspect, Theo starts to investigate to find the real killer. The late Mr. Barron was not a scrupulous man, so there is no shortage of suspects. Even his partner had motive. But can she find the killer before he comes after her?
I really enjoyed this book, however, it's obviously a first novel. The writing style is a little wooden in spots, and the first chapter bogs down a little giving backgrounds of the series characters. On the other hand, I was drawn in by the characters and really came to care for them. The plot wasn't quite developed as well as it could have been, but it progressed well, was logical, and there were plenty of good red herrings to keep me guessing. The setting was intriguing; I'd love to visit the area after reading this book. And the tea aspect was just right. I'm not a tea person, but the information was interesting enough without overshadowing the mystery.
Overall, the flaws were minor, and I really did enjoy this book. The author shows a lot of promise, and I look forward to watching her talent develop as the series progresses."

So I think as many of as would care to should get ahold of this book and read it in the next couple of weeks. Then we can have a great comparison of reviews on our very own litte blog. Is anybody out there...hello?

author: Laura Childs

book: Death by Darjeeling (Tea Shop Mysteries)

genre: amateur murder mystery

What's Up With You Taquandra Fu?

This was such a cute book. I got it at the library because it looked silly and fun. It's about a weird little girl named Taquandra Fu who wears boots made of raisins and a hat of stained glass. Everyone always asks her "what's up with you taquandra fu?" because she's so odd. She finally gets sick of it and decides to be like everyone else who is cool. The great part of this book is that it had a fantastic message - Taquandra realizes that it's no fun being cool if you don't get to be yourself.
Kids will relate to this book because Taquandra feels very real emotions and talks about how moms and dads have to say their kids are perfect. It's only by herself that she realizes she is perfect just the way she is.

Hello, August

I'm hoping that the reason none of us have been posting is because we've all been reading and/or processing Harry Potter 7. I know I have been!

I did finally pick up another book though, and it was a fun light read, even though it dealt with some very important issues. It's called The Cupid Chronicles and is the sequel to The Wedding Planner's Daughter (see previous posts for a review). I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, so I was really excited when this new one came out. And I wasn't disappointed! Hooray!

Willa (the main character) is turning 14, and dealing with all sorts of teenage things, including the fact that her crush JFK (not the president) is back in town and maybe (possibly sort of?) likes her too. She finds out she has bigger fish to fry though when the town library announces that the bank is foreclosing on it. Her favorite place in the world is going to be gone for good, and Willa can't stand it. She decides to lead some fun-raisers and earn the money to pay off the loan so the library can keep it's doors open. Add into this mix her best friend Tina's new compatibility quiz and Willa's belief in Cupid, and you get a fun filled romance that's an easy quick read. Go check it out, and if your library doesn't have it, request it. I did and mine got it! Hooray!

Okay, lets hear what you think!

I was waiting to see if anyone else was going to post this, but I think it is time. I don't want to post any spoilers, just in case you haven't read it yet....so add what you think to the comments.

(Note: I -Sarah- am the one on the left. My good friend Hanne is on the right. This was taken by a kind strangers as we waited in line at Walmart during the midnight release)

Betsy Brannon Green

I have been on a bit of a reading binge the past few days. I finished 5 books in 5 1/2 days and am somewhat exhausted :)! Anyway, I enjoyed reading Hearts in Hiding, Until Proven Guilty, Foul Play, and Double Cross by Betsy Brannon Green and Stargirl by Jerry Spinella (different post)

The books by Ms. Green were easy to read, based on LDS characters, with a little romance and suspense...what more to ask for, right?
I actually enjoyed all of them, but my least favorite was by far, Foul Play. I can't really decide my favorite, but Until Proven Guilty and Hearts in Hiding were in the running.

Here's a synopsis about each one from the site: http://betsybrannongreen.net/_wsn/page3.html

Hearts in Hiding (May 2001) Pregnant, widowed and working at a job she hates, Kate Singleton doesn't think things can get worse. Then she finds out that the people who killed her husband are now trying to kill her. She is put in the FBI's witness protection program and Mark Iverson, an FBI agent, is assigned to protect her. They are married in name only and move to the small Georgia town of Haggerty where they are nearly smothered with Southern hospitality.

Mark Iverson is a Mormon bishop--and an FBI agent. He has just received a new assignment--working a covert operation in which he is to rescue a young woman from a powerful drug lord. However, once Mark arrive in Colombia, it doesn't take him long to realize that he has not been told the complete truth about his dangerous mission.

He soon realizes that his wife and children may well be in great danger. Now, despite chilling odds and overwhelming obstacles, Mark and his wife, Kate, must mount an offensive against unrelenting treachery and deceit.

Until Proven Guilty (August 2002) Beth Middleton is hired to observe the home situation of a high profile lawyer named Jack Gamble, who lives in Haggerty. Jack is an inactive member of the Church, divorced and embroiled in a controversial murder trial. His parents have complained to a family court judge that he is neglecting his 5 year-old daughter, Chloe. Then witnesses disappear, the district attorney is kidnapped and soon Beth's own life is in danger.

Foul Play (May 2004) Billie Murphy is a PR rep for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce by day and a formula fiction writer by night. Some Salt Lake businessmen are coming to Atlanta to look for a site to build a paper plant. Since Billie is LDS, she's assigned to lead them on the tour. During the course of the tour she finds out that the new Global Football League is a scam and from that point on - people are trying to kill her.

Book Two of the Dragons

Eldest is the sequel to Eragon and the second book in the "Inheritance Trilogy." It was a really great book (just like Eragon) and I am excited for the third volume to come out. Eldest begins where Eragon left off. They've just finished a huge battle and Eragon is injured. He and his dragon Saphira travel to the home of the elves so he can complete his training as a Dragon Rider. It is here in the elven capital of Ellesmera that Eragon is changed forever, both physically and mentally. The book also gives us insight into Eragon's cousin Roran's life, who was left behind in their home of Carvahall to pick up the pieces of the life that was ruined when Eragon was forced to flee. Now terrible creatures have come for Roran to get information about Eragon, and although Roran doesn't know anything, that doesn't stop them from wreaking havoc on the whole village. Roran is forced to take drastic measures and begin his own quest for answers and a life without oppression from the Empire.

This was a great book that answers a lot of questions that Eragon left (the biggest being what happened to Roran). The ending will surprise you and you'll be just as anxious for the third volume of the inheritance trilogy. :)

Hiccup the Seasick Viking

So, kind of continuing on with the pirate theme. . .I bring you Hiccup the Viking! This is a hilarious little book along the lines of Click, Clack, Moo where the kids like the story but there are some little jokes that only adults will understand. In the book, Hiccup is afraid to go to sea with his father Stoick the Vast for the first time, but eventually learns that it's ok to be afraid sometime. Two thumbs up!

StarGirl

Ok thanks to Bethany, I finally read this book. She was going to join and post it herself, but I think she got real busy, so I'll post this one for her. She said, "This one should be required reading for every teenager and every parent of any age child. I read it about once a year for the last 5-6 years." I have to agree with her. it should totally be required because it is something every teenager can relate with.
Stargirl Caraway arrives at Mica High School in AZ after having been home schooled all her life. She wears pioneer dresses and kimonos to school, strums her ukulele and sings happy birthday to people in the school cafeteria, and cheers for the other team along with her own.
Amazon says, "The whole school, not exactly a 'hotbed of nonconformity,' is stunned by her, including our 16-year-old narrator Leo Borlock: 'She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl.'" Leo tells us that the whole school tries to label her or pin her down to a code of behavior like everyone else, but nothing sticks. She seems impervious to their shock and confusion. Leo finds himself hopelessly in love with her, and when the school suddenly turns on her, Leo urges her to become "the very thing that will destroy her: normal."
This was a fantastic story about popularity, nonconformity, and teenage life in general. It's a must read, particularly for any tweens or teens.

Beauty

Well I've done it. I read ONE book during all 6 weeks of maternity leave. Yes, it is pathetic...but at least I got one in. My sister, Maren, fished reading this book while visiting me last week & left it for me to read. She said she was going to post about it, but I think she is much to busy trying to finish building their new home. I've heard that it is a favorite of my other sisters, Abby & Ellen, and that it may be my mother's book, so I looking forward to hearing what you all think. Come on, I know you've read it so we can actually talk about this one.

When I googled the book, to get a picture of it, I ran across the site below &, although I haven't read any other of McKinley's books, I couldn't agree with the comment more. I know that my sisters may disagree, but I found it to be quite predictable - maybe even dull. I was looking for a different spin on the classic story line, but pondering this I think I might have read this book as a teen. Which could account for it seeming so transparent to me. Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Happy reading,
Sarah

Found at: http://www.rambles.net/mckinley_beauty.html

Retelling old fairy tales with new twists seems to be one of the most lucrative writing ventures available at present. And while nothing can substitute for good writing, the success of Terri Windling's Fairy Tale series proves that the market is out there. Robin McKinley must have realized this years ago, as shown by her first novel, Beauty, a retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast. While the novel is well-written and fleshed out, there was nothing in it that shed new light on the story of a young woman kept in the Beast's castle until she agrees to marry him.

McKinley does, however, stray from the original fairy tale portrait of Beauty. In this version, Beauty was born the youngest of three sisters, respectively named Grace, Hope and Honour. At an early age, though, Beauty's precociousness earns her the nickname "Beauty," which sticks despite its apparent inappropriateness. Beauty would prefer reading Greek tragedies and riding horses to courting beaus, which helps her adjust to her new lifestyle once her father's merchant business goes under and the family is forced to move to the country. From here, of course, McKinley's tale follows the original, with few additions or embellishments.

Despite McKinley's adherence to the original story, Beauty is full of evocative descriptions and interesting tidbits. One of my favorites, however, was also one of the things that slightly irritated me about the novel. The Beast's library, full of magic, possessed thousands of books that hadn't even been written yet. But Beauty's penchant for King Arthur legends and Spenser's Fairy Queene seemed like too much an intrusion of the author's preferences.

The relationships among Beauty and her sisters and father are well-developed and believable, and the story, told from Beauty's point of view, possesses a strong narrative voice. Despite these characteristics, Beauty doesn't possess the originality of McKinley's second retelling of the original tale, Rose Daughter. Readers who are looking for retellings of fairy tales might want to read Beauty, especially if they are fans of McKinley's work, but her later attempts (Rose Daughter and Deerskin, to name a couple) deserve more attention.

[ by Audrey M. Clark ]

I read a few books this week...

I don’t know how many of you have read this book or seen the movie. Both have been out for a little while, but I thought it was worth blogging about. First of all, Eragon is a fantasy novel. I’d put it right in between Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. It was written by Christopher Paolini when he was 17 years old (he started it when he was 15). The book is the first in a trilogy. The second book (Eldest) is out as well.

Eragon is a farm boy in the land of Alagaesia. He discovers a beautiful large blue stone and soon discovers it’s actually a dragon egg. The egg hatches and the dragon inside (Saphira) becomes his best friend. An old friend in the village tells him stories of a glorious age in the old days when the Dragon Riders ruled instead of the evil king Galbatorix. Eragon soon finds himself training to be a Dragon Rider and engaged in a quest to rid his world of evil. But he can never understand how far that quest will take him, or what he will encounter along the way.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to start the second one. I definitely like Harry Potter better, but I really was impressed by the imagination and writing of such a young author. Check it out and share your thoughts here.



Title: Eragon
Author: Christopher Paolini
Type: Fantasy


The Penderwicks was a fun tale about 4 sisters on summer vacation with their father. Although the story is set in the modern era (there are laptops and cars), it evokes the feelings of an older more classic tale such as The Secret Garden or something. It was extremely easy to read and fun. I’m excited for the next ones to come out (there are supposed to be 5 in all on the Penderwick sisters).
The Penderwick sisters and their father rent a small cottage for their summer vacation. When they arrive however, they realize the cottage is on the estate of a mansion with a very snooty owner. The owner’s son however soon becomes their accomplice as they engage in good-hearted mischief and fun.
The girls have a strong sense of virtue, honor and caring for one another, and their polar opposite personalities make the book truly fun to read. Anyone can identify with at least one of the Penderwick characters. This was a fun summer read.

Title: The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
Author: Jeanne Birdsall
Type: Young Adult Fiction




This was a fun twist on a fairly classic tale. A king offers his daughter’s hang in marriage and half the kingdom to whichever prince can slay the dragon, cast out the witch, defeat the bandits, and rescue the princess from her tower. We’ve all heard that part. Here’s the new stuff. Princess Meg is furious with her father for locking her up in the tower and refuses to be a part of such a stupid competition. She’s not into swooning over all those boys that have come to win her heart. She thinks they’re ridiculous and she’d much rather be out chasing frogs than doing embroidery or planning her wedding. She decides to take matters into her own hands and, with the help of a few friends, escapes the tower and goes to rescue the dragon and warn the witch. Along the way she makes some unusual friends and together they have brilliant adventures together. Another fun easy read.

Title: The Runaway Princess
Author: Kate Coombs
Type: Young Adult/Children’s Fantasy



I saw this title in the book orders and immediately wanted to read it. Willafred is the daughter of one of the most talented wedding planners in the country. Sound glamorous? It’s not. Willa’s not allowed in the shop or near the weddings because her mom doesn’t want her to lose focus on her studies. But she’s only 13! Willa’s sick of the rules and she wants her mom to stop moving around and plan her own wedding so that Willa can have a father. When Willa makes a big mistake though, she’s sure that all the progress her mom has made is gone for good. But is it?

This was a cute tale of tween life and the battles we all faced. Willa is the underdog in all of us and the book is short and sweet. A happy ending with a bit of romance laced through the story of a mother and daughter growing closer together. (Abby B, you’d like it).

Title: The Wedding Planner’s Daughter
Author: Coleen Murtagh Paratore
Type: Young Adult Fiction

The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands

Ok, so I've read this book 3 times already, but I still love it. It talks about the ways that we as women sabatoge our relationships with our sweet hubbys without even realizing it. It totally debunks "feminism" and the self-righteous attitudes that we as women seem to adopt, and teaches us a little responsibility and accountability for our marriages. I highly recomend this to anyone!

Great Book...

Wow, this was an awesome book. No seriously, I really loved it.

I found it on a Borders book pic list and thought it looked really interesting. So I got it from the library and started reading it. I was wary of bad language and scenes, but was very pleased to find that it was clean! I think there were 1 or 2 swear words in the book and it mentioned a couple of issues (such as an incestuous relationship) but it never went into detail. I totally appreciated the fact that the author just let the reader figure it out instead of feeling the need to give specifics.

Quick summary, the book is about the most popular author of the day and what a fantastic storyteller she is. She’s so good in fact, that she has never told the truth of her childhood to interviewers, only made up stories. She is now old and ill and wants to tell her real story. She summons a young biographer to live with her while she tells the story. You get to know both the author and the biographer, and you find similarities to the two as the book progresses.

It’s a great story about life, love, and loss. Because the author is telling the story, it is very rich and colorful (not the language, just the imagery) and I found it really tough to put down. I hope you enjoy it!

Title: The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Type: Adult Fiction

Vampires? Really??

Okay so I think it's time to add my feelings about "Twilight" to this blog. A good friend of mine recommended it to me. She said that I wouldn't be able to put it down. That I'd be up at 2 in the morning because I wouldn't be able to stop. So I got it. And read it. She was partly right, I did enjoy it. But I caught myself thinking, "Why do I like this book? It would NEVER happen." Yet, I couldn't put it down. And now, here I am writing a blog about it. It's a very quick and easy read and it'll for sure put you back in high school. And now that I'm done with it, I really want to read the follow-up book, "New Moon".

So if you're looking for a fun fiction to take to the pool this summer, I highly recommend "Twilight".

Title: Twilight
Author: Stephenie Meyer
$8.00 at your local Barnes and Noble

Night Pirates (Again)

Guys The Night Pirates (see below) is in the June book orders! YAY!!!!! What a great day!

Fairest

I saw this one in the book order months ago. It caught my eye because it was the newest book by Gail Carson Levine – author of Ella Enchanted and The Two Princesses of Bamarre. I liked Ella (different than Just Ella which I have heard was terrible) and loved Bamarre, so I was excited to read this one. I must admit, it wasn’t as good as Bamarre, but it was a great story.

It takes place at the same time as Ella Enchanted and the main character in this story is the older sister of Ella’s best friend Areida. She’s definitely not the “fairest” in the land, so when a magic mirror falls into her hands that shows her how she could be “beautiful,” things go all wrong.

It had a great message about love and self worth and was genuinely fun to read. If you haven’t caught the other two listed above, read those also since they are feel good, fun to read books with a dash of good clean romance thrown in.

Title: Fairest
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Type: YA Fantasy

Half Magic

I saw this book in the May book orders with the following synopsis: “A magical coin grants four cousins half wishes! Funny story!” It looked hilarious and sort of like something I would have read as a kid (sort of a cross between E. Nesbit and Roald Dahl), so I got it from the library. It was a quick read and very much what I expected. Four siblings (not cousins – oops for Scholastic) find a magic charm and when they make wishes, half of the wish comes true. It was funny and easy to read. It was one that you would read for the sheer pleasure of reading, not to learn anything (other than how to wish correctly if you had such a charm). It really took me back to books I read as a kid, so that was also fun. I would recommend this one for anyone who wants a fun quick read that doesn’t require any emotional involvement.

Title: Half Magic
Author: Edward Eager
Type: Child Fiction chapter book

Pride and Prejudice

So, many years ago (four to be exact!), I was introduced to Pride and Prejudice by Devony. We were spending a summer in St. Louis, MO while our husbands slaved away working summer sales for APEX. To set the background, I was pregnant and VERY sick and didn't want to do much. One day, Devony mentioned that she had rented Pride and Prejudice and invited me over to watch it with her...needless to say, I was hooked!

Fast forward to present...and still I had never read the book--until this past week. Our ward has a monthly book club and they picked this one...Thank goodness I indulged and read it!! I love it.

For those of you that have never read this book--do it! I got the version with annotations, so that if there were 1700-1800 British lingo that I didn't quite understand, I just flipped to the back.

Here is a quick synopsis of the book from Amazon.com:

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
Next to the exhortation at the beginning of Moby-Dick, "Call me Ishmael," the first sentence of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice must be among the most quoted in literature. And certainly what Melville did for whaling Austen does for marriage--tracing the intricacies (not to mention the economics) of 19th-century British mating rituals with a sure hand and an unblinking eye. As usual, Austen trains her sights on a country village and a few families--in this case, the Bennets, the Philips, and the Lucases. Into their midst comes Mr. Bingley, a single man of good fortune, and his friend, Mr. Darcy, who is even richer. Mrs. Bennet, who married above her station, sees their arrival as an opportunity to marry off at least one of her five daughters. Bingley is complaisant and easily charmed by the eldest Bennet girl, Jane; Darcy, however, is harder to please. Put off by Mrs. Bennet's vulgarity and the untoward behavior of the three younger daughters, he is unable to see the true worth of the older girls, Jane and Elizabeth. His excessive pride offends Lizzy, who is more than willing to believe the worst that other people have to say of him; when George Wickham, a soldier stationed in the village, does indeed have a discreditable tale to tell, his words fall on fertile ground. "

Mrs Wishy-Washy's Farm

We Just checked this book out from the library a week ago, and Connor absolutely loves it. It's a very cute book about animals who run away to the city because they don't like their baths, but end up missing home. There are more "Mrs Wishy-Washy" books, so we'll definately be checking those out soon!

Sorry I'm such a slacker.

I'm sorry I've been such a slacker with posting! Here are three books that my three year old can't get enough of! He even has the first book (Kiss Kiss!) memorized. Enjoy!

This cute book is about a baby hippo that is in such a hurry to go play that he forgets to give his mama a kiss. He does finally remember and then can't find his mother. It's a fun book with a repetitive theme. Very fun to read.

Title: Kiss Kiss!
Author: Margaret Wild and Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Scholastic Books

Although my son says, "Is your mama a GLAMMA", he loves to read this book! It's cleverly written with rhymes, which makes it easy to read "together" (Gavin likes to finish the sentences for me). It has a cute ending as well!
Title: Is your Mama a Llama?
Author: Deborah Guarino
Illustrated by: Steven Kellogg
Scholastic Books

My mom use to read this book to me when I was little. It's a classic Sesame Street book. Grover is such a goofy character. It's fun to see how he trys to stop you from turning another page. If you read it with fun enthusiasm, it's even more enjoyable!

Title: The Monster at the end of this Book.
Author: Jon Stone
Illustrated by: Michael Smollin
A Little Golden Book

The Book of the Dead

Ok I'm really not into the whole murder mystery stories, but I liked the Dan Brown books, and this one dealt with Egyptology a bit (plus it was recommended by a friend), so I decided to give it a shot.

Apparently it's part of a trilogy (the last in the trilogy) but it also works as a stand alone novel. It was very intriguing and suspensful (sometimes downright creepy!) and had a pretty darn good storyline. The one thing I really didn't like was that it had some really bad language thrown in (mostly in the prison chapters). There were probably about 6 or 7 f bombs in the book, which ticked me off. For this reason alone, I wouldn't read another one of their books, but if you can look past that, they write a good story.

Title: The Book of the Dead (not the original Egyptian one)

Authors: Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (how coincidental that they have these first name. Don't you think Ellen?)

Type: Adult Fiction, murder mystery

The Best Pirate Book Ever

Ok we've all read Pirateology and How I Became a Pirate (or if you haven't you probably should), but this is absolutely the BEST pirate book I have ever read. It is a book for young kids (Jordan I can totally see Gavin eating this up. Maren, same for Bailey for some reason) but it so darling, anyone should enjoy it. And guess what one of the best parts about this book is - Most of the pirates are... GIRLS!!! Little girls that are rough and tough pirates! It's too cute. Even when they meet up with the grown up pirates, the worst curse the pirate captain can yell to the girls is "If you don't give me back my treasure, I'll tell my Mommy!"

This is an adorable book (with fantastic illustrations) that I will be adding to my collection ASAP! Get it!


Title: The Night Pirates
Author: Peter Harris
Illustrator: Deborah Allwright
Type: Picture Book

John Rosemond

A great find for all parents! My mother showed me this book when I was having a tough time with my olderst (5). She had used it when we were kids...so it is a little dated (sorry mom), but all the principals still apply! John Rosemond is a family phycologist & father, but his theories are derived from the latter. He gives parents the permission to say "No" to make rules, and to expect more from your kids. His 6 point plan is all about putting your marriage first, then helping your kids gain independence so they can leave the home capable and healthy. Take a look, he has a lot of great "ah-ha" things to say.

Too cute

This book is just too cute guys. It's about a mother duck who hatches all the eggs in her nest. One of them is actually a crocodile named Guji Guji. He does everything a duck does and grows up thinking he is a duck. Later on when he meets some big bad crocodiles that want to eat his family for dinner, it's up to him to choose who to be loyal to. Guji Guji will be your favorite crocoduck ever!

Author: Chih-Yuan Chen
Title: Guji Guji
Type: Children's Book

Sorry!!

I don't have any idea why Jake's celebrity collage ended up here instead of on my blog where I was trying to send it. I guess that's just technology for you!!

Abby

Hannah's Hope by Karen Kingsbury

This was a short, easy to read book--I finished it in a few hours.

This is the first book I have read by Karen Kingsbury, but apparently she has several in her Red Glove series.

The jist of this book is that a 15-year old, Hannah, finds out that her distant politician father isn't really her father at all. After finding this out, she recalls in her early memories a different man that was her best friend and had time for her. With Christmas near, she tries to find her real father, so she can have her Christmas wish.

I thought it had a pretty good message. Let me know what you think!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

I finished this book a few weeks ago, for my ward book club. It was a very well written book about the Chinese culture in the 19th century. It describes how women were treated back then, including those that were bonded by lifelong, intimate friends (laotong, or "old sames"). Lily and Snow Flower, the main characters, go through so much together....

The following is an excerpt from a review:

...their imprisonment by rigid codes of conduct for women and their betrayal by pride and love. While granting immediacy to Lily's voice, Lisa See (Flower Net) adroitly transmits historical background in graceful prose. Her in-depth research into women's ceremonies and duties in China's rural interior brings fascinating revelations about arranged marriages, women's inferior status in both their natal and married homes, and the Confucian proverbs and myriad superstitions that informed daily life. Beginning with a detailed and heartbreaking description of Lily and her sisters' foot binding ("Only through pain will you have beauty. Only through suffering will you have peace"), the story widens to a vivid portrait of family and village life. Most impressive is See's incorporation of nu shu, a secret written phonetic code among women here between Lily and Snow Flower that dates back 1,000 years in the southwestern Hunan province ("My writing is soaked with the tears of my heart,/ An invisible rebellion that no man can see"). As both a suspenseful and poignant story and an absorbing historical chronicle, this novel has bestseller potential and should become a reading group favorite as well."

We had a great time reading it and it's a great conversational piece. Let me know what you think!

New Member

I wanted to introduce you all to Katie since she is joining our book club blog! Katie was raised outside of Chicago, married Luke (from St. Anthony, ID), lived in Rexburg while going to school (moved to St. Louis when we went in 2003), and is currently living in Kansas City, Kansas. Along with half the other people we know! Who knew it was so popular? Katie and Luke were in our first married student ward in Rexburg, so we've known them for about 6 years. Katie and Luke have 2 kids - Livi is 3 and Spencer is 11 months I think. Almost 1 basically. Katie like mystery books among many other types, and has been known to be a tad bit competitive (Settlers? Monopoly?). Welcome Katie! Now why hasn't anyone been posting?

Where have all the bloggers gone?

We (myself included) have all been mightily remiss in blogging. I thought I'd start off with a really cute one on Adoption (I've been snatching up every adoption book I could find - it's hard to get good ones!). This one is a cute one that I found at our library called "A Mother for Choco." It's about this funny little bird who is looking for a mommy and all of the other animals he meets tell him they can't be his mother because they don't look like him. Finally he meets a big momma bear who shows him that mommies hug, kiss, and love their babies. Because she can do that just as well as anyone, she offers to be his mommy and he gets to meet his new brothers and sisters, - a hippo, an alligator, and a pig. It's a really cute story that gets to the heart of adoption.

This other one is one that I must add because it is the best adoption book I have ever read. If you know anyone that was adopted or is adopting, they need this book (Thank you Adrianne for getting it for me). It's about this cute little girl asking her parents to tell her about her adoption again. It's got a special place in my heart because it's the first adoption book I ever read and is one of the only ones about domestic adoptions, but it also has the sweetest message and makes adoption seem very normal and wonderful. After we got news of our placement, I realized this is basically what our experience will be like, so you'll all have to read it! The illustrations are adorable and Jamie Lee Curtis keeps it fun and engaging. This is a must have.

Title: A Mother for Choco

Author: Keiko Kasza

Type: Children's Picture Book

Title: Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born

Author: Jamie Lee Curtis

Type: Children's Picture Book

Welcome Brittany

I just wanted to introduce everyone to Brittany.

Hi Brittany.

Brittany is a native Coloradan (she grew up a stone's throw away from the Denver temple, although I'm pretty sure she never actually threw any stones at it, so don't worry.) although she currently lives in Woods Cross, UT. (Abby B you guys should get together.) Brit loves crafts, especially quilting, stamping, card making, and crocheting blanket edges. She and her husband Shawn bought a house last August which they are having fun personalizing. She enjoys reading church books and relationship type books (did you notice?) and has a degree in Sociology.

Angels & Demons

Ok I know that Angels & Demons was written before the DaVinci Code, but did any one else feel like they had a very similar storyline? I was surprised that he could write 2 novels so similar to each other (old guy dies right at the first, young female relative helps Langdon on the case, a secret Brotherhood all of a sudden rises up and people start killing, they have to look to the masters (DaVinci, Galileo, Bernini) for the answers, etc.

Don't get me wrong - I really found both books interesting (I liked the DaVinci Code more since I read it first). I was just surprised that Dan Brown could have sold so many copies of these books when they are so similar.

For anyone that has not read these books or seen the movie, Robert Langdon is a symbologist (he studies ancient symbols and their meanings). He is called in to help solve a murder case when mysterious symbols are found on or around the bodies of the victims. They are definitely mystery novels and will keep you going, but you may not want to read certain parts at night, particularly in Angels & Demons since Brown gets pretty graphic at times.

I did enjoy reading the illustrated version of Angels & Demons since Brown sometimes references obscure or unseen things and places. They're definitely worth reading, although if you only want to read one, I'd personally suggest the DaVinci Code.

Title: Angels & Demons

Author: Dan Brown

Type: Adult Fiction/Mystery

One of My Favorites

So, this is another book that you can not judge by the title. The book is called "Strangling Your Husband is NOT an Option: A Practical Guide to Dramatically Improving Your Marriage" by Merrilee Browne Boyack. I LOVE this book. I read it in a day and I usually take a few months to get through a book. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is married or in a serious relationship. Merrilee goes through some of the common problems that people have in marriage and has a very humorous way to solve them. On of my favorite stories that she tells is about the time that she decided they needed to have date night. They had several kids and busy lives but she decided it was important. So, being a good wife she told her husband, scheduled a babysitter, and got all dressed up. Well, after she got home with the babysitter she went to the den to get her husband and he told her that he didn't want to do....he just didn't feel like it. Well, she said, ok and left. She went out to dinner and shopping. She came home and took the babysitter home. Well, later that night he asked how her evening was and she told him great! No guilt. Well, next week she thought that there would be no more misunderstandings and so she lined up another babysitter. Well, he did it again! So, again she went out and had a great time by herself and came home relaxed. That was the last time her husband did that...or ever tried to skip date night! Goes to show you that you just have to take action when you want something done and people will come around. She has so many other great stories and insights like that.

Our First Dud

I hate to be the one to do this, but here is our first dud book. I picked this up at the library (it's a series a little like the American Girl books except theres a girl in every different culture/country instead of just time periods of American History). I started reading it and almost immediately knew it was going to be bad, but I tried to stick it out for a while.

Unfortunately, it didn't get better. The language used is simple and choppy. It sounds like a 7 or 8 year old wrote the book, even though it is supposed to be for mid teens (I think the girl in the book is 16 actually).

I think this may be one of the only books I've ever started and not finished because it was so bad. It might be ok for an 8-10 year old, but that's about it!

To be fair, I didn't read far enough into it to see if the plot was any good, but the language was not good enough for someone who has read GOOD literature.

Anyone else read this or another book in the series? Do you disagree? I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

Title: Lady of Ch'iao Kuo: Red Bird of the South

Author: Laurence Yep

Type: YA Fiction

Plot: Unknown, but set in Early AD China when the tribes are all at war.