Spring Reading Thing Wrap Up

Things went so absolutely well this time around! I purposefully underestimated the number of books I wanted to read in this time period so that I wouldn't reach the last couple of weeks and end up trying to cram in the rest of the books on the list.

I also discovered that I had much more time than I thought I would once I started my Masters Program... which I started on June 2. I kept up at the same pace of reading a book or day (granted... they were kids books) or more.

I discovered many new authors which I love and continued in my love of a few. I think the greatest finds for me were in the realm of young adult or children's literature. Since I may end up teaching language arts at the middle school level I decided to add the list of recommended reading (from the school district in the area) so that I would be familiar with the books I will be assigning to my students The two that come to mind right away are Eoin Colfer and the Artemis Fowl series and Emily Rodda with the Rowan of Rin series.

Both of these series are so well written! I absolutely love them!

The challenges have always made me want to read more than I normally would although this reading has become a pretty solid habit for me. :D

I just barely finished all of the books on my list. I put a hold on Becoming Me by Melody Carlson at the library and have been waiting for it for months! I just wish I had realized that a copy was upstairs in my sister's bedroom. :D I'm finishing that in about half an hour.

Here's my completed list.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (03/22/08)
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer (03/25/08)
Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer (03/26/08)
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer (03/27/08)
Artemis Fowl: THe Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer (03/26/08)
Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer (03/28/08)
The Hitchhikers Guide the the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (03/24/08)
Hideaway by Hannah Alexander (03/29/08)
Safe Haven by Hannah Alexander (03/30/08)
Last Resort by Hannah Alexander (03/30/08)
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (03/24/08)
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (04/13/08)
By way of the wilderness by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Jeweled Spur by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Spider Catcher by Gilbert Morris (04/23/08)
The High Calling by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Golden Angel by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Unlikely Allies by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley (04/21/08)
Confessions of an ugly stepsister by Gregory Maguire (04/01/08)
Incidents in the life of a slave girl by Harriet A. Jacobs (03/31/08)
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien by J. R. R. Tolkien (04/06/08)
God's gift by Dee Henderson (03/31/08)
The poems of Emily Dickinson edited by R. W. Franklin (04/04/08)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (04/20/08)
American sphinx by Joseph J. Ellis (04/18/08)
Stoner's Crossing by Judith Pella (04/19/08)
Be My Neat-Heart by Judy Baer (04/14/08)
Halos by Kirsten Heitzmann (04/22/08)
The Breaking Point by Karen Ball (05/29/08)
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (04/28/08)
Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson (04/24/08)
Daughter of Joy by Kathleen Morgan (04/29/08)
Dreams in the Golden Country by Kathryn Lasky (04/27/08)
Seeds of Hope by Kristiana Gregory (04/25/08)
The Way of Women by Lauraine Snelling (04/30/08)
Kingscote by Linda Chaikin (04/26/08)
Handyman by Linda Nichols (05/04/08)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (04/24/08)
Escape by Lorena McCourtney (05/21/08)
Monday Morning Faith by Lori Copeland (05/02/08)
Holes by Louis Sachar (05/06/08)
Becoming Me by Melody Carlson (06/19/08)
Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgens Clark (05/10/08)
Never Too Late by Michael Phillips (05/01/08)
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Alborn (05/08/08)
Mary Poppins in the Park by P. L . Travers (05/07/08)
Look to the Hills by Patricia Mckissack (04/30/08)
Secrets, Lies and Alibies by Patricia Rushford (05/23/08)
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (05/11/08)
Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp by Philip Pullman (05/06/08)
Going Solo by Roald Dahl (05/22/08)
The Solitary Envoy by T. Davis Bunn (05/16/08)

Books added after the beginning of the challenge
A Fire Within by Kathleen Morgan (03/27/08)
Every Secret Thing by Ann Tatlock (04/02/08)
In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols (04/08/08)
The Scribe by Francine Rivers (04/17/08)
Betrayed by Jeanette Windle (04/26/08)
A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austing (05/01/08)
Kazunomiya: Prisoner of Heaven by Kathryn Lasky (05/12/08)
Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie by Kristiana Gregory (05/12/08)
Lullaby by Jane Orcutt (05/14/08)
All the Tea in China by Jane Orcutt (05/14/08)
The Gawgon and the Boy by Lloyd Alexander (05/17/08)
Gypsy Rizka by Lloyd Alexander (05/18/08)
A Season of Grace by Bette Nordberg (05/19/08)
Second Opinion by Hannah Alexander (05/20/08)
Urgent Care by Hannah Alexander (05/20/08)
A Most Begrudging Bride by Deeanne Gist (05/20/08)
Rekindled by Tamera Alexander (05/24/08)
Love Thy Neighbor by Ann Turner (05/25/08)
The Professor's House by Willa Cather (05/26/08)
The Listener by Terri Blackstock (05/27/08)
One of Ours by Willa Cather (05/27/08)
The Scarecrow and his Servant by Philip Pullman (05/28/08)
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (05/29/08)
The Braxtons of Miracle Springs by Michael Philips (05/30/08)
Wild Grows the Heather in Devon by Michael Philips (05/31/08)
Wayward Winds by Michael Philips (06/01/08)
The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo (06/01/08)
Kristina: the Girl King by Carolyn Meyer (06/01/08)
Early Sunday Morning by Barry Denenberg (06/01/08)
soul surfer by Bethany Hamilton (06/02/08)
Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (06/03/08)
Hidden Talents by David Lubar (06/04/08)
What She Left for Me by Tracie Peterson (06/06/08)
The Noble Fugitive by T Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn (06/07/08)
Forgiven by Karen Kingsbury (06/08/08)
Fifth Seal by Bodie and Brock Thoene (06/08/08)
When Will This Cruel War Be Over by Barry Denenberg (06/09/08)
The Journal of Ben Unchida by Barry Denenberg (06/10/08)
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway (06/13/08)
Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda (06/13/08)
Rowan and the Travelers by Emily Rodda (06/14/08)
Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal by Emily Rodda (06/14/08)
Rowan and the Zeback by Emily Rodda(06/14/08)
Rowan and the Ice Creepers by Emily Rodda (06/15/08)
Talking with God by Fenelon (06/16/08)
Three Plays by Euripides (06/17/08)
The Supernaturalists by Eoin Colfer (06/18/08)

On... The Supernaturalists by Eoin Colfer

I absolutely loved this book! I fell in love with Colfer's writing while I read the Artemis Fowl series. He created a character and world so utterly unique, like nothing I had ever seen before.

Also on my list by Eoin Colfer was Half-Moon Investigations. While Colfer's writing style enlivened the book and made it somewhat worth my while I did not enjoy it as much.

I did not know what to expect when I picked up The Supernaturalists. I think I figured out why I loved the Artemis Fowl books but not Half-Moon Investigations. In Artemis Fowl and with The Supernaturalists Colfer creates a completely new world. Half-Moon Investigations stuck to reality just a little too much.

I absolutely love how Colfer weaves in so many twists and turns, betrayals and acts of loyalty into the plot line. None of these unexpected happenings come close to reading like deus ex machina... something completely unbelievable... which makes it so enjoyable. I should have seem a couple of them coming, being familiar with Colfer's style, but I haven't read any of Colfer's books for a few months so I forgot about them until afterwards.

Definitely a great book! I highly recommend it.

On... Three Plays by Euripides

This is my first time reading any of the classic Greek plays. I have to say that I was not disappointed. I have read the Iliad and the Odyssey before and appreciated the great writing evident within but the gore really turned me off.

The plays by Euripides are free from gore but not from classical mythology and the great writing. The pathos of the husband in the first play (I forget the names) losing his wife yet still remembering to show hospitality is such a great story. Then in the end when his act of hospitality which everyone else looks down upon turns out to be the thing that brings his wife back to him from the dead I absolutely fell in love with the play. Such good writing!

I recommend these plays to anyone interested in the classics.

On... Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda

Rowan of Rin is the first book in a series on the assigned middle school reading list for the district where I live. Before I looked up the list to add to my grand to be read list I had never heard of the book.

I wish some of these books had been written when I was in middle school. I would have grabbed them off the shelf as fast as I could. When I was that age I absolutely loved fantasy and would have incorporated all kinds of aspects into my own writings.

This book deals with very basic issues in a very simple yet profound issues. While I as an adult could see the lessons written into the book by Rodda, Rodda weaved together very simple yet necessary lessons at a writing level perfect for many middle school students.

I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series. I love stumbling across a series after the series has been completed. I don't have to wait for the books to come out.

On... For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

I approached this book with my memories of John Steinbeck in my mind. I just realized that as I started to write this entry. I have found that while Steinbeck's writing can be impressive he often overloads his text with things gratuitous in nature. Hemingway is not like that.

I found myself strangely fascinated by this book. While I also found myself a little confused as to where the book was placed and how much time passed I can put that all aside because of my awe of Hemingway's writing style. The book is placed in Spain. the time period, though I should know this, escapes me at the moment. Hemingway infuses the text with stylistic turnings typical of imperfect translations of Spanish to English. A large majority of the characters are native Spaniards.

I could look at an awkward phrasing and realize exactly how that would have been stated in Spanish and why the translation felt so awkward. In addition, Hemingway peppered hundreds of Spanish words and phrases throughout the book, many of which stood untranslated.

I suppose that Hemingway's writing style alone redeems the book in my mind. If it had not been for the careful crafting of the language I probably would have put the book down before I got halfway through because I wouldn't have been able to find one end of the book from another.

I still don't understand the ending.

On... The Noble Fugitive by T. Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn

I found myself positively surprised by this book. I didn't like the first book in the series and compared it unfortunately to some of Gilbert Morris' better works. (Better but still not so great)

Although the Bunns confused me a little by deviating with multiple story lines they did condense the story into a time frame of a little less than a year. The first book spanned several years and didn't seem to have a coherent story line.

The only problem I had was a bit of confusion with the prologue and arranging the time line at the beginning of the book.

Overall the book was not bad but not something that I'll add to my personal library.

On... What She Left for Me by Tracie Peterson

I found myself pleasantly surprised by this book. I used to absolutely love all of Peterson's book but after taking a long break from reading her books I picked up one a few months ago and found the entire book entirely distasteful.

Judging from that experience I did not know what to expect when I started reading this book. I enjoyed the book. I found it on one of the shelves at my grandmother's house and she gave it to me. Originally I had decided to sell it as soon as I read it but I'm actually considering keeping it.

Although Peterson utilized a couple of techniques that separated me from the story momentarily she told a story that spanned three generations and thirty years in a way that made me come to love the characters.

I recommend this book.

On... Road Trips!

Finally, a post that is not a book review!
After I graduate from the Masters Program next spring my dad and I are going to take a cross country road trip. Although we have had to scale down our original goal of reaching nearly every state west of Indiana I will be able to add 17 states to my have been in list.

A few days ago my father mentioned to me that we should start looking for sponsors for our trip... to make it more affordable of course. :D I didn't know quite what to think of the idea because of course, he and I aren't famous at all. Hardly anyone even reads this blog besides my father. :D

Then I dropped by one of the blogs I frequently visit and noticed that Karlene at inksplasher.blogspot.com is going on a road trip with her daughter and has gotten sponsors! Of course... not big huge corporations but donations of all sorts and other such thing. I couldn't believe that I discovered this a day after my father brought the idea to me. Now I know that he isn't completely insane. :D

Thanks Karlene so much for planning this road trip and being so organized in offering all of these challenges!

On... Hidden Talents by David Lubar

I found myself very disappointed with this book. The first thing that jumped into my mind when I started reading the book was how much this seemed like Holes. The details are different but the concept is roughly the same.

Another detractor was Lubar's use of a curse word a couple of times when I found its usage rather gratuitous. The writing style is interesting but I don't like the ultimate message that the book communicates. I would not use this book in my curriculum as a future middle school language arts teacher.

On... Peril at End House by Agatha Christie

While most of Agatha Christie's books are intriguing on their own once many of the books are read a pattern is easily detectable. In fact, most of the Hercule Poirot books have a Sherlock Holmes set up to them. This story was told from the perspective of Captain Hastings, the man to which Poirot confides and uses as a board to bounce his ideas off.

Another thing that I don't like about Christie's books is the fact that the ending is usually something that cannot be detected by even the most casual observation. I have to rephrase that. I caught maybe one or two hints about the ending and the ultimate culprit but too often Christie keeps the reader completely in the dark.

I appreciate Christie's style. She weaves a captivating mystery... albeit unsolvable... without any of the extraneous or I should say gratuitous information that many other authors feel like they have to in order to get people to continue reading their books.

Although I did say a few negative things about the book I do give this book a positive recommendation. it's a good read with only a few points that I simply don't like.

On... soul surfer by Bethany Hamilton

Since I first heard about the tragic shark attack that took Bethany's arm I have wanted to know more about her story. Now, months... probably years later... I finally read her account of the incident.

What an amazing testimony she has! She speaks candidly about her life and while the issues she touches on aren't enormously deep and complex issues, the issues are very important for a fourteen year old girl in her situation. The fact that I am in training to earn an MAT in teaching Middle Grades I find this book very revealing. Of course her story and experiences are not the same as all in her age group but it is an insight into at least one.

Great book. I definitely recommend it.

On... The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo

A couple months back I looked up the summer reading list for the middle schools in my local school district and added every book on that list to my want to read list. I figured that if I in a year or so may be teaching Language Arts to middle schoolers that I should have read what they are assigned to read.

The Dear America series is on that list (I also finished two books in that series but am not going to review them. I wouldn't have much besides the same praise I have already given. :D) but I would read those books even if they weren't on the list. The Other Side of Truth is the first book besides the Dear America series that I have read from that list.

Wow. What a very well written book. This book tells the story of two children, Sade and Femi who flee their native Nigeria immediately after the murder of their mother and find themselves lost and without family in London. Naidoo tells the story from an omniscient third person narrator but places much emphasis on the events that occur to Sade specifically.

I absolutely loved this book because of the fantastic storytelling and felt so sorry for Sade and Femi because of the terrible circumstances that surrounded them. I knew that of course these characters were fictional but unfortunately the situation the fled from is very real.

I definitely recommend this book.

On... The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

This is the second book in the HIs Dark Materials trilogy. I read the first, The Golden Compass last year just after the movie came out. I had intended to read the book before I saw the movie but to this day I have yet to see the movie.

Pullman ambitiously tries to weave an insanely complex world with all kinds of different mythologies that leave out God. Well... perhaps that's not the best way to say that. Pullman tries to kill God, at least that's what this knife can do... the one referred to in the title of the book.

While Pullman writes with great ability I think he bit off more than he could chew in trying to sort out this completely different world. In the beginning I couldn't even completely understand how the two young children were transitioning between these different worlds or even what world they were in at various times.

I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to people who can read with discretion.

On... The Listener by Terri Blackstock

I expected something a little more profound from a book that asked the question "what if you could hear what God hears?" But then again when I stopped to think about that I realized how much that actually fits with the book.

So often we think that in order to do something significant for the kingdom of God we need to hear the voice of God or something else as significant as that. We don't.

I enjoyed Blackstock's writing style although it was nothing new, nothing unique from other authors that I have read. I guess I'll have to reserve judgment on Blackstock until I read other books of hers.

On... The Professor's House by Willa Cather

I never really got into the book. I probably would have understood the book a little bit more if I had read the book a bit slower but still there didn't seem to be a coherent plot moving the book forward.

At one point the plot deviated and told the story of a character dead before the first part began. I thoroughly enjoyed that section of the book. It had plot and a very interesting purpose behind it.

Not my favorite of Cather's but not terrible either.

On... Love Thy Neighbor by Ann Turner

I keep gaining a new sense of satisfaction when I open a new Dear America book.

This book is written from the perspective a young girl growing up in a Tory family during the height of the anti-British fervor. I've never thought about what that perspective would be. I've always grown up thinking that the Patriots were right and the Tories were just sticks in the mud.

The more I read out of Pru's journal, the more I realized that my family, had we been in America at that time, would probably have been a Tory family. As Christians we probably would have supported the government that we had and tried to work within it had there been an issue rather than rebel against it (which is what the American Revolution was).

Once again I was not disappointed with this series and can't wait to start adding the series to my own personal collection.

On... Rekindled by Tamera Alexander

I have found a new author that I love to read. As I have been adding books to my grand list and tentatively branching out and sampling the works of authors I had never even heard of before I find myself rewarded on at least 2 out of 3 bites.

The beginning of this book sets the stage for a flashback that takes up a quarter of the plot. I believe that Alexander could have done without the beginning few pages and made it a little more suspenseful for the reader, for me personally. I can see why Alexander structured the book in this way though.

I loved the idea of restoring the marriage. So many times people focus on winning the love the first time and the ending is either a proposal, a wedding, or the birth of a child. There's no talk of what happens ten years down the road. This is where that book takes place... ten years down the road when selfish thoughts, things left unsaid and unspeakable hurts of the past combined to create a wedge between husband and wife, a wedge that nearly kept them apart for ever even after a miraculous recovery.

I loved the book and will definitely be adding the rest of the series to my to be read pile.

On... Secrets, Lies and Alibis by Patricia H. Rushford

I liked the book well enough. I've always loved Rushford's books... mostly her Young Adult series starring Jennie McGrady. I kept the rest of her adult books on my to be read list after reading a couple of the Angel Delaney seriesand enjoying them.

I'm not a big fan of this series though. While the story came together in a logical procedural crime story manner Rushford introduced far too many characters. By the end of the book I still didn't have a few of the minor characters sorted out. What with the multiple officers of the law as well as more suspects than I can count (almost) I found myself slightly overwhelmed by the information.

Hopefully other books in this series won't be as much of a let down.

On... Going Solo by Roald Dahl

Dahl's writing has always intrigued me. There are many times when I would not recommend one of his books to someone else or certainly to kids because of some of the crassness in his writings.

He has a captivating writing style though and when he avoids some things that are simply unpleasant I enjoy his writing such as with this book Going Solo. This book is a partial autobiography and centers on Dahl's time as an RAF pilot during the first years of WWII. My opinion? Pretty great book.

On... Escape by Lorena McCourtney

This book fell into all of the conventional patterns. I knew from the beginning the ultimate outcome of the book. Of course... i ddi look at the end like I usually do but even without that I could have told you just from reading the back of the book exactly what happened... perhaps not the details of what happened it the middle but for the most part there was no real unexpected development.

While this book doesn't sink to Gilbert Morris levels (in my opinion) it does dangle perilously close. I'll read the other books of hers on my list and hope that those books are better than this one. (The other books I own of hers I enjoyed much more than this one.)

On... Second Opinion by Hannah Alexander

Once again the writing duo of Hannah Alexander doesn't fail to disappoint. I love everything medical... one of the reasons I almost went into the medical profession... and the way that Alexander weaves together multiple stories works. I don't always like multiple story lines or too many characters and sometimes Alexander gets dragged down with too many.

While I probably won't ever purchase any of these books they are an enjoyable read and I don't mind spending time reading them.

On... A Season of Grace by Bette Nordberg

This book wasn't on any of my lists. I simply walked into the library last week and started looking up and down the aisles for different books that were on my list. I picked this book up because I have read a couple other books by Ms. Nordberg and enjoyed them. (I think I own those two books but I can't remember).

This book intrigued me because of the weighty subject Ms. Nordberg dealt with... AIDS. AIDS and homosexuality are difficult concepts for a Christian to grasp. So often we state the "love the sinner, hate the sin" mantra but don't practice it. Instead, Christians go around wiping down keyboards because the sister of a man who has AIDS played there.

Ms. Nordberg did a commendable job dealing with complicated physical symptoms and complicated spiritual emotions and reactions. While her writing style is not on the level of some of my absolute favorite authors I did enjoy this book. (I know it's picky but using "Even though" to start two paragraphs with only one small paragraph in between them is a bit distracting).

On Gypsy Rizka by Lloyd Alexander

Such a cute and fanciful book. I love how Alexander created such a lovable character that in the end chose to love all of those who when looking at her at first didn't love her.

Lloyd Alexander remains one of my favorite authors.

On... The Gawgon and the Boy by Lloyd Alexander

I have always loved Lloyd Alexander's books. In fact, the name of one of his characters made its way to one of mine in my first attempt at a novel, my only fantasy.

I revisited Alexander several months ago with The Arkadians and loved the book. For some reason when I picked up this book I kept expecting Roald Dahl's style. I found myself pleasantly surprised. I absolutely loved this book and the fantastical journeys that David entered on all with only his imagination.

I can't wait to pick up Gypsy Riska... the next book on my list.

On... The Solitary Envoy by T. Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn

For me this book got off to a rough start. I couldn't really get into the book and feel like the Bunns could have left the beginning part out and referred to it as a memory or spent less time establishing Erica's natural accounting ability.

I almost threw in the towel and let my opinion of the book go down the tube but after a brief break where I read four other books (:D) I picked the book back up and got caught into the much stronger main plot of the story that began about a third of way into the book.

While I wouldn't purchase this book or add other books by T. Davis Bunn to my list I won't mind reading the books that are already on my list.

I find myself actually looking forward slightly to the next book in the series.

On... the rebirth of a computer

Two weeks ago my hard drive unexpectedly decided to take a permanent trip to that better place for computer parts. Because the following week was my last week at my two jobs I focused on finishing well and settled for using my mother's computer until I could take my computer to the apple store to be fixed.

So five days after the hard drive died I took the computer to the apple store, found out what was wrong with my computer and turned down a $120 recovery service fee. (The repair was free because of the wonderful applecare warranty.) The technician told me that my computer would likely be ready Monday or Tuesday of the following week. I didn't realize until later that I would be out of town when my computer was ready.

Once we arrived at the hotel I checked my phone and found a message from the technician saying that my computer was ready. I think that we could have picked up the computer before we left but instead I recovered her three days later on Thursday.

I am so absolutely happy to have my computer back. I also took advantage of the completely clean slate to install the Leopard operating system onto my computer. Today started the long trek back to normalcy by adding all of my information like music and documents that I can recreate in addition to learning the new and really cool features of the Leopard operating system. I feel like I'm using a computer from the future! Not really but the features are awesome.

Oh... I got the added bonus of having the front piece around the keyboard replaced. It had cracked so while they had my computer they replaced it for me.

In the two weeks since my computer stopped working I have read many books but did not bother to write reviews because of the added hassle. Since I'm on vacation until June the reviews will recommence and will most likely become daily as it is my goal to read at least a book a day.

On... Never Too Late by Michael Phillips

I kept waiting for the plot to kick in. This book weaved in and out of the characters life. The first hundred pages skimmed the early life of Seffie or Josepha touching down on certain key incidents in her life. Once Josepha joined the rest of the characters I couldn't see a need for the book to continue.

I skimmed through the rest of the pages as quickly as I could. I couldn't see the worth of spending precious time reading the book. I've never been this disappointed with a Michael Phillips book before.

On... The Way of Women by Lauraine Snelling

I don't know quite what to think about Lauraine Snelling. I enjoy her books but so many times throughout the books I stumble across something that jars me out of the world surrounding, in this case, the eruption of Mt. St. Helens twenty-eight years ago.

I think that the biggest problem I have with her stand alone novels is the number of characters whose lives she tries to weave together. While I appreciate an author that can weave together seemingly disparate lives of characters there comes a point where the number has to stop increasing.

At the beginning of this book I had to flip back a couple of pages on a few different occasions to figure out whose life i was looking at. Snelling did bring things together in the end...albeit in a somewhat stretching manner. I felt haunted by the tie that Snelling left dangling. That touch makes this book a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

On.. From Dust to Ashes by Karen Hesse

Wow... what a book. I knew nothing about this book before I picked it up and started reading. I'm not usually a big fan of poetry but the free verse Hesse utilized tore at my heart. I felt so much for the young girl's heart ache, her terrible pain, the daily heartache she had to endure with the weather, with the loss of her mother.

I can't imagine a more powerful book. I want to add this book to my personal library as soon as I can. I am so in love with this book... so much so that I can't put together a coherent review. :D

On Betrayed by Jeanette Windle

I absolutely love Jeanette Windle's books. I eagerly anticipate the next book never knowing when she'll come out with another one. I didn't even know that this book had been published until I found some reviews of it while I was on a book purchasing spree. :D

Windle utilizes her background as a missionary kid growing up in Latin America as an excellent base for her novels. I have such a heart for Latin America that I took to her books as soon as I read Firestorm I knew nothing about her when I picked up that book from the shelf but the cover looked great and the synopsis on the back set my mouth to watering.

I held my breath, figuratively, while I read this book because one of the reviews of Betrayed stated that the book was good even if it had a few plot turns that stretch the imagination... or believability. I kept on the look out for them and even though I found a couple things that seem like really big coincidences nothing that Windle used in this book seemed unusual for her style. I kind of like those seeming implausibilities and for Windle they certainly seem to work.

I have to admit that read the last page and kept wondering how things would work out to achieve that ending (which I wanted of course :D) and found myself very pleased with the way things unfolded. I hope that Windle uses the opening she created to write a sequel of some sort for this one. I like the characters and would like to see a little more romance between the Vicki and her man which shall remain nameless for those who want to read the book. (Giving away his name kind of ruins the plot twist... granted, it didn't for me but...)

I highly recommend this book. Two thumbs up!

On ... Kingscote by Linda Lee Chaikin

I have always loved Chaikin's books and have yet to be disappointed. This is the third book in the series of which unfortunately I have not read the first. I picked up the second book at a used book sale for less than a dollar and while it took me a little while to get all of the characters and their relationships straightened out I still enjoyed the book.

When I started reading this book and connected it to the above book I ran upstairs to make sure that I wasn't reading a book I had already read before. That's happened twice so far during this challenge and may happen again. :D (One of the books I just picked up from the library I have the distinct feeling that I've already read before).

Even though Chaikin does things in her books that turn me off to other writers (namely Gilbert Morris) like have multiple characters and weaving from pov to pov I still enjoy her books. The plots are absolutely crazy but so insanely cool and romantic (not in the lovey dovey sense but...) that I want to go back to India during the time of British colonialism just so I'll have a character like Jace Buckley sweep me off my feet. :D

In the end, all of the plot twists that stretch the imagination work and Chaikin manages to weave into the story a very strong witness for Christ... not just yelling preaching fire and brimstone. (read... Gilbert Morris)

This book definitely receives a solid thumbs up from me.

On Seeds of Hope by Kristiana Gregory

I have never been disappointed with any of the books in the Dear America series. I love the idea of reading someone's journal and getting a glimpse into someone's life. Though these journals are not probably what would have been written... much more storytelling has to be done than is usually done in a journal.
Now I'll admit... sometimes on trips my journal entries will approach story telling but these books always make me want to pick up my journal and start writing similar things (though about my life) in there.
This book told the story of Susanna Fairchild as life takes a terrible turn when on their way to Oregon her mother is swept overboard and her father, a doctor, succumbs to a touch of the gold rush fever. Susanna, at age 15 and then 16 is a little older than some of the characters portrayed in other Dear America books so perhaps the idea of her falling in love is not so unusual. :D I thought it was at first but I kind of wanted it to happen anyway. :D

On... The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

I finally got around to reading The Giver after my sister's raving reviews. If I remember correctly, this is her favorite book. I can see why. Lowry crafts a hypothetical world designed to protect people from every possible worry or care but in the end place all of that pain on one person so that they (the rest of the people) won't have to bear it.

I enjoyed the story and the hypothetical presented. I won't go so far as to say that it's my favorite book but I did like it.

In most cases I wish that I had read the book before I saw the movie based on it but in this case I am glad that I saw the movie first. I don't think that I would have wanted to watch the movie if I had known about the major twist that I caught only one allusion before hand too in the book. (I caught this only because I already knew what was coming).

While I don't agree with Paterson's worldview the book is excellent.

(On a completely side note... that last sentence took me quite a while to get right because of the motorcycle revving up the road right beside the house. I don't think that I like motorcycles.)

On... Halos by Kristen Heitzmann

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't help flipping pages away from the end to see how certain things would turn out. I know that technically one is not supposed to do that but I can't help it. With good books I always sneak a peek to the end to see how things will turn out in the end. :D

Alessi is such a believable character. I fell in love with her and with Steve as well.

I can't come up with a decent review because I love the book so much!

On... Flyboys by James Bradley

When I started reading this book I thought that the Flyboys Bradley referred to were the Flyboys of WWI... like the movie. No, the Flyboys Bradley describes in this book are those of WWII.

Bradley begins the book with a brief overview of the history of the relationship between Japan and the United States. I treated the book with skepticism at the beginning wondering when Bradley would get around to talking about the Flyboys. I understood the background Bradley explained in his first book, Flags of Our Fathers. After all, he was talking about his father, along with several other men of course. The background Bradley gives his readers in this book while connected to the main story did seem somewhat extraneous though.

As I progressed through the book I became amazed with how objectively Bradley dealt with the facts of the war. He described the worst and the best of the Americans as well as the best and the worst of the Japanese. it's hard to hold sympathy with either side when both treat the others as if they weren't even human.

I am not an active anti-war campaigner but after reading about the atrocities of war committed by both sides I can easily see how a person can become such. So many people perished because of the egos and foolishness of a men.

I could hardly put the book down when it ended. Bradley spent many pages talking about the horrible deaths suffered by many of the Flyboys held as POWs by the Japanese after the fall of Iwo Jima. One compassionate Japanese officer when he learned that this Flyboy, Warren Earl, under his care had been ordered to be executed in such a brutal inhumane way, protected him as much as he could up until the moment of his death. Bradley alluded to something that this officer planned to do to remember this Flyboys memory but Bradley did not say then what it would be. Instead Bradley kept this precious bit of information until the very last sentences.

Bradley called this officer, Iwatake, first in his search for the Chichi Jima Flyboys. These are the words that Bradley heard. "Hello, this is Warren."

On The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

I added this book to my list due to the recommendation of one of my favorite authors, Angela Hunt.

I found myself utterly fascinated by this book. Fforde weaves together the worlds of all of these different books and a changed "what-if" history. I have always wanted to be part of the stories that I read and Fforde opens a door with a brilliant idea that I never even conceived.

I found myself confused at points but that confusion could have been averted most likely by slowing down and reading slower but I was so into the book that I didn't want to. I loved how Fforde weaved in all of these classics from literature, books that most people probably don't even know exist. I absolutely love how big of a crime plagiarism becomes.

The only downside to the book was the, in my opinion, inappropriate naming of one of the characters a curse word spelled with just two letters differently but pronounced the same. A few other curse words were sprinkled throughout the book but nothing that I couldn't deal with.

On... Stoner's Crossing by Judith Pella

Growing up I thoroughly enjoyed Judith Pella's books, specifically those she cowrote with Michael Phillips... the Stonewycke series and also another of her series which shall remain nameless because I can't remember the name off the top of my head.

I knowo better than to judge a book by its cover because I have been proven wrong in the past but just looking at the cover brought up memories of Gilbert Morris' books and while this book did not approach this level in the least I did find myself disappointed. I'm finding that a lot with authors that I loved as a kid and return to other books of theirs years later.

Another fact that worked against me was the fact that this book is the sequel to another book and many of the relationships I didn't understand. Pella included enough twists and turns to keep me interested in the book.

I wouldn't recommend the book though but there's nothing to make me slam the book. I'm pretty neutral on it.

On... American Sphinx by Joseph J. Ellis

This book focused on the character, the words of Thomas Jefferson. I absolutely love history and found this book right up my alley. Sometimes historiographers fill their books with boring facts told in boring ways but Ellis is not like that.

My last semester of college I took a class on the Early National Era of America and obviously Jefferson played a big role in that class. I also wrote my paper on his writings and views about education so I had to read a lot about Jefferson and familiarize myself with the scholarly authors so it was quite a "thrill" to be reading along and come across a familiar name.

The only downside I could find about Ellis' style really wasn't all that big of a deal. He structured the chapters to deal with different time periods of Jefferson's life and usually began with a summary that focused on the end of the time period and then back tracked. I got a little confused but it was easily sorted out.

I loved the book and would recommend it to anyone who loves history.

On Choosing not to read books

Of the latest batch of books that I picked up from the library I have already put two books on the bench to be returned without reading more than twenty pages.

The first of those books was East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I pushed through reading Grapes of Wrath several years ago and found myself greatly disappointed in all of the foul and unnecessary language. In addition, the whole tone of the book depressed me. When I started reading East of Eden and found some of those same foul words within the first few pages and the same depressing tone clearly evident I chose not to read the book. I didn't feel like wasting precious hours of my time reading something so morally depressing.

The second book I wrestled with the decision to put the book away for good. I picked up A Million Little Pieces by James Frey not knowing what I would find in the book. I knew that Frey's writing was good enough to earn Oprah's seal of approval and then to have that seal revoked because of how much he lied. As I started reading the book I gained a sense of appreciation for Frey's writing style. Unfortunately, I had to keep myself on guard because on almost every single page some sort of disgusting curse word and sometimes four or five times on one page. I couldn't take it. I hate those words. They stay in my mind for a very long time with absolutely disgusting pictures. I finally made the decision about thirty pages into the book that I just couldn't keep going. Instead I chose not to fill my mind with those ugly words.

I hate to take those books off my list. I want to expand my horizons somewhat and read books that I wouldn't otherwise have read in order to be able to discuss things and open doors to witness to other people. Unfortunately, I have to draw the line somewhere. Here comes that nasty little in but not of the word idea.

On... Be my neat-heart by Judy Baer

I enjoyed this book. There were a few detractors, a few cliche moments but in the end I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to see how Baer brought the characters to the end that I skipped to read ahead of time. :D

On... Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

As I read this book I couldn't help but think of the movie. I wish I had read the book before I watched the movie because I think I would have perceived the book differently.

I loved the book. I loved Levine's twist on the Cinderella story even though that parallel didn't become clear until the end of the book. I kept looking for aspects of the movie that didn't appear in the book and that kind of built up into a let down even though the book was wonderful.

On... In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols

It's amazing how an opinion of a book can change just depending on the books read before.

In my ranking of favorite authors Linda Nichols would definitely rank somewhere below Ann Tatlock. When I first started reading In Search of Eden I compared it to Every Secret Thing and found myself disappointed. I had had a higher opinion of Nichols and couldn't keep from focusing on the negatives about her writing.

I found myself distracted by the multiple points of view. Sometimes when an author tries to tell the whole story, the main focus of the plot can get lost in the transitions between characters. That's what I felt happened with In Search of Eden. The only other thing that distracted me was Nichols frequent use of the had + verb construction as well as a few too many be verbs.

Then came yesterday when I "had to" read almost all of the Gilbert Morris books on my list. Those books rank at the absolute bottom of my list.

I came back to In Search of Eden with a whole new view. Yes I still noticed the minor detractions mentioned above but at least these characters had real development and believable spiritual changes.

I really enjoyed this book and even felt a twinge of disappointment when I turned that last page.

On... The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien

I found this book immensely interesting. I absolutely love Lord of the Rings and have always wanted to know more about the man who wrote that absolutely amazing story such as his writing process and what influenced his different decisions.

I definitely discovered things I didn't know about Tolkien before. He was a very bright man with a pleasant outlook during his younger years. As he grew older his outlook on life because increasingly bitter. I grew to pity him towards the end of the book.

I really enjoyed reading these letters and reading about the creation of one of the most magnificent stories ever created.

On... The Poems of Emily Dickinson

I'm not much of a poetry fam. Sure, good poetry appeals to me and I appreciate good imagery.

Dickinson is very good poet. Unfortunately, 1800 poems all read in succession (not at one time of course) can be a bit overwhelming for the casual poetry reader.

If you like poetry then this is the book for you. If not then...

On... Every Secret Thing by Ann Tatlock

Ann Tatlock continues to be one of my absolute favorite authors. If she publishes a new book I will buy the book even without knowing what the book is about.

This book chronicles a time in the life of an English teacher at a prep school in Delaware. Beth loves books, even more than I do. I totally identified with her. I also identified with the really normal pace of the story and the completely believable pacing in the story.

Ann Tatlock weaves together Beth's memories, one of her student's writing and interweaving stories in the present time concerning Beth's search to understand why a favorite teacher would try to commit suicide and her favorite student's desire to be loved.

While some may say that the pacing is too slow I considered the pacing appropriate for the nature of the story. A true book lover will become absolutely infatuated with this book.

On... Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

I am so glad that I didn't give up on Gregory Maguire after the extremely disappointing turn with Wicked. I approached Wicked with high albeit guarded expectations about the story only to be extremely disappointed.

Because Gregory Maguire's other books were already on my list I determined to read them anyway. With very low expectations I came to Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. Wow. What a wonderfully written book, terribly sad and so unlike the classic fairy tale.

Maguire doesn't delve into the world of the supernatural in this book although the supernatural makes a pronounced appearance in the book. Maguire plays on the superstitions ever present among the people of Europe during the days of the Plague. The characters are so real, so un-mythical.

I absolutely loved the book although I wish that the few disgusting words had been left out. Unfortunatley the mind locks onto those words.

On... Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

I found myself strangely fascinated by this book. I have read a Dear America book, a diary of a slave girl, very similar to this book but this account is purported to be true. Disclaimer: I am not claiming that the facts of this book are false, only that we as humans are prone to exaggerate and Ms. Jacobs may have exaggerated or otherwise alter the facts. Since I did not live at that time or live her life I do not know.

Jacobs' writing style threw me a little. She did not always give information as an author of a novel would but she was writing her memoirs or autobiography... whichever word you choose. She never out right mentioned who the father of her children was and I found myself flipping the pages back to try and figure out but perhaps I either skimmed over that information without realizing it or she did in fact never out right mention the name or identity.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and wish to own it. I believe that it would make an excellent addition to my library of historical books. (After all, if I want to teach history some day I should have some good books shouldn't I?)

On... God's Gift by Dee Henderson

I fell in love with Henderson's O'Malley series. I felt connected to these characters even though all of them were ten to fifteen years old than me. Her combination of suspense and romance went right up my alley.

This book, published before the O'Malley series but after the prequel Danger in the Shadows, did not have that same vibe. I struggled to enter the book. Henderson loaded a good deal of back story even before the twentieth page. (I think that I'm super sensitive to that because of something another favorite author of mine once wrote. She makes a point to avoid adding any extensive backstory before page 30).

The relationship between Rae and Leo, a character deceased before the beginning of the novel also confused me. Not until much later in the book does Henderson reveal that Rae and Leo were days away from being engaged. For several pages I couldn't figure out whether Leo was just a business partner, a husband, a fiance or a really good friend. I think that that relationship would have been one to clarify towards the beginning.

Once I got into the book I enjoyed it. I chafed though at the slow pace of the book. Nothing really drove the book, nothing drove Rae and James' relationship one way or the either. Of course the relationship went through its ups and downs but nothing dramatic, like in the O'Malley series laid the undertow to the relationship story.

I still enjoy Dee Henderson but I would not recommend this book to someone who had never read any of her books before.

On Safe Haven and Last Resort by Hannah Alexander

I don't know why I didn't keep reading Hannah Alexander books. I absolutely love these next two books in the series.

Thankfully Alexander did not keep the all of the characters from the first book. Too many characters makes for a very messy story. The characters don't disappear, they simply take a back seat.

The stories Alexander crafted for both of these books hemmed tighter together, if there were different parts and also involved much more serious situations, people dying and the what not. I would write a much better review but my mind is not concentrating on the books.

I'll leave both books with a strong recommendation.

On Hideaway by Hannah Alexander

I read a couple of books by this author, a pen name for a husband and wife duo, a few years back. I enjoyed the books but I must not have been absolutely captivated by them because I didn't rush out or even casually pursue subsequent books published by the pair.

The jury is out on whether or not I will still hold to that assumption.

After this book, the first in the Hideaway series, I would go out and check out the next book from the library. Heh... I would if I hadn't already done so. :D

Just a disclaimer before I begin. I found myself slightly distracted as I read this book because the only version of the book my library owned is large print. No, I don't have eye problems but I love reading the first book in a series at the very beginning. :D

I did enjoy this book and enjoyed it even more when Alexander brought the two seemingly unconnected plot lines together. The book begins with Cheyenne Allison, a doctor working in the ER of Missouri Regional Hospital and Dane Gideon, a rancher who runs a ranch for troubled (though that's not the best word for it) teens in little ole Hideaway, Missouri.

At the beginning of the book the two plot lines continue on completely separate paths but gel when Alexander brings Cheyenne to Hideaway after a tragic event back home. Though the romance between Dane and Cheyenne is evident in the beginning of the book Alexander does not push the romance on the readers or let the budding romance overwhelm the bigger issues in Hideaway or back at Missouri Regional, issues which actually drive the plot.

I enjoyed this book and believe that I will enjoy the next book even if the main characters are no longer Dane and Cheyenne.

On Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony and Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer

Wow. What a way to end the series (I don't know if Eoin Colfer plans to write any more Artemis Fowl but if he doesn't end up adding any more to the series than The Lost Colony was an excellent way to finish up the story).

Personally I have always been interested in time travel and the whole idea of messing with the time/space continuum which is what this book does when it introduces an 8th family to the people, demons. Granted, involving demons usually sends a book in a whole different direction of myth and lore but Colfer managed to keep these demons from dragging the book away from the original tone of the stories.

I feel as though I jumped too quickly on the de-villainizing of Artemis Fowl's character. Now that I have read all five books currently in the series I understand why these stories can take the direction they take and why Artemis gradually becomes not so much the always bad criminal mastermind. If Artemis didn't change at all his character would be as static and stock as any other super-villain pulled out of the hat. Colfer though throws some twists in there that make me very sad that there are no more books in the series.

Half-Moon Investigations

Now, this book is not currently part of a series but the way the book ends leaves the door open for many more to come just as Artemis Fowl did.

I have to say though that I didn't like this book as much. I liked Artemis Fowl a lot because of how Colfer wove together humans (or Mud Men :D) and the People (fairies). The extreme danger that Holly and Artemis usually find themselves in culminated usually from the conflict between the aforementioned groups.

In Half-Moon Investigations I simply see Fletcher Moon as another reincarnation of a typical pre-teen kid turned detective. I could list all of the various incarnations but there's really no point in that.

Granted, the story had all of the plot twists and turns that I have come to expect from a Colfer book but I simply wasn't as drawn into the story. Perhaps Colfer should stick with little boy criminal masterminds starting to turn good because Fletcher, as a goodie two shoes from the beginning just wasn't as convincing.

In conclusion, I strongly recommend the Artemis Fowl books and if one still wants more written by the same author than I would advise him to pick up Half-Moon Investigations. For Colfer's sake I'm glad that Half-Moon Investigations was not his first book. Publishers might not have given him enough rope to string out Artemis Fowl.

On... A Fire Within by Kathleen Morgan

I have this penchant for books set back in Scotland and/or Ireland. I especially love all of Kathleen Morgan's book so I latched onto this book, the conclusion of a series. I couldn't put it down. I fell in love with the characters and even felt that wierd, end of the book, sad to leave the characters when I finished the book this afternoon.

I strongly recommend this book and all of Kathleen Morgan's book!

On... Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception

Wow. I could not put the fourth book in this series down. Colfer carefully weaves together the lives of Artemis and Holly Short in a way that if not already evident from earlier books in the series, confirms that though the series may be titled Artemis Fowl, Artemis is only one of the major players.

I got so caught up in the book. I nearly cried when one of the characters died. I couldn't believe that Colfer did that. I kept waiting for some way for the character to return. After all, Butler has had several near death experiences but still lives and breathes albeit slightly altered.

I wish that Juliet had made an appearance in the fourth book. Her presence in the third added a new dimension to the story.. If Colfer doesn't bring her back into the fifth book I'll wonder if he just simply used her character as a tool to further the plot in that particular book. Well, not quite as dire as that sounds but nearly so.

While I look forward to reading the fifth book in the series I almost hesitate to do so because the fate of Artemis Fowl and Holly Short will remain in limbo after the conclusion of the book.

On... Artemis Fowl: the Eternity Code

Forget what I said about Colfer messing with Artemis' villainy. He must have had the twists in the third book planned out from the beginning. I finished reading the last few pages this morning and couldn't wait (still can't) to read the next book. See, that's something I like about discovering a series once several or all of the books are already out.

I thoroughly enjoy the Artemis Fowl books. I hope they only improve from here.

On... Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident

I wondered where the second book in the series would pick up and if Artemis would have a new dastardly mission to begin, conquering some other world or something (besides the fairies). I also wondered how Colfer would develop Artemis' character.

With a villain there are two ways to take. One is to create a simply or nearly unbelievably callous villain who always does what is best for him no matter what. Colfer couldn't take this route. He had already established Artemis' desire to rescue his father. Now, how Artemis set about doing said thing could be illegal, granted.

Now, as much as I loved the fairy world and would have loved to have seen Captain Holly Short be the primary character from the beginning (have the series revolve around her), the series is clearly named after Artemis Fowl. This book created yet another villain, a fairy out for revenge for an incident that happened in the first novel, and employed Artemis and Butler in aiding the fairies keep their world from being dominated by ruthless villains. Granted, Artemis helps them in order to save his father but still, the book seemed to divert away from the villainous nature of Artemis established in the first book.

Don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed the book and I enjoyed the focus on the fairy world, I just think that if the series is named after Artemis Fowl, the primary concern of the book should be one of his concerns.

Also, I wish Colfer would just leave the character of Mulch Diggums alone. The whole "digging" process is simply disgusting. I know that young boys who may read this books will love all of those parts and most likely laugh hilariously but still... I simply don't think that it's in good taste.

On... The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

To my great surprise when I picked up The Hitchhiker's Guide from the library my bookmark made a miraculous appearance! Even after being dropped in the book drop and re-shelved I didn't have to waste precious time searching for my bookmark. :D

Usually I try to read the book before I watch the movie based on the book. In the case of this book I didn't even know that it existed until I watched the movie.

In all honest, I was not disappointed. Usually the book is better than the movie or the movie is better than the book. Some comparisons can be made. For me the movie seemed to be almost exactly like the book, with the same droll, inane humor that makes the Hitchhiker's Guide so unique.

Though I expected many more pages in the story (due to a 92-page bonus section on the making of the movie) I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Reading it made the time fly.

The Old Man and the Sea

Hemingway proves why his works rank so high in the esteem of American literature critics. On the outset, the story of a foolish old man who allows a big catch to pull him too far out to sea but when he finally catches it, loses the flesh of the fish to sharks doesn't actually seem all that interesting.

I couldn't help but keep reading. Hemingway held onto information like Ebenezer Scrooge with gold and dropped choice nuggets at appropriate times. Only a true master of words could manage something like this without looking contrived.

Both books were a pleasure to read, though the Old Man and the Sea was certainly not "entertainment".

On Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

For the longest time I don't know why but I assumed that Eoin Colfer was a girl. Silly me.

I've been intrigued by Artemis Fowl simply because I knew that these books were somewhat of the Harry Potter type. I believe I watched some sort of news magazine segment that compared them. Apparently several different popular series of this type were published about this time.

I found myself pleasantly surprised by the book, especially by the revelation that Artemis Fowl is a villain. (No spoilers. It says as much on the dust jacket)

Although some of the things in the book would make me shy away from recommending it to pre-teens (10-12 or 13) the book is well written, lots of plot twists, clever imaginings of fairies (something that has always fascinated me as a kid) and what happens when the two worlds collide.

I look forward to reading the other four books in the series that I have checked out from the library.

Now, my reading of this series may be interrupted by a brief interlude so that I can finish Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. That was the first book I intended on finishing. Unfortunately the book made its way back to the library before I could even retrieve my bookmark. :D

On... Spring Reading Thing

I am so excited about this. Because I'm starting my Master's Program in the summer this will probably be the last challenge for a very long time that I can create a list this long. :D

In no particular order here are the books that I intend to read this spring.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (03/22/08)
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer (03/25/08)
Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer (03/26/08)
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer (03/27/08)
Artemis Fowl: THe Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer (03/26/08)
Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer (03/28/08)
The Hitchhikers Guide the the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (03/24/08)
Hideaway by Hannah Alexander (03/29/08)
Safe Haven by Hannah Alexander (03/30/08)
Last Resort by Hannah Alexander (03/30/08)
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (03/24/08)
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (04/13/08)
By way of the wilderness by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Jeweled Spur by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Spider Catcher by Gilbert Morris (04/23/08)
The High Calling by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Golden Angel by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
The Unlikely Allies by Gilbert Morris (04/07/08)
Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley (04/21/08)
Confessions of an ugly stepsister by Gregory Maguire (04/01/08)
Incidents in the life of a slave girl by Harriet A. Jacobs (03/31/08)
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien by J. R. R. Tolkien (04/06/08)
God's gift by Dee Henderson (03/31/08)
The poems of Emily Dickinson edited by R. W. Franklin (04/04/08)
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (04/20/08)
American sphinx by Joseph J. Ellis (04/18/08)
Stoner's Crossing by Judith Pella (04/19/08)
Be My Neat-Heart by Judy Baer (04/14/08)
Halos by Kirsten Heitzmann (04/22/08)
The Breaking Point by Karen Ball (05/29/08)
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (04/28/08)
Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson (04/24/08)
Daughter of Joy by Kathleen Morgan (04/29/08)
Dreams in the Golden Country by Kathryn Lasky (04/27/08)
Seeds of Hope by Kristiana Gregory (04/25/08)
The Way of Women by Lauraine Snelling (04/30/08)
Kingscote by Linda Chaikin (04/26/08)
Handyman by Linda Nichols (05/04/08)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (04/24/08)
Escape by Lorena McCourtney (05/21/08)
Monday Morning Faith by Lori Copeland (05/02/08)
Holes by Louis Sachar (05/06/08)
Becoming Me by Melody Carlson (06/19/08)
Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgens Clark (05/10/08)
Never Too Late by Michael Phillips (05/01/08)
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Alborn (05/08/08)
Mary Poppins in the Park by P. L . Travers (05/07/08)
Look to the Hills by Patricia Mckissack (04/30/08)
Secrets, Lies and Alibies by Patricia Rushford (05/23/08)
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (05/11/08)
Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp by Philip Pullman (05/06/08)
Going Solo by Roald Dahl (05/22/08)
The Solitary Envoy by T. Davis Bunn (05/16/08)

Books added after the beginning of the challenge
A Fire Within by Kathleen Morgan (03/27/08)
Every Secret Thing by Ann Tatlock (04/02/08)
In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols (04/08/08)
The Scribe by Francine Rivers (04/17/08)
Betrayed by Jeanette Windle (04/26/08)
A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austing (05/01/08)
Kazunomiya: Prisoner of Heaven by Kathryn Lasky (05/12/08)
Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie by Kristiana Gregory (05/12/08)
Lullaby by Jane Orcutt (05/14/08)
All the Tea in China by Jane Orcutt (05/14/08)
The Gawgon and the Boy by Lloyd Alexander (05/17/08)
Gypsy Rizka by Lloyd Alexander (05/18/08)
A Season of Grace by Bette Nordberg (05/19/08)
Second Opinion by Hannah Alexander (05/20/08)
Urgent Care by Hannah Alexander (05/20/08)
A Most Begrudging Bride by Deeanne Gist (05/20/08)
Rekindled by Tamera Alexander (05/24/08)
Love Thy Neighbor by Ann Turner (05/25/08)
The Professor's House by Willa Cather (05/26/08)
The Listener by Terri Blackstock (05/27/08)
One of Ours by Willa Cather (05/27/08)
The Scarecrow and his Servant by Philip Pullman (05/28/08)
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (05/29/08)
The Braxtons of Miracle Springs by Michael Philips (05/30/08)
Wild Grows the Heather in Devon by Michael Philips (05/31/08)
Wayward Winds by Michael Philips (06/01/08)
The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo (06/01/08)
Kristina: the Girl King by Carolyn Meyer (06/01/08)
Early Sunday Morning by Barry Denenberg (06/01/08)
soul surfer by Bethany Hamilton (06/02/08)
Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (06/03/08)
Hidden Talents by David Lubar (06/04/08)
What She Left for Me by Tracie Peterson (06/06/08)
The Noble Fugitive by T Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn (06/07/08)
Forgiven by Karen Kingsbury (06/08/08)
Fifth Seal by Bodie and Brock Thoene (06/08/08)
When Will This Cruel War Be Over by Barry Denenberg (06/09/08)
The Journal of Ben Unchida by Barry Denenberg (06/10/08)
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway (06/13/08)
Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda (06/13/08)
Rowan and the Travelers by Emily Rodda (06/14/08)
Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal by Emily Rodda (06/14/08)
Rowan and the Zeback by Emily Rodda(06/14/08)
Rowan and the Ice Creepers by Emily Rodda (06/15/08)
Talking with God by Fenelon (06/16/08)
Three Plays by Euripides (06/17/08)
The Supernaturalists by Eoin Colfer (06/18/08)

On... Wrapping up the Winter Reading Challenge

I added many books to my list from the beginning list. My schedule changed at work so I had much more time to read and the list kept getting longer. Then my schedule changed again. I couldn't keep adding books and I kind of stopped reading and/or trailed off.

I enjoyed this challenge and finding new authors. I found several, including one that I want to actually buy all of her books. She now ranks among my absolute favorites, one of those where I would go out and buy her book brand new to add to my collection.

I also read many duds, at least not as many as the Fall Reading Challenge with all of those GIlbert Morris books.

I'm reading more now and thank goodness, just in time for Spring Reading Thing!

On... Readjusting

Wow. I had been reading so much and writing reviews and crossing things off my list.

Then my schedule at work changed... without warning... and I kind of revolted against the change. I haven't really read much since then.

Now another reading challenge is coming and I have to see how I can do this because of course... I can't back away from this. :D

Now, the readjusting continues because my boss continues to change my schedule. I'm also trying to figure out what is most important and what I want to concentrate on getting done.

We'll see. Now I'm off to read.

On... Eldest by Christopher Paolini

I picked up the first book in this series, Eragon, just before the movie was released. If I plan to watch a movie based on a book I try to read the book first.

I remember that I really enjoyed the book but could tell that it was written by a fifteen year old.

Paolini has matured both as a person and as a writer. I got completely captivated by this book and drawn in by Paolini's rapid pace. The book stretches over 600 pages but not once did I find a lull in the story telling. Everythign weaved together. It showed that he must have taken a good deal of time to plan the back story and the intricate working of all of the details.

Paolini's universe is much different than my favorite... Middle Earth. Paolini obviously writes from a non-Christian background. As Eragon searches for answers to figure out his universe Paolini seems to be searching for them as well.

I absolutely loved the book and am eagerly anticipating the release of the third book in the trilogy, Brisinger.

On... The Divine Comedy Vol I: Inferno by Dante

Reading this book on the heels of the Bhagavad-Gita I was very surprised at how similar these two books are. Both are major poetic, religious works. Both consist of a conversation between a pilgrim of sorts and a religious leader of sorts.

The similarities end there. Dante was Catholic. The anonymous author of the Bhagavad-Gita was Hindu. The religiosity evident in both of these books is different because of these different religions.

Comparisons can also be made between The Divine Comedy and Pilgrim's Progress. Both are allegorical journey. One is a journey through life to heaven. The other is a journey through hell to sort of scare the pilgrim straight.

The poetry of this book is amazing. I almost forgot that I was reading a poem. Part of those kudos need to go to the translator Mark Musa.

I set the book down feeling somewhat depressed. I'm so glad that I'm not focused on avoiding hell but rather focusing on God and His glory.

On... the Bhagavad-Gita translated by Stephen Mitchell

This book intrigued me. I've never read any holy book of other religions of the world which is why I put this book on my list. I intend to read others if for no other reason than to learn what the people of these religions believe so that I am better able to minister to them.

This book is in the form of an epic poem which actually finds a home in the much larger Mahabharata, India's national epic and an epic poem larger than the more well-known Iliad or Odyssey.

I won't go through all of the details of the tenants of belief presented in this book... that is a job for a much more in-depth study... but I kept thinking about the contrasts between Christianity and Hinduism. I saw aspects of the truth in the very well-written poem but I also saw the folly of man and how man tries to create his own religion.

When I read the section about Krishna revealing himself I couldn't help thinking about when God revealed just a portion of His glory to Moses. While Arjuna begged for a gentler less horrific form of Krishna, Moses felt himself humbled by God showing just a portion of his glory. The primary difference comes in how these worshipers fear their god.

I found the book very interesting and recommend it to those who wish to learn more about other religions.

On... God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis

Previous to making this huge reading list (which goes beyond what I have posted her and in the other reading challenge list) the only C. S. Lewis books I had read were the Chronicles of Narnia and 'Til we have Faces... none of his nonfiction.

God in the dock is the second of the his nonfiction books that I have read.

To be honest, it took me a while to get into the book and I never really stayed captivated by it. I don't mean to say anything against Lewis' writing because as usual Lewis uses spectacular and striking images. The structure of the book worked against itself. God in the dock is a compilation of various essays and transcripts of interviews.

The various essays were organized roughly by subject but at the same time every couple of pages the subject on which Lewis is speaking changes. For those who wish to study Lewis' writing or to simply learn more about the man I recommend this book. For those who simply admire Lewis writing in fiction and in his more famous nonfiction I would not recommend the book... too distracting.

On... Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington

After reading an introduction to Booker T. Washington at the beginning of the book I found myself intrigued by the man. I've read W. E. B. Dubois' The Souls of Black Folks in which he does not think all that highly of Washington's writing.

I always found myself intrigued by the lives of black people both under slavery and just after. I don't think I agree with Washington's approach for helping them. His advice for bringing them up out of the devices that have oppressed them throughout the years of slavery.

His writing style is very captivating. I have no fault with him there. Unfortunately with nonfiction, the idea that the author is presenting often plays a significant role in how his writing is received.

For a student of history I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book written by a very famous man in American history. I consider it another piece of the puzzle that is human history.

On... Hear My Sorry by Deborah Hopkinson

One thing I find amazing about the Dear America books is that at the end in the epilogue I always wonder if this is a fictional book based on a real person or simply a fictional character living through real events. The epilogue always seems so real.

This book focused on the life of Angela Denato, a fourteen/fifteen year old girl forced to drop out of school in order to work to support her family. Angela struggles with the desire to strike and earn better working conditions for all of the girls around her, including her older sister who never had the benefit of going to school and having to help provide for her family because her father was often out of work and her younger sister struggled with sickness that eventually claimed her life.

I've often thought about what I would do if I were in that situation. I believe that a person needs to submit to authority and thus I do not really support modern day strikes such as the current writer's strike. I do see how that unless these people made the effort to strike working conditions would never have changed or at least would have taken many more years and the lives of many more innocent poor.

It's an interesting conundrum and very thought provoking.

On... Lord Brocktree by Brian Jacques

This book did not fail to contain all of the typical conventions usually present in a Redwall book.

I love these books. I fell in love with them as a child and I still love them. I have realized as I have read more and more of the books that the plot doesn't usually vary all that much. Of course, there are different characters (names at least) and different tasks that the characters must complete but usually Jacques has at least two different plots going. One group defends either Salamandastron or Redwall Abbey. The other group tries to solve a riddle of some sort which leads them on a journey to find something or rescue someone.

Most of the DIbbuns (young animals) act the same. In every book there is a little rascal of some sort. I could go on and on about the characters and how many of the character types repeat themselves in the books but that would take too much time.

As much as I love the books I do wish that Jacques could mix it up a little bit. :D

On... Of Men and Angels by Bodie and Brock Thoene

I read the first book in this series... The Galway Chronicles... over a year ago. My mom had the book from many years past and I lamented the fact that the rest of the series was out of print.

Thankfully many of those out of print books can be found at the library. Thus I picked up the second book in the series and fell in love all over again with the characters of Ballybacknor... Kate, Joseph, Mary Elisabeth, Mad Molly and etc.

Like most of the books I prefer of the Thoene's this book shifts between very few different points of view. The story moved along at such a pace that i couldn't have read slower even if I had wanted to.

I love almost anything Irish or Scottish so I heartily recommend this book as well.

On... The Twilight of Courage by Bodie and Brock Thone

This book was not what I expected. I thought that this book bridged the gap between the Zion Chronicles and the Zion Legacies... during the years of the war but instead it covered some of the same territory as the books at the end of the first series.

As I read through the book I noticed portions that seemed familiar. I thought that maybe I was just imagining it but as I got to the end of the book, even the last few pages I read word for word pages from the other books. I couldn't help but be disappointed.

That's not to say anything about the Thoene's writing. I did find issue with how many characters this story revolves around but the compelling drama is still there in spades.

The only reason that I would not recommend this book is because of the overlap with books of other series.

On... Jerusalem's Hope by Bodie and Brock Thoene

This book ends the Zion Legacy series but wets my appetite for more of the AD Chronicles. I currently own the first four and I can't wait to dive into the remaining three.

While I absolutely love the Thoene's writing style and the periods of history that they choose I happen to prefer the stories that they write that take place during the time of Christ.

The Thoene's weave together all kinds of symbols, symbols in the Bible and symbols of the Hebrew language to tie together reality/truth and fiction.

I have an analytical mind so seeing how different pieces of the puzzle fit together gives me immense joy. Perhaps that's why I love these books so much!

Again, I give a very strong recommendation for the Thones.

On... The Jerusalem Scrolls by Bodie and Brock Thoene

This book takes place primarily during the time of Jesus. Moshe Sachar is underground hiding during a very dark time for the new Jewish state and has been directed to read these ancient scrolls that have been preserved for hundreds or thousands of years by his wife's grandfather.

One minor note on that front. For the most part I have not been able to discern major mistakes by the Thoene's but in the prologue both Moshe and Alfie refer to Rebbe Lebowitz (Moshe's grandfather-in-law) as Rebbe Lubetkin which was Rachel's name before she married Moshe. Now, this was probably just an editorial mistake but one that I couldn't get around for the most part. I mean, obviously if Rachel's mother was Rebbe Lebowitz's daughter, the last name is not going to be the same. I realize as I type this that all of this information may go over most everyone else's head so I will leave off there.

I have to say that after having read Magdalene by Angela Hunt I was faced with the difficult task of seeing this Miyram of Magdala as a different kind of character. obviously the two characters are completely different. I happen to prefer Angela Hunt's interpretation of the character which slightly soured my own perspective on the majority of the text.

In an interesting way though I was intrigued to see how two different authors can approach the same Biblical character and come up with such different interpretations. I admire that actually. For the sake of the understanding of the reader though it is a little difficult. :D

The characters in these books are connected and further developed in the most recent series by the Thoene's "The First Light Chronicles", the series that really turned me onto the Thoene's to begin with. I love seeing how the characters connect and even how Moshe connects to the modern character in the beginning of the First Light Chronicles books.

Even though there were minor things that distracted me I did enjoy the book. I enjoy anything from that time period and that area of the world. When the book is written by a good author such as one can find in the Thoene's, I can't really ask for more.

On... Thunder from Jerusalem by Bodie and Brock Thoene

David and Ellie returned in this book. I found myself quite happy with that. :D

Only a few more days passed during the narration of this book. I had no idea that the establishment of the Jewish state was so hotly contested, and on such thin ice.

ONce again, I absolutely loved the book and can't wait to pick up the next one!

On... Jerusalem Vigil by Bodie and Brock Thoene

This book begins the Zion Legacy Series, a follow-up to the series I just finished.

In fact, this book picks up the very day after the fifth book of the Zion Chronicles Series (A Key to Zion) ends.

The entire scope of the story takes place in three days, three days of intense fighting for the survival of the Jewish state. I could not put the book down. I flipped through the pages at such a rapid pace not really because I wanted to finish the book quickly but because I wanted to find out what would happen to all of the characters.

This series introduces several new characters whose stories will probably develop over the remaining books in the series. Moshe and Rachel return from the Zion Chronicles but David and Ellie weren't mentioned at all in Jerusalem Vigil. (I hope that David and Ellie's fate is at least alluded to in the books to come. :D I want to know what happened to them).

While most of the other books I have read recently by the Thoene's had little if any recap this book had quite a bit in the first few pages but I believe that's to be expected when a new series is started. The readers of this book may not have read the Zion Chronicles or even realized that the Zion Chronicles is a connected series to this one and that they come first chronologically. (I just realized that I reserved the books at the library in a very providential order. I don't think I would have enjoyed it very much if I had read the Zion Legacy Series before the Zion Chronicles. :D)

As alluded to before, I could not put this book down. The captivating storytelling held my attention as did details of history that I never knew before. Reading these books has awakened such a desire in me to go to the Holy Land and if that is not feasible in the near future to learn as much as I can about the land God chose for His people.

Once again I give a very strong recommendation of these books. I probably will be asking for them to be added to my collection. :D

On... The Return to Zion by Brodie and Brock Thoene

I cannot get enough of this series. When I left off reading this book this morning I almost made myself late for work when I had to find out if one of the characters had actually died in such a tragic manner. She was okay.

The fact that the the Thoenes were able to draw me in so easily like that speaks to their amazing writing ability. I usually skim just a bit when I read books and especially when I try to finish a book in a single day. :D With this books one simply cannot do that. One would find oneself like me, a little lost at one point because I missed a very important detail.

The little details taste like choice morsels. I feel full when I finish one of their books and this one did not fail to meet that standard. I wish there were more hours in the day or that I didn't want to do so many other things. I would love to sit down or walk around (:D) and read the rest of the Thoene books I have sitting by my chair right now.

Once again I still strongly recommend the Thoene's to any lover of Christian historical fiction. (Granted, there have been some issues raised with their historicity but even I, a history major, am willing to forgive them their shortcomings. :D)

On... One Eye Laughing the other weeping by Barry Denenberg

Once again I picked up a Dear America book. This book peeked my interest more so than usual because I have been reading books by Bodie and Brock Theone which center on the effects of World War II on Jews... and other things of course.

Something I appreciate about the Dear America books is that the authors realize that even though these characters write their stories during momentous occasions these children will write entries about inconsequential things that mean nothing to the course of history.

Even though I wish this Julie Weiss' (the main character) life had ended up differently I really enjoyed the book. I can never get enough of books written about eras such as World War II and learning the stories of all those affected by such a tragic period.

On... A Daughter of Zion by Bodie and Brock Theone

I am so glad that I didn't have to put this book down and come back to it. I don't know if I would have been able to.

I felt completely drawn into the story of Rachel Lubetkin and Moshe Sachar. Unlike other books in these interconnected series, for the most part the narration centers with Rachel or Moshe, telling basically one story.

Of course it wouldn't be a Theone book unless other information was included. Other story lines continued along with a little information here or a little information there.

When I actually love a book as i do this one I really try to look back and figure out why I like the book so much. I know that I like the book because I love the characters but it must be more than that because there have been other compelling characters in books written by such pedestrian authors such as Gilbert Morris.

I honestly don't know why I like the book so much. I have a feeling though that I enjoyed the book because I wasn't distracted by pesky pet peeves (things I don't like in books) and because the story absolutely drew me into the book.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

On ... The Gates of Zion by Bodie and Brock Thoene

I have loved every book I have read by the Thoenes. They weave together the lives of so many different characters in such a way that it creates a tightly knit fabric that draws me along to find out what happens to all of these characters during the time in Europe just before World War II or in Jerusalem leading up to the establishment of a Jewish state.

These are areas of history that I have not studied in detail. Of course I've studied World War II before and know many of the signs that people of that time did not know would lead to such a war but that people looking on from behind see perfectly. I have not studied what happened in Europe at the time so being able to delve into that time through the eyes of the characters Bodie and Brock create is such a thrill.

This series picks up with the stories of many of the characters I met in another of their series in 1947 mere months before the establishment of the Jewish state.

When I finished the book I put it down reluctantly. As much as I wanted to simply dive into the rest of the books in the series I pulled myself away and started to work on the other things I have to get done for the day.

I strongly recommend these authors to anyone who loves compelling Christian historical fiction.

On... The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

My interest in this book started around the time that publicity for the recent movie began. I have heard of Pullman before and the "His Dark Materials" series before but never got around to reading them.

Originally I put this book on my Fall Reading list because I wanted to read it before I saw the movie. I don't know if I will go see the movie in theatres or wait until it comes out on video but that's beside the point.

Just this past week was I able to obtain the book from the library so the book became part of my Winter Reading Challenge list.

I found myself very intrigued by the book. I have always held a soft spot in my imagination for fantasy, for the idea of another world. Pullman does a very good job bringing the reader into this world of his... part real world, every day life kind of things and part fantasy, things that stretch the imagination. Thankfully Pullman does not bother to explain every part of this world to the reader. Only at the end of the book does the reader have a grasp on the ins and outs of this world but that grasp is very tenuous at best.

I kept bracing myself throughout the book to see all of the anti-Christian elements I've heard so much about but it wasn't until the very end of the book... literally the last ten pages or so... that Pullman literally throws all of these ideas at the reader, including a very twisted translation/version of Genesis 2.

Overall I am very intrigued by the book, by the author and his writing style. I wish there were some clearly good character besides Lyra, that this little girl could rely on because to be honest her parents seem very weird. :D I believe that I will read the rest of the series but these books are not for those who do not read with discernment.

On... Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

I had no idea what to expect from this book. I first heard of the book when the movie based on it came out a couple of years ago. A friend read the book and said that she liked the book but it wasn't as good as the movie.

I've never seen the movie so that recommendation didn't mean much to me.

Once again I've come across a very talented author with a knack for creating a sadly beautiful story. Part of me as a writer wants to know the story of every person yet at the same time when so many stories are like Chiyo's one realizes how much sadness there is on this earth.

So many Americans really did not and still don't know what it meant to be a geisha in Japan. To be honest, I didn't either. It amazes me the length that some people go to in order to justify their sin, to paint a pretty picture of dung.

This story drew me in and kept me reading until the very last page of the book. Just like the geisha narrator, Golden holds back crucial information and only hints at some points of the story, a good way to heighten the intrigue.

I can't say that I enjoyed the book because it really is hard to find joy in such a depressing story but I did enjoy the book in the sense that one enjoys a well-written piece of literature.

On... Sons of an Ancient Glory by B.J. Hoff

This fourth book of the Emerald Ballad series introduces new characters to the ever evolving story and promotes others to the forefront of the story.

Unfortunately the quality of storytelling does not improve. I noticed during my reading of this book that the plots seem to cycle around near death experiences. Several of the characters have nearly died more times than a cat who has used up all nine lives. Sometimes these near death experiences came absolutely out of nowhere. For instance... within mere moments, seconds really, one of the characters is deathly ill with cholera.

Yeah. I like stretching my imagination to encompass the unexpected or unusual but still, I appreciate gradual stretches more than quantum, yet predictable leaps.

Thankfully only one book remains in the series.

On ... The Election Process, a comparative look

On the cover of the magazine in front of me I find the following headlines at the top of the page: "Obama Takes Iowa, but Don't Count Hillary Out" and "Can Huckabee Keep the Faith in New Hampshire?"

One can hardly turn to major magazines or the national or even local media without hearing something about the ongoing election process. For some this can be a good thing, a sign that America is paying attention to a race that could have dramatic effects on their life or their children's life. Others find themselves so sick of the constant barrage of information and the spinning of pundits that they almost want to become physically sick.

Recently I have started to pay much closer attention to this race. I fully believe in the electoral process and try to take a look at the election in light of the big picture. Having studied history and received a degree in history the political process is immensely fascinating. Some of my biggest pet peeves come from how people view their vote. ... Don't get me started on the whole "I'm voting for someone who I think could win but not this other person because I don't want to lose my vote." :D

Something new about this election for me is that I've discovered other people just as pumped up and fired up as I am about the political process. I've even gotten into some rather heated political debates and enjoyed it to some extent.

Then sometimes I wonder about how Christians can practically tear each other apart on the benefits or detractions of a particular candidate. I could get into how I feel about that and how I think a Christian should choose a candidate but that is not the point of this entry.

I started this entry after I opened the above mentioned magazine to the second page where the headline on the article is "when the balloting leads to bloodshed" a brief article about the tremendous violence in Kenya. The picture on the page just about breaks my heart. A father carries one of his sons while running beside the other two. The reason they are running: backlash against the candidate chosen in the election.

This violence is going on now. This election occurred within days of the Iowa caucuses. As Christians this reality should change my actions in my own electoral process. I am grateful for the history of my country. I am grateful for the teaching instilled in me by my parents, school and church.

Instead of tearing apart a fellow Christian in any fashion I will step back from my own opinions no matter how important I think they are and perhaps say a prayer for the poor souls in Nairobi.

On Mirror, Mirror on the Wall by Barry Denenberg

The Dear America series is probably one of the best historical fiction series for children. I enjoy reading these books even as an adult. Part of that is because I always wonder what life might have been like for a person living in different ages of history and how their life would have unfolded.

From the prospective of a future middle school English (possibly) teacher I definitely would assign at least one or two books from this series to my students.

This particular book is the story of Bess, a girl born with sight who loses her sight in a tragic snow sledding accident. She chronicles, through a sighted person (her twin sister for a large part) her time at the Perkins school for the blind and how she had to learn how to do all of these normal activities she once knew. Even though I wanted her to end up finding love in the epilogue she did not. I definitely enjoyed the book.

On... Heart of the Lonely Exile and Land of a Thousand Dreams by B. J. Hoff

I have to say that I was disappointed when I picked up these two sequels in the An Emerald Ballad series. The compelling story line that drew me into the story and helped me forgive some of Mrs. Hoff's flaws sputtered out about halfway through Heart of the Lonely Exile.

What remained in the book were the tried and true plots of people coupling up with a few sticky triangles to sort out. When the main question of the plot revolves around "will they or won't they get married" a single girl with no prospects in mind and a somewhat discerning taste in books is left with a bitter aftertaste in her mouth.

I'll finish out this series but probably not read any more books by Mrs. Hoff. I may even sell the books that I have. I don't want my library burdened down with pedestrian writing. :D

I may or may not write a review of the other two books.

On... Song of the Silent Harp by B. J. Hoff

I approached this book hesitantly because my most recent experience with a couple of her newest books. I absolutely detested those two books, not that the plots themselves were all that bad but the writing seemed very pedestrian.

I remember while I read those books that I was surprised at the level of writing because I didn't remember that from her other books.

This book reminded me of those previous ones. I absolutely fell in love with the characters even though Hoff bounces back and forth between characters and countries even. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.

On... The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

I added this book to my list because I wanted to learn more about this presidential candidate who in what little information I received looked very interesting. While I would prefer Mike Huckabee as president I think that I could support Obama.

Obama writes with a very fluid, almost popular style. I discovered about fifty pages into the book that it was taking me much longer than normal to read this book because I wanted to read everything on the page... every word.

When I first noticed that Obama was not narrating in a strictly chronological direction I had a little bit of hesitation. Books or other forms of narratives that skip around and/or venture off into unconnected subjects are a big turn off for me. I kept reading the book and realized that this sort of narrative is exactly what a potential voter could ask for in order to learn about a candidate.

Each of the chapters deals with different aspects of life from Democrats vs. Republicans to Family. I learned just about everything that I could wish to know about Obama as a presidential candidate and nearly everything that I would wish to know about him as a person.

For anyone interested in becoming a well-informed voter this political season should pick up this book if for nothing else than to get a little information about this relatively unknown frontrunner. The fact that Obama writes with ease and appeal is just an added bonus.

On... My War by Andy Rooney

Rooney's acerbic style, evident in his regular segment on 60 minutes, shows up in spades in this book.

He describes his experience as a army newspaperman during WWII and does not hold back his opinion. He comes right out and says that he holds no respect for General George Patton.

While I still prefer the rather more idealistic tone/view of Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation I appreciate learning about the experience of another person who experienced this momentous series of events in world history.

The book is well written and interesting even though Rooney uses more--but appropraite--coarse language than I usually am comfortable with.

On... The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

I really don't have much to say about this book having already reviewed several of Ms. Christie's books this week. The book did not utterly disappoint but it wasn't much of a thriller or the least bit captivating either. I actually started to fall asleep at one point but perhaps that was because I was trying to read the book while lying down. :D

On... The Parting by Beverly Lewis

This book originally was on my list for the Fall Reading challenge but I didn't realize how popular the book was at the library. When I first submitted my hold I was 20th on the wait list!

After finally picking up the book last Saturday I put it on my list for the Winter Reading Challenge.

I've always been intrigued by Lewis' books and her exploration of what it means to be Amish and an Amish person's relationship with Christ.

This book (and likely the books to come in the series) deals with a schism in the Old Order Amish that occurred back in the sixties. (Lewis did actually find evidence of two such splits and based the series off of those). The hair that broke the camel's back (for lack of a better metaphor) was a real and true revival... many Old Order Amishmen searching out the Scripture for themselves and their families.

The main character... Nellie Fisher... has to deal with many things in order to marry her sweetheart Caleb Yoder. Among them are her younger sister's death a hundred days before the beginning of the story, rumors of Suzy's wild Rumpsprighe, Suzy's revelation (through her diary), Nellie's father's conversion, the beginning of the schism and the pressures of Caleb's father... stay Old Order and away from the Fisher family or be denied the family land (something promised almost as a birthright).

The main issues Lewis deals with in this book (and likely further in the forthcoming books of the series) are things that I have always wanted to get my head around when dealing with the Amish. I almost could not put this book down. (I had to at one point in order to go to work :D) I eagerly anticipate the publishing of the subsequent books in the series.

On... Magdalene by Angela Hunt

This is the last of the new books that I received for Christmas and it was definitely worth the wait.

I am always intrigued when an author takes on a character that lived during the time of Christ. These people named in the Bible aren't just names. They are frail human beings just like us.

This book was written and published during at least some of the furor surrounding the Da Vinci Code book and movie while many theories abounded about the supposed relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus.

Hunt absolutely captivated me with this story and her portrayal of the reality of demon possession. Many Christians shy away from such things but possession is real and terrible. After losing her entire family because of the brash actions of her elder son Miryam seeks justice, revenge against the Roman soldiers that in her eyes stole every part of her life... her husband, her elder son, wife and unborn child and younger son. After coming up short Miryam's desire for revenge leaves her open for possession by demons... those that she calls foreign gods.

Though Miryam is not possessed for most of the book, the few chapters where she was absolutely broke my heart. I could see Miryam's heartache and the rejection of those left to her.

Even after Yeshua (Jesus) cast out the demons and after she spend so much time with him and believed in his message Miryam still fell prey to her selfish human pride in a way where even though she ultimately received forgiveness from those closest to her she still had to face a rather definite consequence.

On... Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie

I thought this book would fall along the lines of other books of hers that I've read and in many ways it did. In one significant way it did not. I don't know if this makes me enjoy the book more or not.

This book is narrated by Nurse Leatherann in the first person rather than in the third person of the detective. Obviously, much of the detective work still came through the person of Nurse Leaterann but I did appreciate the story being told from another point of view.

Unfortunately that one beneficial aspect did little to increase Agatha Christie's standing in my mind. While her books are not pedestrian in the least they do seem a little unbelievable. I noticed in this book that once again all of the suspects are confined within a certain area... in this case the archeological expedition... and the detective never has to stretch his deduction skills to include normal suspects that in real life would probably not stick around in order to be questioned. ;)

On... Murder on the Nile by Agatha Christie

I'll never forget when I finally learned that Agatha Christie was a real person and not just a pen name. I don't know why I figured that Agatha Christie was a pen name... perhaps because her books are held in such high repute that she's become legend. ;)

Something that continually drives me nuts with her books... though not so much with this one... is that she crafts her mysteries in such a way that it is impossible for the reader to discern clues and figure out the answer to the mystery or simply be stumped at the end. The term "deus ex machina" comes to mind.

In this book though Christie drops many hard to discern clues in the first few chapters in which she also throws so much information at the reader that one is left picking up the pieces and trying to determine which bit of information is important. In any other genre besides a mystery this would annoy me but the beginning of this novel awakened my inner detective.

The actual murder... well, the first out of three... doesn't happen until about a hundred pages into the book. Actually, I was wondering when the murder was going to happen and thankfully Christie spared the readers an entire book of detective work and instead gave only half a book. :D