April's coming . . .

anyone want to volunteer to choose a book for the month? Leave a comment here or just email me!

Great Book!

If anyone's looking for a good book, In Search Of Eden was fabulous. It was about adoption and finding love. Linda Nichols is the author. Enjoy!!

Pictures of Hollis Woods

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff is this month's pick for my non-online book club.  I read it in an hour for two reasons: it is a short and easy read and I couldn't put it down.  

The story is about a girl in foster care and her 'wish' for a family.  I love, love, loved this book and Reilly Giff's original style and voice.  This book is even appropriate for young kids (maybe ages 7 and up) and would be a great family read.   

Another Recommendation

Hi there. One of my friends left a recommendation in a comment. So I thought I would add it here for all to see.

From Alicia:

I have a suggestion for a book... It's called Mr & Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy and it's a sequel (one of many) to Pride and Prejudice. Here is a link to a review and Q & A by the author. It looks like it might be worth reading for Jane Austen fans.

http://janitesonthejames.blogspot.com/2009/03/mr-mrs-fitzwilliam-darcy-by-sharon.html

Thanks Alicia! I haven't read any sequels or fan fiction to P&P.

The Face on the Milk Carton

Did you read this when you were little? I did. And then the book got passed around to all my friends and to all my sister's friends. And I remember thinking it was so cute. Well, I picked it up recently, just to read something (I didn't have a library card yet) and I found a fun story with lots of insight on teenage feelings.

And did you know that there are now 3 more books that follow this story?

Whatever Happened to Janie?

The Voice on the Radio

What Janie Found

I just finished the last two today. They are all quick reads and the story flows nicely. I didn't like the third as much as I liked the 2nd & 4th. And the 1st is still my favorite. However, I was surprised to get something more than just a story.

Caroline B. Cooney (the author) has amazing insight on what life is like for a young girl caught between two families. I found myself realizing that this book can give others a chance to better understand what feelings a foster child goes through. Or a child with divorced parents. Or an adopted child.

I'm glad I read these books and I would recommend them for anyone (teachers, parents, friends, siblings) who knows someone who's had any type of family crisis.

Rapunzel's Revenge

My book recommendation is Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale.

I'm sure all you Shannon Hale lovers out there have probably already read this, but if by chance you haven't yet, you should definitely give this a try (especially if you've read and enjoyed her previous books). It is a graphic novel. If your dumb like me and don't know what that is, it's kind of like a comic book, but it's also a novel. I was actually a little leery about reading it because of the whole comic book thing. I wasn't sure it would be my cup of tea, but I gave it a try. I'm so glad I did! It is absolutely hilarious, creative, original, and delightful!

The story is a twist on the classic tale of Rapunzel. The twist is it's a western. That's right. A western. What a great twist is that! After finding out that her "mother" (Mother Gothel) is not really her mother and that her real mother is enslaved by the woman that raised her, Rapunzel is locked away in a massive magical tree. The magic in the tree makes her hair grow insanely long, and as we all know, she uses it to escape. She then must brave all kinds dangerous odds in order to save her mother and destroy Mother Gothel's power.

I loved this book because it surprised me- I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did. Second, I loved how strong Rapunzel was. She was no damsel in distress but it wasn't in a "I don't need no man to help me" kind of way. Third, I loved the humor. Fourth, I loved the originality, even though the story has been around forever, and fifth (I could go on all day really), I loved it because I was able to read it with my four year old. We had so much fun reading it together. He loved looking at all the detailed pictures, and he would often pick it up and look at it on his own. It is a very fun book to read with kids, but adults will enjoy it too. This will definitely make its way into my personal library.

If you read it I hope you like it as much as I did.

P.S.- This book was selected by The Today Show's Al Roker for Al's Book Club for Kids.

A Friend Like Henry

I think Ruth has already mentioned this book, but I finally got the the chance to read it .... I loved it. It is about an autistic boy and a dog, that helps him come out of his world!
My son is Autistic so now I really want to get a dog!!

These is my Words

These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Definitely one of the best books I've read! Here are some favorite quotes:



Pg. 121: "There is no outrunning fear, though, it comes on you and you have to face it. Childbirth is not an enemy you can fight or conquer or outrun, it takes you and tears you apart from the inside out and you have to just submit to it. I never understood why a girl would choose to be an old maid, but now I do."



Pg. 166: "It seems to me that any time there are men making a war, somewhere there are women and children at home waiting and worrying."



Pg. 309: "It seems there is always a road with bends and forks to choose, and taking one path means you can never take another one. There's no starting over nor undoing the steps I've taken."



Pg. 327: "Mama told me to make a special point to remember the best times of my life. There are so many hard things to live through, and latching on to the good things will give you strength to endure, she says."


View all my reviews.