Lately...

I give ALL 3 of this recent reads 4 out of 5 stars.

I loved each of these books for very different reasons. But, each touched me in ways that I am extremely grateful for.

I heart Christmastime and Richard Paul Evans books.

I give all 3 of these books 4 out of 5 stars. 

These are must reads for the holiday season.

Have you read this yet?

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

I'm curious to know, what did you think?

A must read this holiday season!

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

If you love Richard Paul Evans books, like I do, than you know that he never disappoints. This book is the perfect new inspirational Christmas story for this holiday season. I loved everything about this book, from the character of Joseph, his love story, and the well-known Bible story that this novel is connected with.

Left me hanging!

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The #1 reason I liked this book- it left me begging for more at the end.

31% behind...

Yep, that's right I'm 31% behind on my reading goal for this year and I'm very sad about it. I'm trying to catch up but, I don't know if I will be able to, and that makes me even more sad.

Here's a few fun books I read this past week...

 I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

This book was less fantastical then I expected it to be based on the title and the cover of this book, but it didn't disappoint. This easy, fast, fun read is one that all young readers will enjoy, but maybe most especially boys.  

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

This series- Adventures Wanted- is so great! It reminds me of Harry Potter, yet it contains all its own flavor, twists, and turns. M.L. Forman is a fabulous creative writer and this world he has created for his readers is one I look forward to visiting over and over again!

Some teenage romance.

I give this book 3.5 ish stars out of 5. (Close to 4, but not quite.)

I enjoyed reading this fast, easy young adult read. The romance in this story was cute, but quite predictable and perhaps the main reason I didn't love this book as much as I could have is because it is so much like Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, which made it extremely predictable for me. I may or may not continue on and read the next book in this series.

A Hunger Games inspired read.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

I picked this book up at the library after having my attention drawn to it at Sam's Club a couple weeks ago. This young reader book written by Suzanne Collins, the author of the Hunger Games series, is a great book for young readers, especially boys, who need a fun, entertaining book to help them get into reading. This is a book that moms and kids alike will enjoy reading and sharing together. This fast paced read intermingled between the exciting and somewhat strange and perhaps a tiny bit scary adventure that Gregor and his baby sister Boots are suddenly a part of is all about the importance of staying close to family and having good friends you can trust. And although I am not sure if I will take the time to continue reading this series right now, I surely think I will come back to it when my kids are old enough to read it with me. :)

The Septimus Heap series.

I give this series (as a whole) 4 out of 5 stars.

Septimus Heap is the 7th son of the 7th son and this series is all about him and his adventures as the apprentice to the Extraordinary Wizard, Marcia Overstrand. This series is fun, creative, and "magykal" all at the same time. Angie Sage creates a wonderful world for her readers to be a part of and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series. There is still one final book in this series that doesn't come out till next year- so I still don't know how things will end, but I look forward to finding out. :)

Another great young adult read from Rick Riordan!

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

I give this book 3 stars only because it took me a lot longer to really get into than the other books in this series. But, otherwise this book is closer to 4 stars. I love the shifting of characters between brother and sister, Carter and Sadie Kane. The Egyptian mythology aspect brought into this book is fun and somewhat educational for young adult readers, which I think is great. And, first and foremost, I liked this book for the humor throughout it. I just love a good fun book that makes me laugh out loud. :) A read by Rick Riordan is always a sure bet when it comes to that! His books are always creative, fun, and funny.

Who is Michael Vey?

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Now this, this is a fantastic young adult read! Michael Vey Rise of the Elgen is the second book in the Michael Vey series written by my favorite LDS author, Richard Paul Evans. This is by far the #1 book for a young adult reader. Each and every one of the characters are so real. They are the kind of characters that young adults will be able to relate to- no matter what kind of kid they are- jock, cheerleader, nerd, popular.. the list goes on and on. This adventurous story is packed full of surprises around every corner. This book made me laugh, brought me close to tears, and left me wishing for more in the end. Now, for me, that is a mark of a great book- feeling so much a part of the story by the end that you just can't help but wish it wasn't over. That it would never be over. This book is that kind of story.

So, if you don't know who Michael Vey is yet, I highly recommend you read the first book in this series Michael Vey The Prisoner of Cell 25 and there is no doubt in my mind that you will want to read this book next.

Prequel to The Maze Runner.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I loved the entire Maze Runner series and couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. Sadly, this book isn't half as good as the others in the series. It wasn't a bad book, but it is the kind of book that I wish I would have borrowed from the library instead of buying. If that helps you in deciding if and how to read this book, which is the prequel to the other books in The Maze Runner series.

I guess I didn't really expect this book to be better than the other ones, not really, but I am glad I read it anyway.

Vampires meet dystopian universe.

Caution- SPOILER ALERT!

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

I guess I would really give this book slightly closer to 4 stars, it just wasn't quite all the way there for me. I FINALLY, after what feels like forever, FINISHED this extremely long book. This is one of the craziest books I have read in a while. It jumps around a lot and for the longest time I really wasn't even sure what was going on, and although it took me a little while to really get into, once I did I couldn't stop reading and just had to know what in the world would happen to Amy and the others. In the end I was so glad that Theo and Maus were together (in Provo, Utah come to find out!), I was so happy for Sara and her finding love in Hollis, I was amazingly sad and disappointed in Alicia and her choice to join up with the army all so quickly and suddenly, yet glad when she comes back to Peter in the end (although now even though they are together I am not really sure I feel like Alicia is worthy of Peter's love anymore that's how much Alicia's choice affected my feelings for her), and I just want so badly for sweet Amy to find peace and happiness. Sooo much happens in this book I feel like I could easily forget important things before the next book comes out (which I find myself hoping it isn't quite as long?). The only bothersome thing for me about this book was the foul language which in some parts of the book was extremely excessive and in other parts non-existent, which is what made it possible for me to push through (for some strange reason I'm just not a huge fan of having to ignore the "f" word too many times in one book). There were many times while reading this book that I found myself just wanting it to be over already, but finally when nearing the last couple hundred pages I was finally to a point where I knew I was enjoying the book enough that I would be at least slightly sad when it came to an end, knowing I would want more.

Recommended to me.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. (Maybe closer to 2.5 stars or so...)

I didn't hate this book, by any means, but I also didn't love it. The story line is different and intriguing, and the characters are likable enough. Alex's story is a unique one and therefore intriguing. Furnace Penitentiary is a beyond awful place and I can't imagine being Alex. I liked this book because I wanted to find out what Alex would do- would he try to escape? how? and would he get caught?- and, I also wanted to find out more about this prison for children and just how the people running it could possibly be getting away with all the awful things they are doing to these poor boys, some of which, like Alex, are innocent and have only been framed by the "black suits." But, there are a couple of elements in this book, that for me, knock stars off my rating quite quickly. First of all, the foul language. I find it completely unnecessary and utterly annoying as a reader to read/"listen to" teenagers taking the Lord's name in vain so frequently. Now, most of the time I can read past foul language and not let it bother me too much, but in a young adult read it is especially irritating for me. This book is a near perfect read for teenage boys, except for the fact that I would never let my teenager read this book because of all the foul language. The second aspect of this book that lowers my rating comes with the repetition of thoughts and phrases by the main character, Alex. I understand some repetition is necessary and even good for the overall feel of the book, but Alex repeats himself much too often for my liking and throughout certain parts of this book I felt like I was just reading the same thing over and over. (I just started reading the second book in the series, Solitary, and this repetition is especially annoying at the beginning of it...) I'm not sure if I will make it all the way through this series. I have a problem with not finishing series that I start reading, but I also have so many books on my "to read" list that this series might get the boot. We shall see.

So, although this book was recommended to me, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to you.

My road trip read.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 


If you are a lover of dystopian books than you will like this series by Veronica Roth. The first book in the series is called Divergent and I read it about a year ago. Insurgent just came out about 2 months ago and I finally got my turn to read it from the library a couple of weeks ago.

Although it has been a while since I read it I don't remember liking Divergent half as much as I liked Insurgent. This book had me captivated and wanting to keep reading from page 1. I feel like this book in the series was much more engaging than Divergent. This book left me wanting more, while after reading Divergent I remember thinking, "Maybe I won't read the next one in the series?"

Tris's "divergency" and the divergency of others is interesting to read/learn about as Tris and her boyfriend Tobias, and their other friends try to figure out just what is going on as they watch their society break down. And, although I don't love this series as much as I loved The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner series, I still enjoyed Insurgent quite a bit and I am excited to find out what will happen next.

Memorization.

Remember in Junior High or High School when you had to memorize things like important historical speech's or poems? Do you still have then memorized today?

I can't remember any of them except this one, which I think is stuck with me for life. 

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

but only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

so dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay. 

-Robert Frost

I hadn't thought of this poem for years and years and yet just the other day it pops into my head and now it seems to have decided to stay there and swim around for a while. It is a beautiful poem and although I don't claim to know exactly all its meanings this poem fills me full of emotions that I hold dear to.

Just thought I would share. 

A link-up

Exciting news! (for me anyway) I just got invited to be part of a book review link up for Carole's Chatter: Books you Loved- July Edition. Carole has asked me to be a part of this edition and I hope to be able to do more reviews in the future! Here's the link if ya want to check out not only my review, but also reviews from other people- http://caroleschatter.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/books-you-loved-july-edition.html. Ya never know you might just find your next fav read. :)

The Walk series

Have you read this series yet? If not you are missing out! This is a wonderful inspirational series by an amazing LDS author.

I give these books 4 out of 5 stars. 

In May, I read The Walk over again for the 2nd time with my husband on our way to California and our cruise. I read this book out loud to him while he drove. I loved this book the first time, but it was even better the 2nd time around for two reasons, I believe, 1st- I really enjoyed reading it out loud, it gave the book a much stronger voice than silent reading, and 2nd- I love, love, loved experiencing this book with Justin. My husband is not by any means a reader, yet after we finished this book together he has gone on to read the other 2 books out in this series and is almost done reading The Road to Grace. I don't often get to share my love for words, stories, and the escape that books bring to my life, so I have taken full advantage of sharing the journey of these books with Justin.

Just a couple of weeks ago I finished Miles to Go for the 2nd time. (I wanted the whole story to be fresh in my mind for The Road to Grace.) And, once again, I loved this book even more the 2nd time around. Alan's story is not one you will easily forget. This is not the type of book where I want to give anything away, but if you are looking for an amazingly inspirational and uplifting book join Alan on his journey of sorrow, sadness, hope, and faith as he tries to find his purpose in life after some amazingly heart-wrenching trials are thrown his way. You will cry, you will laugh, and you will find yourself a stronger person after taking a part in Alan's journey with him.

When I started reading The Road to Grace I expected it to be the final book in The Walk series, but come to find out it surely isn't and Alan's "walk" isn't over yet. The ending of this book didn't surprise me, yet it still wrenched at my heartstrings and I couldn't help but shed a few tears for Alan and all that he has gone through and seems to be yet to go through. I love Richard Paul Evans- his writing style and his stories are always inspirational and uplifting. His books are easy and quick to read and incredibly enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone- book lovers AND those who can't remember the last time they picked up a book, alike.

Not as good as the first.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 


And, it's been quite a while since I read it... so, sadly I don't really have a lot to say about it anymore. This book was okay, not as good as the first one, but okay.

Not my very favorite, but...

Caution- SPOILER ALERT!

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 


This book was much harder for me to get into than I anticipated. It was often slow moving, in my opinion, which made it harder for me to really enjoy the story. But, all in all I ended up enjoying this story for the most part. I fell in love with the character of "Thigh-bolt" (ha, ha) and his loyal dog, Zeus and enjoyed following their story through till the end- until I thought that Logan had died! Goodness I was so mad! All I can say is that it is a good thing he didn't die! I would have been quite upset at wasting my time just to have the book end that way.

Well, and then this past week I was able to go and see the movie with my mom and sister... Can you say disappointing?! I honestly can say that I can't think of a single other movie that I hated as much as I hated this re-make of a book to a movie. The movie is NOTHING like the book and it frustrated me the whole 2 hours that the movie lasted. I liked Zac Efron in the movie, but that is about it. I wouldn't recommend going to the movie if you enjoyed the book at all.

Join Jane in Austenland.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I love, love, loved this book. I thought it was pretty silly at first, (and there are many silly parts throughout the book) but the more I read the more I fell in love with this silly, crazy, fun, chick-lit book. This book kept my stomach in knots often and I just had to keep reading to find out what would happen/ what was real and what wasn't. In a silly fun loving way I fell in love along with Jane in this book. This is a MUST read, easy-going, quick finish, but enjoyable book. Shannon Hale is a wonderful and very fun writer who has woven a great story for her readers.

An amazing read by Heather Dixon!

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 


This book was nothing like I expected- it was better! Not that I ever doubted it would be a good read, but I didn't on the other hand expect to just absolutely fall in love with this magically sweet, and yet in some moments, a bit terrifying story. Heather Dixon and I grew up in the same neighborhood and although we were never close friends it still was way great to read a book and know the author and see her fantastical personality and amazing talent shine vibrantly throughout each page of this spirited novel. (And, if any of you out there know Heather Dixon you know what I mean!) I loved this book!

A visit to the "Beyond"

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

What a fun and funny book! One of the reasons I absolutely love Brandon Mull as a writer is that he not only is able to weave an incredibly fantastical story, but he also includes characters that I would almost call interactive. I found myself laughing out loud several times throughout this book. And I am a big fan of any book that can make me truly happy and wishing for more at the end. This is a great young adult/young reader novel- like all of Brandon Mull's books. I only wish I could write half as good!

Extremely unexpected...

and, incredibly different.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.


Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer is not a book that I would recommend to just anyone. I would like to describe this book as extremely contemporary and incredibly blunt. Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is a boy with very few inhibitions. And, in this story he tells it like it is. Oskar is unlike any other boy you are likely to meet, he loves to play his tambourine, write letters to those who have inspired him, invent instead of sleep (cause ever since the "worst day" he can't sleep anyway), use the words "extremely" and "incredibly" (I found myself highlighting these 2 words each time I saw them), and is so unbelievably intellectually curious and imaginative that it is often crippling for him. This book filled me with so many different types of emotions and feelings. I found myself highlighting words, sentences, and paragraphs on almost every page. Oskar seems to me to be struggling/living with a mix between autism and OCD and I felt, probably all to often, that I could relate with what he was feeling and doing- from his need to make sure that no one is mad at him, or to make sure he hasn't done anything wrong, to his irrational feelings towards giving himself bruises. I fell in love with Oskar- his words, feelings, and his story. I loved this book (minus the vulgar words and a few almost x-rated scenes- see what I mean about not recommending this book to just anyone?). This book is for mature audiences only, and even if you consider yourself to be a mature reader there are still a few parts that would probably just be best to skip over. But, despite those few things, this story has the power to be life-changing in many ways. Here is my favorite quote from the book- "Why didn't I learn to treat everything like it was the last time." This quote along with many others from this book become part of the many "themes" that I like to live by in my life- things that make me, me. I truly enjoyed reading this book.

A big thank-you to the man at Deseret Book.

A few weeks ago, while in St. George with my family, my aunt Jil and I took a quick little trip over to Deseret Book, which was right across the street from our hotel, where the man working there recommended to us this book, Adventurers Wanted Slathbog's Gold by M.L. Forman. If I could I would thank-him, several times, because I don't know if I would have found this book otherwise, and it was quite a good read.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

From page 1 all the way to the end, this book kept me wanting more, and even once it was over all I wanted was more, more, more! What a cute, creative, funny, and magical book this is! Adventurers Wanted Slathbog's Gold is a perfect mix for young adult readers between The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Eragon/Inheritance series. In my opinion, it is better than Eragon, and easier to understand (for young adult readers) than The Lord of the Rings can be at times. (Well, and for those of you readers out there who have tried to read The Lord of the Rings and found it to be too wordy and/or descriptive this book is much more fast-paced.) And, although from the very beginning 15 year old Alex isn't quite sure what he is getting himself into he is more than ready to be out on the adventure of a lifetime, meeting new people, learning all about magic (including the magic that is hidden within him!) and, of course, all while facing a bit of danger along the way. This book was such a great read that you and your kids for sure don't want to miss out on!

I love Daniel Radcliffe because...

I love Harry Potter, of course!

And, that is what inspired this read, The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. I saw the previews for the movie, found out it was a book, and because of my obsession for Harry Potter decided I would really enjoy reading this book and then seeing the movie with Daniel Radcliffe.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.


But, I maybe actually give it 3.5 stars ish? This book really wasn't too wonderful or amazing or anything. It actually wasn't even that scary. But, I think I probably enjoyed it more just because of the mere fact of thinking of going to see the movie. But, don't get me wrong I did quite enjoy reading this British horror fiction novel as I tagged along with Arthur Kipps as he revisited Crythin Gifford, a small market town on the east coast of the United Kingdom, one last time in hopes to purge the last of his fears and haunted feelings by finally writing down his scary ghost story for the first time. From the very beginning, this book has a mysterious feel too it, and throughout my reading I kept wondering what amazingly scary thing I would discover/uncover. I waited, and waited, wondered and wondered what scary things awaited Arthur Kipps in the haunted house of Mrs. Drablow. But, nothing very scary, or all that crazy happened, yet, I could feel within the words of this book Arthur's fear rise along with I'm sure, his blood pressure, and the mood of the story continued to tense. But, I was still quite skeptical. The story was almost at its end and I still wasn't sure what Arthur Kipps was still so afraid of at the beginning of the story, after hearing about his ghostly experience from so many years before. And, then the ending happened. I was in complete shock and awe. I just simply couldn't believe the story could end this way. Although, I got exactly what I wanted and if I had gone through what poor Arthur Kipps had gone through I would be scared too.

Almost forgot this one!

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.


I don't have a ton to say about this book, but I truly enjoyed this whole series. I recommend this book to readers who are looking for a great, romantic, teen novel that is clean and exciting to read. Like the Twilight series? I like Lisa Mangum's series much more, plus there is nothing you have to worry about in it that would be bothersome for you teenage girl to be reading! Now, that's what I call great young adult literature.

Presenting little miss sassy pants- Flavia De Luce

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Looking for a book with a lot of flavor and just the right amount of sass? This might just be the book for you. This book was recommended to me a few months back by the sweetest elderly gentleman whom I drew blood on at the hospital. I'm always super curious during the morning blood run to see how many patients have books on their bedside tables and I almost always try to strike up a small conversation with them about what they are reading. Mind you, we phlebotomists make our morning rounds throughout the hospital starting at 3 a.m. ...so it is needless to say many of my patients aren't super enthused to be talking to me about much of anything that early in the morning. But, there are some rare (and might I add wonderful?) occasions when I do find a patient who come to find out would just love talking to me about just about anything, just to have someone to talk with, even for only a few moments. And, I not only look for these types of people, but I usually end up feeling that our short time together is not only cherished by them, but also are quite precious moments for me also. And, it was through one of these small moments that I came to find this book- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.

Miss Flavia De Luce is a colorful girl full of surprises. And, although she comes from a somewhat very broken little family, she has learned to make do with what she has, and by so doing has become quite a resourceful little 11 year old girl. 11 going on 22 that is. She sure is quite the spit-fire! While her sisters spend their days reading books and practicing the piano, Flavia feels her time is much better spent working on something new in her very own chemistry lab- brewing up some such concoction in an effort to poison her oldest sister. Or, as is the case in this book, Flavia takes it upon herself to use the knowledge she can find by riding Glady's (her faithful and well used bicycle) all around town (mostly back and forth from the library, as she often loses track of days and times and ends up there a few times when it is closed) to solve the mystery of the murder that has taken place in the garden at her home. Join "Detective De Luce" in this British novel set during the 1950's in England as she untangles the clues and solves the mystery and by so doing you will find that Flavia is one smart cookie! This book is an absolute great read full of lots of laughs, and plenty of excitement. I don't know of anyone else (besides the old man at the hospital, of course) that has read this book, so if ya do end up reading it, please, by all means, let me know what ya think!

I gotta say I am quite excited to read the next book in this series!

The perfect young reader series!

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Book #3 was for me another super exciting read by James Dashner in the 13th Reality Series. This book was very fun and exciting and just really leaves the reader hanging! This cliff-hanger book is surely one that all young readers would love!

Final 3 reads for January.

1st- Witch and Wizard The Gift by James Patterson

Caution- SPOILER ALERT! 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. (But, you may not want to read this review until after you read the book yourself. Just scroll down to read my next 2 reviews!)

This book  becomes more and more predictable with each passing page. Whit and Wisty escape from The One, or escape from jail, and then Whit and Wisty go somewhere to help someone else, or to find their parents and then get put back in jail or caught by The One. The cover of my Nook book describes this book as "Harry Potter meets Hunger Games." This isn't really very true. At all. Although this book reminds me a tiny bit of The Hunger Games- in that it is a very dystopian novel- this series reminds me of nothing of Harry Potter- the magic isn't the same, the overall plot line of the book isn't the same, and so far (and I don't see this changing anytime soon, the happiness and magical factor that gives the Harry Potter series such an incredible aspect that keeps the readers reading J.K. Rowlings books over and over again- just simply isn't in this book at all. I can honestly say I am not as excited to move on to the next book in this series like I was after the first book.

2nd- The 13th Reality The Hunt for Dark Infinity

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Another fun read. James Dashner is a great story teller. This book is a must read for young readers that struggle getting into reading. (Although make sure you have them read the first book in the series first!) This is a book that I would love my children to read. 

3rd- Witch and Wizard The Fire by James Patterson 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

This book/series turned into a bit of a disappointment for me, especially here at its end. It's not that I didn't like it, it's just that I didn't like it a whole lot. It was too predictable and at times vague with the "M" that is going on throughout the story. It bothers me that from the beginning of the story it seems that magic is the problem, yet The One must most certainly be a wizard, right? And then, suddenly (in my opinion) the magic or "M" changes in that literature, music, poetry, and dance all seem to be where the read power comes from? Kinda? I felt that this was kinda corny. I really don't have much else to say about this book except that I'm a little disappointed I spent money on it. 


***Please excuse the super stupid formatting in this post... I have no idea what happened and by the time I realized something was wrong I decided it was not worth it to type EVERYTHING all over again. I tried my best to fix the problem... spent more time than I would like to admit, but this is the best it's gonna get. 

Another dystopian read.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.


Our society seems to thrill over this type of literature lately. We all seem to get on a bit of an emotional high from reading books, like this one, that explore the ugly, sick, sad, and disgusting things that come from a world with a corrupted government. (Anyone the least bit disturbed by this?) I have read a ton of dystopian  fiction lately and this book, Witch and Wizard by James Patterson is not a whole lot different from some of the other young adult dystopian fiction books I have read, except for the fact that in this book James Patterson throws in a magic twist by including the idea of the reality of witches and wizards. The central theme in the book- that society has once again uncovered and accused many people, young and old, of witchcraft with the punishment for this crime being death-leads this book in a thrilling direction as witch and wizard, Wisty and Whit, fight for their lives and for their freedom. This book was a fast, fun read with very little unclean language. (I noticed a few choice words used throughout the novel, but not enough to make me feel too concerned. I only felt their usage to be silly and unnecessary.) Other themes found throughout this book are a strong sense of loyalty to both family and friends, and it is also demonstrated throughout the novel the importance of close family relationships that are based on love and trust. (Although one might dispute the trust part of the familial relationship in this story since it isn't until Wisty and Whit are arrested for being a witch and wizard that they even find out that they do indeed have magical powers. Their parents never told them, which could have been for several different reasons, and although there are a couple of moments when Whit and Wisty wonder why they never told them, they don't seem to get too hung up about it and love their parents all the same.) This book could also be considered a coming of age book, since Whit and Wisty are indeed coming of age and coming to terms with their new found magical abilities that just begin to appear once they are taken away from their parents. So, they are left to discover on their own just what they can do with their powers and how in the world they are supposed to control them. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next book in this series, Witch and Wizard: The Gift.

My first read in 2012

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.


At the beginning of this year I was at a bit of a loss for what to read. I started several different books  (of which I am still in the process of finishing) but, just simply was having a hard time getting into any of them. So , after looking up different books written by James Dashner, the author of the very intriguing and crazy- to say the least- dystopian series The Maze Runner, I came upon this young-reader book, The 13th Reality The Journal of Curious Letters, and decided it would be nice to read this type of fun, easy, and entertaining book. And, indeed, this book was a great read. It reminded me of one of my favorite young-reader books by Brandon Mull, The Candy Shop War, (If you haven't yet read this book, I highly recommend it.) and of another young-reader book entitled, Janitors by Tyler Whitesides, which is also an exciting and magical type read for upper elementary age readers. My favorite aspects of this book were the strong family and friendship themes that are demonstrated throughout this wild and adventurous story. Dashner isn't shy about not only showing just how much Tick loves his family, but he also delves into his family's perspective in order to show how much they truly love and care about him, too. Tick feels he has the ability to be open and honest with his parents without harsh judgement, especially with his dad, and the demonstration of this value in a young-reader book is something I highly value, and sadly don't see as often in my reading as I would like to. Also, Tick, who is a bit of a nerd, and who has always been bullied by the kids at school , finally has the chance to know what it feels like to have real friends, the type of friends that will stand by him through thick and thin. This series is really already, a coming of age series, and I can see as the book continues on, that not only Tick, but the other kids too, will learn how to feel comfortable and confident in their own skin, in their own way. Now, wouldn't just about every young reader learn something from reading about kids like that? This book is a great read for all young readers, boys and girls, who would like to be intrigued by many magical people, creatures, and things, and who have a love for solving problems and puzzles, as that is exactly what they will be doing right beside Tick and his friends as they join them on their adventure to finding out just what the 13th reality is and why they have been chosen to help save their world. Making this book, The 13th Reality The Journal of Curious Letters a good, fun, clean book that almost any young-reader is sure to enjoy.

"Welcome," said Hagrid,

"to Diagon Alley."

Okay, just kidding. I only wish I could welcome you to Diagon Alley, or some other equally great place. But, in a way, many of you out there may feel, like myself, that you have, in fact, been to Diagon Alley- although not for real, through the magical pages (and, you can't deny that they are indeed magical, can you?) of J.K. Rowlings books. And, somehow, for me anyway, that is real enough. Don't you agree?

And, this is why books are one of my very most favorite places to "be" in this whole entire world. (Next to being with my amazing husband and super sweet and adorable baby boy..) Books are the greatest adventure and escape that I can most possibly imagine. My small family doesn't have the money to travel to very many exotic and amazing places, but books have the power to take me just about anywhere, even to places that even money cannot buy, let alone create. Like the wonderful world of Harry Potter, or the amazing land of Narnia, or to the places and people that make up the stories contained in the wonderful Lord of the Rings trilogy. Oh, and you better believe that many, many, and much, much more books have taken me to so many other places to meet so many other people too.. It's more than amazing if you ask me. Is this something you have experienced yourself? Words simply cannot describe the way I feel wrapped within the arms of a good book, one that, through its pages, no matter how many, or how few,  becomes a dear companion to me- a friend that joins me in my walk through life. Still following me? I hope so. And if so, this blog might be a place you will want to visit every now and again.

So, let's try this again. Welcome, to my book blog. The place where I plan to share my feelings and insight into the books I am reading. I probably -no scratch that- I do not have the power to inspire, or set your heart on fire the way in which some books do, but maybe I will read something you might like to hear about, and read too, or I might be able to help you know what books your kids and teens might enjoy escaping into.

The point is, I guess, that reading is important and invaluable. Why? I know. But, do you? Tell me what you think. I'd love to hear all about why "books are [your] happy."