The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Genre: Children's Classic
My Goodreads rating: 5 of 5 

I simply love The Scarlet Pimpernel. This was my first time reading the book, but I have been a long time lover of the movie version with Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen. I also very recently was able to see the musical version. It was put on by the local high school. They did a pretty good job with it.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is set during the French Revolution. The French Aristocracy are all being executed by Madame Guillotine, but one Englishman and his band of followers are sneaking aristocrats out of the country to safety. That man is only known as the Scarlet Pimpernel, and his real identity is a mystery. The Committee of Public Safety, represented by a character named Chauvelin, would love nothing more than to see the Scarlet Pimpernel put to death by Madame Guillotine. Chauvelin uses all his wit, resources, and even blackmail to try to catch the Pimpernel. Here is a quote from the book that I found pretty well descriptive of Chauvelin's character:

He paused a moment, like a cat which sees a mouse running heedlessly by, ready to spring, yet waiting with that feline sense of enjoyment of mischief about to be done. Then he said quietly--
'Your brother, St Just, is in peril.'

This interaction takes place between Chauvelin and Marguerite Blakeney, whose brother Armand St Just is being used as a bargaining piece. Armand's safety is promised in return for the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Marguerite is a Frenchwoman who married an English dandy, Sir Percy Blakeney, who is generally viewed as the richest fool in England. Though Marguerite swears she has no idea who the Pimpernel is let alone discovering his identity, Chauvelin believes with her popularity as the most fashionable in England, as well as her connections to the Prince of Wales that she can find the information he needs. Little does Marguerite know, the Scarlet Pimpernel may be closer to her than she thinks.

This is possibly the most recognizable quote in the book. I am so glad it was actually in the book, because it is in the movie, and absolutely the funniest thing when recited at a party by Percy Blakeney.

"We seek him here, we seek him there,
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven? - Is he in hell?
That demmed, elusive Pimpernel."

Note that I didn't make a spelling error; that is really how they spell damned in the copy of the book I read.
I read this book as part of a Classics Challenge. It is the last book I am reading for the challenge. It won't be the last classic I read this year, however. So stay tuned for more Classic reviews.

Reader Questions: Are you a Pimpernel fan? If so which is your favorite adaption of the book: one of the multiple movie versions or the musical? Who is your favorite character? Without a doubt, my favorite character is Percy!

Looking for more information on the Scarlet Pimpernel? Check out the Scarlet Pimpernel website.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas
My Goodreads rating: 4 of 5Looking for adventure? This book is for you!

The Three Musketeers follows the adventures of a young Gascon named D'Artagnan who dreams of becoming a King's Musketeer. The road to this title is wrought with peril. D'Artagnan starts out rather headstrong and impetuous. Before he even makes it to Musketeer headquarters he finds himself in a duel with an infamous man dressed all in black. This mysterious man is later known to be one of the Cardinal's henchmen.

Not much later in the story, D'Artangnan gets himself into more trouble by contracting himself to three duels in one day: one with Athos, one with Porthos, and one with Aramis, or as they are known throughout the land, the three musketeers. This is our first introduction to this illustrious trio, but they very soon become a foursome as D'Artagnan joins them in a fight against the Cardinal's guards. From that moment on they are bonded together.

Many of the adventures in this book revolve around D'Artagnan's desire to help his mistress, Constance Bonacieux, who is somehow tangled up with the affairs of the Cardinal. Inadvertantly, the foursome serve the Queen, Anne of Austria, and the Duke of Buckingham. Through many of these trials, we come face to face with one of the Cardinal's most deadly mercenaries: Milady deWinter. She is pure venom with an angel's face. She easily attracts and ensnares men, and D'Artagnan is not altogether resistant to her charms. It is funny to me how D'Artagnan's journey is spurred on in pusuit of a woman's love.

I started out listening to this book on my iPod, but I had to finish by reading due to problems with retreiving the files from my computer. I have to say that I had a much better understanding of the end of the book than the beginning. I think while I'm listening my mind tends to focus on doing other things at the same time. Much of the time I listened while sewing, so that may have been a bit of a distraction. The nice thing about listening was that I had no problem pronouncing all the French names and words. So that was a major plus. The other nice thing was the narrator wasn't annoying to listen to. That always helps when listening to an audiobook. If you are looking to listen to the audio version of this book, then I would recommend it.

I read this book as part of a Classics Challenge. The challenge is almost over, but please feel free to visit the site and see what everyone else is reading. I'm sure once this challenge is over another one will quickly take it's place.

Othe books by this author: The Count of Monte Cristo; Twenty Years After (Three Musketeers Sequel); The Man in the Iron Mask (Three Musketeers Book 3)

Reader Question: Do you parlez vous francais, or do you find it difficult to pronounce French words or phrases?

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Genre: Children's Classic/Adventure

My Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

Argh me mateys! Make ready the sails, and swab the poop deck. The Hispaniola is about to set sail in search of the infamous treasure on Treasure Island. Join Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver, Captain Smollett and the rest of the crew in a tale of high adventure, piracy, danger, and coming of age. Whether you be a landlubber or a seafaring lad or lass, this story is sure to fill your lust for buried treasure.

This story begins in Bristol, England, where young Jim Hawkins lives and works in his parent's inn, The Admiral Benbow. There they lodge a pirate named Billy Bones who is continually on the look out for the feared one-legged man. When some former shipmates have a run in with Billy Bones, he receives a fatal wound. Upon searching  Billy Bones' chest, Jim finds a treasure map, but ends up running for his life when the aforementioned pirates ransack the inn looking for it. Jim takes the map to some respected men in town, Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney. The three form a secret pact to find the treasure. Squire Trelawney funds the trip, and so doing finds a ship and crew. Despite their pact to keep their knowledge about the treasure a secret, it seems the whole crew knows what the quest is about. They soon set sail for Treasure Island, but Jim Hawkins discovers that most of the crew, led by the ship's cook, Long John Silver, are planning a mutiny so they can keep the treasure for themselves. Jim now realizes that an adventurous trip for treasure has just turned deadly. Will he make it off Treasure Island alive?

Who doesn't like a story about pirates? I really enjoyed this book, even though I got a little bit lost with the nautical terms. I found myself comparing Jim Hawkins to William Turner, and Long John Silver to Captain Jack Sparrow. What can I say? I am a Pirates of the Caribbean fan.

Something I liked about this book was even though the pirates were despicable people, they still had that admirable quality of charisma. Long John Silver was such an intriguing man. As a reader, I really had no idea what his next play was going to be. Jim mentions towards the end of the book that Silver kept switching sides according to who might come out on top. It kind of reminds me of a quote from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Jack Sparrow says,

"Me, I'm dishonest, and you can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you want to watch out for, 'cause you can never predict if they're going to do something incredibly stupid."

I think that quote perfectly describes the characters in this book. Jim Hawkins is the honest man who throughout the story keeps doing incredibly stupid things. Long John Silver is obviously the dishonest man, but amazingly still manages to fool some or all of them at various points of the story.

I thought this was a great read as part of my Classics Challenge. I am glad I picked it up and want to recommend it to those who love adventure and pirate stories. Which leads to this question: Do you side with the Pirates or the Honest Men?

The Glass Castle

A book I had heard mentioned several times, had unofficially told myself I must read someday that showed up on my kitchen table this week. My roommate read it as an assignment for her psych class and I borrowed it as soon as she finished.

It is a memoir of the author's upbringing, giving an unusual glimpse into the life of the "underprivileged". It details the resilience and struggle of her deeply dysfunctional but loyal family and their ways of dealing with adversity.

Readers be forewarned of frequent strong language used by several of the book's main characters, which I saw as indicative of the time, setting, and class of people who comprise the story.

Overall, an insightful book that gives a new understanding of different perspective on life, and respect for children who raise themselves and overcome desperate situations. You truly feel the emotions with the kids as they walk you through their life. Well written. Makes you wonder.

4 stars out of 5.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Rating: 5 of 5
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder was a book that I had been wanting to read for awhile. I had read many great reviews for this book and it's sequels. I must say I was not disappointed. At first I was slightly taken aback, because the book started out being completely different than I expected. What I thought it would be like was a girl in school studying poisons or something like that. What it actually ended up being about was a girl named Yelena who was going to be executed for committing murder. On the day of her execution she was given a choice to become the Commander's food taster or to be executed. She of course chose to be the food taster, which meant she then had to learn all about poisons. As if the chance of death by poison wasn't enough, she also had to deal with some unwanted death threats from other sources - one being the father of the man she killed. Fortunately for Yelena, she has some allies on her side.

This book was very intense with plenty of intrigue and surprises. I highly recommend it!!

Sense and Sensibility

I really enjoy reading Jane Austen books. Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time favorites of hers. I love the language, the hidden meanings, the properness of it all, the deep and sometimes disturbed characters, the theme of enduring love, and how you have to take your time to read it. I have to admit, however, that I haven't really read a lot of her books. I know the stories from the movies, but books are always SO much better than movies that I'm a little ashamed to admit this. I remember loving the movie for Sense and Sensibility and decided that it would be a great book to read. I have a problem with long term memory, in that I don't really remember books or movies after a few months or years of reading/watching them. It really is a hindrance, but can also be convenient sometimes- like when I read a book that I've already read, but have completely forgotten what happens, it's like I'm reading it for the first time again! It makes each reading of a book most enjoyable. I found as I started this book that I had no recollection of what in the world the story was about! I read the entire book without ever remembering what happened to the characters and who ended up with who!

Anyway, the book begins with the two sisters falling in love with two men in the first few chapters. I was a little worried as to what the rest of the book held since it seemed that everything was peachy right off the bat. Of course, since it is Jane Austen, there had to be difficulties- mostly to do with the men and their inability to commit or other such problems and money. Money seems to be a recurring theme that is always mentioned right along with any declaration of love. I suppose that it was very important during this time in England so it doesn't really bother me, since I feel as if I become part of the time and culture it represents.

I enjoyed the characters and the twists and turns that they take, although it was interesting that the whole book was from the elder sister's view when Marianne (the second sister) was a much more interesting and emotional character. It was really interesting how the two sisters took such different approaches to love and expressing their emotions. Elinor was very reserved and never wanted to show her dismay or extreme happiness to others, while Marianne wore her feelings on her sleeve and everyone knew when she was extremely happy or horribly miserable. Their friends and escapades were thoroughly discussed and I love how opinions of certain people changed so quickly with the gossip of the day. It really gave me a lesson of not judging people by what others say or with only a few facts on hand. I also loved that the book ended happily (of course it had to!) and the sisters were able to find love and happiness as they deserved.

I didn't like how the book went into so much detail on all the problems and travails the girls went through because of the men they loved and then, in the last few pages, suddenly made everything come together and make everyone live happily ever after. Marianne spent the whole book pining over the loss of Willoughby then end up, in two pages, able to fall in love with Colonel Brandon whom she has shunned or ignored through most of the book! How did that happen?! With all the detail into her problems and love of Willoughby I think we deserve more than a paragraph or two in explaining how she changed her mind and heart towards the Colonel. I was a little disappointed how we got a "Star Trek" ending (55 minutes of world-ending problems with a 5 minute quick-fix that solves everything- usually by realigning the warp-field coils...), but all in all I enjoyed the book.

It is a fun read and I recommend it for any who like love stories or Jane Austen- although you really should read Pride and Prejudice first... I give it 4 stars out of 5.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Genre: Children's/middle reader
Rating: 4 of 5

Fairest is another take on the Snow White story from the same author of Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine.

Aza is the innkeeper's adopted daughter. She doesn't know who her biological parents are or why they left her as a baby in The Featherbed Inn. She does know that in the musical kingdom of Ayortha, she is thought to be ugly. She hides her face whenever meeting or attending to guests and never looks in the mirror. One thing Aza has going for her is her beautiful singing voice. This is thought to be a high quality, because Ayorthaians love to sing. While her looks may not be anything to admire, she has plenty of attention in Ontio Castle for her singing voice. Aza is enjoying the attentions of Prince Ijori, and Queen Ivi wants to use Aza's singing voice to complement her image as the fairest in the land. Things seem to be going on just fine, until Aza encounters the magic mirror, and Queen Ivi's leadership takes a turn for the worse.

I loved this book. I am trying to pinpoint what exactly I loved about it, and I think I connected pretty well with Aza. I mean, every girl has insecurities about their looks, and Aza especially because she is a sort of outsider within her kingdom. I think I also related to her when she felt those stings from insulting comments. I found this a fresh take on Snow White. What I liked about it was Queen Ivi's character. Her intent was pretty concealed at first. I enjoyed getting to know her character and even feeling a bit of pity for her. Another thing I liked about this book was the song lyrics, and how they used song in conversation and as a way to bond the kingdom.

This book has really got me thinking about insecurities. I know I have plenty. One being my freckles. I used to hate my freckles, wish they would disappear and envy anyone with a freckle free complexion. Over the years I have grown to accept them as part of me and hardly notice them anymore. Maybe I've just got other things that I don't like about myself that outweigh the freckle issue. Are there any insecurities you have about yourself that you've had to overcome or tried to hide?

Previously Engaged by Elodia Strain

Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.5

Previously Engaged is a sequel to The Icing on the Cake by Elodia Strain. Annabelle Pleasanton's life is going pretty good. She is now a writer for Central Coast Living magazine, and trying to get the editor-in-chief position for Central Coast Weddings. As a part of her job she gets sent to a bridal fair and accidentally wins the grand prize, a $50,000 Dream Wedding. The only problem is, she is not technically engaged yet. Her boyfriend, Isaac, has been dropping all the hints, and her best friend may have let it slip that he plans to propose. For whatever reason, it didn't happen when Annabelle expected it. Now she is wondering if it will ever happen. All the while she has been secretly working with a wedding planner on wedding details. Another troubling problem is the reappearance of Alex, the guy who broke Annabelle's heart in high school. He could disrupt her plans with Isaac if she can't manage to keep her past feelings where they belong.

This book was laugh out loud funny. It had the perfect mix of mishaps, tender moments, and conflicts. For me it was one of those books you just don't want to put down. I think Elodia Strain is an author to keep an eye on. So far I haven't been disappointed.

The Appeal

I generally like John Grisham books, but this one was not what I was wanting to read. The book was written well and, like all Grisham books, is a page-turner. It was also very interesting how many different characters there were who ranged from the poor beaten-down to the insanely rich billionaire scum who would do anything and everything to get more money. The problem I had with this book is that it was too fatalistic for me. From the State Supreme Court to Corporate America everything and everyone seems to be able to be bought and if you're willing to pay enough you can even live above the law. I finished this book with a horrible taste in my mouth. It left me disillusioned with the entire judicial system and campaigns in general. I always thought that in the end good would always overcome evil- lies would be found out- bad men would be made to pay for what they did- etc. I still think that, but that is not how this book ended. The bad guys got away with everything and the poor victims were left to deal with the crap that was given them. My inner sense of justice screamed and I finished the book very dissatisfied and disgusted. Maybe the book makes a good social commentary on our current political/judicial system, but it just left me feeling sick. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, unless you don't get so emotionally attached to things that you read that you can read it for pure entertainment. I give this book 1 out of 5 stars.

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Rating: 5 of 5
*Mild Spoilers, but nothing that will give away the ending*

The Last Olympian is the 5th (last) book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, is nearing his 16th birthday and the fulfillment of the great prophecy that could mean his death. The only problem is, he is not sure if the prophecy is about him or about another demi-god. Just to be sure, he takes a dip in the River Styx to get the curse of Achilles. This makes him pretty near invincible, but is it enough to keep him from Achilles' fate? The Gods have left Mount Olympus unprotected to fight one of the Titans, Typhon, who is making his way across the United States and leaving mass destruction. In the meantime, Percy finds out through many prophetic dreams that Kronos, the Titan God of Time, is planning a surprise attack on New York and Mount Olympus (located on the 6ooth floor of the Empire State Building). The only ones to protect Mt. Olympus are the demi-gods whose numbers are dwindling after the children of Ares, God of War, decide they are not going to help. Not only that, but there is spy in their numbers that is keeping Kronos one step ahead of them. It is up to Percy to lead his side to victory, or let Olympus fall to Kronos and the Titans.

This was a very exciting ending to the series. There is some back story for Luke's parents, Nico's parents, and when Annabeth first meets up with Luke and Thalia. There are also many good battles in this book, and for the most part I couldn't predict what was going to happen. There is some tension between Annabeth and Rachel Elizabeth Dare, because both girls like Percy, and he seems to have a hard time picking one or the other. I think out of all the Percy Jackson books, this is one of my favorites. I'm really glad the book ended to my liking, and some of the demi-gods on Kronos' side may surprise you in the end. I highly recommend the Percy Jackson series.

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare is the last book in the Mortal Instruments Trilogy. The other books are titled City of Bones and City of Ashes.

The plot thickens: Clary is in search of a warlock with the knowledge to free her mother from a magical coma. Jace and the Lightwoods are heading to the ancient Shadowhunter city, Alicante, or the city of glass. Jace leaves Clary behind, but she sneaks in with Luke Garroway, a shadowhunter turned werewolf. The penalty for sneaking into the Shadowhunter city uninvited is death. Simon is thrown in jail by the Clave, because they are suspicious of his ability to walk in the sunlight. This is unheard of for a vampire. Valentine has plans to attack Alicante and take out the Clave by obtaining all of the Mortal Instruments. Clary meets some of the Penhallow family, including Sebastian who willingly helps her on her quest. The Clave must learn to trust the downworlders in order to save their city. The cost for the Clave? Include Downworlders in the Clave or lose to Valentine. It's a tough decision.

My Reaction: This was a good ending to the series. I liked the way things turned out. Everything seemed to end happily for the main characters. My only complaint was some things were a bit predictable even from almost the beginning of the book. Not to spoil things, but I pretty much had Sebastian pegged from his introduction. I won't say anymore on that, but there were some new elements to this last book. For instance, we get to see a few Angels, and we find out how Jace and Clary ended up with their extraordinary Shadowhunter abilities. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you'll have to read about that in the 2nd book, City of Ashes. I didn't give this book 5 stars, just because of the predictability, however the series as a whole was pretty amazing for me.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Genre: 19th Century British Classic
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
I read this book as part of a Classics Challenge.

Wuthering Heights is the only novel of Emily Bronte, one of three sisters with published works. It follows the tale of Ellen Dean, a house servant of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, and the family members she served. We hear the story through Ellen's perspective as she relates it to a tenant of Thrushcross Grange, Mr. Lockwood. Although Ellen is telling the story, the details of the book revolve around Heathcliff, an orphan boy taken in by Mr. Earnshaw, the master of Wuthering Heights. Mr. Earnshaw's daughter, Catherine, and Heathcliff become inseparable and eventually proclaim to love each other. The turn of the book is when Catherine decides to marry another suitor, Edgar Linton of Thrushcross Grange. She does so not out of love, but to be able to secure some money to help out Heathcliff, who at the time had no prospects of money. This choice turns out to be the biggest mistake of the novel as it has repercussions on not only Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar, but also of their descendants.
Heathcliff then develops a lust for revenge that consumes his entire life. He will not rest until he curses the lives of every member of the Linton and Earnshaw families.

As I read this book, I was pretty disgusted with most of the characters. Don't get me wrong, the events of the book were interesting and thought provoking, but I sometimes wondered what was wrong with those people??? First off, Ellen Dean the servant. She was present through most of the events of this tale, and I have to say she was pretty dumb sometimes. I mean, at some point you could say that some of the events of the novel were her fault. She did a lot of preaching to the characters that were in her charge, but at the end of the day they walked all over her and did what they wanted. For example, Cathy Linton (Edgar and Catherine's daughter) is always visiting over to Wuthering Heights when her father had said she is absolutely forbidden to go. Ellen was put in charge to make sure that Cathy wouldn't go, but somehow Cathy always made it over when she wanted. Come on Ellen, who's in charge again?

Heathcliff was an interesting character. Supposedly his revenge was what caused such evil doings from him, but honestly, I thought he was pretty evil before he had cause for revenge. He and Catherine from the beginning were the worst of brats ever to walk the planet. I think they were made for each other. I'm going to say revenge was just an excuse for Heathcliff to unleash all his evil yearnings on his unsuspecting victims.

The last character I am going to rant on is Edgar Linton. He had to be the dumbest one yet. How on Earth could he ever be persuaded to marry Catherine I will never know. All I have to say is she must have put on a pretty good show to win him over. She was always throwing tantrums and behaving badly. At one point in the book I was pretty sure he was just disgusted enough to walk away from her, but alas that is the very same day he proposed.

Well, this review is getting to be very long. I won't say it was the best book in the world, but more enjoyable than others I have read. One thing it does do is make for good character discussion. If anyone else has read Wuthering Heights, I'd love to hear your view of things.

If anyone made it this far without being completely bored, here are some of my favorite quotes from the novel.

"My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning: my great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being." (pg 113, Catherine Earnshaw talking to Ellen Dean)

"I wish you had sincerity enough to tell me whether Catherine would suffer greatly from his loss: the fear that she would restrains me. And there you see the distinction between our feelings: had he been in my place and I in his, though I hated him with a hatred that turned my life to gall, I never would have raised a hand against him. You may look incredulous, if you please! I never would have banished him from her society as long as she desired his. The moment her regard ceased, I would have torn his heart out, and drank his blood! But, till then - if you don't believe me, you don't know me - till then, I would have died by inches before I touched a single hair of his head!" (pg 190, Heathcliff talking to Ellen Dean)

'I know he has a bad nature,' said Catherine: 'he's your son. But I'm glad I've a better, to forgive it; and I know he loves me, and for that reason I love him. Mr. Heathcliff, you have nobody to love you; and, however miserable you make us, we shall still have the revenge of thinking that your cruelty arises from your greater misery! You are miserable, are you not? Lonely, like the devil, and envious like him? Nobody loves you - nobody will cry for you when you die! I wouldn't be you!' (pg 345, Cathy Linton talking to Heathcliff)

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I don't know why, but sometimes I have a really hard time getting into a book. The result is it takes me a super long time to finish reading it. I had that problem with Little Women, but only once I started reading Part 2. You see, for some strange reason, I read the first half awhile back, and I wondered why it was suddenly over and I had missed the end of the story. The answer was the book I owned only included the first half of the story. Don't ask me why it was printed that way, but it was. About two months ago I was browsing in the library and saw Little Women, Little Men, and Jo's Boys all in one book. I checked it out hoping to continue on in the story, and then I realized there was a second half to Little Women. Needless to say, I had a very difficult time getting into it. I've renewed the book once already, and I still want to read the other two stories, but I also have a ton of other books to get to right now. Here is my review.

Little Women follows the lives of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March as they grow from children to little women. It is set in New England during Civil War time. The March family, who used to be a wealthier family, is now poor. However, being poor doesn't hinder them in creativity and quality of life. How can anyone not love spirited Jo, tender hearted Beth, prim and proper Amy, and motherly Meg? Despite their growing pains and trials, the March girls succeed in realizing their dreams and charming those around them.

The reason I chose to read Little Women is because I love the movie with Winona Ryder as Jo. Despite how long it took me to read this book, I did enjoy it. I think the chapters I had the hardest time with were the chapters that comprised of letters from certain characters to home. Basically we see what that character has been doing through the medium of a letter. I did enjoy reading about Meg's home life after she marries. I also enjoyed getting a better view of the "other" girls. The movie tends to focus more on Jo, in my opinion.

Another thing I didn't like from the book is the description of Professor Bhaer, although I suppose this must be fully personal preference. For all his good qualities, he was described as "rather stout, with brown hair tumbled all over his head, a bushy beard, droll nose, the kindest eyes I ever saw, and a splendid big voice that does one's ears good, after our sharp or slipshod American gabble. His clothes were rusty, his hands were large, and he hadn't a handsome feature in his face, except his beautiful teeth; yet I liked him.." Also, in the book, was included an illustration, and let me tell you, it conjured up images of Victor French, aka Isaiah Edwards from the Little House on the Prairie television series. The movie Friedrich Bhaer is played by Gabriel Byrne. I think I prefer Gabriel.

Anyway, despite my rather picky view of things, there really isn't anything else to complain about for me. I simply love Little Women, and I would recommend this classic novel to anyone.

I read this book as part of a Classics Reading Challenge. If anyone is interested, there is still time to join.

The Last Trail

As we were cleaning out Grandma DeLaMare's house a couple weeks ago, I was able to get my hands on a bunch of her books. I admit that I went through the stacks looking for the oldest looking books I could find-this one among them. I had heard of Zane Grey before, only remembering something about him writing westerns, which I haven't read for a very long time...so I thought I would give it a try.
It turns out it was actually a romance, masquerading as a western. Yea, there was a significant body count, suspense and frontier setting with its trials, but underlying the whole thing was quite the love story (it was pretty evident in the foreshadowing early on in the book).

I enjoyed the read. The story kept me intrigued enough that I found the time to finish it in just a few days. It would not be considered politically correct in today's society but reflected well times past in the "wild frontier". I admit I found it difficult to keep track of all the minor characters that were mentioned often but rarely developed. It had a dramatic climax (the last trail) and happy ending. It shall stay in my library. 3 1/2 stars out of 5.

Whitney Awards

The 2008 Whitney Awards were just given out! If you don't know what the Whitney Awards are here is a little description from the website:

"The Whitneys are an awards program for novels by LDS authors. Elder Orson F. Whitney, an early apostle in the LDS church, prophesied “We will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own.” Since we have that as our goal, we feel that we should also honor those authors who excel and continually raise the bar.
The Whitney Awards honor novels in the following categories: General Fiction, Romance, Suspense/Mystery, Speculative Fiction, Youth Fiction, Historical, Best Novel of the Year, and Best Novel by a New Author. Novels can be nominated by any reader (via this website or by mail), and nominees are voted on by an academy of industry professionals, including authors, publishers, bookstore owners, distributors, critics, and others."

Here are the winners:
Best Novel of the Year: Traitor by Sandra Grey
Best Novel by a New Author: Bound on Earth by Angela Hallstrom
Best Romance: Spare Change by Aubrey Mace
Best Mystery/Suspense: Fool Me Twice by Stephanie Black
Best Youth Fiction: 13th Reality by James Dashner
Best Speculative Fiction: The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3) by Brandon Sanderson
Best Historical: Abinidi by H. B. Moore
Best General Fiction: Waiting for the Light to Change by Annette Hawes

Lifetime Achievement Award: Kerry Blair, Orson Scott Card

I thought it was pretty fun that we've highlighted some of these books on our little blog. If you have a lot of time and want to read the bloggers take on the Whitney Awards Gala evening click here. Just be warned that it's really interesting and you might get sucked in (especially if you know or like some of the writers involved).

If you have a moment go on over to the Whitneys site and take a look around. If you're looking for good book suggestions by LDS authors that's a great place to go!

Great Undiscovered Books

In doing some blog hopping I found an great post on Wands and Worlds about how some great books can be overlooked or not given much attention because of different factors- these books she calls "undiscovered gems". It's kind of a long post, but pretty interesting to read. It made me think of a lot of my favorite books that maybe took a long time to become popular or never quite made it to the big scene. I also liked how it listed studies reporting that "the top five ways that kids get ideas about what books to read for fun are, in order: Mom, friends, teachers, library or librarians, and Dad." Since I've been a teacher, friend and Mom I figured it is important for me to learn about a lot of different books so I can recommend the best to anyone who dares ask. I also agree that teachers in particular rely too much on lists and awards to find books to recommend. We need to find our own good books to read and not just read the books big time Publishers decide will be the "next big thing". Wands and Worlds has started an undiscovered gems from 2008 list. Go check it out and look at the comments for a lot of fun book suggestions from just this past year. Oh, and please add more if you can think of any!

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Genre: Young Adult
rating: 4 of 5 stars

I know my head isn't screwed on straight. I want to leave, transfer, warp myself to another galaxy. I want to confess everything, hand over the guilt and mistake and anger to someone else. There is a beast in my gut, I can hear it scraping away at the inside of my ribs. Even if I dump the memory, it will stay with me, staining me. My closet is a good thing, a quiet place that helps me hold these thoughts inside my head where no one can hear them. (pg 76)

Melinda Sordino is starting her first year in high school, and she is already a social outcast. She has lost all the friends she ever had, and any potential friend. Her one crime - calling the cops and breaking up a huge, teen drinking party. It was social suicide. Now she has to endure being physically and verbally abused by her former friends and complete strangers. Melinda finds her own little retreat at Merryweather High, an abandoned janitor's closet. She cleans it up, posts up her artwork, and even brings stuff from home. This closet and her own mind are her only retreat until she can learn to speak up about what happened to her; what caused her to call the cops.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt so bad for Melinda. The students at her school truly treated her horribly. One thing I really admired Melinda for was that even though her friends abandoned her, she still tried to reach out to them and continue the friendship. She could have been bitter and treated them badly too, but she just didn't. I liked that Melinda had one good teacher that tried to help her - her art teacher. I was glad that she could use art as a way to say what she couldn't say out loud.

I highly recommend this book. This book is a winner of the Printz award. Go to the Printz Project page for more great reviews of Speak.


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The Hearts of the Children - Dean Hughes

I finally finished the Hearts of the Children series by Dean Hughes. There are five books in the series and they are all wonderful. This series comes after The Children of the Promise series that is staged during WWII. It follows the Thomas family through their lives and how they deal with trials, cultural changes, war, etc. The Hearts of the Children is staged during the Vietnam War and follows the next generation of Thomas's.

I love historical fiction when it is done right and these books are done very well. I've not only become connected with each character and their stories, but I've learned more about the 60s and 70s then I ever did in school. I learned more of what it was actually like to live during that time- the culture changes, political problems, civil rights/women's rights movements, problems in the White House, and all the issues surrounding the Vietnam War (from the protests, draft dodgers, what people thought at home, to the problems the soldiers faced, the unprepared officers, and the political issues in Vietnam and at home that kept the war going even after it was doomed to be a failure) all from an LDS perspective.

I really enjoyed reading these books, although they were written a little differently than the first series. I enjoyed how the author got more in depth with the characters and the continued back story, but sometimes the dialogue or inner dialogue would get a little drawn out. That said, I still enjoyed all the characters and I found myself getting deeply involved in their stories. The best part of the book was learning about the history through people living in that time.

The books are easy to read, but be prepared to not want to put them down. I still think I probably liked the Children of the Promise a little better (maybe because I enjoy reading about the time during WWII more). I suggest these books to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, a good story with interesting characters, and learning about the time period of the Vietnam War. I give these books 5 out of 5 stars.

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Genre: Young Adult
rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tyler Miller has always been a picked on nerd, but after pulling a prank at the end of his junior year, he is starting his senior year with a new bad boy image. Not to mention his recently developed muscles from landscaping all summer. He finally is getting noticed by the girl of his dreams, Bethany, but her twin brother, Chip, is definitely a "chip" in his side. Bethany invites him to a party, which is not in accordance with his probation, but he takes the risk anyway. In the aftermath of the party, some pictures of Bethany emerge on the internet, and he is the prime suspect. Now he has to convince everyone it wasn't him, and save his relationship with Bethany. It looks like things at home need improving as well.

*Stop reading now if you don't want a few spoilers*

I liked this book alright. I appreciated the fact that Tyler respected Bethany, and didn't take advantage of her when probably most other guys would have. I liked how Tyler stepped up his responsibility - especially towards the end of the book. I liked how Tyler was a nice guy and capable of being responsible, even though he may not have looked or acted that way all the time. I liked how Tyler's teachers came through in helping him keep up with his school work when he was in isolation. I gave a sigh of relief when Tyler overcame his suicidal tendencies.

What I didn't like: I didn't like the repeated attention to Tyler's "male anatomy problems". I guess that's the nicest way to put it. The swear factor: I would rate 2 or 3 out of five. There wasn't too much swearing, but the F word used once, and the Lord's name frequently. I was uncomfortable during the hazing incident, and the frequent references to the scantily dressed female students (thus creating the male anatomy problems). The good I see at those references is to open girls' eyes to the affect they have on guys. Message to girls: wear more clothes.


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My Reader Spotlight

I just got my first reader spotlight on the Maw Books Blog!! I am so proud. Go check it out.

Smash! Crash! by Jon Scieszka

Genre: Children's Picture
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

I wanted to introduce Jon Scieszka and the world of Trucktown. Jack Truck and Dump Truck Dan are already some of our best friends at my house, and I'm hoping they will soon become some of yours. We picked up Smash! Crash! off the shelf on a library outing, and it soon became the most requested book. We read it over and over. It was a sad day when I had to return it, and I'm thinking I will just have to go buy it. I already bought another of the trucktown books called Zoom Boom Bully. It is a shorter read, but the kids still love it. The illustrations are also very colorful and fun. If you've got little boys in your house, please check into these books. They are perfect for your little movers and shakers.



If that isn't enough to convince you, please go check out the Trucktown website. There you can read a few interactive pages of Smash! Crash!, print some Trucktown activity pages, and check out some of Jon's up and coming Trucktown books.

The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center

Genre: Chick Lit
rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jenny Harris is nearing the birth of her first baby, when her fiance, Dean, leaves her for good. A few days later she goes into labor, and suddenly she must deal with being a single mother. She worries about everything from getting her baby to nurse to figuring out how to pay for it all. Luckily she has a good support system from her mom and handsome neighbor, but her best friend disappears in a new relationship. After months of struggles, things are finally starting to look up, and the unexpected happens - Dean shows up on her doorstep. Will she settle for Dean or find a way for him to be in their lives without letting him back in their home?

I am of mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I loved the story. It was so well done, and even though I'm not a single mom, I appreciate Jenny's struggles as a new mom. The thing that ruined the book for me was the language. The F word was used a little to frequently for my tastes. Surprisingly, a few other colorful words, but the Lord's name wasn't used as much. If you don't have an aversion to harsh language, by all means read this book.

Go to Natasha's Maw Books Blog for another review of this book. I just read her review again, and thought she did a marvelous job.


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The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter

Genre: Christian Romance
rating: 4 of 5 stars

Relationship expert Dr. Kate Lawrence is five hours away from her Nantucket beach wedding that coincides with the release of her new book, Finding Mr. Right-for-You when she gets a phone call from her fiance. The unthinkable happens - he says he can't marry her, that he is in love with someone else. This sort of thing happens all the time, but it couldn't possibly be happening to Kate. Not when she and Bryan were so compatible with each other, and especially not when her credibility as a relationship expert and her whole career was about to go up in smoke.

Lucas Wright, a carpenter that works below Kate's office/apartment, overhears her predicament and offers to be a stand-in groom. Kate reluctantly agrees to marry him on the condition that they quietly divorce in one year's time. Little does Kate know that Lucas is already in love with Kate, and he's using this little stroke of luck and hoping Kate will fall in love with him too before the year is up.

Everything seems to go off without a hitch, and the media is unaware that Kate was really supposed to be married to someone else. That is until Bryan's spurned lover reveals the truth while Kate is on a live cable television interview. At that point her career really is going up in smoke. Unable to figure out her developing feelings for Lucas, she runs away, leaving Lucas wondering if Kate ever will love him.

I enjoyed this book. It was a good, clean romance, and it also had an interesting story. The author uses Lucas' love for Kate as an allegory for Christ's love for us. I actually didn't read the group reading guide questions until after I read the book. If you happen to read those before reading the book, it will help in picking things out as you read. I recommend to all the ladies.


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Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center

Genre: Mom Lit
rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lanie Coates and her family make a life altering move to Cambridge, Massachusetts from Houston, Texas so her husband, Peter, can go to school. Lanie has never felt so alone and so out of place as she does in Cambridge among the preppier and wealthier moms. Her life is completely consumed by her children, so much so that she barely has time for clean clothes and a shower. That's when another mom inadvertently insults her appearance, and Lanie decides enough is enough. She makes a plan to get some semblance of her old life back. However, along her path to re-discovery, certain things take place that could jeopardize her marriage. Will she be able to keep her new self and her husband?

I liked this book. Again, Katherine Center's story seems to speak right to me. It's like she channels all those mom thoughts and experiences that most of us can relate to. The only regret is the bad language in the book. I truly wish authors would not use language like that. I don't think it adds to the book in any way, but I suppose there is nothing to be done. I almost didn't want to read this book after the language from The Bright Side of Disaster, but the story was just so good. Blast! So I read this one anyway, and there is even more bad language in this book. I am very sorry to report that.

At any rate, here are some quotes that spoke to me from Everyone Is Beautiful.

You can't really furnish a terrifically hip apartment for next to nothing. Especially not when that apartment is also ankle-deep with trucks, Legos, puzzles, balls, Play-Doh, and a million other unsightly kid things. I had just decided, instead of worrying about it, to turn off the part of my brain that cared about being stylish or impressing others with my decor. Given our circumstances these days, we just had to be frumpy.(pg 34)

It was so easy to come up with solutions to other people's problems. To watch them struggle through parenting in a self-satisfied way and believe that if you were in their shoes, you'd have it all figured out. With friends back home, I'd noticed it over and again. Observations like, "That child is so shy. His mother needs to get him some friends!" As if a few playdates would change a child's personality. As if better parenting could make something like shyness disappear.(pg 141)

Again, because Natasha does such great reviews, you can read her review of this book on the Maw Books Blog.


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The Icing on the Cake by Elodia Strain

Genre: Romance/Comedy
rating: 4 of 5 stars

Annabelle Pleasanton has just been given a writing assignment from her boss. She really has to give this one her all after her previous failure as a writer for Central Coast Living. The only problem is, every time she attempts to make an impression every thing seems to go wrong. The same can be said for her new love interest, Isaac. Just when Annabelle thinks she's making headway with Isaac, her boyfriend-snatching enemy, Rona, shows up to ruin things. On top of all that she is trying to successfully put together the menu for her best friend's surprise bridal shower. Will she be able to get it all together or will everything fall apart?

This book was seriously funny. It had a lot of embarrassing moments and funny twists and turns. I found the main character's interaction with the reader to be quite hilarious as well. Annabelle's inner voice is so saucy.

I highly recommend this book, and I know there is a sequel too, titled Previously Engaged. I will definitely be reading it.

A few quotes from the book:

Quote #1

"Enchante," Patrique said, kissing me on my hand. It kind of shocked me, and when he removed his lips from the top of my hand, there was a blob of saliva just sitting there. He looked at me as if he had left it there as some sort of treat for me.

I tried to hide my disgust as I wiped my hand on my pants. I almost felt sorry for them. I mean, they were nice pants. But it was either me or them.

Quote #2

My mind began to race with ideas for how to get the ring off my finger. I went over the options in my mind.

Option one: Find some string and tie it to a doorknob and then slam the door shut.
No. That's for loose teeth not tight rings.

Option Two: Ask Lisa to give the ring a tug.
No. I don't think tat will go over too well.

Option Three: Use the slippery hand lotion in my bag to coat my finger, then tug and hope for the best.
Okay. I'll give that one a try.

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The Touch of Sage by Marcia Lynn McClure

Genre: Historical Romance
rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sage Willows has raised her sisters and run a boardinghouse ever since her parents died. Meanwhile she has never found time to settle down with a man of her own. She still finds loneliness, and is resigned to being a spinster. She has companionship with her boarders, the four beloved widow women living with her. When the nephew of one of her boarders shows up in town, she is immediately smitten. Rebel Lee Mitchell is handsome, but also admired by all the single ladies in town. Sage doesn't feel she even has a chance with him. Reb's tormented heart also finds it difficult to love, but is falling fast for Sage Willows. Can they overcome their struggles to let love reign?

This was a good story. I especially loved the banter of the widowed border ladies. They were continually setting up Sage in ridiculous situations. I recommend this sweet little romance for all the ladies.


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The Visions of Ransom Lake by Marcia Lynn McClure

Genre: Historical Romance
rating: 4 of 5 stars

Vaden Valmont has recently arrived west with her sister Yvonne to help their aunt start a dress making business. Her first encounter in town is with a strange hermit named Ransom Lake (I prefer to think of him as Spunk Ransom). Even though the man sports long hair and a scraggly beard, she is immediately enthralled with him. Soon the gossip starts that Ransom is to spend the winter in town as opposed to his preferred home in the mountains. Vaden tries to make a good impression on Ransom, but always ends up tripping up around him, and acquires his wrath when she takes it upon herself to shave his beard for him while he is passed out. Finding he is every bit as handsome as she has imagined, Vaden begins to fall in love with him. Ransom is falling just as hard, but something from his past his holding him back.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very romantical.


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The Whispered Kiss by Marcia Lynn McClure

Genre: Clean Romance
rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast with a twist. The "Beast", Valor Lionhardt is very rich and handsome, but his heart has turned to black stone after his proposal of marriage to Coquette de Bellamont is refused by her father. Three years later, sweet, innocent Coquette is given in marriage to the dark Lord of Roanan to save her father's life - or so she thinks. She soon finds out that her vain father has traded her life for three merchant ships, a manor house, and gold. Coquette must learn to tame her beast, and Lord Roanan must learn to give up revenge and love again.

I liked this story pretty well. It was inventive and different from other Beauty and the Beast stories. It had a sweet romance, but not as steamy as Shackles of Honor. Even though it is not my favorite of McClure's books, I still recommend it. She writes clean romance, which I am highly in favor of.


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Shackles of Honor by Marcia Lynn McClure

Genre: Historical Romance
rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book!
Cassidy Shea has a very happy life with her parents and brother, although she feels something looming on the horizon. A stranger comes to dinner, and she is then told that she has been betrothed to him since birth. She is reeling from this new information, and finds she is to go to his manor with him until their wedding date. Mason Carlisle has known since a young age that Cassidy was to be his wife, and is angry that she has had no preparation for her duty. Cassidy does indeed go with Mason and begins to fall in love with him. She is haunted by the fact that his former love won't seem to give him up, and she is doomed to love a man who doesn't love her back.

So far this is my favorite McClure book. I highly recommend it to all those ladies out there looking for a little romance. Don't worry, there is a little bit of mystery as well to keep things interesting.


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An Intro to Marcia Lynn McClure

I thought I would do a separate post to introduce a new favorite author of mine. Her name is Marcia Lynn McClure. She was recommended to me by some of my Twilight groupies. I thought I would check her out since they all absolutely love her.

Here is the bio from her books:

Marcia Lynn McClure began writing novels as Christmas gifts for her closest friends. She weaves her tales of love, life, laughter, and adventure around those compelling, romantic moments which appeal to a woman's loving heart. Gazing out her window into the magnificent beauty of the high plains of Colorado, she writes her stories inspired by the sunshine, pastures, wildlife, and sheer beauty of her surroundings. Blissful in the company of her wonderful husbnad, two sons, a daughter and son-in-law, Marcia continues to captivate readers with her own, unique and beloved stories.

I have only read a handful of her books so far, and I am really enjoying them. So be on the look-out in the coming days for reviews of those books. Click HERE for more information on Marcia. Also, check out the Clean Romance Club.