Andrea's Bookclub

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

2011-07-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

This book is great. I loved it. I laughed out loud several times, stayed up until unholy hours finishing it and find myself thinking of the characters all morning (this is always a sign of a really good book in my opinion). However, I must say I almost quit the thing. I started it and maybe I am shallow but was really disturbed by the ages of the main characters. They are old widow/widowers and it really was hard for me to get past the idea the love interests in a book need to be young and fresh. (don't judge me and my shallow ways)

However, this book was a gem. I loved the message - clever writing -dry humor- and most of all I loved that these characters had the depth and story that can only come from someone a little more seasoned. This book made be detest obnoxious whippersnappers like myself and excited for the golden years when things really start to get fun!!

From Publishers Weekly:

In her charming debut novel, Simonson tells the tale of Maj. Ernest Pettigrew, an honor-bound Englishman and widower, and the very embodiment of duty and pride. As the novel opens, the major is mourning the loss of his younger brother, Bertie, and attempting to get his hands on Bertie's antique Churchill shotgun—part of a set that the boys' father split between them, but which Bertie's widow doesn't want to hand over. While the major is eager to reunite the pair for tradition's sake, his son, Roger, has plans to sell the heirloom set to a collector for a tidy sum. As he frets over the guns, the major's friendship with Jasmina Ali—the Pakistani widow of the local food shop owner—takes a turn unexpected by the major (but not by readers). The author's dense, descriptive prose wraps around the reader like a comforting cloak, eventually taking on true page-turner urgency as Simonson nudges the major and Jasmina further along and dangles possibilities about the fate of the major's beloved firearms. This is a vastly enjoyable traipse through the English countryside and the long-held traditions of the British aristocracy.

The Distant Hours

2011-07-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

I read "The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton a few years ago and really liked it. And so....last Thanksgiving when I was stuck in an airport with nothing to read I bought this. And it took me months to finish. Not because its too long - because long doesn't slow me down....I mean, this is the girl who read Harry Potter 7 in 24 hours. If I want to finish something I will (even if that means I do is sans shower or food). This book just took me FOREVER to really get into. Its a book with a whole lot of talking/wondering/thinking/pondering/ruminating/dreaming/meditating....you get the point and not a whole lot of action.
However, it is a very good book. A beautifully written book. Just not one that you should expect a lot of quick answers and movement. If you go into it with that in mind - I think the time put into it pays off greatly at the end with a very satisfying twist ending and a lot of mysteries solved.

From Publishers Weekly:
A letter posted in 1941 finally reaches its destination in 1992 with powerful repercussions for Edie Burchill, a London book editor, in this enthralling romantic thriller from Australian author Morton (The Forgotten Garden). At crumbling Milderhurst Castle live elderly twins Persephone and Seraphina and their younger half-sister, Juniper, the three eccentric spinster daughters of the late Raymond Blythe, author of The True History of the Mud Man, a children's classic Edie adores. Juniper addressed the letter to Meredith, Edie's mother, then a young teen evacuated to Milderhurst during the Blitz. Edie, who's later invited to write an introduction to a reprint of Raymond's masterpiece, visits the seedily alluring castle in search of answers. Why was her mother so shattered by the contents of a letter sent 51 years earlier? And what happened to soldier Thomas Cavill, Juniper's long-missing fiancé and Meredith's former teacher? Despite the many competing narratives, the answers will stun readers.

I Am The Messenger

2011-07-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak

This book is written by the author of "The Book Thief", a book I absolutely adored. So now we are 2 for 2. I am really starting to love this guy. I think his books are smart, unique, and beautifully written. I loved this book - it was a page turner that I found myself immediately mesmerized by it.(which has been rare lately - I find myself having such a hard time getting into most books I pick up...)
I don't want to say too much - but I would love for anyone who has read it to make a comment on what you thought of the ending...
Here is the overview The School Library Journal:
Nineteen-year-old cabbie Ed Kennedy has little in life to be proud of: his dad died of alcoholism, and he and his mom have few prospects for success. He has little to do except share a run-down apartment with his faithful yet smelly dog, drive his taxi, and play cards and drink with his amiable yet similarly washed-up friends. Then, after he stops a bank robbery, Ed begins receiving anonymous messages marked in code on playing cards in the mail, and almost immediately his life begins to swerve off its beaten-down path. Usually the messages instruct him to be at a certain address at a certain time. So with nothing to lose, Ed embarks on a series of missions as random as a toss of dice: sometimes daredevil, sometimes heartwarmingly safe. He rescues a woman from nightly rape by her husband. He brings a congregation to an abandoned parish. The ease with which he achieves results vacillates between facile and dangerous, and Ed's search for meaning drives him to complete every task. But the true driving force behind the novel itself is readers' knowledge that behind every turn looms the unknown presence - either good or evil - of the person or persons sending the messages. Zusak's characters, styling, and conversations are believably unpretentious, well conceived, and appropriately raw. Together, these key elements fuse into an enigmatically dark, almost film-noir atmosphere where unknowingly lost Ed Kennedy stumbles onto a mystery - or series of mysteries - that could very well make or break his life.

Something Blue

2011-07-11T21:23:00.000-07:00

Something Blue by Emily Griffin

So if you read my previous review you would know that I didn't like "Something Borrowed". I mean, really, really really, didn't like it. So it is a bit shocking that I actually read the second book in the series "Something Blue". I am not sure why I did considering I disliked the first so much. But I think that it left such a bad taste in my mouth I wanted to see some better resolution with the characters.
And I am glad I did. I actually really liked this book.
This book is from the point of view of Darcy - the really unlikeable, self-centered, scorned woman from Something Borrowed. In this book you got to see the "magic" really happen. You see her pick up the pieces of her life and really watch her change. Recognize her faults (and there were many of them) and really start to transform herself.
This is a book I would recommend. And one that you can read independent of the first without losing any understanding needed for the plot and story.

Something Borrowed

2011-07-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin

I had high hopes for this one. I saw the movie previews and they looked charming. And I was on a break from school and wanted to read something light and fun and that would require very few brain cells. Well, I was completely disappointed. Although it did live up to the very few brain cells part :)
I didn't like it. Not really at all. I did read the whole thing. And there were a few suspenseful parts. But I hated the premise. And maybe its due to my personal story - but I just couldn't like two main characters that cheated on and lied to their partners and best friends. No matter their reasons. No matter how annoying and terrible the best friends/ partners are. I mean, break up....end the relationship...get a spine!! Okay, as you can tell I am getting all red faced and angry...probably better end this review. I didn't like it. Wouldn't recommend it. The End.

PS. I did read the second book in the series (Something Blue) and surprisingly really liked that one...

A Place of Yes

2011-07-11T21:02:00.001-07:00

Do not ask me why I bought this. I am embarrassed to even post this. I am not sure why I am. But I did read it. I mean, no disrespect to Bethenny Frankel - I just never thought I would be the girl who bought books by reality stars. But I had heard there was great dating advice and career advice in this book...and as a single (and not so successfully single) woman I am ALWAYS looking for good dating advice. So I bought the book (in my defense it was really cheap and on sale....rationalization at its best).

And. I. Liked. It.

Okay, I admit it. I actually liked it. I mean, this book is no "Grapes of Wrath." It's not something that will be read by English classes in 200 years...but it was a good pool read. And I did learn a few good things. And it is a good book not just for single-looking-for-love-women. It has a lot of good perseverance and endurance and believe in yourself information in here. So. If you are looking for a quick/easy/motivational read....check this one out

Heaven Is For Real

2011-05-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

Heaven Is For Real
By Todd Burpo

I have absolutely been loving my vacation from school. I have been reading at the pool, any free moment I have during the day and into the wee hours of the morning. And it is wonderful. I love getting to read what I want for fun instead of cramming in hundreds of pages of text books. So I have a few book reviews I will be posting today and in the very near future.

This book is the account of a 4 year old boy who dies during an emergency surgery and then later recalls what his experience in "heaven" was like. I have always been fascinated with "Near Death Experiences." I have read a few over the years - some seemingly pure and some not so much...

This book was a quick read - I read it in one evening and it was a fascinating account of heaven from a little child's perspective. I would love to discuss this with someone...so if you've read it pipe up!!
What did you think? Was there anything that you believed? Didn't believe?

Overall, days later I am still thinking about it...which is a telltale sign for me that it was a worthwhile read. I hope you hurry up and read it so we can discuss!!

Amazon Description:

Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.

Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.

Unearthly

2011-05-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

Unearthly, by Cynthia Hand, came recommended by a high school English teacher, who said the teenage girls would like it. We got it in at school and I had several students read it, getting their reactions. They all loved it. This meant I should probably see what it was all about. If you were a fan of Twilight (it was okay), you will enjoy this. One of the enjoyable parts is that the bulk of the story takes place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They even venture into Idaho to shop at the Grand Teton Mall. I am not a fast reader, but made it through in a day, as it's a quick read, big print, fast moving story, lots of white space. Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on the earth to do. Figuring out what that is though isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place at the same time, because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side (Okay similar to the Twilight love triangle). \

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understand, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil.

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following you heart. This is just book one of a trilogy.

The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society

2011-01-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The title scared me. It sounded kind weird/ flimsy/ too girlie for my tastes. But it had great reviews and I am a sucker for reviews. So..I read it and I loved it. The entire story is told through a series of letters. The story takes place in the aftermath of World War II. I loved the people of Guernsey, the history, the love stories and I found myself hungry for more when the book ended. I highly recommend this one!

From Publisher's Weekly
The letters comprising this small charming novel begin in 1946, when single, 30-something author Juliet Ashton writes to her publisher to say she is tired of covering the sunny side of war and its aftermath. When Guernsey farmer Dawsey Adams finds Juliet's name in a used book and invites articulate—and not-so-articulate—neighbors to write Juliet with their stories, the book's epistolary circle widens, putting Juliet back in the path of war stories. The occasionally contrived letters jump from incident to incident—including the formation of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society while Guernsey was under German occupation—and person to person in a manner that feels disjointed. But Juliet's quips are so clever, the Guernsey inhabitants so enchanting and the small acts of heroism so vivid and moving that one forgives the authors (Shaffer died earlier this year) for not being able to settle on a single person or plot. Juliet finds in the letters not just inspiration for her next work, but also for her life—as will readers.

Quote of the Day

2011-01-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

Reading lots of great books right now...I have a few awesome reviews coming. But in the mean time, a good quote...

"Man is not the creature of circumstances; circumstances are the creatures of men."

-Benjamin Disraeli

I read this in a Tony Robbins book this morning (don't judge me...I do love me some Tony Robbins) and I loved this quote. More than anything else in life I believe our personal decisions create our destiny. That's a powerful idea, huh? We can create any reality we want.

The Glass Castle

2010-08-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

This is one of those books you hate to love.
“I WAS SITTING IN a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster,” begins The Glass Castle. Jeannette Wells tells us of her unusual (and very tramatic) childhood growing up with her brilliant yet alcoholic father and her artsy non-nurturing mother. As the book progresses I find myself amazed as each of the children beat the odds. It is a poignant story that no matter your own personal childhood you can find something in these stories of tragedy, humor, resilience, and triumph.

Amazon.com Review

Amazon.com Review

Jeannette Walls's father always called her "Mountain Goat" and there's perhaps no more apt nickname for a girl who navigated a sheer and towering cliff of childhood both daily and stoically. In The Glass Castle, Walls chronicles her upbringing at the hands of eccentric, nomadic parents--Rose Mary, her frustrated-artist mother, and Rex, her brilliant, alcoholic father. To call the elder Walls's childrearing style laissez faire would be putting it mildly. As Rose Mary and Rex, motivated by whims and paranoia, uprooted their kids time and again, the youngsters (Walls, her brother and two sisters) were left largely to their own devices. But while Rex and Rose Mary firmly believed children learned best from their own mistakes, they themselves never seemed to do so, repeating the same disastrous patterns that eventually landed them on the streets. Walls describes in fascinating detail what it was to be a child in this family, from the embarrassing (wearing shoes held together with safety pins; using markers to color her skin in an effort to camouflage holes in her pants) to the horrific (being told, after a creepy uncle pleasured himself in close proximity, that sexual assault is a crime of perception; and being pimped by her father at a bar). Though Walls has well earned the right to complain, at no point does she play the victim. In fact, Walls' removed, nonjudgmental stance is initially startling, since many of the circumstances she describes could be categorized as abusive (and unquestioningly neglectful). But on the contrary, Walls respects her parents' knack for making hardships feel like adventures, and her love for them--despite their overwhelming self-absorption--resonates from cover to cover.

Sarah's Key

2010-07-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Sarah's Key
by: Tatiana de Rosnay

Synopsis:

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.
Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.

This is one of the best books I have read in a really long time. It is heart wrenching, and tear-jerking, can't put it down type of a book. I just cannot fathom the hatred and the injustice that the Jews suffered at this time in history. This is one of those books that I keep thinking about even though I finished it 2 days ago.
So, bottom line is...read this book, you won't be sorry you did. I LOVED IT!!

The Help

2010-07-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com Reviewed by Sybil Steinberg

Southern whites' guilt for not expressing gratitude to the black maids who raised them threatens to become a familiar refrain. But don't tell Kathryn Stockett because her first novel is a nuanced variation on the theme that strikes every note with authenticity. In a page-turner that brings new resonance to the moral issues involved, she spins a story of social awakening as seen from both sides of the American racial divide.

Newly graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in English but neither an engagement ring nor a steady boyfriend, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan returns to her parents' cotton farm in Jackson. Although it's 1962, during the early years of the civil rights movement, she is largely unaware of the tensions gathering around her town.

Skeeter is in some ways an outsider. Her friends, bridge partners and fellow members of the Junior League are married. Most subscribe to the racist attitudes of the era, mistreating and despising the black maids whom they count on to raise their children. Skeeter is not racist, but she is naive and unwittingly patronizing. When her best friend makes a political issue of not allowing the "help" to use the toilets in their employers' houses, she decides to write a book in which the community's maids -- their names disguised -- talk about their experiences.

Fear of discovery and retribution at first keep the maids from complying, but a stalwart woman named Aibileen, who has raised and nurtured 17 white children, and her friend Minny, who keeps losing jobs because she talks back when insulted and abused, sign on with Skeeter's risky project, and eventually 10 others follow.

Aibileen and Minny share the narration with Skeeter, and one of Stockett's accomplishments is reproducing African American vernacular and racy humor without resorting to stilted dialogue. She unsparingly delineates the conditions of black servitude a century after the Civil War.

The murders of Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King Jr. are seen through African American eyes, but go largely unobserved by the white community. Meanwhile, a room "full of cake-eating, Tab-drinking, cigarette-smoking women" pretentiously plan a fundraiser for the "Poor Starving Children of Africa." In general, Stockett doesn't sledgehammer her ironies, though she skirts caricature with a "white trash" woman who has married into an old Jackson family. Yet even this character is portrayed with the compassion and humor that keep the novel levitating above its serious theme.

Copyright 2009, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

Loved it! This is a good one folks. The book is set in 1960's Mississippi and it follows the lives of the "Help" or maids that wait on upper class white families. The characters are so real that you are certain they are based on people you know. The dialogue was amazing and to my embarrassment I was laughing aloud and catching stares in public places. It's a good book to remind the reader of perspective and "the big picture. I left this book thinking...which in my opinion, is the sign of a very good read.

The Book Thief

2010-05-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak

Oh My! Its not too often you come across a book like this. I loved it. It was beauitfully written. One particular thing that I loved about this book - aside from the beauitful prose, enchanting narrator, real humans who are loveable even with thier flaws, the humor...even in the worst of circumstances, - well I loved that you could take any page and read it and find a gem. Every page was worthy.

It’s just a small story, really, about: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery… Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s emotionally wrenching novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Brave, tough Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist – books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in the cellar. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul and the unlikely, beautiful relationships you find when your heart is as big as a zeppelin. Oh, and it’s narrated by Death.

I finished this book during my 5 hour cross country flight. And...found myself horribly embarrassed as I sat and bawled in my middle seat while both of my seatmates stared on. I mean, I tried, I really really tried. I kept blinking and coughing and did all I could to hold back the tears. But it wasn't meant to be. I cried and cried. And everytime I thought of that book for days after the tears threatened to come again.

Read this book.

The END.

The Hunger Games Series

2010-03-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

Well this is a trilogy and the third book is expected out late this summer. Note...if you hate agony and cliff hanging pain - then wait till the 3rd book comes out to dig in. Unfortunately I was not given this warning and read the first two books in the series "The Hunger Games," and "Catching Fire," over Christmas break and have since been agonizing over the months I must still wait for the final volume.
These books were fun and exciting and different, when I read the summary and listened to my friends talk of them I just thought they were not my style. A fight to the death? Children fighting to the death? Are you serious?? But I have to say that they were fantastic and very captivating and although very different - filled with so much humanity that you could believe this was happening in your own world. I loved them and I am envious of anyone just beginning them - you are in for a treat.

The Forgotten Garden

2009-08-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

The Forgotten Garden
by
Kate Morton

I loved this book!! It was a mixture between Rebecca and The Thirteenth Tale (both reviewed on this blog...and both really great books.)
I loved the imagery and writting style that Kate Morton is gifted at giving her readers. At times it was a bit wordy - but I really do recommend this mystery.

Dream When Your Feeling Blue

2009-08-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

Dream When Your Feeling Blue
by
Elizabeth Berg

Oh this was so lovely...I am serious...I fell in LOVE - until the end. The end stunk!!!!! Not in a World War II book- someone will probably die kinda way - BUT in a mean and hateful author kind way! I want to read more of her books because I really LOVED her characters and writing style but if she ever pulls a stunt like that again I swear I will be done with her for life!

The Year of Living Biblically

2009-08-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

The Year Of Living Biblically
by
A. J. Jacobs

Lauren reviewed this book last year...so I will make this one quick. I actually really liked this book - I listened to it on audiobook and I think that was a perfect fit. I could listen to him while driving or cleaning the house. It was a funny and eye opening experience for me and I felt inspired to dive into and explore my spirituality more - but without the beard.

Wish You Well

2009-08-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Wish You Well
by
David Baldacci

Out of 10 stars I'd give this on 8.5. I really liked this book - it actually reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird - so if you love that book like I do then I know you will probably love this one too.

Publisher's Weekly:
Baldacci is writing what? That waspish question buzzed around publishing circles when Warner announced that the bestselling author of The Simple Truth, Absolute Power and other turbo-thrillers—an author generally esteemed more for his plots than for his characters or prose—was trying his hand at mainstream fiction, with a mid-century period novel set in the rural South, no less. Shades of John Grisham and A Painted House. But guess what? Clearly inspired by his subject—his maternal ancestors, he reveals in a foreword, hail from the mountain area he writes about here with such strength—Baldacci triumphs with his best novel yet, an utterly captivating drama centered on the difficult adjustment to rural life faced by two children when their New York City existence shatters in an auto accident. That tragedy, which opens the book with a flourish, sees acclaimed but impecunious riter Jack Cardinal dead, his wife in a coma and their daughter, Lou, 12, and son, Oz, seven, forced to move to the southwestern Virginia farm of their aged great-grandmother, Louisa. Several questions propel the subsequent story with vigor. Will the siblings learn to accept, even to love, their new life? Will their mother regain consciousness? And—in a development that takes the narrative into familiar Baldacci territory for a gripping legal showdown—will Louisa lose her land to industrial interests? Baldacci exults in high melodrama here, and it doesn't always work: the death of one major character will wring tears from the stoniest eyes, but the reappearance of another, though equally hanky-friendly, is outright manipulative. Even so, what the novel offers above all is bone-deep emotional truth, as its myriad characters—each, except for one cartoonish villain, as real as readers' own kin—grapple not just with issues of life and death but with the sufferings and joys of daily existence in a setting detailed with finely attuned attention and a warm sense of wonder. This novel has a huge heart—and millions of readers are going to love it.

2009-07-29T23:13:00.000-07:00

For One More Day

By Mitch Albom

I listened to this book all day today while I was running errands and cleaning house and I really liked it. I have never read Mitch Albom and to be honest I went into it with pretty low expectations.

Have you ever heard a drug addict explain their addiction. They spend their whole lives chasing that first high. I relate with that...in a legal, much more healthy way. I love reading - but I feel like I am always chasing that readers "high." You know the excitement you get from reading good literature. A really really good book. Lately, I find myself totally underwhelmed.

Okay, so basically what I am trying to say is that I went into this book expecting it to be another typical story and found myself really loving it.

First off, any mother will like this. It is a great tribute to motherhood and the roles mothers have in our lives. But even more importantly for me it was a great reminder of priorities and perspective.

I am excited to explore more of his books!

Chasing Fireflies

2009-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

A Novel of Discovery

by: Charles Martin

Synopsis:
They have one summer to find what was lost long ago.

"Never settle for less than the truth," she told him. But when you don't even know your real name, the truth gets a little complicated. It can nestle so close to home it's hard to see. It can even flourish inside a lie. And as Chase Walker discovered, learning the truth about who you are can be as elusive--and as magical--as chasing fireflies on a summer night.

I loved this book. I think it is now one of my favorites. I laughed and cried with the characters in the book. Very heart-wrenching story about a little boy who is mute and an orphan, a man who has looked for his "real" parents his whole life and a man who takes both these special boys into his home and raises them as his own.

You gotta read this one!!

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

2009-02-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

I finally finished it and it was certainly worth my time. I am sure some of you were faster at reading it than I. I must admit, I read two other books and listened to four while attempting to get through it.
It was easy to see why it was an Oprah Book Club selection. It was beautifully written and the story flows nicely. You can almost feel the mosquitos biting as you go through the adventures of Edgar and your heart goes out to him as he struggles with his feelings and emotions of losing his father and his relationship with Claude.
If you haven't started yet, make sure you read the preface so the end will make sense. I enjoy a story that wraps you up in details and emotions and even though you know this is how it might end are surprised by how it does, because it isn't what you wanted. Edgar Sawtelle is just that kind of book. I was sad to see it end.

The Christmas Sweater

2008-12-31T07:00:00.001-08:00

I must admit, I love a good and even a bad Christmas story. I totally enjoyed this one, "The Christmas Sweater" by Glenn Beck. It's a quick read, so if you have a few extra moments sit down and enjoy.
Based on events that happened in Glenn Becks life, it tells of boy named Eddie, who expects a bike that he thinks he deserve but instead receives a home made sweater. This starts a series of events in which he learns some truths about life. We become who we are based on events that happen in our lives, but we don't have to remain that person. In order to not remain in stagnation, in order to be the best person we can be, we must face the demons of our pasts & be prepared to face the demons that will come our way in the future(the storm in the story). Forgiveness and redemption are underlying themes. In the book, this takes place over a years time, but in real life it took Glenn a lifetime to learn this.
At the end in the post-log he makes an important statement that defines or wraps up the Christmas to Easter concept. "Without his death, the birth would have been meaningless." (p. 271) Something to think about.

The Newest Member

2008-12-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

Hi! My name is Beverly, and I'm excited to be a part of Andrea's blog. I love to read (when I can find the time)- and am always looking for new good books to read. I'm the mom of 6, and I've known Andrea for a long time. She was one of my favorite babysitters when we lived in Illinois, and she watched my two oldest when they were between the ages of newborn-4 yrs. old (they are now 14 & 12). I'm currently PTA pres., and a radKIDS instructor, so finding time to read is difficult for me. I love 'get aways' with my husband for that reason, because then I can read, read, read - it drives my husband CRAZY! A few of my favorite books are The Book Thief, The Red Tent, and The Year of Magical Thinking. I am currently reading Identical Strangers - which I am finding very interesting because my two youngest girls are identical twins. It is the story of two women (identical twins) who were secretly separated at their adoptions, for a nature vs. nurture 'study', and find each other at age 35. Extremely interesting. I look forward to finding some great book recommendations here. Thanks, Andrea, for letting me be a part!

2008-12-21T22:16:00.000-08:00

This picture looks creepy. The movie is much better!

I just watched part 1 of the Masterpiece Theater adaptation of Jane Eyre and it was so so good. I loved the book and I was sure that any movie would fall so short and leave me disappointed BUT this so far has been amazing. I love it. I rented it from Netflix so - I am waiting for disk 2 to come! I can get the whole miniseries on Amazon for 15 dollars...Preston - my birthday is in March!!

The History of Love

2008-12-10T21:02:00.000-08:00

The History Of Love
by Nicole Krauss

Thank you Lynsey for lending me your book, " The History of Love." This book was beautifully written with real characters that made you laugh and think and cry and hope and when the whole thing was through you want to start it over again. Sometimes you are in the mood for a light book, one that makes you laugh and one that requires as little thinking as possible...this is not that book...it does make you laugh - at times I was laughing out loud and Preston was looking at me - but it's a book that forces you to think and to feel...two of my favorite ingredients in a book.

Praise for The History of Love

"Ingenious." - New York Times

"At least as heartbreaking as it is hilarious." - Washington Post

A significant novel, genuinely one of the year's best. -- New York

Brilliant. An achievement of extraordinary depth and beauty. -- Newsday

Confirms the depth and breadth of her talent. -- Vogue

Wonderful and haunting....Deftly layered …with deceptively nimble humor and unsentimental tenderness. -- Miami Herald

Next up Edgar Sawtelle...have you guys started yet?

we have a CHALLENGE!!

2008-11-19T12:59:00.000-08:00

hi there ladies, andrea asked if i would do

this month's challenge.

since i am out of ideas of subjects to read & branch out to, i thought maybe we could do something a little different...don't be scared. we can do it together. how about we all read the same book, and then have a little online discussion (a friendly one, of course) about the book??

it just seems like sometimes (in my last posting) i read a book and really, REALLY want to talk to someone about it but don't know anyone who has read it. so i am stuck talking to either myself, or then re-telling the book to my husband in hopes of getting any further enlightenment...and we all know that how that goes.

so what do ya say? i think if we start now and give ourselves until after the first of the year to finish, then that should be plenty of time, right?

i had a request for this book:

"the story of edgar sawtelle" by david wroblewski. i have never heard of it so i am not sure of the content, but i read the reviews on amazon & it sounds really interesting.

it's available on amazon & ebay for sale or can be checked out at the library.

you don't have to participate if you don't want to but i thought it might be fun. i can post some discussion questions after we are all done reading it & then we can each write our answers either in comments or as a posting. if you've already read it, then maybe get together some ideas/questions you want to discuss.

leave a comment letting us know who's in on this & we can get started!!

ps-in honor of thanksgiving i would like to say that i am thankful for books. and thankful for this book club!

the history of love.

2008-11-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

"Nicole Krauss's The History of Love is a hauntingly beautiful novel about two characters whose lives are woven together in such complex ways that even after the last page is turned, the reader is left to wonder what really happened. In the hands of a less gifted writer, unraveling this tangled web could easily give way to complete chaos. However, under Krauss's watchful eye, these twists and turns only strengthen the impact of this enchanting book."

i finished this book a week ago but ended up re-reading most of it after i had finished. i think my mistake was that i took too long to read it the first time, so i would forget what was going on and just try to read through it anyway.

this book to me was like intermingled poetry, and was written very deeply and the reader really needs to pay attention. if you're not in the mood for a "deep" book, then i don't recommend it. it is also one that doesn't wrap up in a nice, neat little package...which is something i actually love about it. i'm going to order the author's first book, "man walks into a room" because i heard it's another amazing novel.

i ended up really enjoying this book and it was one i thought about for days afterward. i'm hoping that someone else has read it because i would love to have some sort of discussion & hear another's opinion about it.

***another interesting fact, it's been translated into 25 different languages. now that's something.

just for fun, i'm posting a picture of sarah jessica parker reading it. not sure if that adds credibility to the book, or takes it away. depends on your opinion i guess. :)

2008-11-12T09:03:00.000-08:00

Drowning Ruth
by: Christina Schwarz
Synopsis:
“POWERFUL . . . SUSPENSEFUL . . . RICHLY TEXTURED . . . [A] CHILLING, PRECOCIOUSLY GOOD START TO A BRIGHT NEW NOVELIST’S CAREER.”
–The New York Times

“[A] gripping psychological thriller . . . In the winter of 1919, a young mother named Mathilda Neumann drowns beneath the ice of a rural Wisconsin lake. The shock of her death dramatically changes the lives of her daughter, troubled sister, and husband. . . . Told in the voices of several of the main characters and skipping back and forth in time, the narrative gradually and tantalizingly reveals the dark family secrets and the unsettling discoveries that lead to the truth of what actually happened the night of the drowning. . . . Schwarz certainly succeeds at keeping the reader engrossed.”

I really liked it, kept me up reading it. I liked how the author told the story from several different perspectives it made it a fun read and keeps you guessing until the very end. You get little bits and pieces of what happened that night until it is all made clear. I haven't read any books worth blogging about for awhile. Really enjoyed this one though!

2008-11-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

I liked this book. I hate to use words like "liked" or "enjoyed" when refering to a book. For me, books should be much more than that. I like books that I can't stop thinking about, that days after I've finished I find myself thinking of those characters, people who are very real to me. I love books that make me so nervous and make my heart break, books that challenge my way of thinking and ask tough questions. So...this book was a "nice" read. I "liked" it. I "enjoyed" it. Get my drift....

Amazon.com Review
It's 1906 and 16-year-old Mattie Gokey is at a crossroads in her life. She's escaped the overwhelming responsibilities of helping to run her father's brokedown farm in exchange for a paid summer job as a serving girl at a fancy hotel in the Adirondacks. She's saving as much of her salary as she can, but she's having trouble deciding how she's going to use the money at the end of the summer. Mattie's gift is for writing and she's been accepted to Barnard College in New York City, but she's held back by her sense of responsibility to her family--and by her budding romance with handsome-but-dull Royal Loomis. Royal awakens feelings in Mattie that she doesn't want to ignore, but she can't deny her passion for words and her desire to write.

At the hotel, Mattie gets caught up in the disappearance of a young couple who had gone out together in a rowboat. Mattie spoke with the young woman, Grace Brown, just before the fateful boating trip, when Grace gave her a packet of love letters and asked her to burn them. When Grace is found drowned, Mattie reads the letters and finds that she holds the key to unraveling the girl's death and her beau's mysterious disappearance. Grace Brown's story is a true one (it's the same story told in Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy and in the film adaptation, A Place in the Sun), and author Jennifer Donnelly masterfully interweaves the real-life story with Mattie's, making her seem even more real.

Mattie's frank voice reveals much about poverty, racism, and feminism at the turn of the twentieth century. She witnesses illness and death at a range far closer than most teens do today, and she's there when her best friend Minnie gives birth to twins. Mattie describes Minnie's harrowing labor with gut-wrenching clarity, and a visit with Minnie and the twins a few weeks later dispels any romance from the reality of young motherhood (and marriage). Overall, readers will get a taste of how bitter--and how sweet--ordinary life in the early 1900s could be. Despite the wide variety of troubles Mattie describes, the book never feels melodramatic, just heartbreakingly real.

Reconstructing Natalie by Laura Jensen Walker

2008-10-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Reconstructing Natalie is a book about a single, 27 year old girl who finds out she has breast cancer. She can't work, her boyfriend leaves her, and she has to have a double mastectomy. But she is so funny and has a way of talking about the darkest things in life and finding the silver lining. There is humor, death, religion, sickness, and romance. It is a quick read but a good one for all women to read. And you learn a lot about cancer when reading it, so you can be more of a comfort to those you may know who go through the disease.

The author's mother had breast cancer, so she knows what she's talking about, too.

Excited to be here/Christmas Jars

2008-10-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hi - my name is Wendy and I'm so excited to join the book club. I love to read and am so excited to try some of the books I've already read about. I'm Bonnie B.'s sister, wife to one, and mom to an energtic little two-year-old (almost three). He keeps me extremely busy. We love to read together in the moments when he's still enough to listen and look. I also enjoy scrapbooking and cardmaking (theoretically anyway). My husband tells me we have enough stuff to open our own store, but he never sees any creative output from me. I must admit, I love shopping for the stuff. :)

Anyway, I actually just finished a book that I'd like to recommend, especially this time of year. I was wandering around my house writing down titles of all the books I wanted/needed to read that I hadn't read yet and I came across a copy of Christmas Jars that I wasn't even aware I owned. Which tells you how many books I own - instead of a clothes horse, I'm a book horse.

Anyway, I started this book last night and finished it this morning - a very quick read. I thoroughgly enjoyed it. It made me want to start a Christmas Jar of my own. It reminds of the kindness and goodness and decency of people, and of what Christmas really should be about, and how to keep it in your heart all year long. I'm so glad I found it in my stash.

From Publishers Weekly: In a plot reminiscent of Penelope Stokes's The Blue Bottle Club and Angela Hunt's The Note, a journalist happens upon a human interest story that winds up teaching her lessons about love and forgiveness and renewing her own faith in human kindness. On Christmas Eve, twenty-something Hope Jensen is quietly grieving the recent loss of her adoptive mother when her apartment is robbed. The one bright spot in the midst of Hope's despair is a small jar full of money someone has anonymously left on her doorstep. Eager to learn the source of this unexpected generosity, Hope uses her newswoman instincts to find other recipients of "Christmas jars," digging until her search leads her to the family who first began the tradition of saving a year's worth of spare change to give to someone in need at the holiday. Wright commits some rookie mistakes in style and pacing; the novel veers heavily toward melodrama at some junctures, and he tends to show us and tell us about his characters. Still, the heart of this novella is its transformative message about the power of giving, a compelling theme that calls to mind books like Pay It Forward and The Kingdom Assignment.

The Secret Diary of Brett Colten

2008-10-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

This has to be my favorite book of all time. It is so sad, the only book I have EVER cried at. You will definity have to be prepared to cry but this book puts a whole new outlook on like. I don't know if I would ever get tired of it. The characters are so vivid and it makes them so real that you almost start to believe they are a part of you. And it does have a romantic story line in some ways (:.

The Amazon Review:
Kathy Colton can’t stand her brother, Brett. Her family talks as if he were perfect! All Kathy knows for sure is that Brett is dead. He died of leukemia when he was sixteen and she was only two. But when Kathy turns sixteen, she discovers her brother’s hidden journal – a journal written especially for her - and learns about the brother she never knew. At the same time, Kathy is mortified by an assignment to tutor the popular high school quarterback Jason West, a football jock who, even worse, is a Mormon. Author Kay Lynn Mangum brilliantly weaves the dual stories of a dying brother and a coming-of-age sister who learn the importance of loving our family and our friends and nurturing our faith.

For all of you who want to read this book I have a copy of it. Just ask me. A must read!

Consider Lily

2008-10-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

Cute book. This book is written by two 20-something Christian girls. Their website is actually goodgirllit.com so I decided to check out this book because I knew I wouldn't have to worry about swearing or other annoying things that clutter up other girl books. And I actually really liked it.

Summary from back of book:

Lily Traywick thinks she must have been adopted. It’s easier than believing she’s actually related to Jane and Roland Traywick, her power-couple parents who own Traywick’s of San Francisco, the most chichi department store on the West Coast. While her parents party with Muccia in Milan and Gabbana in Paris, Lily hangs out at home in ratty jeans and an old T-shirt. She loves softball, and guys, and she’s eager to make her own way in the world.

Feeling that her life is on hold, she turns to her best friend Reagan. Reagan, a fashionista who has it all, offers just the solution: a major life makeover.Lily is soon dressing in the latest must-have fashions and pursuing a writing career. She’s even dating the “perfect” guy. But does he love her for who she really is? And will he be able to resist the tempting seductress who has her eye on him? As Lily’s old friends question her new way of life, and public scandal, family drama, and technological disasters add to her confusion, Lily is forced to consider whether her quest to have it all will cause her to lose everything that matters.

So if you want a quick, cute, and clean read, Consider Lily. (ha- see what I did there. That was funny).

The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

2008-09-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is my first Nicholas Sparks book (he also wrote the Notebook and A Walk to Remember-both movies). I heard they were good, so I thought I would give them a go. I had mixed feelings about it.

Summary: A single mom raising a special needs child gets rescued by a fireman when her car crashes. Typical romance ensues only said fireman also is carrying a lot of baggage and can't commit.

My opinion: Sad. I know the Nicholas Sparks books are often sad, but I almost think he was being sad for the sake of being sad. Let me give an analogy: I dislike when comedians are dirty not just because I dislike dirty jokes, but because they aren't really clever. I think good comics are the ones that make everyday stuff funny because that is clever. 12 year olds can think of dirty jokes, it doesn't really take talent.

That is how I thought of this book- to just kill off a few characters to make your story 'heart warming'. Like the shock value of killing off characters you wouldn't expect would make the book popular or something. I have read some sad books I really liked, but this one just seemed a little forced or something. And even though the ending is sort of good, it doesn't really make up for all the sadness. But there were some really good characters and conversations, so someone with different taste will probably like it a lot.

I guess I prefer sad books to be nonfiction. When it actually happened, that is one thing. But when you just make up a really sad story, I'm not a huge fan.

Austenland By Shannon Hale

2008-09-22T19:45:00.001-07:00

I have been meaning to do this but lately just haven't had the time. A few weeks ago I finally got around to reading Austenland by Shannon Hale. It's been on my summer reading book list for awhile now, So I decided it was time. I had heard some pretty good reviews from various friends and was looking forward to sitting down for a light fun read. Austenland is a story of a 30ish single girl who was left a trip to England by an Elderly Aunt {who recently passed away} to join a 3 week, step back into time resort. There you must dress, act, and do all the activities and life events as one would have done if you had lived in 1818. From there the best way to sum it up is if you've seen Pride & Prejudice, then your all set.

Now, before I begin let me note that I had read Shannon Hales blog on "How to be a Reader" and I 100% agree with her that, to be a good reader you have to be open to the writers style and remember that this is the author's story to tale. Here's a little bit of what Shannon Hale had to say on how to be a good reader & so forth.

"You are half of the story. But in order to participate, you need to give up some control. You can't force the characters do say different things, do different things, be different people--you can only control your own interpretation and reaction to them. You need to allow the author to tell the story she's trying to tell. It may not be a good story, it may not be your kind of story, but if you don't try to play along, you're not giving the story a chance. And in the end you might not like it--there are an infinite number of reasons why this might be. But the author didn't fail you--the author just wrote a story that didn't click with your internal reader at this point in your life. You are responsible for half of that story. So you go find the next book, the next author that works for you, and as a team, you and the author tell a new story together. "

Again, I agree 100%. So as for my review for Austenland. This was just not my idea of a "fun" light read. ****SPOILERS*** First , I did not like how Jane, the lead heroine just HAD to get over her fascination with Pride & Prejudice and the whole Jane Austen world. What's wrong with it? The whole "Let's make out with Martin the Gardner" was just plain stupid & silly. I did try to make an effort in liking it BUT I found that I just could not like the lead character Jane. Yes, it did follow the whole kinda Pride & Prejudice feeling BUT Elizabeth Bennett would not have gotten up when board and decided to go make out with the Gardner.

So, I will try another Shannon Hale book later. To me, it just wasn't that cute or funny as I have heard others call it. If your looking for a light read, with a really cute love story to hold your interest, where the lead characters are at the center of the book, This is NOT your book.

2008-09-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Thirteenth Tale
By Diane Setterfield

Everyone has their idea of comfort. Maybe it's laying on the beach sipping pink lemonaide, maybe it's a log cabin - complete with mountains and snow, maybe it's a warm blanket, a fire and some hot chocolate, or maybe it's sitting inside your house during a hot Arizona summer - sweating and grouchy...well maybe not that one. For me, my idea of real comfort and tranquility involves quiet(something I rarely experience) cozing up with a soft balnket and a good book. It just doesn't get better than that!!

And that's just what happened this last week. I cozied up in my favorite chair, with my favorite blanket and read, no more like devoured this book. I devoured every page and then licked up the crumbs. I love good stories. I love when a book takes you into another world...A world that once you discover it you have such a hard time leaving...it stays with you - because you really did go there. I love witnessing talent and in this book you do. Diane Setterfiled is and AUTHOR. And I decided...if I am ever an author...if I ever write a book ...I would rather write one great book, one piece of art, than a 100 mediocre novels. Well done Ms. Setterfield!

2008-09-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

Night
by Elie Wiesel

Beautiful, gripping and utterly horrific. This book was difficult to read, it's difficult to know these things happened in OUR world. The same world that I live in now. The same world that I brought two innocent children into. It's difficult to learn and know these things....and yet I feel it's absolutely necessary. We need to know. We can't let their lives and voices be ended. We must give voice and thought to their lives. That's what I would want...if I were them.

Amazon.com Review

In Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, a scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? There are no easy answers in this harrowing book, which probes life's essential riddles with the lucid anguish only great literature achieves. It marks the crucial first step in Wiesel's lifelong project to bear witness for those who died.

Newbie

2008-09-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hi there. My name is Bonnie. I'm Melanie's sis-in-law. I LOVE to read, just like all of you. I have 5 kids, ages 12,10,7, 4 and 5 months. We are a busy but happy little group. I just finished reading the Fablehaven series, again. Love those books. Now I'm looking for something new to read. I think my next book will be Wicked. Have any of you read it? I'll let you know how it goes!

The Ultimate Gift

2008-09-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

I have really not been reading lately and I have started several books, just to put them down and not finish them. My sister saw this movie and recommended the book and so I sat down to read it. It is a quick read, doesn't take a lot of time but the lessons I have learned from this book I will remember always. I only wish it went into some more detail about his experiences, that was the only drawback.
The book is about an older very rich gentleman who has always given his family everything they wanted. When he passes away he divides his assets among his family, but to his selfish, self-centered nephew he gives what the uncle calls the ultimate gift. Through a series of requests and actions, the nephew does receive the ultimate gift from his great-uncle which is worth more than all the money in the world....
Now I gotta go check out the movie, see how it stands up to the book.

2008-08-31T17:31:00.000-07:00

So Brave, Young, and Handsome By Leif Enger

I loved Enger's first book Peace Like a River, adored it. So I hoped as much for his second book, So Brave, Young and Handsome. But it was very hard for me to get into...just didn't captivate me like Peace Like a River and sadly I didn't even finish it. Things are too crazy right now to read books that I'm not loving. Too bad.

The Thirteenth Tale

2008-08-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

READ. THIS. BOOK.

That is my review, plain and simple. How could I have missed this book?! Why didn't someone tell me about it sooner?! It is fantastic. It takes a little bit to get into it, but then it sucks you in. The kind you stay up all night reading and don't even care when you doze off three or four times the next day.

Summary:

Vida Winter is an incredibly famous writer who has published countless books. She is very mysterious and no one knows anything about her or her life before she was famous. Every time someone comes to interview her and ask her personal questions, she makes up these fabulous tales because she claims that no one wants to hear a true story, only fiction. Well, she is dying and now it is time to tell this final tale. So she asks a young woman, Margaret, who works in her dad's bookstore and also writes biographies to be the one to write her story. Margaret sits all day and listens to a master storyteller tell her life story. It is so good because you are trying to solve a mystery, only you aren't quite sure what the mystery is. If you like serious plot twists, you will love this book.

When I finished it, I just wanted to start over again. I think it may have even jumped onto my top ten books.

This is exciting!

2008-08-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. My name is Melanie and I am new to the book club. I was browsing blogs today and came across this one. I absolutely love to read--when I can find the time. The books on here look great and I am anxious to get started. Right now I am in the middle of The Host. I am a stay at home mom of three little munchkins. My oldest is 6 and starting Kindergarten (sniff) and my youngest is 2 months. I used to teach 2nd grade for 6 years before my husband finally finished school and is now supporting us. Because of my background in elementary education, I have read a lot of young adult novels. I am really trying to branch out and try adult literature! With things finally winding down this summer, I am excited to start to read and share with all of you. You are welcome to visit my blog: http://www.melandgus.blogspot.com Leave a comment so I can get to know you all more! Happy reading!

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

2008-08-11T10:16:00.001-07:00

Summary: Odd is a twenty year old short order cook who sees the dead. Think 'the sixth sense' meets 'medium'. He helps the dead solve the crimes that led to their death and tries to prevent tragedy. It is very clean in the no swearing/sex part, but does have some creepy value based on the ghosts and the violent crimes in it. But the books are actually quite funny and I laughed out loud quite a few times. And you just really love Odd by the time the book is over- he is a very optimistic and innocent character who you just want to see happy. I even cried a little at the end.

New York times review:
While still sustaining the requisite level of creepiness, Mr. Koontz manages to tell a breezy, overtly inspirational story that should attract a few fans of its own … Odd Thomas walks a very thin line between the exploitation of horror and the feel-good religious optimism that transcends the darkness -

Dear John

2008-08-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

I have never read a book written by Nicholas Sparks, until this week. I shamelessly took time to just sit and read, someting I haven't done for months. I loved Dear John, despite the ending. This is a story of true love.

From the jacket: "An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life."

I won't hesitate to recommend it to the students at school.

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

I will describe my feelings toward this book in one word. And that word is:
DEVASTATION.

A Death in the Family

2008-08-04T21:13:00.001-07:00

"A death in the family" was a 1958 Pulitzer Prize winning book, awarded post-humorously to James F. Agee. Why would I chose to read a book published in 1957? First, it is on a recommended college read lists of which I have only read five books so far. Secondly, we, James Agee and I, share common ancestry, so I thought it would be a good one to check off the list. This is not a high action or deep drama book. It' main theme is the role of religion and a child's perception. Much of the narrative is told from the point of view of children, mostly through the eyes of Rufus. Rufus is a young boy who idolizes his father. Through the book, in flashbacks, he shares stories of their relationship, as only a young child can tell. The story is somewhat autobiographical as he describes the death of his father. It begins with Rufus sharing an evening with his father, who is called away later in the night to check on his own ailing father. He fails to return when expected, and Mary, his wife and mother of Rufus, learns he has been in a serious car accident. She prepares the house for him to come home assuming he is only injured, but soon learns he was killed almost instantly in the accident, when he hits his head on the steering wheel before being thrown from the car. It is excellently written, describing the feelings of a child, not understanding all that goes on around, the mourning, the explanation of death, the wake and burial, and his mother tries to cope and explain God's role. This is not a quick read, and I would only recommend it to someone who is serious about going to college. It is definitely a Pulitzer Prize book.

2008-08-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

Warning: Contains Spoilers!!!

Ok, Amanda pretty much summed it up. I loved the Twilight Series and this book( though I don't know it it deserves that nice of a title...more like this trash) was terrible. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Kinda like drinking warm donated blood through a straw, oh wait Bella did that in this book. Here is a list of the disasters that I can't get over

1. Bella, I faint at the smell of blood, Swan starts drinking blood by the cupful? Are you kidding me. And she used a straw... please! If your gonna drink blood, gulp it don't don't savor it slowly with a straw.
2. Edward's personality becomes as hard and cold as his stone body. He isn't there. Stephenie...where have you hidden Edward? We miss him!
3. Bella and actually all the characters lose their personality. The go from these awesome 3 dimensional characters that we fell in love with to these boring personality-less shadows.
4. Nessie or Renessmee...worst name in the history of literature. But she could have named the stupid half vampire Andrea and I would have still hated the book!
5. Jazz gets the award for the worst nickname ever!
6. Bella's pregnancy went from something that could have been so special between she and Edward, I can just see Edward getting excited and buying his daughter her first car before she's born, to a big disgusting mess. When the baby started clawing it's way out...that's when I knew Stephenie Meyer was being possessed by some sort of alien body snatcher. You would have to be alien to write that kind of junk!

I had a bigger list...anyone who's read the stupid book has to have a list a mile long but I just can't go on...it's making me too depressed. What a sad sad day August 2nd was. It will be a black day in literary history!

BD should stand for BIG DISAPPOINTMENT

2008-08-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

Ugh.

What to say? Well, first thing is that I am writing this as a true twi-hard fan. I have read and reread twilight, new moon, and eclipse more times than I would care to admit. I regularly visit forks, WA when I need an escape and feel like Edward, Bella, and Alice are my close friends.

And unfortunately, none of them made it into this book. I'm sorry Stephenie, but this book was a literary train wreck! And it isn't just that it was hyped up and didn't live up to the hype, it was terrible. I felt like my heart had been broken. None of the characters acted as they should, everyone had strange nicknames, and the ending was all wrong. I still can't believe that Stephenie wrote this book. I won't go into detail about ALL of the things wrong with this book since some of you might still read it (though you can get on any website and read all of them if you are actually curious).

I'm thinking of walking around for the next week wearing a T-shirt that says "Friends don't let Friends read Breaking Dawn". I feel people should be warned so they don't go into and get their heart smashed by these fake characters. The real Edward never would have broken my heart this way.

2008-07-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

Running With Angels by Pamela Hansen

On a beautiful April morning in 2001, Pamela Hansen decided to do something she hadn't done for a very long time. She took a walk. That first walk, which lasted just 10 minutes, was the beginning of an amazing journey that ultimately led to a 100-pound weight loss (without surgery or pills) and the fulfillment of her dream to run a marathon-all in just over one year.

In Running with Angels, Pam shares an honest and open portrayal of both her struggles and success with weight loss, using a marathon race as a metaphor for facing life's challenges. She candidly discusses the pain of living life as an obese person and the hopelessness that accompanies it. More importantly, she offers practical suggestions for anyone trying to reach a goal, particularly a goal of weight loss, and shows how small steps over time can help you realize your dreams.

This book is more than a book about overcoming obesity...it's a book about a woman overcoming heartbreaking trial after heartbreaking trial. Her faith is inspiring! This book was a gift from Lynsey and I loved it. Thanks Lyns!

2008-07-23T08:00:00.001-07:00

Where are you now?

by Mary Higgins Clark

A girl is trying to solve the mystery of her missing brother who disappeared ten years before. When other girls start going missing, the police suspect her missing brother may be the killer and she is trying to prove that he isn't.

My thoughts:

This book was different from her other books. It didn't follow really one character a whole lot. It jumped around a lot to various people. Really good mystery- I didn't guess who the bad guy was so I was surprised. It was a short read and kept me entertained. My only complaint is that there was an overload of characters. I had a hard time keeping them straight and each chapter would skip to another person and I would have to go back to remember who everyone was. By the time I had a handle on it, the book was over.

But a good, clean, and mysterious read.

Emily's List

2008-07-17T08:19:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I am looking at the other lists, and mine is pretty sorry...but here goes!

Books I’ve read this year:
The Uglies Trilogy
Water for Elephants
The Historian
Goose Girl Series
Twilight Series
Book of Mormon
Cold Rock River
That is all I can remember right now…there are lots more!

Favorite all time books:
I love all Richard Paul Evans Books (LDS)
These is My Words
Twilight Series
Jack Weyland Books (never read one I didn’t like)
Work and the Glory Series

I used to have a list of books I wanted to read, but I can't find it...there were so many that I had, too! Maybe it will surface somewhere....I will just have to take all the books on everyone else's lists and make a new one!

Tierra's List

2008-07-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

Great challenge Andrea. For me, I feel like my lists are not that long or impressive BUT again this year has been eventful and most of my reading time was spent over and over again w/ the Cullen family. So here's what I got! In the books I've read this year, the ones w/ stars are the ones I recommend!

Books I’ve Read this Year:
The Twilight Series *****
The Magic of Ordinary Days- Ann Howard Creel *****
My Not So Fairy Tale Life-Julie Wright {LDS Novel} ****
Saving Kristen-Jack Weyland {LDS Novel}
Candle in the Darkness-Lynn Austin **
Proper Pursuit-Lynn Austin **
Red Moon Rising-Vicky Randall's {LDS Author} -She also Lives in my home Ward =) ****
The Story of Camelot-Howard Pyle
The Memory Keepers Daughter-Kim Edwards

Favorite Books of All Time: In other Words, These are the Books I revisit over & over!
1. Twilight Series- What can I say?
I now know what my cousin means when he talks about his love for Star Wars stuff HaHa ~
2. In Your Place-Rachel Nunes- FAVORITE LDS romance story
3. Emily-Favorite by Jack Weyland
4. The Magic of Ordinary Days- Ann Howard Creel-
5. A Wrinkle in Time-Madeleine L’Engle
6. Where the Red Fern Grows- Wilson Rawls
7.Persuasion- Jane Austen
8. Emma-Jane Austen

Books I’m Dying to Read:
Breaking Dawn-Duh!! 20 Days to Go!
Jane Eyre
Tea Rose
Winter Rose
The Wednesday Letters
Uglies Trilogy
The Host
Me & Mr. Darcy
P.S I love You

2008-07-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

Amanda's Lists
I have read too many books this year and have far too poor of memory skills to list them all. So these are the ones I can remember off the top of my head worth remembering...
The Host
The Shopaholic Series
Jane Eyre
Enchantment
Ender's Game
These is My Words
The Goose Girl series
Fearless Fourteen
I'm sure I'm leaving some good ones out, but I blame the brain cells my children have drained from me.

Books I want to read are:
BREAKING DAWN
Love the one you're with
Big Russ and Me
Odd Thomas
the Queen's Fool
BREAKING DAWN (did I put that already?)

Favorite books of all time is so tough. The list is so long, but here are a few...
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
The Twilight series
Harry Potter series
Dandelion Wine
Holes
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Scarlet Letter
The Hiding Place
The Book of Mormon

Here it is....

2008-07-11T22:51:00.000-07:00

Andrea's Lists

Some of my Favorite books I've read this year are:

Peace Like A River - I love this book... it's definitely one I want to own
Jane Eyre - Oh my goodness I loved this one too
Twillight Series -
The Hiding Place - This book changed my life. Loved it. Thanks Lynsey!
Angela's Ashes - I recommend listening to it - his accent makes it so much better
Princess Academy - A lovely feel good book - I like all of Shanon Hale's book
To Kill A Mockingbird -
The Glass Lake -
The Princess Bride - I was surprised that I loved it more than the movie

Books I want to read

The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns -
So Brave Young and Handsome ( Leif Enger, the author of Peace Like a River's second book)
The Secret Garden
The rest of the Ender's Series
Breaking Dawn...you all knew that one!
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas
The Lord of the Ring's Trilogy
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Last Lecture
A New Earth

Favorite Books (Oh this is so so so hard for me. Like picking my favorite child. I love so many but if I had to pick 5 they would be

1. Pride and Prejudice ( really any of Austen's books. I love them all)
2. The Hiding Place
3. Jane Eyre
4. Harry Potter( and by the way Harry is real!)
5. Twilight Books
6. Team of Rivals (Best Lincoln book ever)
7. To Kill A Mockingbird
8. Peace Like a River
9. I Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The Holocaust (awesome...you must read it)

I know it's more than 5...sorry it just so hard but I am restraining myself! I have loved everyone's lists so far and I am really excited to see what the rest of you all post!

Challenge lists

2008-07-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

What are some of the books I have read this year:(this is just a few of them)

Boy in the striped pajamas
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Change of heart
Prey
Trigger
Beloved
The Appeal
Letters to Emily
Al Capone does my shirts
Book of Mormon

Some of my favorite books:
Kite Runner
Harry Potter Series
To Kill Mockingbird
Secret Garden
Gone with the Wind
Most of the Thoene's series

My most favorite is usually the one I just finished.

I am currently reading "Death in the family" and "The book thief" and have 6 others checked out waiting to read plus 5 I have bought that I need to get to. I have too many projects and need to get some things done so I can spend more time reading. Thanks for everyone elses lists that have posted so far. It gives me ideas of whats out there and what I can recommend.

Andrea's Challenge

2008-07-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

Ok so my prospect of this was that we were suppose to post a topic about it, if it was just suppose to be a comment I am sorry.

A. The books I have read this year. Ok there is too many so I am going to make a list of the ones I remember....

1. The Lovely Bones

2. The Angel Series.... 6 of them

3. On the Street Where You Live

4. Remember Me

5. Two Little Girls in Blue

6. A Walk to Remember

7. The Notebook

8. 5 People You Meet in Heaven

9. Cover Up

10. Blind Side

11. To Love and To Promise

12. Forever and Always

13. Winter Fire and the sequel forgot the title

14. Twilight

15. Alot of Anita Stansfield books... 6 I think

16. The Trial

17. The Secret Journal of Brett Colten

18. The Clique Series

To many more to list! I think that I read about 50 or more!

B. The best book that I read in my whole life is, The Secret Diary of Brett Colten. I have it and would be glad to lend it to you... it's an LDS book. It's about a girl and her brother died from lukemia when she was two and when she is 16 she finds his diary. It is about how she finds the church, deals with popularity, brother and sister bond, high school, reality, "dumb jocks." I am proud to say that I have NEVER cried at a book, until this one. I will read it again and again. I am going to try to read it once a month... it's too good to put down!

C. I'm Going to Read:

More Racheal Anne Nunes books. I am in LOVE with her.

And yes, I am going to try to read Harry Potter. I have tried to read them again and again but never got into them.

D. Best Books I have ever read in my life:

1. The Lovely Bones

2. The secret Diary of Brett Colten

3. the Angel Series

4. Any book by Rachel Anne Nunes... seriously any of them

5. Any Mary Higgins Clark... any of them also

So there you have it, my challenge complete. Feel free to reply at anytime :) .

Book I am DYING to read: Chasing Yesterday by Rachel Anne Nunes

Lynsey's List

2008-07-11T14:37:00.001-07:00

okay i know i've been the biggest slacker and i'm SORRY to all of my book club buddies! hopefully when i am settled in arizona by my good friend ANDREA i can get back to reading! so here are a couple of things.

1) books i've read this year:

this is sad but true. i've only read
the twilight series
the host
the book of mormon

my reviews are....i love them all!

2) some of my all time favs, or ones i would read again & again:

-beach music (rated R for language, FYI & there apparently is a naughty couple of pages but i read my sister's copy & she ripped it out! so i am still innocent :)
-the princess bride
-beauty
-ender's game
-the kite runner
-the hiding place
-my sister's keeper
-the street lawyer
-the da vinci code (even amid all the hype, i really loved that the book made me think about historical aspects of jesus & his followers)
to kill a mockingbird (glad you reminded me of that one, andrea!)

i'm sure there are a million others but i can't think of them right now.

one if have been dying to read:
a thousand splendid suns

now everyone else GET GOING on this!! if i can do it, so can YOU!!!

love, lynsey

Favorites

2008-07-11T07:51:00.001-07:00

I didn't want to have to bring this cheesy poster back. Believe me, it pains me to have to do this but desperate times call for desperate measures. Don't make me do this again!!!

Something has felt strange lately. I feel like the Book Club, my sweet little Book Club Child, hasn't been feeling too well. It's just been sluggish lately and for me, a woman who gets a drug like high every time she goes to the library, that is sad. So....in an effort to liven things up around here I am making demands. OK, maybe demands was too strong. Not demands more like a request, OK more like a plea to all you out there in the blogosphere....especially you book club members!! I want lists and LOTS of them. I want lists of:
a. The best books you've read in the last year
b. The best books you've read in your life( I know it will be hard but you can do it) c. Your "I'm gonna read this book someday" list
d. Your all time favorite book

...and this could go on and on. Just pick one of the ideas above or make up your own list idea and post about it. We'd love to know what you love!

And if your not a Book Club member you can do one of the following:
1. Post your list in the comments
2. Become a Book Club member...come on folks this is the best option. Just leave your email address in the comments and I will add you
3. Or you can email me your list at prestonandandrea@gmail.com and I will post it for you.

Now I have a little incentive to get you going... a prize!!! Andrea's Bookclub's First Official Giveaway. Everyone who graces us with a list (before the end of July) will be entered in a drawing( your name on a slip of paper in my husbands ball cap) and the winner will receive any book of your choice. At the bottom of your post tell us the book you're dying for and it just may be yours!

Change of Heart

2008-07-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

If you have previously read any books by Jodi Picoult you will definitely like this one. This book deals with choices, forgiveness and salvation as Shay Bourne, a wandering carpenter, tries to right a wrong committed in the murder of Elizabeth and her policeman step-father.
"Change of Heart" is told through the eyes of four people, June Nealon, mother of Elizabeth and Claire who is desperate need of a new heart, Maggie Bloom, an ACLU lawyer who is trying to help Shay get what he wants; Lucius, a fellow inmate also serving time for murder; and Father Michael, Shay's spiritual advisor and one of the jurors at his sentencing.

If you are someone who is prone to tears when you read this is a definite keep the tissues close by. It gives one a chance to reflect, what if I had to make a choice of letting my child live with the heart of the the man who killed her sister or letting her die. Could my love for my child be enough to forgive the heinous crime committed against my family?

I'm just glad I don't have to make this choice. I enjoyed the book, even better than I did "My sister's keeper" and I think you will also.

Escape

2008-07-02T13:02:00.001-07:00

The dramatic first-person account of life inside an ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect (FLDS), and one woman’s courageous flight to freedom with her eight children.

I must be honest as state that I didn't really read but listened to this. I get through a lot of books while I clean house. I must also be honest and state, I didn't get a lot of work done. This book was too captivating.

At age 18, Caroline Blackmore became the fourth wife of Merril Jessop, man 32 years older than her. Over the next 15 years, her every move was dictated by her husbands whim, where she lived, where she worked, how she spent her money. A world similar to a prison camp where the guards are the other jealous wives and children. She becomes the mother of eight children, one of who is handicapped, which was considered a punishment for not being totally subservient to her husband. Merril Jessop goes on to take more wives, in hopes of finding the ideal wife and to secure his place in Heaven. In 2003, she is able to sneak her children out of the house and to SLC. The final pages deal with her triumphs as she adjust to a new life. Caroline should be admired for her strength in fighting to gain her and her children's freedom, overcoming unbelievable odds.

2008-07-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I LOVE this book. I love it so much that every time I read it I'm changed. I leave the book heartbroken that it's over, wishing I could just spend one more day in the "tired old town" of Maycomb, Alabama...one more day with Scout and Jem, one more day with Boo Radley and Dill, and definitely one more day with Atticus.
Atticus is the parent I want to become, the father we all wish we had and the lawyer we need more of. This book is a classic and I feel inadequate in trying to review it. It's a beautiful book that teaches us volumes on prejudice, love, courage, and family.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophia Kinsella

2008-06-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

From the back cover...

Becky Bloomwood has a fabulous flat in London's trendiest neighborhood, a troupe of glamorous socialite friends, and a closet brimming with the season's must-haves. The only trouble is that she can't actually afford it -- not any of it.
USA Today-- Hilarious...hijinks worthy of classic I Love Lucy episodes.

Several people I know have recommended this series, so I finally decided to try it. I actually really enjoyed it. It was hilarious- laugh out loud funny. The main character is so hilarious and likable. Anyone who has had even a slight shopping problem needs to read it.

Disclaimer: I give this book a pg-13 rating. It is clean except for, unfortunately, a sprinkling of really bad swear words. I think the british like the 'f' word a little too much. So if you can ignore the handful of swear words, it is a good read.

Candle In The Darkness ~ Lynn Austin

2008-06-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

Candle in the Darkness takes place during the Civil War area about a young girl named Caroline who was born into a very wealthy southern family . Even though she always had a good relationship w/ her parents, Her true family and best friends were the servants, the plantation slaves. When Caroline’s mother passes away her father sends her to live w/ her mothers sister and family up north. When her father finally sees fit for her to return home, Caroline is grown up and determined to make people in the south see that slavery is wrong BUT on returning home and into southern society, Caroline meets the dashing Charles. Caroline and Charles really have a sweet love story but they disagree on one thing, slavery. He and his family were not for the abuse and hatred treatment towards slaves But simply saw them as people who helped keep the family business and plantation running. When the war breaks out Charles and Caroline must part before any future for them could take place. Caroline is left alone and must face some extremely difficult times and decisions about keeping her beloved slaves enslaved and the love she has for Charles alive.

Over all being from the south, I found this 1} A nice little history lesson 2} A sweet & strong love story and 3} a little tense. I will give this book a middle rating of 3 ½ simply because I would have loved more moments w/ Charles--I’m a sappy for a love story. I really liked going to a time in our history I’ve never read about and seeing the contrast and questions that arrive from both sides. Which side really was for the better? Can Caroline & Charles find middle ground and begin a life after everything is over and has come out? If you want a sweet enduring love story w/ a history lesson on the side this is one to consider. It's not a fall in love w/ book but really a sweet/tense read.

................................

Now with that said I am a southern girl born and raised in Tennessee. I’ve lived in the same place my whole life and though a lot of people consider Tennessee residence to be pure country-ish, I however am not. True city gal through & through. I come from your typical Mormon family w/ LOTS of cousins so I always say I’ve never known what it’s like to be lonely. My girlfriends would describe me as little miss proper. Always having to match. The simple Basics on me would be the girlie girl ones. Shoes, Purses, Make Up, decorating, Martha Stewart, organizing, shopping etc The deeper ones would be the “die freely” love for my nephew or the intense way I love having long conversations w/ people. Looking at the world with a love for ordinary days or the magic in the days that you want to relive.
I lost my mother in May of last year from a very unexpected event. Through that I’d like to think I’m coming full circle w/ myself and seeing and understanding Heavenly Fathers plan through adult eyes. Moving long and ALWAYS being thankful for the ones you love and the stories in your life to pass by w/ a twinkle and charm that will make you live to keep moving.
I’m always listening to music in my kitchen and I ALWAYS loose my glasses! Right now I’m 22 yrs. Old and yes…I’ll say it, I’m single. Am I bitter---to lie or not to lie--Ok I’ll be honest maybe 35 % bitter LOL But truth be told in this part of the world in the LDS church you don’t have the pick of the litter. So therefore I don’t settle for non-members and find myself on more Friday night dates at home w/ a book or a movie then most. Current obsessions would include 1} A love story about vampire who brought sexy back in 1901--Need I say more? And 2} Jon & Kate plus Eight--Just LOVE that show. 3} The color mandarin orange for the summer in everything and finally 4} a certain Boy I’ve been in love w/ since I was 15 whose coming home for the summer in which he NEEDS to wake up and see his future wife has been right here all along--Any advice On this one I’ll gladly take LOL

2 Random Facts On me-I always have to have my wallet & makeup bag match whatever purse I’m carrying and also I have the most embarrassing story EVER. When friends or groups start retelling their most embarrassing moments, mine always wins hands down. ALWAYS

2 Facts about my hometown- First, my hometown is the Original place where country music was born. And it’s not Nashville. I won’t tell you my hometown but if you ever find yourself wondering “Hummm…I wonder where Country music first started???” My hometown will come up. And two this to me is just lame cause I’m not into it but just in case you have a brother or friend into NASCAR chances are they’ve been to my town because we have the 2nd largest race track in the States.

2 Favorite areas to Read- Historical and Poetry. Reading coming from my mom who would read to me when I was three yrs/ old 8 to 10 books a night and always thought I had an old soul. Always loving anything with time periods. Poetry coming from my aunt who would recite poems to me growing up. Hands down top 2 MOST loved would be St. Crispin’s Day Speech from Shakespeare’s King Henry the 5th
And Edgar Allen Poes Annabelle Lee.

So there you have it, the scoop on me. I am currently reading another historical I’ll be posting and a Biography book I’m reading. Hope everyone is enjoying there summer!

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

2008-06-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

Technically it is 'historical fiction' because the author makes up what the character's say, but I thought I would read it for the historical challenge this month since it was recommended to me. It is by the author who wrote the bestseller "The other Boylen Girl". This book is the story about Princess Catilina of Spain who is sent to England to marry the English prince and become the queen of England. She is such a strong Heroine! I have never read about anyone so strong and faithful and sure of herself. The author switches between telling the story from third person to the princess's own account, which is kind of neat. It makes you realize how good we have it now. Warning: The ending is sad so I can't give this book 5 stars or anything. But, unfortunately, real life is sad so that is the way it goes. I definitely will read others by Philippa Gregory too.

Now enough about the book because I know you have all been dying to know about me! I am married to brad pitt and we have a litter of children and live in a mansion on the beach. But what you probably don't know about me is that I grew up in a suburb of San Diego. I went to BYU and graduated with a degree in education. Met my husband there and was married. I taught first grade for two years while my husband finished up school (it took him longer because he's not as smart as me and he won't ever read this so I can put that). Then we moved to arizona and popped out a couple of kids. Now I read to stay sane while I stay at home with them.

Two Random facts about me are that I absolutely love football more then most guys and TiVo every game and watch it. I also met my husband when we crashed into each other while playing a game of tag. My favorite things include chocolate, a good book, the Office, and scrapbooking. My favorite books are fictions especially those involving vampires or wizards. A random fact about where I grew up is that the band Blink 182 went to my high school. Now a fun piece of trivia about Blink 182: I grew up in Rancho Bernardo, or RB is what we called it and that is what the 182 stands for. R is the 18 letter in the alphabet and B is the second letter. In high school they were 'blink RB' but that was stupid when they went big, so it became blink 182.

That is all there is to know about me. You can send any question/fan mail to my manager and publicist Andrea Golding.

To Love and to Promise

2008-06-20T21:38:00.001-07:00

Synopsis: When Brionney Fields marries a handsome, charming Derek Roathe, she feels like her life is a Mormon fairy tale come true. And when baby Savannah comes along, she's sure of it. Then, with a horrifying discovery, the dream is shattered and her fairytale begins to unravel. Trying to pick up the bits and pieces of her life, she wonders if she'll ever be able to take a chance at love again.

The answer finally comes, but is Brionney ready for it? Can she set aside a world of pain for the hope of true love? She's heard all the promises before, but they've been empty and tainted by lies. Why should she believe them now?

In this compelling and emotional story of love, betrayal, and soul-wrenching challenges, best-selling author Rachel Ann Nunes creates memorable characters and dramatic moments that will live in the reader's mind and heart long after the book is closed. Join Brionney as she leans that the road to true love and happiness is never easy . . . but in the end it's worth every prayer, every tear, and every leap of faith along the way.

My View: I have loved EVERY ONE OF HER BOOKS!! She is amazing. With this book it is cuch and amazing storyline and the plot will keep you guessing at every moment. She writes romance novels, mormon ones that are good not like the wierd ones that you can get at albertsons, that are compelling. She also writes the well known kids picture book Daughter of a King. I strongly recommend this book. It has made it's way to my favorite list.

JUNE Challenge

2008-06-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! I have been so absent on the last two challenges BUT I hope to be forgiven for that. May was such a stressful & busy month for me. My best friend is getting married in less then 25 days and so between work, church, nephew, and ENDLESS wedding plans--I’ve simply had no time for new reading. How sad is that! Anyway I sent a quick message to Andrea to take on the June challenge, so here it is.

Since I have been absent on the last two challenges, I am giving you two choices. You can decide which one you would rather do or you can do both.

Choice number 1 is an Autobiography! In stead of just calling myself just plain old nosy, I’d like to think I’m really good people person. Always finding out the facts & details. So I thought what better way then to learn something new about someone you don’t know, then to read their autobiography. There's SO many out there, in all different directions. I’m so excited to see who everyone picks.

Choice number 2 is anything pertaining to the Historical section. I have always LOVED time periods! They just fascinate me. Again this could go in so many different directions, so don’t limit your self to just one time area or culture or even category.

BUT WAIT….I have a twist for you all! What ever you decide to pick, you must do this. After you’ve read your book and come to review it on the book club…You must tell us a Little bit about yourself. Don’t think of this as a tag---this is NO tagging---This is only if you do choices 1 or 2. But, nobody really knows who I am since I randomly found this book club and I don’t know any of you. And Since the first choice is an autobiography, you could submit your own small autobiography along with your book review.

That way we all can get to know the book w/ the book reader.

Give us alittle write up on your self. Like if you had your own real autobiography, What would you want people to know? Also list Two Random facts about yourself. Two facts about the hometown you grew up in or consider yourself a native. Two Favorite things and two favorite book areas you enjoy to read the most.

I'm so excited to see what you all pick and to get to know everyone a litte bit! So consider yourself challenged and let's BEGIN!

New to the book club

2008-06-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

First since I am new to the book club let me do a brief introduction. I am a high school library aide. I read a lot, but a lot of what I read is what the kids at school read or should read. It is important that I can make recommendations. Most of the books that everyone posted I have either read or am familiar with because the students read them. I must admit that although I read and enjoyed "Twilight" I did not become an avid fan. I got part way through "New Moon" and realized I didn't have time for it. I know enough about it to participate in the discussions about it at school. Just for the record it was our most read/reserved series this last year at school. I enjoy reading a lot of historical fiction, such as "These is my words" "Hattie Blue Sky" and others along that line. A few others that I have recently read that were enjoyable were, "The boy in the striped pajamas", written on a middle/junior high level but deals with more adult asubject, the holocaust. As my sister wrote good but a bit disturbing. "Al Capone does my shirts" Having visited Alcatraz I was familiar with most of the descriptions of the place, but the more fascinating part was the relationship Moose had with his autistic sister. "A long way gone, memoirs of a boy soldier" enlightening, informative, the story of a young man in Sierra Leone, Africa who after the destruction of his home town and death of his family is forced to become a boy soldier. What he experience is almost unbelievable. I am much more appreciative of where I live and freedoms I have. "The pilot's wife" an Oprah book club book. Although a bit predictable it was enjoyable to read. How well do you really know your husband? "Hattie Blue Sky" a young woman's adventures as a homesteader in Montana. Sorry this posting is so long but I have a lot to catch up on

2008-05-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel

Haven Kimmel's memoir was like going home. It unlocked my 8 year old mind and took me back to the years where your biggest concern was your cat's missing tail, your best friends older brother, and who can cross the monkey bars fastest. If you love To Kill A Mockingbird then you will love this book too.

From Publishers Weekly
It's a clich‚ to say that a good memoir reads like a well-crafted work of fiction, but Kimmel's smooth, impeccably humorous prose evokes her childhood as vividly as any novel. Born in 1965, she grew up in Mooreland, Ind., a place that by some "mysterious and powerful mathematical principle" perpetually retains a population of 300, a place where there's no point learning the street names because it's just as easy to say, "We live at the four-way stop sign." Hers is less a formal autobiography than a collection of vignettes comprising the things a small child would remember: sick birds, a new bike, reading comics at the drugstore, the mean old lady down the street. The truths of childhood are rendered in lush yet simple prose; here's Zippy describing a friend who hates wearing girls' clothes: "Julie in a dress was like the rest of us in quicksand." Over and over, we encounter pearls of third-grade wisdom revealed in a child's assured voice: "There are a finite number of times one can safely climb the same tree in a single day"; or, regarding Jesus, "Everyone around me was flat-out in love with him, and who wouldn't be? He was good with animals, he loved his mother, and he wasn't afraid of blind people."

2008-05-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

Uglies Trilogy
Uglies, Pretties, and Specials
by: Scott Westerfeld

I wanted to read this trilogy when we had our sci-fi month but the library didn't have them in at the time. They are in the YA section, so it still fits for this month. I just finished with the 2nd book and I can't wait to go check out the final book.
It's about a world far in the future where when you turn 16, you have an operation where you turn pretty. Tally can't wait to turn pretty, when she no longer has to be known as ugly and when she finally gets to move to where all the other pretties live. But then she meets Shay who introduces her to a life where being pretty maybe isn't all it's cracked up to be. I couldn't put the books down and I can't wait until I see how it ends! I highly recommend these books, go check them out!

2008-05-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

So in honor of May's CHALLENGE I read the first book in
The Bartimaeus Trilogy
titled

THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND.

I enjoyed the book and LOVED Bartimaeus. He is hilarious and left me laughing out loud. I am such a fan of YA books and love this months challenge. I am off to the library to get the rest of this trilogy.

PS. On a side not this book is being made into a movie which should be really fun!

2008-05-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

Come check out our Stephenie Meyer Book Signing !

2008-05-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

The Host
by Stephenie Meyer

Last fall I fell in love with Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series. It was after that love affair, while surfing her website that I was introduced to The Host. Her website posted the first chapter of her new book and I read it and knew I wouldn't like this book. She may be able to trick me into liking vampires BUT there was NO way I would fall in love with aliens. Nope. I was pretty sure that not even Stephanie Meyer could make me go that far.
Well I am happy to admit I was wrong. I do love aliens, Soul's in Meyers world. I love their kindness and love for peace. I found myself rooting for the enemy. Meyer is not only creative but a GIFTED storyteller who creates characters you can help but love.

The Host

2008-05-07T21:41:00.001-07:00

So I read all day and into last night and I finished the host and...it was FANTASTIC! I really, really liked it! It was unlike any books I have read. The story narrator/heroine is kind of the bad guy (she's a body snatching alien). But she is also a really great character so you find yourself rooting for her and against her at the same time. I just kept thinking, what in the world is going to happen? and that made it a real page turner. Some really good romance and serious suspense. So so so good. A must read!

The Case Against My Brother

2008-05-05T14:07:00.001-07:00

by: Libby Sternberg

How cool that Amanda picked the young adult books as our May challenge. I just finished this book and it was good. I was a little skeptical about reading it at first, the title didn't jump out at me but I really enjoyed it! It's a historical novel as well as a good mystery! It is the story of two brothers who are orphaned and sent to live with their uncle in Oregon. The story's told through Carl, a 14 year old boy who idolizes his older brother Adam. Since their mother died, Adam has always promised Carl that he will take care of him. Then Adam is accused of a jewelry theft and Carl sets out to clear his brothers name..insistent on his innocence. In his search he learns first hand about bigotry and the hateful nature of people. He learns to trust himself and his instincts as he realizes that his brother isn't as perfect as he always thought. In the end, Carl has to grow up and learn to accept people the way they are...a realization that tests his faith and trust in his older brother, who maybe isn't who he thought.

May Challenge!

2008-05-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, I took two classes of Children's literature. In the course of those classes, we had to read tons of young adult novels. I thought, “This is so lame! I already read all these books when I was in high school! What am I paying all this tuition for?!” But I was shocked to find that most of them were ten times better when I read them as an adult. And thanks to J.K. Rowling, it is no longer taboo for adults to shamelessly read Young Adult Fiction. So I am making this months challenge to read something from the Young Adult section that you haven't read in recent years (meaning you can't re-read Twilight or Harry Potter). I made a list of good books that are my favorites from the genre, but there are tons out there..

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Crispin by Avi
Holes by Louis Sachar (if you have not read this book, you MUST before you die)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brasharesby

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred Taylor

This challenge might also be related to the fact that my birthday is next week and I am officially feeling OLD and I want to remember time when I was young.

2008-05-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

These Is My Words
By Nancy E. Turner

Read it. Loved it. Read it. Loved it. Read it. Loved it. Read it.

Sarah is one of my new favorite female heroines. I loved this book and plan on owning it...it's one that you would read over and over again.
Thanks Katie for the recommendation...LOVED IT!

The Ender Series

2008-04-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

We've been discussing Orson Scott Card this month so much that I thought I would just do a full review on the truly amazing Ender Series. You've all had great things to say about the first one, "Ender's Game". It's an excellent intro. to this genre because it is such an easy read - likeable and interesting characters, fast-paced, unique plot and just enough "real life" mixed in with the sci-fi to keep everyone feeling grounded. I'm so glad so many have given it a go and enjoyed it.

The next book in the series is called "Speaker For the Dead", named such because a grown-up Ender has written a book about The Buggers (the alien species he battles in the first book) so that people will understand more about them. This "speaking for the dead" has become his career and he travels to many planets to learn about the lives of famous dead people and speak their history for them. He ends up on a newly colonized planet that is co-habitating with another species called "piggies". The colony is facing some serious challenges and Ender gets wrapped up in it all and ends up staying there.

This is an incredibly deep and fascinating book. What I love about Card is that he uses the genre of sci-fi as a mirror, reflecting the image of humanity in a whole new light. There may be spaceships and aliens in his books, but if you dig a little deeper you find that these are really stories about the many facets of the human soul. This particular novel deals alot with prejudice and how easy it is to hate that which we don't understand. Yet how deeply gratifying it is to find beauty in that which we learn to understand. It's an excellent book with well-rounded characters and a really cool twist at the end.

That being said, it has a very slow start. It's tough to get over the fact that Ender is all grown up and he has a weird relationship with the Hive Queen of the Buggers that takes some getting used to. Of the four in the series, I found this one to be more difficult, but very rewarding.

The next book in the series is "Xenocide". The inhabitants of the planet where Ender now lives have discovered a strange virus that is so contagious and so deadly they have been quarantined to the planet and now face possible destruction by other worlds. Meanwhile, on a planet far, far away (hee hee) a young girl has discovered she is one of the chosen "Godspoken" - near-genius intellect but plagued by voices in her head that torment her into doing strange things as payment for her brilliance. She and Ender (along with characters from book 2 and a reappearance by Valentine (yay!)) will come together to try to stop the eminent xenocide.

This books takes a fascinating look at the different philosophies mankind has for problem solving. It explores the dangers of making assumptions about others, the necessity of openmindedness as we continually struggle for peace (both inner and global), and teaches us to use compassion instead of logic when facing life's most difficult problems.

I loved this book unabashedly. It is so beautifully written and brought together - passionate, hopeful, and tragic all at the same time.

The last book in the series is "Children of the Mind" and kids, this one gets pretty "out there". I ate it up because I totally love "social commentary sci-fi" and the philosophy here is nothing short of brilliant. But it's hard to even give a synopsis of this story because it's so complex and deep. The first time I finished this book I felt completely overwhelmed by the magnamity of what I had just learned and experienced. In short, this book blew me away.

But be warned: the science fiction elements here get brutally hard-core, utilizing issues like Aritificial Intelligence and faster-than-light speed travel to pose mind-bending questions about religion and the purpose of mankind. It's intense.

So there you have it. I hope this sci-fi-challenge has introduced you to some new authors, new concepts and new philosophies. Now that you've gotten your toes in, I suggest you give this Ender series a go and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Enchantment

2008-04-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

I read Ender's Game and really enjoyed it, so I thought I would give another one of Orson Scott Card's books a chance. And I loved it! I actually liked it better than Ender's Game (gasp!). I must say that this man has many sides. He goes from fighting space aliens to fairy tale land. We are talking a sleeping princess, and evil witch, magic spells- the whole nine yards. No sc-fi at all, but a good love story with a modern day twist. I had a hard time putting it down!

2008-04-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card

I want to THANK Lauren for the AWESOME challenge this month. This Sci-Fi thing has been great. I read ENDER"S GAME and I LOVED IT. Really I am surprised because I didn't think I would...but I did. One of the best books I've read in a while. It's one of those books that made my over active imagination go in over drive...thinking about spaceships late into the night. He's a WRITER. I want to get inside that mind of his for a day. Thanks again Lauren for the GREAT, GREAT, GREAT challenge!

The "Must Read" List

2008-04-21T12:41:00.001-07:00

For the last 6 months I have been working on reading all the books in Stephenie Meyer's MUST READ LIST...you can check out the list here.
So far I've loved everyone of the books I've read on her list...she has good taste in books as well as vampires.

A Great and Terrible Beauty

2008-04-17T22:41:00.000-07:00

A Great and Terrible Beauty
by Libba Bray

This book was not Great or Terrible...more like Ok and Bad or - Nice and Disappointing, how about - Average and Mediocre or, Small and Silly. OK I am getting carried away, I feel bad, guilt is choking me, Libba if you are reading this, which I am sure you're not but if I was an author and I was reading this I would be highly offended and so on the off chance that you are reading this I'm sorry. It really wasn't Terrible...it just wasn't Great either. It had a lot of promise...some intriguing ideas and a good love story in the making but it just didn't fit. The characters never seemed to be consistent. One minute they were evil and rude to one another the next they were bonding over whiskey in a cave. I felt like there wasn't any payoff in the end. We didn't get to meet the villain, didn't get anywhere in our love story, and no clarity on what the book was trying to say. Sorry but not a recommendation. Skip this and read good ol' Harry Potter if you want some real magic!

The Road

2008-04-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, here is my 1st science fiction book I have EVER read, but I have to say that I really liked this book. It was a book about the innocence and simplicity of a little boy who loves and trusts his father unconditionally. A simple but profound love they share in the most horrible of circumstances. The father in the story has no reason to believe that their situation will get any better, yet makes his son believe that every tomorrow can be better if you have hope. The end broke my heart and it is a book that I will think of often, as I think about the beautiful relationship between a father and his son.

Synopsis:
A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other.The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, “each the other’s world entire,” are sustained by love.
Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.

Start Late Finish Rich

2008-04-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Start Late, Finish Rich
By David Bach

Once again another audio book for my driving distraction and once again a book I enjoyed. He's great at breaking it down in common language for those of us that don't have our Master's in Finance and helps you to view your money in a whole new way... Preston and I are rolling in cash now... well, maybe we are 5 dollars richer!

French Women Don't Get Fat

2008-04-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano

I like to listen to audio books while I am driving...which I find myself doing so much more of now that I am driving Preston to and from work so often. When I was checking out a new set of audio books last time I was at the library the kids had hit the end of their 6min attention spans and so I had to get some books and FAST! This book was thrown in my bag in the last instant, I am not one for diets...I really don't believe in them. I have always preferred to just eat better foods and exercise - a book or person telling me what to eat just isn't my style - but this book I actually really enjoyed! It's all about enjoying food, savoring the textures and flavors, and enjoying indulgences - THAT"S MY KIND OF BOOK!

Book Info:
Her book, French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure, in which she recommends bread, Champagne, chocolate and romance as key ingredients to a balanced diet and lifestyle, captured the imagination of an overweight world tired of yo-yo diets and became a runaway best seller around the globe in 2005. In less than six months, well over 1 million copies of the book were printed, and sales drove it to the top of the best seller charts in many countries, including the USA. A cultural phenomenon that inspired cartoons in the New Yorker and a host of imitations, it has been translated into 37 languages, and continues to be read widely. She followed up this book in fall 2006 with French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes and Pleasure, devoted to l’art de vivre (the art of living). French Women Don’t Get Fat enabled readers to enjoy a healthier relationship with food while French Women for All Seasons enables readers to enjoy a healthier relationship with life. In both, through her personal stories and illustrations, she espouses living life to the fullest by embracing quality, sensitivity, seasonality and pleasure while maintaining a healthy equilibrium.

Get your Twilight fix!

2008-04-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, twilight fans, here is a little sneak peak of the movie that is on MTV. Personally, I was quite pleased with it. I actually think I might like it! Watching them in action made it easier to picture them in it. Here is the link:

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1585325&vid=224215

And they cast JACOB BLACK! His name is Taylor Lautner. He is a great 15 year old-pre werewolf jacob. Now if they can just get him to look 25 by the next movie, they will be on to something. There is an entire cast list on http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_movie.html

The Historian

2008-04-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

by: Elizabeth Kostova

Attention Vampire Lovers:

This book I really liked. It is different than any other book I have read, but very good. It is about the search for Dracula. It mixed fiction with reality, history with modern day. The mystery of Dracula is unfolded in letters and postcards, told by a young woman who stumbles upon a strange book in her father's library. This book and the letters with it send her on a journey to uncover the origin of the book, and ultimately leads her to uncover the mystery of the legend of Dracula.

Synopsis:

Breathtakingly suspenseful and beautifully written, The Historian is the story of a young woman plunged into a labyrinth where the secrets of her family's past connect to an inconceivable evil: the dark fifteenth-century reign of Vlad the Impaler and a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive through the ages. The search for the truth becomes an adventure of monumental proportions, taking us from monasteries and dusty libraries to the capitals of Eastern Europe - in a feat of storytelling so rich, so hypnotic, so exciting that it has enthralled readers around the world.

Ender's Game

2008-04-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

So I did it! I actually read an entire science fiction book! I picked Ender's game b/c a couple people recommended it. It is actually pretty good and has a serious twist at the end (we all love those).

Synopsis
The Earth is under attack and the survival of the human species depends on a military genius who can defeat the alien “buggers.” Recruited for military training, Andrew “Ender” Wiggin’s childhood ends the moment he enters his new home: Battle School.

My opinion- It is definitely science fiction, but it is mostly a coming of age/boy trying to find himself kind of book. There are ships and lasers, but the story is very human. It takes place a lot at a boy's military school, so some of the things they call each other and do to each other make the sensitive girly mom in me shudder a little, but it is overall a good read.

A Great and Terrible Beauty

2008-04-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

Okay...well, what to say. The book has a strong start that kind of sucks you in right away with a girl witnessing the murder of her mom and this mysterious magic power. I'm thinking it will be kind of a Harry Potter- a magic girl being sent off to a boarding type school in England. But it turns in to Harry Potter meets 'Lord of the Flies' and 'the Exorcist'. The book is clean as far as language, but has some serious creepy and disturbed undertones. I must note that I listened to this on CD and the lady did REALLY creepy voices for the bad character. Maybe it's not so bad reading it yourself.

And it's slightly annoying because there is a love story but it doesn't have a very statisfy ending. I know its because it's a trilogy, but still...and I have a question in the comments for those who have read the book.

Miss Smithers

2008-04-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

This book is found in the Young Adult Section (I have started looking there since they tend to be cleaner). It really was hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud! It is about a home schooled girl living in a really small town in Canada and somehow ends up in the 'Miss Smithers' pageant. It is written diary style and she is so sarcastic and awkward that you will end up just loving her. There are a sprinkling of profanities and a few questionable things, but overall a good read.

Every Boy's Got One

2008-03-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

This book is by Meg Cabot, known for writing 'the Princess Diaries'. It is a pretty typical funny romance. But I must say that this was probably the most original style of writing that I have seen in a long time. The book jumps from excerpts from the maid of honor's travel diary, the best man's PDA, and text messages, emails, receipts, and menus. Basically, there is not an 'author' writing a narrative. You are hearing the story from all these interactions with others. Sounds kind of weird, I know, and when I first started reading I was thinking that it wasn't going to be very good. But I actually found myself really into it. The book is about a couple eloping to Italy, but the book isn't really about them. It's about their maid of honor and best man (pretty much like every chick flick you've seen).

Warning that unfortunately, like most grown up fiction, there a few questionable things. Nothing worse then you would get watching 'The Office' or 'Friends' , but for some reason it seems worse to read it than to watch it. But it was kind of fun to read a book that was written in such a creative way.

Book of A Thousand Days

2008-03-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

Book of a Thousand Days
by Shannon Hale

What a unique book. I finished this book in the wee hours of the morning and it was great. Dashti, the lady's maid whose book of thoughts is the text for this novel, keeps you reading. Beautifully written, Hale proves herself more and more with each book that she is a gifted writter - a poet. The more book reviews I attempt to write the more I realize that I stink at it. In a nutshell, I loved it...You should read it ...The End.

A Few Real Reviews

*"The author of the Newbery Honor Book Princess Academy offers another captivating fantasy filled with romance, magic, and strong female characters...exotic, fully realized setting; thrilling, enchanted adventure; and heart-melting romance."
Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

*"Hale has created a richly imagined, mythical land...It’s a highly successful romance."
School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

*"Hale delivers another winning fantasy. Readers will be riveted...through a series of deceptions, contrivances and a riotously triumphant climax, the tale spins out to a thoroughly satisfying ending."
Publisher's Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

"A rousing, even spellbinding tale...Dashti's voice is bright and true."
Kirkus Reviews

"With such a self-possessed and resourceful heroine and such a rousingly successful trickster caper at the climax, this newest tale takes proud place among Hale’s growing shelf-full of folk-fantasy adventures whose protagonists give “spunk” a good name."
Horn Book

Angela's Ashes

2008-03-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

Angela's Ashes
by Frank McCourt

LOVED IT!!! Angela's Ashes, a memoir, by Frank McCourt was awesome. It's rare to find a story that brings tears to your eyes and shakes your body with laughter in the same instant. I listened to this one on Audio Book and can't imagine it any other way. McCourt's Irish accent and voices for each character brought life to his story. After each journey I made into McCourt's Ireland I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude. I will never forget these people - it's like they are my family too. There are some sections that I would recommend skipping - a few of Frank's teen memories- but overall this story is expertly told and one I will always remember.

Bel Canto

2008-03-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

As I was reading this book I thought, " I love beauty in all it's forms," I think that's why I love reading and discovering new works of art. I've always dreamt of writing something beautiful; taking a story from my head and pushing it onto paper, giving those stories and characters life. Ann Patchett is obviously a gifted writer, almost poetic. Beautifully written; the music that fills these pages can be heard while discovering Roxanne Cross - the Opera singer with an angels voice.
BUT I didn't love this book, wouldn't recommend it and wouldn't read it myself again. The beautiful prose and captivating characters weren't enough. I hated the ending. Hated with a capital H.... and was disappointed with some of the scenes. Overall it was a disappointment!

Where Do I Go From Here

2008-03-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

First, So sorry for posting this above April's challenge! Every one look below and you will find April's challenge has been issued!

My non-fiction choice for this month was a hard one. Not that I couldn't find one, Cause I had several in mind But I wanted to pick one that would be interesting for other readers as well. I love autobiography's and poetry BUT again I wanted something that would appeal to other ladies of this club that would help. So I chose "Where Do I Go From Here" By Irene Ericksen & Jan Pinborough. This is a LDS self-help book for Young Women ages 16-Twenties. I HIGHLY recommend this book if you have sisters or have a calling in Young women. And if you don't, still read it. It's a short read but it touches on all the questions that we as women face. Missions such as dating, marriage, a mission for the church, motherhood, self-worth, church callings. All of these things that we must ask our selves at one point or another. The best way to sum it up is from the intro on the back cover:

"Where do I go from Here?" --It's a question almost every young adult woman asks herself in the years following her walk across the stage at high school graduation. What comes next? An education? A full time mission? Marriage? A family? A career? The choices are not always predictable or easy to make. In where do I go from here Young adult women are invited to step back and consider their gifts, their challenges, and the needs their world and thus discover a sense of their own personal mission."

I love the quote Sheri L. Dew makes in the book..."If there were ever a time when the Lord needed us to have a clear vision of who we are, where we are, and what is important, it is now."

I loved this book even though I'm 22 and its been about 5 yrs. since graduation, It brings value to your self worth and challenges you to reach inside and become the Woman Heavenly Father knows you can be. Even if you are married it brings sweetness to the meaning of marriage and integrity of womanhood and motherhood. I will be using this book with "hopefully" my future daughters someday. If you have a calling in Young Women or just need a little reminder of who you are, this is a great quick read to enlighten your load. This has a been a great challenge and I look forward to the next!

You are officially CHALLENGED!

2008-03-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

Hey Girls! I'm so excited to pick April's bookclub Challenge! I have loved reading your NF reviews and have put several on my "must read" list. And now it's time for a complete switch of gears....

Get your buns to the nearest Barnes and Noble and pick up a Science Fiction book!

WAIT! I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING! But I promise you that there is a Sci/Fi Fan inside you just DYING to come out! Look - you all like "Star Wars" - right?

Here's the thing. If I issued a "John Grisham Challenge" you would mosey over to your bookshelf, pick from the myriad of lovely law-thrillers, and two hours later you would finish the last page and say "Mmmm. That was a goodie." But you would not have grown as a reader! I think the word CHALLENGE should be taken literally - participating in it should make you stretch and evolve and experience something new! Trust me on this, ladies. There are many many Sci-Fi novels out there that will open your eyes anew to the world around you. Here's a list of my faves...

SOFT-CORE SCI-FI:

"The Illustrated Man" by Ray Bradbury*** (the best intro. to this genre for you sci-fi virgins)
"Farenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card (this entire series is excellent)
"The Alliance" by Gerald Lund (that's right "Work and Glory" author!)
"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy (an Oprah book)
"Contact" by Carl Sagan
"Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. Owen (won awards for YA lit.)
"The Giver" by Lois Lowry (Newberry medal winner)

"Jumper" by Steven Gould (have only seen the movie so can't vouch for book content)

THE HARD STUFF (for the true sci-fi experience):

"The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury
"The Worthing Saga" by Orson Scott Card (my all time favorite)
"1984" by George Orwell
"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
"The Robots of Dawn" by Isaac Asimov
"Foundation" by Isaac Asimov (hailed as the best sci-fi series in existence)
"Out of the Silent Planet" by CS Lewis
"Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clarke

I'm leaving out so many...anything by any of the authors mentioned above is going to be quality stuff so explore and be adventurous!

If you won't do it for me, do it for Han Solo, Ok? :)

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

2008-03-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

This was my Non-Fiction book for the challenge this month and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The author is agnostic but was raised Jewish and decides to find out for himself what the Bible's all about by living it to the letter for one full year. Not only are his experiences unique and hilarious (though never sacriligious), it is fascinating to learn the origins and meanings of so many religious traditions. All of Christianity and Judaism consider the bible (or at least parts of it) to be be sacred and a source of guidance in life but we tend to pick and choose what rules apply to us. Jacobs decides that to fully understand it, he must fully practice it (with a few exceptions, like beating unruly children and killing magicians). He grows a beard, wears only pure fabrics, practices tithing for the first time, keeps all sorts of funny chastity rules, is COMPLETELY honset with everyone, stones adulterers and so on. Along the way he consults and visits with practicers of many different "bible believing" religions, including an overnight stay in Amish country and a pilgrimage to Israel. His narratives are honest and hilarious - as well as astonishingly informative. And I found my testimony deepening as I learned more about the Bible and thought intently about what it means to be "a spiritual being having a mortal experience" as opposed to "a mortal being having spiritual experiences". This is a book I will never tire of picking up off the shelf when I need a good read.

She's BACK!!!

2008-03-23T16:51:00.001-07:00

Jane Austen is FINALLY returning to PBS tonight. Emma starring Kate Beckinsale will be airing tonight at 9pm on PBS. I have the popcorn ready!

The Princess Academy

2008-03-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Just add this to Shannon Hale's list of great books. I loved it...as I do all her books and don't know what else to say...so I'll leave it here. Great book for young and old...(if you call 25 old)

Library Journal Review

The thought of being a princess never occurred to the girls living on Mount Eskel. Most plan to work in the quarry like the generations before them. When it is announced that the prince will choose a bride from their village, 14-year-old Miri, who thinks she is being kept from working in the quarry because of her small stature, believes that this is her opportunity to prove her worth to her father. All eligible females are sent off to attend a special academy where they face many challenges and hardships as they are forced to adapt to the cultured life of a lowlander. First, strict Tutor Olana denies a visit home. Then, they are cut off from their village by heavy winter snowstorms. As their isolation increases, competition builds among them. The story is much like the mountains, with plenty of suspenseful moments that peak and fall, building into the next intense event. Miri discovers much about herself, including a special talent called quarry speak, a silent way to communicate. She uses this ability in many ways, most importantly to save herself and the other girls from harm. Each girl's story is brought to a satisfying conclusion, but this is not a fluffy, predictable fairy tale, even though it has wonderful moments of humor. Instead, Hale weaves an intricate, multilayered story about families, relationships, education, and the place we call home.

2008-03-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

Freakonomics:
A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
by
Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
Who loved Econ 111 in college? It definitely didn't rank in my top ten favorite courses...and yet, this fresh and well explained book on Economics was a fun and interesting read. Levitt and Dubner have broken down the confusing walls and formulas of economics and asked and answered the questions that many of us have always wished could be answered. Some of his theories are controversial and I assume he likes it that way... I'd definitely recommend this book- it will awaken the Economist in you!

From Publishers Weekly:

Forget your image of an economist as a crusty professor worried about fluctuating interest rates: Levitt focuses his attention on more intimate real-world issues, like whether reading to your baby will make her a better student. Recognition by fellow economists as one of the best young minds in his field led to a profile in the New York Times, written by Dubner, and that original article serves as a broad outline for an expanded look at Levitt's search for the hidden incentives behind all sorts of behavior. There isn't really a grand theory of everything here, except perhaps the suggestion that self-styled experts have a vested interest in promoting conventional wisdom even when it's wrong. Instead, Dubner and Levitt deconstruct everything from the organizational structure of drug-dealing gangs to baby-naming patterns. While some chapters might seem frivolous, others touch on more serious issues, including a detailed look at Levitt's controversial linkage between the legalization of abortion and a reduced crime rate two decades later. Underlying all these research subjects is a belief that complex phenomena can be understood if we find the right perspective. Levitt has a knack for making that principle relevant to our daily lives, which could make this book a hit. Malcolm Gladwell blurbs that Levitt "has the most interesting mind in America," an invitation Gladwell's own substantial fan base will find hard to resist.