The Other Boleyn Girl

I read this book while I was in Utah and totally forgot to give you all my two cents.

It is a super captivating book. I could not stop reading and it took me about a week to get through because it's about 500 pages. It gave so much insight into what it must have been like in the 1500s and into the arrogance of Henry the VIII.

The book is from Mary Boleyn's point of view who was a mistress to Henry before he married Anne. Mary is portrayed as a sweetheart which I believe she was, but she had to have some kind of sass and fire to her if she was at all related to Anne.

Getting the story about Anne's rise and fall from the closest person possible is amazing. He's the best way to understand her motives, good and bad, but also so unbelievable that she would do some of the things she did.

I highly recommend this book but it is a little graphic so just be awares. Also, the movie was a big let-down for me, even though I knew it would be. However, Natalie Portman does a great job.

My friend loaned me this book...Stolen Innoncence...My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs.....by Elissa Wall. It was fascinating. I usually don't do this, but I basically took a whole day and night off and just read. It was easy reading but really held my interest because Warren Jeffs is so much in the news here still. I'll never travel past Colorado City or Hilldale again and look at it the same way. This poor girl was forced into marriage at the age of 14 and it wasn't until she was 17 that she could break free of the FLDS religious sect. It made it more clear to me the mindset of the people there and in Eldorado, Texas at the Yearning for Zion camp, where they had the raid a couple of months ago. I liked it so well I sent a copy to Ella Mae for her birthday. I sent it when I wasn't quite through reading it, and now I do have to make a disclosure about the end which gets just a tiny bit explicit in what happened to the poor girl. Oh well. She'll now know I am a heathen daughter-in-law.

Hi everyone! I just started a new book called "New England White," by Stephen L. Carter, and so far its been good. When I finish I will let you know if its worth your time. A few of my favorite books are; "The Life of Pi," "The Lovely Bones," and the first book of the Twillight series.

Children's Books

I know not all of us have kids, but we all love to read. I thought I would post some of our favorite kid's books and then hopefully get more from you to add to our reading repertoire.
Right now my kids (ages 3 and 5) really love "I Spy" books, Arthur, Franklin, and Megan (3) loves anything Princess or Ballerina. We recently found "Belinda the Ballerina" books by Amy Young about a ballerina with big old feet who can still dance and both my kids love them. Here is a list of some more favorites. Please share your faves!

-Hooway for Wodney Wat, by Helen Lester
-Knuffle Bunny, by Mo Willems
-Click, Clack, Moo Cows that type, by Doreen Cronin
-Going to Bed Book, by Sandra Boynton (most of her books are great)
-Good Night Gorilla, by Peggy Rathmann
-The Pigs's Picnic, by Keiko Kasza
-If you give a pig a pancake, by Laura Numeroff (all the books in the series are good)
-Dog's Colorful Day, by Emma Dodd
-Are You My Mother?, by P.D. Eastman
-Corduroy, by Don Freeman
-Tacky the Penguin, by Helen Lester (ALL the Tacky books are HILARIOUS!)
-Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf
-Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer
-Eric Carle books (these are great because they usually have an interactive element at the end, like a click beetle and then the book has a clicking sound, etc)
-Arthur books by Marc Brown
-Franklin books by by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark

More more more!

I have read everything on my list, and now need more books. I just recently re-read (actually listened on my Zune) "The Poisonwood Bible" and loved it even more. I almost wanted to go to the Congo, but am afraid of the green mamba.

I am waiting for "Unaccustomed Earth: Stories" by Jhumpa Lahiri to come in at the library for my next read. I loved her book "The Namesake." (the movie, not so great)

So....let's get some more recommendations going!

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

I just finished this true story about several teams of climbers who ascended Mount Everest led by guides. I really enjoyed it but I also have a certain fascination with why people would want to climb Mount Everest.

The man who wrote the book was part of the expedition and gave a very detailed account including dates, times, locations, and even the elevation.

It was very well written and while it was sad that so many people died, it was interesting enough to keep me captivated for a good portion of it.

But I still don't understand why anyone would want to climb that death trap of a mountain.

I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday and ended up with 10 books in my arms (no joke!). I finally had to narrow it down......and bought 3!!

THE KITE RUNNER

OK....So now right up there with the rest of my favorite books is "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. I really loved this book. When I take stock of all my favorite books, the highest percentage of them involve characters from the Mid-East. It's about a young boy growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan right before the fall of the monarchy when the Russians take over. After living in America he returns to Afghanistan during the Taliban take over. He has some major regrets in his life and is always seeking redemption. My favorite quote from the book is

"...I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night."

Isn't that great....I love it!

Welcome Maresa!

My friend and kindred spirit Maresa is going to start blogging on here!! She loves to read and I've gotten a lot of my book recommendations from her!! Love you Maresa!!

Isable Allende

Has anybody ever read anything by Isabel Allende??

Also- Shiloh what is your email address and I'll add you to this blog so you can write about books too! :)

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

I just finished this book and I'm having mixed feelings. The character development is pretty incredible especially since includes several different characters who need that specific development.

It was an enjoyable book to read but the aspect of her love stories and love triangles that seem to be standard in every book she writes gets a little obnoxious. She did balance it out well in this book, but better than in the Twilight Series, I thought.

I would recommend this to anyone who thinks that science fiction has never and will never be up their alley. She does a good job helping you feel like the main character isn't an alien at all but an actual human you can relate to.

I am glad to be done with it and if you live near me you are more than willing to borrow it.

Hmmmm

Well apparently everyone is currently reading a book and has no time to write about it - including me. :) I'm reading The Kite Runner right now. Its fabulous - heart wrenching, eye-opening, tender and inspiring.