Books in Review

When I first started blogging and didn't have kids to post pictures of, I would sometimes review a book I had just finished reading. Well, there's not as much of a need for that now, but I thought some of you might want to know what I've been reading this year for some good future recommendations. I would also love to know what you've all been reading! I read a total of 22 books this year and made a resolution to read more than that in 2012. To help me reach that goal, I've started making a list so I don't waste time thinking, "hmmm, what should I read next?". So help me add to it!

*"Teach Ye Dilligently" by Boyd K. Packer. Richie was required to read this in one of his seminary classes, so he had me read along with him so we could discuss it together. We are all teachers aren't we? I thought it was fantastic! A non-fiction book that felt like fiction.

*"A Man's Search For Meaning" by Victor Frankl. I knew this would happen...Can't remember much about this book. I guess I didn't find it very meaningful.

*"The 5,000 year leap" by Cleon Skousen. A non-fiction book that felt like a non-fiction book. :) The information in it is invaluable and I think everyone needs to read it. It's just harder to get through than some. It's all about the constitution and how we can preserve it.

*"BabyWise" by Enzo and Bucknam. This was a re-read for me to prepare for Gwen. It's all about how to get your baby on an eating and sleeping schedule. If you have or ever will have a new baby, this is a must read.

*"The Baby Whisperer" by Tracy Hogg. This book is on the other end of the spectrum from Babywise. Babywise is all about parenting in a loving, but very strict way. Baby Whisperer is more lax and while it has some great ideas, I'm not patient enough to follow through with everything is suggests.

*"The Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale. I had this suggested to me a bunch so I gave in and loved it! It's a young adult book, so it's a fairly quick read. It's all about a girl who is a princess, but is betrayed by her own family and sent to another kingdom. She escapes many attempts on her life, but to survive has to take up work as the king's Goose girl. She has a talent for talking to animals and using the wind. Sounds a little weird, but totally entertaining.

*"Enna Burning" by Shannon Hale. This is next book after "The Goose Girl" in a series of 3 I think. Enna is one of the goose girl's friends and this book is all about her journeys. She has a special talent for utilizing fire. Also very entertaining.

*"The Baby Whisperer for Toddlers" by Tracy Hogg. Similar techniques as in the Baby Whisperer. Lot's of patience and calm parenting required. It's always good for me to read these types of books to help keep me on track, even if I don't agree with everything she teaches.

*"Cotillion" by Georgette Hyer. If you like books like Pride and Prejudice, you'll love "Cotillion". Same style, same type of love story-ish. It takes a while to get into because she introduces a million characters in the first couple of chapters, but as soon as you figure out who everyone is, it's really fun.

*"A Girl of the Limberlost" by Gene Straton Porter. This is also a re-read for me, but it's been so long since I read it, it felt like new. It's all about a girl living in the Indiana Swamps in, I'm guessing the late 1800's, early 1900's. Her father is dead and her mother is a real jerk to her. They work their own farm and she puts herself through school by collecting moths and butterfly's to sell, despite the lack of support from her mother. LOVED IT! May be my favorite book. More on Gene Straton Porter later.

*"The Broker" by John Grisham. I had this book on the shelf and decided to read it since I was in between books. I was pleasantly surprised! It looked so big, but was actually a very fast read. It's all about a powerful business man who is the key piece in this big political scandal etc etc etc. Anyway, he's taken out of prison and sent to Italy. If I tell you anymore, I'd have to kill you.

*"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. I'm assuming most people out there have read this book by now. It was awesome. Plain and simple. It's all about black,southern maids in the 60's. If you haven't read it, you should. It made me laugh and cry.

*"Freckles" by Gene Straton Porter. All of Porters books have common threads in them. There is always one or two people who are so wonderful and full of virtue that you think, no one could ever be that honest and true, but you hope there is. Nature is a key theme throughout all of her books. There is always a big mystery that you don't understand until the last chapter or so of the book. Her books are full of wonderful principles that I hope I can teach my children. So Freckles is about an orphaned boy with lame arm who finds work in the Indiana swamps guarding a particular stretch of forest from those who would want to harm it. He grows into a man while doing so and meets a beautiful girl whom he lovingly called the swamp angel. It's actually the pre-cursor to "A Girl of the Limberlost", but you can read both separately and be just fine.

*"Keeper of the Bees" by Gene Straton Porter. All about an old war veteran who the doctors have given up on. He knows he's going to die, so he escapes the hospital and runs away to try and make it on his own or die trying. He walks to the California Coast and meets a man who is dying and arrives just in time to call a doctor who takes him away to the hospital. Before this stranger leaves, he tells the veteran that he needs to take care of his bees while he's gone. Hence the name, "Keeper of the Bees." Fantastic read.

*"Laddie" by Gene Straton Porter. Yes, I got on a little Porter kick. They are all just so fabulous. This book is competing for my all time favorite. It's told from the perspective of the youngest child in a big family. She always feels neglected and not wanted, expect by her older brother Laddie. He befriends a beautiful girl who's just moved here from England with her family. However the family is pretty much on the blacklist of the community because of their lack of religion and general unfriendliness. Laddie reminds me of Richie. Maybe that's why I like it so much.

*"The Simeon Solution" by Anne Osbourne Poleman. Really easy, quick, uplifting read. All about a woman's conversion story.

*"The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling. Another one of those books I had on the shelf and decided to read because nothing else was readily available. Not my favorite. The actual story "the Jungle Book" is actually quite small. But the entire book has a bunch of other short stories in it, like "Ricki-ticki-tavi". I kept thinking that it would be more entertaining to read if I was reading it to a 9 year old Miles or something, but the language is old, so I don't know if he'd love it either. I think I"ll just stick to the movie. :)

*"The Bronze Bow" by Elizabeth George Speare. Another quick, young adult read. I was surprised to find out that this book was about a few teenage children at the time of Christ. Everyone is hungry for revenge against the Romans and they think it will come through a leader who is a war hero and thirsty for blood. When people start talking of Jesus as this man, these teenagers are disappointed and find it hard to believe that Jesus will bring peace. Good read. Interesting perspective.

*"The 7 secrets of Successful Parents" by Randy Rolfe. I almost stopped after the first chapter on faith because she talks about how they healed her son's finger by having faith in it's healing capacities and the faith filled words they repeated to his finger. Luckily the other chapters were less weird and had some good info. I randomly saw it on a shelf at the library and picked it up. It's not a must read in my opinion, but was a good reminder to keep trying to be a better parent.

*"The Christmas List" by Richard Paul Evans. This book was a little predictable, but I really enjoyed it. It's almost like a modern "Christmas Carol" and was really quick to read.

*"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. I read this every Christmas and it never gets old. I always get something new out of it. If you haven't read it, you must.

*"The Christmas Box" by Richard Paul Evans. Everyone always makes such a big deal about this book, so I decided to read it. Ugh, I totally hated it. Too cheesy, too short- the characters were flat and weren't able to develop, so I found it hard to believe. Don't waste your time.


Well, maybe that was a total waste of a post, but maybe you'll find something in there that peaks your interest. Happy reading!