Back at It

Thanks for bearing with me as I read Harry Potter. It was lovely, thank you. Here are a bunch of books that I had read previously (most of them many times), and I will be updating with books I am currently reading as soon as I finish them. I find myself rather swamped because I unknowingly chalked up my que to reading 9 books at once; I tend to lose patience when I get a new book and so I start it right away and then go back to the ones I was reading before once I'm done. But don't worry I once did 13 at a time! Have fun reading!

The Screwtape Letters

By C.S. Lewis

A masterpiece of satire, this classic has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below." At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the worldly-wise old devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging and humorous account of temptation-and triumph over it-ever written.

I don't care what religion you are, if you're trying to life a good life, you need to read this book. It is, like the summary said, hilarious yet very thought-provoking. It certainly made me more aware of why I choose to do things for good or ill. It tuned me in to how a Screwtape might be subtly pulling me off the path. At the beginning, it took a while to get used to C.S. Lewis's way of writing. It takes a bit more brain power to stay on track with what is going on, so it is a little hard at first if you're used to easy reading (like youth books). But it definitely makes my list of 'books everyone should read before they die'.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

by Jessica Day George

When a woodcutter's daughter known simply as "the lass" agrees to accompany a great white bear to his castle, she believes she has made a wise decision. After all, the bear has promised her family untold riches in exchange for a year of the lass's company. Although she is given every luxury, the lass feels more a prisoner than a gues, and it's not long before her contentment turns to unease. One by one the servants disappear, and the lass suspects the bear knows more than he's telling. In her quest to learn the truth, the lass unwittingly sets in motion a chain of events that take her on a windswept journey beyond the edge of the world, to fight for the man she has only just discovered is her true love.

Based on the Nordic fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and with romantic echoes of Beauty and the Beast, Jessica Day George's spirited retelling will lure readers in and hold them happily spellbound to the last page.

Okay, so I actually bought this book because it was supposedly much like Beauty and the Beast. While it does have some similarities, it is so wonderfully norse that I was tickled to read it. I adore Norse history and mythology and had never come across this story. One thing that hooked me right off the get-go was the fact that the main character doesn't even have a name! Her mother was so sick of having had girls that she didn't even name her and she is simply known as "lass". This book is so fun to read and full of that fairy-tale feel. The only thing that I don't like is the ending feels very rushed to me, and I wish it had been more detailed and drawn out better. But it's the kind of ending I like: happily ever after....and then some!

Burrying Our Swords: How Christ Can Remove Rebellion From Our Hearts

By Kevin Hinckley

Mike and Sherrie Thomas are sick with worry. Their son Kyle has taken a wrong turn, leaving both their home and the gospel.

One day Mike finds a cryptic message on his desk at work, written on yellow paper and folded in half. "Alma 23:7," it said.

Thus Mike begins a deep and thoughtful search of the scriptures-and his own heart- to discover how to retrieve his wayward son. In the process he learns that, like the Anti-Nephi-Lehies in the Book of Mormon, he must bury his own swords of unrighteousness.

An extended parable that's filled with wisdom and insight, Burrying Our Swords: How Christ can Remove Rebellion from Our Hearts helps us understand the value of sacrificing something we view as important for something the Lord views as more important. "In our rush to do things 'our way', we may end up ignoring and running from God's counsel, simply because we're not yet ready to do things 'his way', author Kevin Hinckley writes.

Just as the Anti-Nephi-Lehies buried their swords in a covenant to no longer rebel against God or man, Hinckley teaches us how we, too, can bury the swords of our rebellion- and in the process, find greater peace in our lives and our relationships.

I've loaned this book to quite a few people because I was just awed by the insights I found inside of it that led me to look at my own life and what swords I was lugging around that needed to not only be put down, but burried for good. I think I enjoyed it more because it was just like how Jesus taught (though less through symbols) by telling a story that everyone can relate to. It inspired me to search the scriptures more diligently and truly study them to find messages like the one Mike found in this book. It really changed my perception of things and gave me a beautiful example in the Book of Mormon that I had never seen before and was shocked that I didn't notice it. It's a book that I'm so glad I decided to pick up and read because it has helped me change a lot of things that I needed just a little bit more of a nudge to really change.

The Iron Ring

By Lloyd Alexander

When Tamar, the young king of Sundari, loses a dice game, he loses everything-his kingdom, its riches, and even the right to call his life his own. His bondage is symbolized by the iron ring that appears mysteriously on his finger. To Tamar, born to the warrior caste, honor is everything. So he sets out on a journey to make good on his debt- and even to give up his life if necessary. And he enters into a world where animals talk, spirits abound, and magic is everywhere...

This book is based on the culture of India in all its richness. It was one of my favorites as a kid. I even found a ring and wore it for probably two years because I decided it was my own iron ring and I was off to have adventures like Tamar. This book has everything anyone could want in it: warriors, magic, animals, love, laughs, and many teaching moments. I adore this book and have read it many times over the years. It shows that while honor is everything, caste is really nothing. Tamar's story is akin to a coming of age, but more like a coming to wisdom. At the beginning he is very naive and also extremely proud, but as he comes to the end of his journey and loses everything, he gains everything in the process. It's a beautiful story.

Princess Academy

By Shannon Hale

High on the slopes of Mount Eskel, Miri's family has lived forever, pounding a meager living from the stone of the mountain itself. Miri dreams of working alongside the others in the quarry, but she has never been allowed to work there- perhaps, she thinks, because she is so small.

Then words comes from the lowlands: the king's priests have divined that the prince's bride-to-be - the next princess- will come from Mount Eskel. The prince himself will travel to the village to choose his bride, but first all the eligible girls must attend a makeshift academy to prepare for royal lowlander life.

At the school, Miri finds herself confronting both bitter competition among the girls and her own conflicted desires to be chosen. Yet when danger comes to the academy, it is Miri, named for a tiny mountain flower, who must find a way to save her classmates- and the chance for the future that each of them is eager to secure as her own.

After picking up this book to read, I didn't set it down again until it was finished. There was never a dull spot to get through and I was left guessing until the end. I enjoyed it immensely. It's not what I was expecting, to be sure, when I started reading it. I expected this silly little fairy-tale that would be quite mushy and full of happily-ever-afters. Boy was I surprised! It was delightful and exciting. I was cheering for Miri the whole way, telling her "No, don't do that!" and "Good one!" as she went. Shannon creates a whole new, believable culture and world set on a mountain side. It was enchanting and left me with a comfortable warmth in my heart as I turnned to the last page. It's a great one for girls especially.

Fun facts: Princess Academy won the Newberry Honor medal for children's literature. Shannon has also written The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, River Secrets, Forest Born, Book of a Thousand Days, and Austenland. She's a wicked-awesome author!

The Giver

By Lois Lowry

Jonas's World is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community.

When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

I read this for the first time probably three years ago now. Since then I've read it another three times. This is a book about living. It is so masterfully done that you will never wish that you didn't have to make a hard decision again after reading it. I enjoyed it because it was fresh and new and easy to get into, and it made you think in a way you weren't accustomed to thinking. For me, it's a book about the pains and pleasures of life and how we would be if we didn't know them. Everything would be blah. I would recommend everyone to read this book that is over 14.

This book is actually banned from some schools who don't want their children to read it. Basically it is for some minimal reference to puberty and the desires that arise from it in adolescents. I would say, you be the judge on whether to let your kids read it by reading it yourself. It's different for everyone, and it does have a scene that might be uncomfortable for some kids who are sensitive. I myself didn't have a problem and I'm quite sensitive myself.

Info: The Giver has won the Newberry award for children's literature. It also has two companion books called Gathering Blue, and The Messenger, both of which are placed in the same setting with cameo appearances from Jonas and others of The Giver. They both follow the feel of The Giver, but I didn't enjoy them as much. Just my oppinion though. If you want a great book by Lois, read Number the Stars; it's about the Holocaust and it is absolutely amazing. (it also won the Newberry).