Lynness: Nov/Dec read(s)

Well, I did read about the Tuskegee Airmen, as planned: I read a book called Black and White Airmen: Their True History.  The book is an older juvenile read- maybe 8th grade or so, which was fine for me- I didn't want too much in-depth tactical stuff or analysis, just the story.  It told of two men (the coauthors, who are now best friends and go around speaking to groups about their experiences) who met as retirees and discovered a parallel history- they were both pilots in WWII, both had grown up in the same city...come to find out, they had been in the same 3rd grade class!! But, one was black, the other white.  Neither remembered the other at all, and their experiences in WWII were widely different.  Through their narratives, one gets a glimpse of what it was like to be a pilot in WWII in Europe.  I'll clarify what I said about the Tuskegee Airmen in my last post: evidently it was widely circulated that not a single one of the bombers that the Tuskegee Airmen escorted were lost, but others say about 25 bombers were lost.  BUT, they were formidable and very successful because they stuck with their bombers.  Unlike many of the white pilots with similar jobs, they did not abandon their bombers to go chasing after Germans, trying to be the hero of the day.  Most of the time, that's exactly what the Germans were trying to do- lead them on a wild goose chase to leave the bombers unprotected.  The Germans soon learned that the red-tailed planes wouldn't be deterred and, on at least one mission, evidently engaged the escorts as the primary target.

And then came December 7.  I realized it was Pearl Harbor Day and decided to look into a book on that.  I found an older (1957) book entitled Day of Infamy.  It was like 9/11- everyone in this generation remembers where they were and what they were doing when the towers were hit.  For everyone in that generation, it was Pearl Harbor.  The book is a very fast-paced, all over the place kind of book.  It was like slow motion- a couple hundred pages or so to cover a few fateful hours.  There were hundreds of names, but you don't have to remember 95% them to follow the story- it was vignettes, clips, of hundreds of experiences all at the same time.  Most from the American side, some from the Japanese.  You know what's coming and where it came from, but you learn how it all plays out kind of like the men did: bit by bit, something you heard, something you saw.  There are comical moments, deadly ones, confusion, etc... you see some men absolutely incapacitated by fear, some emboldened to heroic feats by patriotism and adrenalin, and everyone swept along by the mass confusion and then the call to duty and then the aftermath.  I highly recommend the book to anyone, especially those wanting to get a look at how we were caught off guard, how we reacted, etc..

Some other books I've read recently: The Wednesday Letters, and Tangerine, and I've started Midnight's Children and Freakonomics.  What an eclectic mix!

Lynness- Military reading

Well, I've finally decided what to read about. I have been trying to
figure out all month what to read, but hadn't come across anything that
piqued my interest or that I thought I would enjoy. I wanted something
fast-paced and not too bogged down in dates and tactics, which is the
sort of thing my dad- a huge WWII buff- would have suggested. I decided
to google "veterans day reading list" and see what I came up with. I
found a children's reading list and one suggested read was a book about
the Tuskegee Airmen. BINGO! We had a playgroup a few months ago where
one of the moms had lined up a tour of the county airport (no commercial
flights, but they have police and EMS helicopters and private and
charter planes and flying lessons). The guide talked a little bit about
the Tuskegee Airmen b/c there was a mural in the main building of one by
his plane- turns out he is a local resident. My dad told me a little
more- about how, since they were black, they were not considered as
capable as white airmen. They were also considered more 'expendable'
and were put at the front of convoys (reminds me of Uriah), but not a
single one was lost (reminds me of Helaman's 2000 stripling warriors).
Anyway, I've reserved a book and we'll see how it goes! I'm excited!

Raehink: FYI December Read

We will continue with the November reading into December. I have a book in mind and haven't been able to get to it due to matrimonial festivities here in Utah. So, continue on in the military mode. Enjoy your respective Turkey Days. And, as always,

Happy reading!

Raehink: November Reading

Since November is the month that we commemorate our veterans, I thought we would read something military. You can read fiction set during any war or about a military family or person. Or you can choose non-fiction and read about war, a military campaign, or a biography. The possibilities are many. Read and remember those wonderful men and women who do and have served for freedom the world over.

I love this quote: People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men [and women] stand ready to do violence on their behalf. (George Orwell)

Hoo-rah!

And happy reading!

Raehink: Responses and Reading

Hey all! Glad to see some reading going on. I love hearing what you are reading.

Lynness: I have only seen that book in the bookstores. It seems to have a cult following and the author has now written a second spoof of some similar sort. Can't remember the title though. I'll be interested to see what you think. Maybe I could finally get into Jane Austen with it. Just kidding. I have such a hard time with her.

Abby: What are the things that Autumn has a passion for? Sometimes it works to find books that revolve around those same things. And it's amazing how many novels have been written around so many subjects. Perhaps she's more of a non-fiction kid. I was. As long as she IS reading, don't push too hard. It may make her not want to read at all. Just be consistent. For me, it was Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown that woke me up in about fourth grade. Ooh, and The Mad Scientists Club. Haven't been able to keep away from books since :)

Lulu: Your Turette's book sounds really fascinating. Our YW group read a book called Memories of Summer which dealt with schizophrenia back in the 50s (I think) before it could be treated well. I have such compassion for those who suffered odd disorders before we even knew they were disorders...sometimes I wonder how they endured such things.

Annie: I just finished a unit on banned books for my adolescent literature class. Had to write a couple papers on how I approached censorship in my own reading. I'm glad you've discovered the lists. When I was in high school I read just about every book on a list just because they had been banned. I really wanted to know what all the fuss was about. So often that's just what it is. Fuss. No real reason other than someone was offended and wanted no one to read that material. The other thing I found was that some of the "greatest" books really aren't worth much. They are considered great because they were banned or challenged and not because they are worthwhile books. It's such an interesting subject to wrap your head around. I always loved the fact that Grandma encouraged us to read lots of things and make up our own minds. She knew we had been taught right from wrong and that choosing good media material is an excellent way to exercise our agency and learn from the Spirit. Off my soapbox now.

I've been reading quite a bit whenever I can squeeze it in. I'm amazed (don't know why...) at how time-and-thought-consuming Relief Society is. But I love my calling. I've learned that it ebbs and flows, like the tide, and when there's a low tide I make the most of it and sharpen my own saw. How's that for some metaphors! I did go away to Moab for a couple of days to refresh and two people died while I was gone! I hope that doesn't mean I can't get away when I need to :)

I'm just finishing up Lemon Tart for one book group. It's a very light and fluffy culinary mystery and is written by a member of the Church. Entertaining but definitely not deep. I'm still reading about the Kennedy family and am about halfway through True Compass by Ted Kennedy. It's extremely interesting. I picked up a Sheri Dew book that Grandma had given me called No One Can Take Your Place. So far it's delightful. And I'm also reading Evidence of Harm which is about the supposed connection between vaccines and autism. When I finish it I will read a book that refutes that whole idea. I like to check out both sides of issues before I make up my mind.

We are in the science fiction unit for my lit class and I should finish up Starship Troopers this afternoon. It's been a difficult read for me because I don't normally enjoy that kind of novel.

Gotta go. Chela's here to go over the invitation list. Love to all.

Happy reading!

Lulu: My read, and then some

Lynness--I have a good friend reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. She said she got bored. That's all I know about that book! :)

For my October read, I read something suspenseful and definitely scary at times--The Hunger Games. I loved it. What an interesting plot; what straightforward but sometimes quite elegant (is that the word I want?) writing; what suspense! I will read Catching Fire (the 2nd in the series) as soon as I am done with what I am reading now.

And what I am reading right now is a book called Icy Sparks. It's about a girl living in rural Kentucky in the 50's--and she has Tourette's Syndrome. This is before it was "discovered", before any treatment for it was known. You can imagine that she was something of an outcast. But brilliant, sensitive, and desperate to do good and choose righteously. I would absolutely recommend it--but with something of a warning about language. Her episodes often contain cussing. But I felt it fit with the story, and that the author didn't abuse the opportunity to fill a book with swear words. I am loving this book. It has made me cry and laugh incredibly hard and loud.

Mom--Savanna sits still when I read her The Hungry Caterpillar. Thank you for sending that; she likes it a lot.

We went to the library on Saturday and found a couple of gems--Oh, Ducky! A Chocolate Calamity (by David Slonim) and While Mama Had a Quick Little Chat (my favorite of the two, by Amy Reichert).

Abby--I would say to maybe wait on HP, if you want to read them all straight through when you are reading them aloud to the girls. As you know, Reed is highly imaginative, which didn't serve him well with the first HP, which we chose not to finish--it just scared him too much. Maybe your girls will be totally different? Anyway, that's my 2 cents. 5 cents. :) Maybe Autumn is too young, but what about A Wrinkle in Time? Or Lyddie? Or A Little Princess? Or Nancy Drew?

Lynness Re: Book Suggestions and October read

Abby- What about something more girl-perspective:  Maybe the Little House books or  Caddie Woodlawn?  Maybe Anne of Green Gables?  Maybe Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm?  What about From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler if she likes mysteries, as she seems to.

I read The Graveyard Book in September, since I knew this month would be rough (it was), but I also reserved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  Crazy, huh?  I really have no idea what to expect, but the author said he retained about 80% of the original text.  I love P&P.  It and the Book of Mormon are the books I most often re-read.  Anyway- I wouldn't have had time to read it even if I had gotten it because I'm on a waiting list and it still hasn't gotten to me yet, so evidently it's popular.  Anyone else heard of it?

Book Suggestions needed and read-alouds we've read and will be reading

Ladies, I need some book suggestions if you have some. :D

Autumn reads very well but isn't really a bookworm. I know not everyone loves to read but part of me feels that's just because they haven't found the kind of books that "speak" to them! Is that a romantic/idealistic view or is it possible for everyone to LOVE reading?

She reads what she's required to read for school but other than that she doesn't usually choose reading over the other activities she has available in a day. If she has a Scooby Doo or Magic Treehouse book, she'll read that without my encouragement. And lately she likes re-reading some of the Roald Dahl books we've read. I read The BFG to her a long time ago and then Maddie read it to her this summer again. We found it at the library last week and she's re-reading it on her own. She did something similar with The Witches. I have no shortage of ideas for read-alouds for her and Heidi, but as far as reading on her own, I'm just having trouble finding things that are interesting to her!

In the world of read-alouds, we are reading Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. Surprisingly (to me), they make for great read-aloud material. Both Autumn & Heidi are enjoying them. I have read them all before. We are starting book six tonight. Almost halfway through the series! I am excited to be done with the series so that we can move on to other exciting books. I read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe to them a few years ago and they loved it, but now that they're older we're going to do it again and read the whole series. And I'm wanting to read Harry Potter to them but still undecided as to when I want to do that. Once I start, I don't want to stop and take a break and I think there's quite a jump in maturity level/scary stuff from book 3 to book 4. I'm also trying to decide if I should just wait on HP and let them discover it on their own. I guess if I do read it aloud, I can be pretty sure they'll read it on their own later - as evidenced by the way Autumn has been with the Dahl books.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

And

Books challenged and banned 2008-2009

Because now I want to know which books, why, and WHY!!
BANNED BOOKS

HOORAY FOR ME IN SEPTEMBER

SSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOO.....



I set a goal to read 2 books a month, and I DID IT!!
For September I read Push which I already posted about and I just finished the second book of the Sookie Stackhouse series, Living Dead In Dallas by Chalaine Harris. Super natural beings, vampires, shapeshifters... nothing to scary but this book I found SSOOO much better than the first!! I was totally pulled in by the drama, I have already started the third book! Not sure yet If I will be counting it as my October read, I have other "scary" books lined up. I was recommended And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie....

We shall see where my October mood... and new reading goals lead me.


BANNED BOOKS...
I never really had to read anything in HS and I have picked up on my reading more as an adult so I guess I never knew that there were BANNED BOOKS. And seeing some of the titles that Lynness wrote, I AM CONFUSED!! Ive read some of those books... I found them to be some of the best. WHY!!?? I now feel a bit of rebellion and want to read as many BANNED BOOKS as possible lol.
Really...
BANNED BOOKS??????

Lynness: Banned books week Sept 26- Oct 3

I didn't know there was a banned books week until I went to the
library and saw a display with CAUTION tape all over it. So, of
course, I went and investigated. I picked up "The Bookseller of
Kabul." I was actually there to pick up my reserved copy of "The
Giver" which, turns out, has been banned before, too. As have the
books in the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series, Huckleberry
Finn, The Scarlet Letter, Anne Frank's diary, The Arabian Nights, Call
of the Wild, Fahrenheit 451 (hmmm... you know, the one about book
banning), A Light in the Attic, Little House on the Prairie, and A
Wrinkle in Time, to name a few. There's many more that you've heard
of or read, and even more that you've probably never heard of and that
you, like me, would probably not want to read, judging from the
descriptions of why they were banned.

So here's to opening a can of worms (I like to do that): what do you
do if (as has happened in many of these cases) your elementary school
child comes home with a book that you discover has violent or overtly
sexual themes and descriptions? Or, if your teenager is assigned to
read a book for an AP Lit class (like mine) that encourages adultery
or homosexuality?

I agree with what U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, in Texas
v. Johnson, said, "If there is a bedrock principle underlying the
First Amendment, it is that the Government may not prohibit the
expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself
offensive or disagreeable." And I agree that access to any materials
should be supervised by parents. But, in the case of books picked up
and read in school, or even aloud in classes, that I would not want my
child to see/her, what do you do? Many parents have asked for books
to be removed (or have simply checked them out and refused to return
them). In some cases, nothing has changed. In some cases, the
attention to the books in question have made them more of alluring to
those whom the parents were trying to protect. In many cases the
books have been moved to another location and access limited to those
with parental consent or over a certain age/grade level. I think, as
a parent and a book-lover, that this is the ideal solution: access is
still permitted to anyone else, but I have a say in what my children
read. As far as assigned reading, I was lucky: we had a choice of two
books- I chose one less offensive to me and my beliefs. I'm not even
sure if my mom knew what I was reading or the choices I had. I read
many books from the lists of banned books that, while I wouldn't have
chosen them for myself and didn't like, I did not find particularly
offensive. Perhaps part of this was that the sexual parts, to
sheltered little me, were simply over my head.

Back to the beginning- I read The Giver and The Bookseller of Kabul.
I liked the first, and didn't find the second offensive at all, just
hopeless feeling, which is, I think, exactly what the author was
trying to convey.

Go read a banned book!!

Lynness: The Graveyard Book

Well, I got my October read yesterday and read it. It was quick and
not really scary, which is what I wanted, but unsatisfying. I liked
Nob and the story had a lot of potential, but the Indigo Man- why was
he even there at all? There were so many things thrown in that didn't
get addressed. I don't like loose ends not tied up, more questions
raised than answered. Anyway. I kept thinking the author's name
(Neil Gaiman) sounded familiar, but didn't read the jacket until after
the book. Personally, I think Coraline was a creepier book.

I looked up The Hunger Games and may read it, but all the copies were
reserved. I decided to find out more about it: our library has this
new "Find Out More" link for most books and it gives the summary,
reviews, etc. One review connected it with "The Giver" by Lois Lowry.
I thought I had read it at one point, but couldn't remember much, so
I looked that one up. Turns out I've never read it, so I've got that
one on hold now. Annie- I think you said you wanted to read that- we
can compare notes. Has everyone else already read it? (Probably
most.)

Lynness: yay Rae

Very good, Rae!! I really like a lot of T. S. Eliot's images and
lines, and I keep trying to like his poetry, but altogether it doesn't
do much for me, either. I have reserved (argghh, how do you do
italics in gmail online? I hate not having Thunderbird!!) "The
Graveyard Book", since it's juvenile and I'm a wimp- I don't like to
be scared. And it will probably be very quick, which is good, since
we're moving into our new house in October. Conrgats on the calling
and Chela- is your dad sealing them?

Raehink: Garlic and sapphires

in the mud. T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets. Don't know if it was original with him, though.

His poems don't do much for me, by the way.

Raehink: Premature Panic

Wow. I know how to get everyone to post now. Threaten to quit!

I can keep making the assignments if you would like me too. I didn't realize how much everyone cared. At the time I posted about my "hiatus" I had only been the Relief Society president for two weeks and my calendar was completely full. So unusual and unsettling for me. The initial rush has now settled down and I am figuring out ways to sharpen my saw.

So we can forge ahead, if all are agreed. And it sounds like you are. I agree with Lynness that each of us has had major (and minor but continual) events occur in our lives that have kept us from posting...but hopefully not from reading. For those of you who don't know yet, Chela is getting married in the Salt Lake temple on Nov 21. That and my calling and life are what might keep me from my personal reading time.

I have really enjoyed your posts. I'm always intrigued with what people choose to read. I too LOVED The Hunger Games but I do agree with Abby that it's somewhat graphic. I have had the sequel in the house for over a week now, but am really trying hard to finish books that I have already started FIRST. It will have to wait. Dan Brown's new book comes today and Kennedy's memoir the next day. But those will have to wait also! There's just so much out there I want to read...

I never got around to reading the royalty novels. Just couldn't get interested in them. But I'm on a Kennedy kick and they are seen as royalty to many in this country so I guess that counts for the assignment :)

So how about we let September go and skip right to the October read. How about something scary? I know we did this not too long ago but it fits the month and it's an easy pick. We are reading Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for my other book group. It's pretty scary in its own right. I can heartily recommend The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It's a Newbery winner and gave me goosebumps. I enjoyed it as much as anything I have read in quite a while. Gaiman just has a warped mind, I think.

So pick whatever makes the hair on the back of your neck rise and enjoy this time of year. Cooler temps, leaves turning, windows open at night, Conference time, etc.

And as always,

Happy reading!

Abby: Re Hunger Games, Garlic and Sapphire and reading assignments

Lynness, is Garlic and Sapphire a scriptural reference? The phrase seems familiar. (And I'm right here on the computer and obviously the internet so it'd be easy to look it up...but I'm not...)

Would anyone else be interested in giving out the reading assignment during Rae's hiatus? Also, if anyone else is bothered that I haven't updated our books read in the bar on the left or the books mentioned, if you have an interest in keeping up with that I can set you up as an administrator. We can have as many administrators as we'd like.

The Hunger Games is fiction and an alternate history (like The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde and The Alliance by Gerald Lund). I guess I should give a warning that if you don't like any kind of blood or war descriptions, you won't like the book. Other than that? I loved it and read it very quickly.

Here's the synopsis from Library Journal:
In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

Lynness re: reading blog

Definitely keep the blog going. This summer hasn't had much activity,
but 2 of us had babies, 3 of us moved, etc... we're still at my mom's
house until we close on ours and my computer (with all email
addresses, etc.!) isn't connected to the web, so I'm not sure how
often I'll get to post until we get set up in our new house. Rae, are
you still planning to make assignments? If not, do we want
assignments or just to read whatever and report on it? I personally
like the assignments, as it makes me look in new genres or pick up
books I might not have otherwise. Abby- tell us more about Hunger
Games.

By the way, I just read "Garlic and Sapphires: The secret life of a
critic in disguise" by Ruth Reichl (NY Times food critic). I enjoyed
it a lot, and there's recipes to boot. Bonus points to anyone who
knows where the title comes from! This has been my first real read
since Tabitha was born (6 weeks ago!!), since I moved 3 1/2 weeks
after that, and then John and Janis visited, and then school
started....and we're still trying to get a regular schedule together
while living in my parents' house.

My Shelf

I also wanted to say that I have many books on my shelf that I would LIKE to read before I venture to the library or book store, some of them I KNOW I might find difficult to read or get through BUT... I REALLY WANT to knock these out;
The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms by Dr. Laura Schlessinger
The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Number The Stars by Lois Lowery
Shiloh by Phillis Reynolds Naylor
Proffesor Diggins Dragons by Felice Holman
To Kill A Mockingbird
Pride And Prejudice
A Prophets Voice by Ed J. Pingar

... There ARE more...

To Keep Reading...

I just read Push, a Novel by Sapphire. There is a movie coming out based on the book, I saw the trailer and I was intrigued. The story is of a young girl who is molested both by her mother and father, gives birth to two children by her father before she is 17, is failed by the school system, police, and welfare systems. Its just a sad story that makes you mad to think that THIS COULD BE happening…It is not really a GREAT read, or something that I would recommend.

I was introduced to The Secret by Rhonda Byrne YEARS ago, but it seemed to be against what I believed as to where our focus should be. I was introduced to it again this year with a religious focus and I read it. I really enjoyed the read. Reading it with the mind set of religion, following the commandments, prayer, “righteous living” it was nice to have a refresher of my mind set. I found myself thinking positive. “All things are possible through him that strengthens me” I know this book is not for everyone but I really enjoyed it and would actually love to revisit the book!!

I have set a new goal to read 1 book every 2 weeks… I guess I will keep my fingers crossed LOL!! Happy reading to everyone!!

Abby: Yes, definitely

Well even though Rae will be busy in her new calling, I'd love it if we all still stop in here when we can to share what we've been reading. :) I'm with Lulu.

I just started Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins) last night and am restraining myself from losing myself completely in the book! Hunger Games is the first book if you're interested in these.

Lulu, I would love to borrow The Graveyard Book when I come visit you soon (especially since I already read the first chapter while I was at your house...tee hee).

Oh! I am also reading Eat This, Not That: Supermarket Survival Guide (talks about the ingredients of several popular brands and goes on to explain what the ingredients do and why you should "eat this" (i.e. "Smart Balance") and "not that" (i.e. "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter") and You Are What You Eat. (This is from BBC America's Dr. Gillian McKeith who hosts the show of the same name.)

I've also started and am slowly working my way through:
Young Bucks by Troy Dunn (about teaching kids to earn money and manage it)
Running With Angels by Pamela Hansen (about losing weight, battling depression, and running a marathon)

And sitting on my shelf, waiting its turn:
In Defense of Food
Eat This, Not That: For Kids

What is everyone else reading? And have any of you read the books I'm reading? Hope you're all doing well in your own busy things. :) I know I am!

Lulu: Yes, please

Yes, Rae, I myself do want to continue this book blog.

Lately, I've read and loved The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

Huh. I thought I had more to list. Apparently the previous books I read were not too memorable.

Raehink: Hiatus

Until further notice, I will be on a hiatus due to a possibly demanding calling. Please continue to post about books you have enjoyed and would like to recommend. In time, I will be back. If we still want to continue this book club. Love to all and as always...

Happy reading!

Raehink: August Reading

I hope everyone enjoyed the month of July, whether you read something patriotic or not. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about John and Abigail Adams. My book group read a novel by Irving Stone, but I read a nonfiction account of their marriage. I came away with even more respect for our founding fathers, but especially our founding mothers who led a supportive and quieter role in the background. Abigail was an amazing woman!

Your assignment for the month of August is to find a royal read...anything (fiction or non, your choice) having to do with royal personages i.e. kings, queens, princes and princesses. It doesn't matter which country you choose as a setting, either. It does seem that most royal historical books are set in England or France, though. Take a trip to your local library if you need some assistance. There are plenty of books out there waiting just for you!

Here are some authors that are known for writing about the English royals: Philippa Gregory, Jean Plaidy (who is also Philippa Carr and Victoria Holt), Margaret George, Antonia Fraser, and Alison Weir. Carolyn Meyer and Kathryn Lasky have both written in the "Royal Diaries" series for younger readers. If you'd like a mystery set during a particular royal period of time, try Fiona Buckley, Karen Harper, or Patricia Finney.

I picked up three titles at the library: Jean Plaidy's The Lady in the Tower (about Anne Boleyn) and In the Shadow of the Crown (about Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon) and Philippa Gregory's The Constant Princess (also about Katherine of Aragon). I'll let you know which one I chose at the end of the month.

Happy reading!

Raehink: Regarding Common Sense

I'm excited that you are reading Paine's "pamphlet" to the colonists. In my reading about John and Abigail Adams, I discovered that John reacted negatively to Common Sense and even wrote a response to it that was published in newspapers. It's intriguing that those founding men didn't always agree on these heady issues, and yet they were able to pull it all together in a way that was ultimately inspired. I think our current senators and representatives have entirely forgotten how to do that! They could benefit from some early history. I look forward to your commonsensical comments.

Good luck on the house and baby. I love the name Tabitha, by the way. And it's particularly colonial!

Happy reading!

Lynness- Common Sense

I've decided I'm going to try Common Sense, by Thomas Paine.  I googled "patriotic reading list" and found one that included some pretty hefty titles.  I figured I had time for this one.  I also decided that I'm going to make comments as I go, instead of at the end, since we're about to get really busy (we think we'll have a contract on our house by the end of the day, and I've got about 3 weeks until Tabitha makes her debut...).  That way I get SOMETHING posted, even if I don't get to finish it.

The first section of his treatise is on the origin and design of government.  Here's a quote:
“...Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries BY A GOVERNMENT, which we might expect in a country WITHOUT GOVERNMENT, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise. For were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case, he finds it necessary to surrender up a part of his property to furnish means for the protection of the rest...” (underlining by me)

That's the zinger- we elect someone (and I'm not talking about anyone- president, senator, etc. in particular) or vote for some measure that we think will bring about needed change, only to find that we've created a monster that we now have to live with.  We make laws to address issues which down the road create bigger concerns- and all this we have visited upon ourselves.
I find it interesting- and correct- that he compares the need for government to a fallen state.  I think of the Millennium and wonder how wonderfully different it will be when Christ reigns personally on the earth.  Millennial peace will be possible because the grossest wickedness will have been destroyed at Christ's 2nd coming.  Certainly in the Celestial kingdom, if not in Zion on earth in the Millennium, we will need no government of the type man creates, for we will be better governed by ourselves.

On another note...wouldn't it be nice if everyone in a government position (and all of us who elect our leaders) remembered this line?
“I draw my idea of the form of government from a principle in nature which no art can overturn, viz. that the more simple any thing is, the less liable it is to be disordered, and the easier repaired when disordered;” (underlining by me)
In a time when bureaucracy and red tape and delay and complication are synonymous with government and the whole organization is so complex that I don't believe anyone quite understands all the ramifications of any changes implemented, since they affect so many other things, how are we even supposed to begin reform?

That's enough for now!

Lulu: Emma & Reed's reads

I don't know why, but trying to read Emma this month was painfully slow for me. I felt like I was wading in words, and sometimes I felt like a new reader. It's been a long time since I've read Jane Austen, and I forgot how complex her sentence structure can be. I made it through the first two volumes of Emma, and then felt so frustrated that I stopped right there. Call me lazy, but I was tired of Emma's dad, and I was tired of Miss Bates, and I was tired of not being close to the ending, the outcome of which I already knew.

Ah, well. I did read one classic this month--Fahrenheit 451. (I posted about that already HERE) I feel guilty for not finishing Emma, but also annoyed that I don't want to finish it.

Reed and I finished The Wind in the Willows. We loved it, most especially Reed. Some of the language was a little sophisticated for him, but we both laughed quite a bit through the whole thing, and the general story wasn't lost to him. Our copy had beautiful illustrations, too. After we finished, I found that I didn't have anything that age-appropriate on my shelves for our next read, but decided to tide us over with just a taste of A Wrinkle in Time. I am surprised to say Reed is actually very interested! We're halfway through, and I don't yet feel like I need to put it aside. I forgot how much I love that series, so it has been fun for me to revisit. Next we have Danny, the Champion of the World.

Raehink: July Reading

Your reading assignment for July is to find something patriotic...you decide exactly what that means! It might mean reading about the founding of our nation or finding a biography of someone who contributed in a great way to our country. Or you could read a book about war. Or find some historical fiction set in the founding time frame. Or read a children's book with your kids that encourages them love their country. Just find something to read this month that will help you appreciate your freedoms that have been fought and paid for with men and women's lives.

I'll be reading about the marriage of John and Abigail Adams. Good luck on your choices.

Happy reading!

Lynness- June Classic

For my classic I read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
Here's a summary from wikipedia in case you're not familiar with the basic storyline:

"The novel tells of a young man named Dorian Gray, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward. Basil is greatly impressed by Dorian's physical beauty and becomes strongly infatuated with him, believing that his beauty is responsible for a new mode in his art. Talking in Basil's garden, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil's, and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry's world view. Espousing a new kind of hedonism, Lord Henry suggests that the only things worth pursuing in life are beauty and the fulfilment of the senses. Realizing that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian cries out, expressing his desire to sell his soul to ensure that the portrait Basil has painted of him would age rather than himself. Dorian's wish is fulfilled, subsequently plunging him into a series of debauched acts. The portrait serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul, with each sin being displayed as a disfigurement of his form, or through a sign of aging."

The 'rest of the story'...   In the end he is an addicted, paranoid, but still beautiful person with blood on his hands and many enemies.  He eventually attacks the portrait to rid himself of it and thus kills himself.

    It's one I've always thought about reading, since the idea intrigued me, but never did until now.  It's not very long and I read it online at Project Gutenberg.  I don't think I can say I enjoyed it, but it certainly gives one a lot to think about (mostly to disagree with).  It makes me wonder what Oscar Wilde himself believed as far as morality and the soul and art.  It's so different from The Importance of Being Earnest or The Happy Prince, which are the only other things I had ever read by him.  It makes me grateful for the gospel and living prophets as a moral anchor so that I am not "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; " (part of a Scripture Mastery!! Ephesians 4:14)  Lord Henry seems like the devil to me- or maybe the reverse- I can picture the devil as Lord Henry: suave, sophisticated, has an answer for everything, nothing is sacred or truly matters to him, and he knows just what to say to get you started in the wrong direction!  This is not to say that I believe Dorian Gray does not bear responsibility for his actions, but it makes for an extreme lesson on how friends influence you.

Abby: Book Recommendation for all y'all with sistuhs

I just emailed MY sisters about this (so some of you will see this twice), but had to write something about it here too.

Tonight I read a story to the girls called The Lemon Sisters by Andrea Cheng. Next time you're at the library, find it in the kid's section on the shelf. You can read it in 5 minutes. Very sweet.

It made me miss all of my sisters. But it also made me so grateful for them. It made me excited thinking about a family reunion next year. Making cookies in the kitchen with all my sistuhs. Kids under foot snitching dough.

Abby: Kids Reading

Lynness, I enjoyed reading about Isaiah and how he's grown to love a good book! I looked up the AR (accelerated reader for anyone who didn't know) level on Half Magic just wondering where he was at level-wise and I think it was a 5.2 or something. Awesome! Autumn reads anywhere from a Level 3 to Level 5. But lately that brings up an issue. She's a great reader but she's still only 7, going into 2nd grade. So the interest level is not up to the reading level. She can read fourth & fifth grade level books but some are not interesting to her while others are but go over her head on the content, the references made, the relationships within the books...know what I mean?

This is really for any of you with anything to say about this. :)

I love the AR website because it lists books based on Book Level (which is similar to Lexile rating) and Interest Level (K-3, 4-6, and 7+). SO...I'm weeding my way through a couple of gigantic 3rd and 4th grade level lists to find the LG (K-3) Interest levels thinking that'd be best. Is it?

She's in bed reading the Witches right now. Which (hah hah) is listed as a 4.7 BL and a MG (4-6) Interest Level.

I keep wanting to just let her read whatever she's interested in and in general I do. The glitch is that she doesn't really know what she's interested in. She'll read something if I suggest it. She'll find something and if she enjoys it, she'll ask for more like it. But when we go to the library, well, it must feel huge to a kid. I honestly think it overwhelms her.

So what do you guys think?

Lynness- Raising a reader

We had an enrichment this past week about raising great readers and
I just finished Jim Trelease's "Hey, Listen to This" (I am currently on
the wait list for his "Read Aloud Handbook," which has been recommended
to me more than once). I got some ideas for books I'd like to read with
Isaiah or even just for myself- some of them classics (albeit children's
classics) that I have never read, so maybe that would work for this
month's reading assignment.

Anyway, I think I've succeeded there. (Actually, the enrichment
turned out to be a 'preaching to the choir' kind of meeting, as it
usually does...) Isaiah's teacher let him bring home "Henry and the
Clubhouse" with the understanding that he bring it back. The last day
of school is tomorrow, so I guess she knows him pretty well- he started
it today at school and finished it here at home. Then he proceeded to
read the first 5 chapters of Edward Eager's "Half Magic" and then left
it (face down, opened to his page) to pick up "Henry and Beezus" from
our shelves and read some in that. Here's a picture of him engrossed in
"Half Magic."

He's becoming like me- a fast reader, oblivious to the world when in
a book. The only problem is that other kids (especially on the bus)
have called him a nerd. My high school was for "gifted and talented
students" from 16 counties and sometimes I wonder if it was worth the
extra time and stress, but one of the biggest positives about it was
that EVERYONE was a nerd to some degree, and it seemed that everyone was
well-read or liked to read. I heard a disturbing tidbit the other day
(not sure where or if the number is right, but it was a high
percentage)- it was that something like 75% of people never read another
complete book on their own after high school. Who knows if it's
accurate, but it's appalling, so I hope not! I'm glad we have the book
blog and that so many people in this wonderful family I married into are
avid readers.

Lynness- Quick report on May and June

Well, in May I read part of the Apocrypha, but didn't have time to
finish it before the month just about finished me off. BUT now the
painting and packing of things we won't need in the next few months is
done. Just in time, because pregnancy is catching up with me again (6.5
weeks left) and I'm exhausted every day by about 2pm. Seminary ended
last Friday, so hopefully sleeping in until 6am (!!) will help that. I
started reading "Waiting for Godot" for June, since I had it and had
never read it and it seems like it has become a classic, or at least
very influential. I read the first act and wasn't impressed, so I'm
looking for something else.

Lulu: June

Today I decided to get a jump on my June books and spent a blissful two hours in Barnes & Noble, absurdly indecisive. I was also looking for a new read for me and Reed. :)

Ultimately, I've chosen for myself Emma and Fahrenheit 451. I really haven't read either of them! Makes me blush to say it. The cashier had great things to say about Fahrenheit 451. He said one way that Ray Bradbury's science fiction is better than others is that it causes us to question the direction of mankind. Humanity's morals, that sort of thing. I was just excited to get it because the story line intrigues me, Abby loved it, and it's something I've always felt like I needed to read. I'm excited about Emma because I love Jane Austen.

I finished The Kite Runner. I didn't know very much about Afghanistan, almost nothing at all, and it was very much an eye-opening read. I blubbered my way through quite a bit of it, but couldn't let go of it until I was done. And actually, even then I couldn't let go of it. I had to talk about it. And I had to sort some things out in my mind, things that make me feel like ignorance is bliss. But I need to know these things, and overall I'm really happy to have read it. It was hard for Phill to hear me talk about it; I stopped reading it to him a few chapters in because I wanted to read faster than we had nights to sit down together. It's probably a good thing. His unit will probably head to Afghanistan in 2011, and he already knew tons more than me about the atrocities I had just learned about. I marvel that he can carry so much heaviness sometimes and not just....fall apart. I had a long, cathartic cry once I finished.

On to lighter things: The book I've chosen for Reed and I is The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Graham). I've heard so many good things about it from Abby and my mom and Rae; I figure it's a good time. We did read a little excerpt of it from a Six-Year-Old Boys Treasury something-or-other that we have here at home, and Reed was really attentive and smiley. (I finally chose this book after picking up and putting down Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Farmer Boy, The Wizard of Oz, and Little Lord Fauntleroy. All of which are still viable for future options.)

Obviously I didn't choose a book for May. I didn't search very hard for a title, and didn't feel very motivated. I did choose a Mary Higgins Clark book that was totally unsatisfying and made me remember why I quit being interested in them a few years ago. I think I just wanted something really easy (translate: effortless) and suspenseful enough to keep me reading. But it was just empty, and so was I when I finished. Little ghost of a book.

Raehink: June Reading

Wow. I can hardly believe it's almost June already. May has flown by for me. I didn't get an entire religious book read but did manage to do some reading about women in the scriptures. I'm also continuing to read the New International Version of the New Testament each morning. I'm really enjoying that.

Thanks for all your recommendations for Bill. Using your suggestions, we were able to find some fun titles for him to read over the summer.

For the month of June, your assignment is to read a classic. We did this once before--about a year ago, I think. But there are still so many good books out there! Find one that you somehow (or perhaps intentionally) missed out on reading in your high school years. I will probably choose something by Mark Twain that I haven't read before. We are headed to Nauvoo in a few days and will be stopping in Hannibal for a visit. I'm as excited about that as I am about the church sites. Silly me.

Hope you're each looking forward to a summer of happy reading!

Bunch Of Religious

You are probably waiting for my review of ‘Mere Christianity’ by C.S. Lewis…. Well keep waiting! After all the library drama and the waiting I went out and bought my own copy, started reading and then found out that The Hinesville Ward Book Group changed their book! They chose ‘The Five People You Meet In Heaven’ by Mitch Albom. I LOVED THIS BOOK! I am not the best reader, by that I mean I’m kinda slow. Well, I’m not sure if I am slow or if its that I get distracted VERY easily! I have a short attention span UNLESS I’m really intrigued and as far as this book goes I WAS. I read it in one afternoon. I still think about parts of this book like sweet memories! A man dies and meets five people who he may have known, or who have crossed paths with in his life. They each have been waiting to tell him something very important about his life. I don’t want to say more because if you haven’t read it… Rae, then you should. It was easy and sweet. It really makes you think about how you live your life and how your actions affect others even though you might be completely unaware!
I still plan on reading ‘Mere Christianity’ and I also have more in the line up of religious. Grandpa sent me some books and I have started reading one, ‘More Purity Give Me’ by Vaughn J. Featherstone. If any of you have ever gotten a second hand book from Gpa then you will understand when I say EVERY SINGLE PAGE is marked! : D
The others he sent were ‘A Lion And A Lamb’ by Rand H. Packer, ‘The Peacegiver’ by James L. Ferrell, ‘An Eye Single To The Glory Of God; Reflections on the Cost of Discipleship’ by Robert L. Millet, ‘A Prophet’s Voice; Inspiring Quotes From Joseph Smith’ by Ed J. Pinegar.
P.S. Rae I never thought I would see the day to hear you say that you HAD NOT read something, CRAZY!!

Abby: Recommendations for Bill

Eric says Bill should read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency which is also by Douglas Adams but not part of the HHGTTG series.

Has he read The Princess Bride?

Do you think he'd enjoy P.G. Wodehouse?

Or even The Eyre Affair series?

That's all I've got for a focus on the British humor side of books and none of them are really sci-fi like HHGTTG...

Lynness: recommendation

It took me a few minutes to figure out that William was Billy. My
sister Kate is an avid reader and checks our book blog occasionally- she
has a recommendation for him:

So, on the Hawkes book club Rae posted asking for scifi/fantasy
suggestions for William. Because I can't post on there I thought I'd
pass a suggestion along to you.

Anyway the post was about Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's series and wanting
similar titles. The Xanth chronicles are pretty good but if you want the
British humor a really good series is Terry Pratchett's Discworld.

Rae: Readers' Advisory needed

William just devoured most of the books in Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. He loved the science fiction and fantasy elements in them, but especially delighted in the sophisticated British humor. I'm wondering where to steer him next...I have ordered the first Xanth book (Piers Anthony) called A Spell for Chameleon. Other than that, I'm not sure what to get him. He will be working up at a Scout Camp for the summer and wants some funny books to read. I know some of you read sci-fi and fantasy quite regularly. If you have any suggestions, feel free to post some titles.

Happy reading!

Lynness- Religious Reading

I own and have enjoyed Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, and The
Screwtape Letters: I love CS Lewis-I think he makes a lot of sense and
his writing resonates with me. I looked through the list Rae provided
from her shelves for suggestions and I think I will try reading the
Apocrypha. The only thing I've read about it is in the D&C and in the
Bible Dictionary. After having taught the Old and New Testaments in
seminary I will be interested to see how it fits in. Reading this
assumes that I get all my painting done- lately I've used just about
every free minute (and some that weren't free- my seminary prep has
again suffered) in painting my stairwall, hallways, living room, part of
the kitchen, and deck! Now I've just got the family room and a lot of
trim to touch up as well as finishing the kitchen. Then (hopefully)
we'll be moving to a house with a little more room to grow into.

Raehink: May Reading

I'm really pleased that Annie is taking the opportunity to read Mere Christianity with her Hinesville book group. It's a wonderful read. Kind of tough in spots to work through, but filled with little nuggets of gospel truth. Musing about C.S. Lewis got me thinking about our group...

So...For the month of May, your assignment is to read a non-LDS religious book of some sort. I'm hoping you'll choose something non-fiction, but there's plenty of good religious fiction out there to dabble in if that makes you more apt to read along with us. Most good libraries have booklists of religious fiction.

The subject matter is up to you...Browse through the religion shelves (200s) at your local library if you have no idea what to read. I'm sure you'll find something interesting and worthwhile. It can be quite rewarding to look for gospel principles and truths in literature about/from other faiths.

Just to give you an idea of how wide this subject matter can be, here are some titles on my shelves (I will be choosing from one of these):

• From Jesus to Christianity: How Four Generations of Visionaries & Storytellers Created the New Testament and Christian Faith (White)
• Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up: A New Look at Today's Evangelical Church in the Light of Early Christianity (Bercot)
• Eating Your Way Through Luke's Gospel (Karris)
• The New Oxford Annotated Apocrypha
• Confessions (St Augustine)
• The Whimsical Christian (Dorothy Sayers)
• What is a Jew? (Kertzer)
• Olives: The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit (Rosenblum)
• The Joyful Christian (C.S. Lewis)
• Pontius Pilate (Wroe)
• Luther (Oberman)
• Catholic Customs and Traditions (Dues)
  

If I have that many on my limited religious shelves, imagine what titles your library will have!

This will give me a much needed chance to read something from my own shelves. And hopefully, each of you will find something unique to share with us. Annie, you can count Mere Christianity for this group, if you'd like. Like I make up the rules...

I know this is a long post, but I want you ladies to know how much I enjoy reading about your reading! It keeps us in touch with each other, but it does so much more for me. I haven't found anyone in Payson (other than Maren and thank goodness for her!) who enjoys to read like I do. Sometimes I long to just sit down with someone and talk books! Knowing what you are reading allows me to do that vicariously! So, thanks.

And for anyone who might be interested in what books I take the time to read, I have started a book blog. It's nothing remarkable. In fact, it's really just a more personal extension of my Goodreads reviews. Take a look if you are so inclined.

www.raehink.blogspot.com

And, as always...

Happy reading!

suggestion from Annie Delight

One of the many out of our stack was Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini and Illustrated by Howard Fine. Both the story and pictures were so great! I really had fun with this one! A witch wants to eat piggie pie but she has no pigs, so she goes to a farm to get some. All the pigs disguise themselves as other farm animal and the witch gets angrier and angrier. At the end she meets the big bad wolf and lets say they both had different ideas as to what they could have for lunch since they were both unsuccessful in finding the piggies! Lulu I think your children would love this one!

Annie Delights March and April reads, even though Annie Delight doesnt feel like reading!!

For those of you who don’t know Ro, my Hub left on Feb 25th for Iraq. Wanting to stay in the spirit of reading during all my stress I chose to read Mama Rock’s Rules for the March read. It is a great book on parenting tips, full of comedy, written by the comedian Chris Rock’s mother. My Rachel bought it for me a while ago and I am sorry to say that I still have not read it. Not that I don’t enjoy it, actually the complete opposite! I love everything she says and I want to be able to digest it all. Needless to say amidst all the moving and packing, and craziness the book got set down and never got picked back up….
Once I had time again to read I was not in the mood for ANYTHING!! I eventually picked up Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. Its not the best, or most appropriate but I was drawn in by the fiction of it all. Vampires exist, and have recently become legal members of society (main streaming). They survive off synthetic blood made in China. The main character, Sookie Stackhouse, a young naïve, old fashioned waitress falls in love with a vampire. Kinda silly I know but there was nothing to sad, to serious, to boring, it just was awesomely fictional! There are a couple of intimate sense which I just skipped over but other than that I had fun reading it!
And then here came April! I’m still feeling kinda blah and really had no desire to read anything. I kinda took the easy way out this month… or so I thought! I was very excited to support my local library seeing that I am in my home town and would not only need to get a library card for me, but could also get Lanycia her first library card!! What a better way to show support!! Once we had our cards in hand we headed over to the youth section. I had already decided that I would pick something short and easy for this month, but still had nothing in mind.
I went straight to the non-fiction section and found A Family From Iraq by John King. PERFECT! An easy non-fiction, a topic that Lany needs to hear about, with great pics so that Lany could have an idea of what “Iraq” was. It was published in 1998 so it does talk about Saddam Hussein, and the father in the book works for the Iraqi Army, but the book showed the individuals of the family and what they eat, where they sleep, work, and what they do for fun. I think everyone should read this to their children. It might help to visualize a positive for Iraq in such an uncomfortable time.
Lanycia and I both picked out a stack of fictions that I have been reading to the children at night but my favorite so far has been There’s No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System (Cat In The Hat’s Learning Library) by Tish Rabe I totally want to but this book! It broke down the solar system in a fun, cat in the hat way! I also got Little House In The Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My Mom has the whole box set and I was interested but this one was missing. I have been reading it to Lanycia.
Now here’s when I really didn’t get off so easy. My ward in Hinesville started a book group! I really want to participate because I miss them so much! The first months book was already picked and it is Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I of course had the privilege of returning to my library so that I could check it out. They had three copies, the first one was due May 07 and never returned, the second was returned with sever damage and the third was also returned with damage. I requested a copy from another Library and I am just waiting for the call. I am excited to read it mostly because this will be my first book group book where the titles a picked for me. I will let you know how it goes!

ANNIE

P.S. If you would like to write or send a care package, here is Ro’s address:
SSG William Y.R. Taylor
3rd Platoon
FOB Normandy
APO AE 09362

Lynness- April read: supporting my local library

    I have to say that we have a pretty good library system (well, I don't have much to compare it to, but I think it's pretty good).  One thing I like is that there are shelves near the front of each of the 9 or so branches that constantly change to display the newest adult fiction, adult non-fiction, young adult and juvenile additions to the library system's book collections (and there are HUNDREDS of new books each month spread over the branches, not to mention DVDs, etc.).  Since I don't get to browse a long time before my kids try and take off, I either have to know what I'm coming for or I just browse those.  I have found many interesting books, especially non-fiction, on topics I never would have looked up myself.  Case in point: SAND: The Never-ending Story, which I am almost done with.  Parts get a little long and technical, but other parts are utterly fascinating.  Did you know that there is a WHOLE lot that scientist still don't understand about something as simple as sand?  Or that sand, as a granular material often has the physical properties associated with liquids, unless you add about 10% or less of water to the mix, then it behaves more like a solid.  Anyway- that was on the "new books" shelf.
    The other thing that many branches have, somewhere near the front, is the "staff recommendations" shelf.  Supporting my local library was easy that way!  I picked up "The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune,and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden."  He arrived at said tomato cast by amortizing the cost of his garden over its productive life.  All I can say is that he spent a lot more putting that garden in than I ever could or would spend: a professional landscape designer, heavy-duty equipment for terracing a hill and building beds, an in-ground irrigation system, etc, etc.  So while my tomatoes won't cost near what his did, I can feel his pain in many of the chapters!!
    I also read another staff pick: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which was compelling because it was told as if a record of an actual event being written by an autistic boy.  I don't know how accurate the author's representation of the thoughts and feelings and motivations of an autistic teen are, but they were pretty convincing to me.  I enjoyed the book, but had to grimace through frequent repetition of favorite British profanities.
    I read The Departure Lounge, a true account about a woman caring for her aged mother who likes too much to drink, has a fall, and ends up hitting her head a little hard and going a little nuts.  Then add her mother's second husband, who was always a little weird, who turns out to have Alzheimer's, and you have a recipe for disaster when the medical community won't declare either of them incompetent, so although she tries to get them into a care facility (the author lives in Canada and the aged couple in NJ or somewhere close to that) or to stop sending all their money to every scammer that calls or mails, etc. she can't really do anything about it.  It starts well, but I was just glad to get it over by the time I was through.
    Finally, I don't remember which shelf I got The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society from, (help- I can't get italics off...it says it is, but it's obviously not...) ANYWAY, it was either new books or staff picks, but I haven't read it yet.  I did open it and see that it's written in the form of letters back and forth, which I'm not sure if I like.  Sometimes it works very well, but it's often annoying.  I haven't gotten to it because Spring Break ended and I have seminary lessons again to prepare every day.  I enjoyed having so much reading time and having Isaiah home and having a different kind of schedule (especially sleeping in until 6:30!! Oh yeah!)

Lulu: My personal library & April read

Hello, everybody! (read that in Grover's voice)

I have quite a few books on my shelves that are unread. It makes me blush a little every time I look at my shelves--because I think about half of them (so about 250) are unread. So for my book choices this month, I decided to pick something from my own "library". (Add to this fact that I recently bought a book from Wal-mart and read it, wanting to finish and see the ending, but finished annoyed by its actual "meat". Total waste of time.)

I'm reading The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini). I wasn't sure if I was ready for it, but I read the first half-page and was immediately hooked. I'm in chapter four now and reading it aloud to Phill. Just these first 23 pages have really stuck with me. That is to say I'm still thinking about what I'm reading, even when I'm doing dishes or typing this or changing diapers or sitting still doing nothing. I think I'm in need of a book like that; I've been reading pretty light lit for a while and I probably need to ask more of myself. I like having books that have shaped who I am, at least in some way. Sometimes I'm just not brave enough to seek them out.

For my other book choice, I'm reading--well, finishing--The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (Terry Ryan). I don't remember if I mentioned it (here) when I first started reading it a couple of months back. I was reading it aloud to Phill, we were both really enjoying it, we were halfway through, and then I stopped. I think life got in the way. It might have been December that I started. So now I'm finishing.

I'm also reading (in a reference, few-pages-at-a-time way) Parenting the Ephraim's Child: Characteristics, Capabilities, and Challenges of Children Who Are Intensely MORE (Deborah Talmadge and Jaime Theler). The title makes me laugh in a somewhat hysterical way. It is a book Abby has mentioned, and I've had another friend talk about it. I decided that I ought to give it a go, and I love what I've read so far.

Raehink: Regarding Outlander series

I have read all but one (the latest). I enjoyed them. They are long but quite engaging. I liked the whole premise of going back in time and falling in love with someone not in your time. The historical tidbits are accurate. Just know that there is some romance in there...not graphic really but definitely a romance. And sometimes it's as if the author is writing it all tongue-in-cheek. Give the first one a try. You can always put the book down. I thought they were amusing.

Abby: Anyone heard of this series and other tidbits about reading

Lately I haven't been reading as much as I usually do. But I have thought of the topic each month and even chosen books to read. Actually checking them out and reading them has been a different story.

Our ward book club is reading Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle this month so I've started that one and will hopefully finish it. Then maybe I'll watch the movie? So that fits the month we did books turned into movies. :)

I tried to start a series by Terry Goodkind, The Sword of Truth. I was sad that I ended up not wanting to finish it. I read about half of the first book. The story was a fun story and I would have loved to follow the series, but it was also really bloody/nasty whenever it came to battles or scenes with the bad guy. Oh well. Plenty more fish in the pond, right? :D

An acquaintance recently recommended Diana Gibaldi's Outlander series. Have any of you read it? Do you recommend it? I'd rather not waste my time if it's not worth it.

Mostly I've been reading tidbits of the scriptures, conference talks, Happiest Baby on the Block, A Beasty Story, Go Away Big Green Monster, and The Secret Garden. It's obvious where my time has been focused of late, isn't it?

Lynness- FYI on Baroness Emmuska Orczy

I was curious enough to look up why she turned to writing and it turns
out that they did have very little money, so she wrote to support her
family.
Her parents were Hungarian, and left the country during a peasant
revolt. She lived in several places but eventually London, where she
met her husband in a school of art. He was an illustrator and the son
of a clergyman: i.e.- not much money. So she wrote. She eventually
made enough money writing that they were eventually able to buy an
estate in Monte Carlo.
Anyway, just thought I'd share...

Lynness-oops

Oops, sorry- that last post was me- I forgot to put my name on it in the
title or anywhere.

March read

    I read The Scarlet Pimpernel as intended.  It wasn't stellar, and there were some corny parts, but it was still enjoyable.  Afterward Nathan and I watched the A&E version of the movie.  I had hoped it would stick to the book, but it only did in the most basic and broad ways- we didn't really enjoy it that much.
    I wonder what people thought of a Baroness writing novels.  Did it make a sensation?  Was it just for enjoyment, or did she have to supplement their inheritance/income?

Rae- I haven't read any of Michael Pollan's other books, but I checked one out last month and still haven't had time to read it.
    I tried reading the Professor and the Madman once upon a time, thinking it would be right up my alley, but I just couldn't seem to get into it.  I don't remember why.  And, possibly, it wasn't even the book itself- I may have just had too much going on.  Maybe I'll have to give it another try.
    I still have my dissection book (we used Clemente's, not Grey's, since it lent itself better to doing the actual dissection and preparation of cadavers for others to learn from, which was the whole point of the class)- it still has stains on it and smells like formalin.  I just look at it and think how much I used to know!!

Rae: April Reading

OK, folks...this one's an easy one. April will be the month to support your local library. Go to the library and select at least one fiction and one non-fiction title of your choice. Read them. Report back. Have fun.

Happy Spring!

Happy reading!

Lynness- March read

    March is Marching by in quick time... between the four of us, we've got 6 doctor/dentist/midwife appointments this month (...so far...).  3 of them were today.  (Ultrasound for me-girl!!, sick visit for Isaiah-strep throat, and dentist for Nathan).  That was entirely unintentional, but at least they're over with.  So I finally got around to looking at the March assignment yesterday and thought that the subject was pretty broad and that I could easily find something on my bookshelf I hadn't read.  I picked The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy.  I've seen a few minutes of a movie version (come to think of it, that would've worked well for last month- and I will probably watch it after I read it, if I can find the movie) and know the very basics of the story, but that's all.  I think I'll like it and it shouldn't take too long.
    On the subject of reading- Isaiah found my old copy of The Boxcar Children at my mom's this past weekend and read it.  I reserved the next 2 at the library and Nathan and the kids picked it up last night and he's already done with one.  I thought that might be a series Autumn or Reed might be interested in reading- with parents or without.

Raehink: Responses to various posts

I have finally reached (well, almost...I still have to pass the final exam) the end of my precalculus class at BYU. It's been by far the most difficult for me. I have had to essentially shut out the world and my family for the last month to really have a chance to grasp anything in the class. I have such a difficult time with things geometric (my neurons just don't fire correctly in that area) and what with having to graph parabolas, ellipses, hyperbolas and such...I was having a rough time. And logarithms. They are a law unto themselves! But I did enjoy the stuff at the end about sequences and probability. There's nothing like a difficult class to make you see and feel all your inabilities. I guess that's why we major in things we're good at...or at the very least, interested in. Anyway, I'm back.

I have loved reading your posts about what books you have been enjoying. Believe it or not, even I get in reading ruts where nothing on my shelves is of interest and I need a recommendation. I wanted to comment on some of the titles you've each mentioned.

LULU: I have the Persian Pickle Club on my shelf, waiting to be read. I'm looking forward to it. It's still about ten titles away, however. I absolutely loved Marley and Me. I hope you do too. I passed it around to a lot of people.

ANNIE: Thank you for reading to your children. They will thank you for it one day. Coraline is one of the rare movies that both Papa and I would like to see. Eventually. And know that we are praying for your hubby and his men.

LYNNESS: I too enjoyed the Pollan books. In fact, they really helped us to make some changes in the way we eat around here. Not drastically, but gradually. I loved the fact that he isn't extreme. Just pragmatic. I have a stack of about fifteen "food" titles to read, based on what was in the bibliographies of his two titles. Have you read his book on gardening called Second Nature? I really enjoyed it also. Read it many years ago, before he became well-known for his food opinions. It might be a fun read for spring.

MIM: Oooh. I'm jealous about the OED. Someday. I remember how excited I was one year at Christmas to receive Grey's Anatomy as a gift. That feeling must be close to how you felt. Isn't it fun to think that our parents passed that gift of loving words on to us? I was at Dad's yesterday and we were trying to remember how many vertebra are in the spine. He just pulled out the old World Book and found out the answer. He says he often uses those encyclopedias.

I'm so glad you enjoyed The Professor and the Madman. It's one of those books you really can't describe to people. They might not read it. You just have to get them to start reading until they are hooked on the story. I am so glad that Mom recommended it to me. I don't know that I would have read it otherwise. She saw all the gospel applications in it and knew it would appeal to both of us. Good on her.

I'm also happy to hear that you liked the stroke and Lindbergh books. It thrills me to be able to pass on books that I just know will strike a chord with the person on the other end. It's a small joy in my life! I loved the quote you shared from Reeve's book. We know just what she was trying to express, don't we? I'm glad you're finding time to read. I know you're busy. Enjoy those last few months in Japan. Then on to Harvard. We hope.

In spite of the math, I have been reading a little. I loved a book called The Hunger Games. It's one of those books I mentioned above...if I tell you about it, you may be turned off and not read it. But please get a copy from your library and give it a try. I'd love to know what others think about it. Maren and I really enjoyed the story and have had quite a few discussions regarding some of the issues it raises. The author is Suzanne Collins.

My other recommended reads in the past month are A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. I am still reading Sarah's Quilt (the sequel to These Is My Words). I was supposed to finish it for book group last night and didn't. They were amazed. I am looking forward to finding a title for the March assignment, too.

Happy reading!

Raehink: March Reading

Since March is Women's History Month we will do some reading around that subject matter. You are to choose a book (fiction or non, your choice) that is either:

• written by a female or
  
• about a female or
• about some aspect of womanhood

Make it as fun as you'd like. Enjoy. Report back.

Happy spring!

Happy reading!

Lynness- a couple of quick reads

    I just finished a couple of quick fantasy reads that I thoroughly enjoyed.  My sister gave us a bag of second-hand books for Christmas (she knows us well) and in it were 2 Robin McKinley books, The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown, neither of which I had ever heard of (even though The Blue Sword was a 1983 (?) Newberry Honor book).  They were satisfying, were not weighed down with so much...story, I guess, as the likes of Elantris or Eldest, etc, but still detailed.  In both you find yourself near the last few chapters, wondering if there are really enough pages to finish the story or if it's going to need a sequel, but they both finish, right on cue.  The second book is really a prequel to the first, but far enough back that the characters are ancient history to the people of The Blue Sword and really, you could read them in either order.
    If you ever want a quick, clean, satisfying, good-always-wins-but-it's-a-long, hard road-type-fantasy-story, these are a good place to start!  I was hoping that one or the other had been made into a movie to watch for this month, but no.  They probably would've ruined it, anyway.

scary strang book... strange movie!!

Hello all you wonderful Ladies!! This is my first post but I have been following the blog since the summer and have had the opportunity to read some of the months. I finally read the first Harry Potter book and I’m looking forward to completing the series. For February I actually picked out the book before I knew the topic! : ) I read Coraline. It was the first book that I have read out loud to Lanycia! She really likes scary movies and from seeing the first movie trailer was excited by the movie. The book… is… strange. And a little scary!! A young girl is bored with her life and her family and becomes wooed but “the other mother” who created “the other world” where all things are fun and Coraline never has to be bored. All the other characters are strange in their own way. In the end she realizes that all things that seem better are not really the best and she has to fight for her old boring life and family!! The movie…. Different from the book and STRANGE!! Most books you can say it was sweet or nice or had a good moral to the story. But both the book and movie were strange.

Lynness: You are what you eat...

Just before Christmas I read a short book called "In Defense of Food:
An Eater's Manifesto" by Michael Pollen. I really enjoyed it- it
discusses the reasons why Americans are the most health-obsessed county
and the least healthy, how 'food science' has failed us, and gives some
rules for eating. (No prohibitions or 'bad' and 'good' labels, but some
good ideas for judging what you're really getting.) I found it highly
relevant, good advice, and well-written (and easily read).
After Christmas I reserved his previous book "The Omnivore's Dilemma"
which is much longer, though still well-written and very readable. I
took a hiatus during January during which I read the Mary Roach books
and "The Egg and I" and browsed several books on beans (I taught a food
storage class this month, not because I 'know beans' about beans, but
b/c it was a sure-fire way to learn). I recently returned to "The
Omnivore's Dilemma" and finished it. I recommend it to you and pretty
much anyone: it is a thought-provoking exploration about where our food
comes from and how society and food shape one another. This book
provides the underpinning knowledge for "In Defense of Food" and in it
the author pursues the 'histories' of four meals he eats in four
different food-chains: the industrial, the organic (which is often not
as far from industrial as they want us to believe), the local
sustainable farm-grown, and the hunted/gathered. He does this in depth,
with personality, and (I think) pretty evenhandedly. He does not judge
the reader for eating selections, but offers a good long look at things
connected with those eating decisions that most have never even thought
of before.

Lynness: re- dictionaries

I certainly married into the right family!  How many of you knew that Nathan and I got engaged with a dictionary?  (Here's the story.)  And homework took me forever when we had to define spelling words, because I would get lost in the dictionary looking up interesting words and etymologies.

Mim/Mom: From the Ridiculous to the Sublime

Hi All! I read a good deal of Calvin & Hobbes and finished Harry Potter #5 for my humorous books for January. One of you said Harry Potter wasn't exactly funny, but I found plenty to laugh at (like the potion made with gravy and bubotuber pus). And Calvin always makes me happy.

For February I'm actually somewhat challenged because our library is under construction, basically closed--so I needed a book made into a movie, and preferably both would be right under my own roof. I chose Longitude, by Dava Sobel. Blake has enjoyed both, and they've been on my wish list for some time. Not exactly a novel, but I think I'll like it (and the movie) if I can only get around to it.

I finished The Professor and the Madman, Simon Winchester's amazing story about the making of the Oxford Dictionary--the dictionary itself was intriguing enough, but the madman's story was fascinating. Winchester portrayed him in a way that made me love him, even with his lifetime of sexual addictions. I felt so much compassion for him and so much gratitude for the Atonement and the hope we have in Christ of overcoming addictions. I probably would never have noticed the book or thought I'd like it, but thanks to Rae's gift for recommending books to us, this was a real winner for me.

I read two others that Rae recommended--one of those was also highly recommended by Beccy--that joint recommendation was No More Words, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh's daughter Reeve Lindbergh (Reeve married but kept her maiden name). The book is a journal of Reeve's loss of her mother, Anne, over a period of years and of course it was immensely relevant for Rae, Beccy, and me. I finished it during the night after receiving the phone call on Thanksgiving telling us that Mother was much worse. Wow, what beautiful, poetic, comforting writing. Anne's children were all adults, like mother's children, and here's an excerpt that's poignant: "Maybe it's hard to die with your children in the room, so you try to slip away when they are near but not exactly with you. Maybe they pull at the heartstrings too much, make you doubt the wisdom and distract you from the work of your departure. You start to worry about how your dying will affect them, and whether they will be all right afterward. Oh, dear. Should I? Shouldn't I? Are they really ready? Is there anything I forgot to tell them before I go? Do they all have their mittens and their lunch money?"

Rae's other winning recommendation was My Stroke of Insight. I'd heard the story of its author, Jill Bolte Taylor, a Harvard neuroscience professor who, ironically, had a brain aneurysm and miraculously recovered enough in eight years to write her own story. Because of Mother and because of my keen interest in the brain and mind, this book gave me lots of insights and compassion, and confidence to help any stroke victim I might encounter thru visiting teaching or whatever. We already have distinct advantages as Saints because of what we know about individual worth and the eternity of the soul, but hearing a firsthand accound (from Mom and then from this book) added a lot to my understanding.

My Relief Society book group is re-focusing on the mission of Relief Society, trying to be sure our reading will increase faith, strengthen home and family, and promote service. Our February theme is black history. I've been enjoying a little collection of Great Speeches by African Americans, my favorites being the speeches of Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Junior. The book includes a speech by Barack Obama; I haven't read it, but it seems appropriate to include it. It seems premature to label him as great, but they did call the book Great Speeches, not Great African Americans. Time will tell, won't it. We must pray for him. LOTS, haha. For March my RS group will read something to strengthen marital or family relationships, even if it's something totally off that subject but they read it out loud with their husbands for quality time. I will read Beccy's esteemed selection, Bonds That Make Us Free, by C. Terry Warner.

Lastly, I have to share my excitement over my Christmas gift from Blake, especially since y'all are about the only people who can even begin to understand why I'd like such a gift. He gave me a two-volume set of the Oxford English Dictionary. And I love it. It's actually quite superior to the World Book Dictionary we've used all these years. And he gave it to me several weeks early (because he was excited too), when I was starting to read The Professor and the Madman with the story of the original OED. I have a dictionary stand and I'm into this dictionary all the time. HAPPY READING, ALL--Love, Mim/Mom

Lulu: January & February reads

Today I finished The Persian Pickle Club. It certainly made me laugh out loud, and I really did love it! Good recommendation, Abby! The characters were entertaining; I liked the main character's (narrator's, basically) tone throughout. It was fun to read something about women in Depression-era Kansas, especially since Phill has relatives in Kansas and I was able to summon memories of our visits there while I read. Besides that, the fact that these were women who quilt and sew made me think constantly of my Grandma Garmann while I read, and I liked that. I'm going to send her the book, now that I'm done.

For February, I finished Confessions of a Shopaholic a while ago (fun, but not stellar), and I have started on Marley & Me today. So far, so good.