I Opened a Book

The Storyteller's Daughter

When a king is deceived by those who are closest to him he hardens his heart and swears to never be deceived again. In a twisted plot to keep his heart safe, he announces to his kingdom that he will marry a woman every night, and kill her every morning, unless a woman volunteers, then he will only kill her and no one else. Everyone throughout the kingdom are horrified at the king's proclamation and fear terribly for their daughters safety. If no one sacrifices themselves than there will be one execution a day, but who would be so selfless to give up their own life in order that others might live? So when the storyteller's daughter volunteers, everyone, including the king himself, are completely shocked, for they have never treated her as one of their own, have never been very kind to her. Why would she do something like this for them? Is there sorcery involved? Something isn't right.

This story is a romantic tale with twists and turns along the way. I found the stories within the story very captivating and loved reading this book. The only thing I did not really care for was that the character's names were too much alike and I ended up having to give them nicknames so that I could keep everyone straight. Does anyone else do that or am I just stupid haha? But it was a good read and I really did enjoy it. Cameron Dokey is a great author and I will for sure be reading more of her books in the future.

The Rent Collector

'The Rent Collector', by Cameron Wright is the story of Sang Ly and her husband Ki Lim, who live in the largest dump in Cambodia. They make a living by sorting through the trash in the dump and searching for recyclable material to sell. Not only do they have the constant worry about never having enough to eat, working in harsh environments, paying rent, avoiding the gangs of the dump who rob them of their findings, but there biggest worry of all is the worry they have for their son, Nisay. Nisay is sick and no matter how many doctors they visit or how many medicines they give him, he is not getting better. Day to day life is very stressful for them and they never know if all three of them will make it to the end of the day. When Sang Ly discovers a secret about their ornery rent collector however, she may just have a chance to make a better life for her and her family. 

This is a story of hope found in a place where there is little else to live off. It shows that one person willing to serve another can have a huge impact. It emulates the power of literacy. And it illustrates the daily lives of the people living in Cambodia. 

I loved this book. It touched my heart. It made me think. It taught me some valuable life lessons. It made me grateful for where I live and the blessings that I have. It was humbling. It was entertaining. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It basically contained all of the elements of great literature. 

Climbing the Stairs

'Climbing the Stairs' by Padma Venkarraman is the story of Vidya, a young Indian girl who is a teenager during WWII. When a tragic accident befalls on her father, Vidya's family has no choice but to live with her father's extended family. All of a sudden Vidya's dreams of finishing school and going on to college are hanging in the balance. Her aunts torment her and don't give her enough food, she hardly ever gets to see her brother anymore because the home is split between the males and the females, and she is ripped from the life that she has always known. She desperately fears that her extended family will marry her off the first chance they get and she is losing the ability to control her own life. The only peace she finds is when she sneaks up the stairs to the second floor in the men's quarters every day. She has found the library there and she can escape her life into different worlds through the written word. She fears being caught, but the risk is worth it to her.

This book is beautifully written. I was completely intrigued with the story and I learned a lot about the history of India during the time of this terrible war. I must admit that I do not know a lot of India's history but I found it completely fascinating. It is a complex culture that is very intriguing to me. I also love historical fiction books about WWII and would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves history and Indian culture.

This book contains history, culture, family, portrays the importance of books and gaining knowledge, and even has a little romance thrown into the mix.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close' by Jonathan Safran Foer was not the book I was expecting whatsoever. I guess I expected it to be all about 9/11 and not much more. But it was more the aftermath of 9/11. It is about Oskar, a young boy, who is dealing with the death of his father who was in one of the towers that day. Oskar finds a key in his dad's closet and he starts an adventure trying to find the lock that this key fits. While he is on his search he feels close to his dad and it becomes a coping mechanism for Oskar. The book also peeks into the lives of some of Oskar's family members and some trials that they had to face as well.

This book was really good. Definitely an adult read, but I liked it. I most likely won't read it again, but I did enjoy it. There are so many stories that come from that day. This is a story about loss, coping, grief, and finding hope and the strength to carry on. It is well written and a page turner.

Re-reading a book

Tiger's Curse

I have found a new series that I am absolutely in LOVE with! I loved these books so much in fact, that I am most definitely going to buy them and add them to my personal collection. The series is 'Tiger's Curse' by Colleen Houck.

Kelsey Hayes is an orphan living with a foster family. The summer after she graduates she finds a temp job at a circus to help pay for her college. Part of her job is to feed the white tiger there. Something about the tiger draws Kelsey in and she forms a quick attachment to it. When a very wealthy man comes to buy the tiger and take him back to India, he asks Kelsey if she would accompany the tiger on the journey and care for him. Kelsey agrees but has no idea what she is getting herself into. She finds herself on the greatest adventure of her life trying to break a three hundred year old curse to save her tiger.

This series is full of Indian culture, adventures, romance, fantasy, and so much more. It literally kept me up every single night because I just couldn't put these books down. Waiting for them at the library was agony because I wanted to devour them. I loved these books and I promise you will too!

Also, there is an ebook called Tiger's Promise that is really good as well!

Divergent series

This is another series that I have recently fallen in love with. There are three books in the series with a fourth book that is from a different character's viewpoint. The plot takes place in a Dystopian Chicago where the city is divided into five factions. These factions believe that the world was destroyed by man's inner desires- so each faction focuses on one virtue:
Euridite: Knowledge
Amity: Peace
Candor: Honesty
Abnegation: Selflessness
Dauntless: Bravery
When a person reaches the age of 16 they go to a choosing ceremony where they then choose which faction they will live the rest of their lives in. Some people choose to stay with the faction that raised them, but some people choose a faction transfer and leave their families and homes behind forever. The motto of the society is "faction before blood". If a person does not fit into any faction, they become factionless- which mean they are at the very bottom- homeless, hungry, and without family or friends. Then there are the Divergent, the group of people who threaten the way their society works because they have aptitudes for more than one faction. Being Divergent is dangerous. The leaders of the communities want to kill anyone who is different from them.

This series is full of action, adventure, romance, the power of choice and individuality, and oh so much more goodness. I would highly, highly recommend it. (The movie as well!)

The Selection series

I am such a hopeless romantic. So when I can find a really good, not too cheesy book that feeds that part of me, I am a happy girl. Well, I have found just such a series. The series is called 'The Selection' by Kiera Cass. It is about a futuristic society who has a monarchy government. When the prince becomes a certain age 35 girls are drawn at random to move to the palace and go through a modern day Bachelor (like the tv show) type ordeal. So basically the prince dates 35 girls at one time and eliminates them when he feels like it won't work out. The main character is America, who is not sure if she should sign up for the selection or not. On the one hand if she happens to be chosen her family will be provided with food and money while she is away, things they never seem to have enough of. However, if she goes she may lose the love of her life and be stuck courting a stuffy prince who she has no interest in whatsoever.

I keep trying to find the words that describe how amazing this series is... but there are none. I have eagerly anticipated the printing of each book and novella, just like I did with Harry Potter, so I believe that says it all. I have recommended this series to quite a few people, and not one of them has come back and told me that they didn't like it. More often then not, they come back mad that I so rudely messed up their sleep schedules because they couldn't put these books down.

Princess of Glass

'Princess of Glass' by Jessica Day George is a retelling of the Cinderella story. It is told from three different character's perspectives: Christian, Eleanora, and Poppy. Poppy is a princess that has recently come out of a curse on her and and her 11 sisters. They were forced to dance every single night until their feet bled and were bruised. Christian is a prince that has entered a sort of 'royal exchange program' to help prevent war by marrying allies. And Eleanora is an orphan that was forced into servitude when her father lost everything and became destitute. Poppy swears that she will never dance again, Christian feels like he is being forced into marriage, and Eleanora is so desperate to change her status that she makes a deal with her godmother that forces these three characters into fighting an evil sorceress so she doesn't end up ruining their lives.

I did like this book, it has an intriguing plot line and lovable characters. It is an interesting take on the Cinderalla story. However, I felt that it started out a little slow and didn't fully captivate me until halfway through the book. The ending seemed a little rushed and didn't give me the closure that I wanted. It even left some unanswered questions in my mind. I would recommend this book as a light, fluffy read.

Ever After High: The Unfairest of Them All

I just finished the second book in the 'Ever After High' series by Shannon Hale and honestly, I loved it just as much as the first book. You can read my review of the first book here.

The Actor and the Housewife

'The Actor and the Housewife' by Shannon Hale is a book that has been on my 'to read' list for ages but I have avoided reading. It is written by my favorite author, so of course I was going to read it, but I despise, DESPISE, anything to do with infidelity in books and movies, especially when that betrayal is portrayed as a positive. I started reading this book with full belief that that was exactly what I was getting myself into.

I was wrong.

It is actually a Mormon fiction book, something that I did not know going into it. I don't read a lot of Mormon fiction, unless it is historical fiction, because my small tasting of it (Annita Stansfield and Jack Weyland... ugh) has been dripping with cheese and a side of corny. This has both cheese and corniness, but the witty banter and hearty emotions kind of band aid that up for me. There were times I literally laughed out loud. There were moments where I had tears running down my cheeks with sadness. I may have even let out a little sigh of contentment once in a while. Any story that can make me feel that kind of emotion, is worth reading in my book. (No pun intended)

So here is the plot line. Becky Jack is a Mormon, wife, mother of four, and a screenwriter that has just sold her first script. When she is in LA signing the contract, she runs into her all time favorite heart throb actor, Felix Callahan. Through some misfortunes on Becky's part, Felix ends up driving her back to her hotel and buying her dinner. They dance, they laugh, and it is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, one that her husband is fully aware of and approves of I might add. There are unexpected twists and turns along the way, some I predicted from the beginning (Mormon fiction remember?) and some that were completely unexpected.

I liked it. I don't know if I would necessarily own it, or even read it again, but it is a good one time kind of novel that leaves your heart happy at the end of it. And yes, I would recommend it.

Encountering Life in a New Way

The Fault in Our Stars

'The Fault in Our Stars', by John Green, is about terminal cancer sufferer Hazel who falls in love with cancer survivor, Augustus at a cancer support group meeting. Hazel is afraid to let anyone love her because she thinks of herself as a grenade that is about to go off and will hurt anyone that is close to her. But when her support group friend Isaac brings his best fried Augustus along to the meeting she can't help but notice him. In the novel she says, "I fell in love like you fall asleep. Slowly and then all at once". Augustus teaches Hazel to be brave enough to leave your mark on the world and to live every day to the fullest. Augustus also allows Hazel to act like a teenager, something that she has never been very good at with her illness.

The thing I love about this novel is that it in no way romanticizes cancer. It's not one of those books that's like, "I have cancer but it's okay I am an upbeat happy person anyway. Yay!" 'The Fault in Our Stars' shows the nitty gritty side of cancer. The ugly stuff that authors avoid. It shows what cancer victims have to deal with on a day to day basis and how hard they really struggle. I also love that even dealing with this pure hell, they still find times to laugh and love. Hazel and Augusts have seriously funny sense of humors. And they are brilliant- mostly discussing books, poems, philosophy, and mortality. I absolutely love the language and the style of writing in this book. It may be sad but it is also funny, witty, romantic, heart wrenching goodness. And of course, like all good books are, it is being turned into a movie. And yes, I am excited for that as well.

Dangerous

Shannon Hale's new book 'Dangerous' has just been released a few weeks ago, and let me tell ya, it was amazing! (As all of her books are) This was not like anything she has ever written before though. To me it was 'The Fantastic Four' meets 'Ender's Game' meets 'The Host'. It was very sci-fi with some action/adventure and a love story on the side. It was a page turner for me, a book that I had a hard time putting down. She really is such an amazing author, oh wait, have I said that before? ;)

'Dangerous' is the story of Maisie Brown who is home-schooled by her scientist parents because she was bullied at school for only having one arm. Maisie has an obsession with outer space and dreams of one day becoming an astronaut. Her parents worry that this dream is unrealistic because of her missing limb, but when Maisie wins a free trip to space camp for kids they are supportive and let her go. However, space camp wasn't exactly what Maisie signed up for. Things happen that she could have never predicted and she meets people who will change her life forever.

Ever

I am a pretty big fan of the book 'Ella Enchanted', so when I saw the book 'Ever' by the same author, Gail Carson Levine, circulate through the library I thought I should give it a try. This book is about the wind god who wants to join the mortals and becomes enchanted with one particular mortal. They quickly fall in love but meet trials on their hopes of being together.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is into mythology because this kind of had a Hercules and Meg love story feel to it. It honestly wasn't my favorite book, but she is still a good author in my eyes and I can see how some people would really enjoy this type of writing, I just wasn't one of them.

You'll just have to read it and judge for yourself.

Escape

'Escape' by Carolyn Jessop is about a woman who escaped from her very strict polygamy community to gain freedom for her and her kids. She takes you through her life of abuse, beliefs, and struggles of living in the FLDS church. This book had me completely captivated from the first page. I had no idea what goes on in the FLDS church, which is pretty sad since it's practically right in my back yard. I have seen polygamists of course, but I never knew what their lives were like on a day to day basis. The abuse that women and children face is appalling. My heart broke for Carolyn and her kids more than once during the telling of her story. I learned so much about the things that they are forbidden to do.  Their lives are not their own and freedom is a foreign concept for them, which is sad seeing as this is not a story of the past, but of modern day in America. I would highly recommend this book. Yes it is a tragic, heart wrenching tale, but fortunately it has a very happy ending. 

The Iron King

'The Iron King' by Julie Kagawa is an adventure story about a girl who feels like something has always been slightly off in her life. Meghan's best friend starts acting strangely protective of her and weird things are happening at home. Meghan finds herself on a quest to save her little brother in the faery world, a world that she never knew existed but strangely belongs to. It is a story of action, adventure, fantasy, family, and love.

I did like this book, the characters were well rounded, the plot was well written, and it was definitely a page turner. Having said that however, it was not my favorite style of writing. The story line went from one death defying situation to the next, over and over again, and for me personally it was a little too much action. It kind of reminded me of 'Leven Thumps' in that way. So although I am not going to read the rest of the series, I would still recommend this book to anyone who loves action-packed fantasy and adventure stories. 

Mary Poppins, She Wrote

I am a huge Disney fan.... HUGE! I love all things Disney. So when I saw two of my favorite actors starring in a new movie by Disney I was thrilled! I couldn't wait to see 'Saving Mr. Banks' and when I finally did I definitely was not disappointed! In fact I loved the movie so much that I started to read the book that the movie was based off of. The book is called, 'Mary Poppins, She Wrote' by Valerie Lawson. Unfortunately, unlike the movie the book did disappoint me... a whole lot. It was just soooo dry and factual. I honestly felt like I was reading a student's report that they handed into their teacher. And it wasn't even a good report. It was one of those reports that you find facts from google and then cut and paste words and sentences off the internet together to reach your assigned number of pages that had to be written. It was dull. It had no color. There was no magic whatsoever. I suffered through 25 pages before I gave it up. So my advice is to see the movie and skip the book, which NEVER happens!

Ever After High: The Storybook of Legends

Oh hey guess what?! My favorite author, Shannon Hale has done it again! Her latest and greatest book is called, 'Ever After High: the Storybook of Legends'. This book is written for younger authors, and yes, you can tell, but it is still so cute and I enjoyed it immensely! In this book all of the famous story character's children are attending high school together. There is Raven, daughter of the evil queen. Apple, daughter of Snow White. Maddie, daughter of the Mad Hatter. Daring and Dexter, sons of Prince Charming, and many many more. In their second year of high school the children have to follow in their parent's footsteps and sign the storybook of legends, vowing to fulfill their destinies and live the exact same stories that their parents lived. If they do not sign the book, not only will the story cease to exist, but they will no longer exist either.

Everyone is excited to fulfill their destines and live out the stories of their parents, I mean, who wouldn't want a guaranteed happily every after? Everyone is looking forward to Legacy Day when they can sign the book, everyone that is, except Raven. Raven isn't so sure about following in her mother's footsteps and becoming the evil queen, one of the most hated characters of all time. Raven has a desperate desire to be good, but if she chooses to not be evil, she could make herself and everyone in her story vanish forever. Can she really be that selfish?

Honestly, I know this book is meant for younger readers, but I loved it. It is a story of choice, friendship, adventure, and good vs. evil. It is captivating and exciting, witty and funny. I fell in love with the characters and I know you will too. If you need something light and fluffy, a feel good fantasy, than this is the book for you!

LOVE

"I fell in love with him. But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me. "

-Allegiant by Veronica Roth-

Two From Galilee

'Two From Galilee' by Marjorie Holmes is the story of Mary and Joseph. This book shows us what happened to them leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. I loved reading about their love story and the struggles that they went through to finally be together as husband and wife. I love the story of Mary. I think she is one of the bravest, strongest, most faithful women who ever walked the Earth. She was entrusted by God with both a gift, and a huge responsibility, to be the mother of Jesus Christ, our savior and redeemer. But this is also the story of Joseph. When Mary told him she was pregnant he could have publicly humiliated her and had her stoned to death. It took great faith to believe her story and love this precious child as his own. These are two amazing people who overcome many trials. Their love is inspiring and one of the reasons,  I believe, that they were chosen by our Father in Heaven to be the earthly parents of His only begotten son. Read this book. You'll love it.

Heaven Is For Real

I was sitting in the movie theater when a preview for a new movie came on the screen. As I was watching it I leaned over and whispered to my husband, “I bet this is based off of the book ‘Heaven is For Real”. Just as I finished this sentence the movie title popped up on the screen, and in giant letters were the words, “Heaven is for Real.” Yes. Nailed it. And then my husband turned to me and called me a book nerd haha. I personally hadn’t read the book but working as a librarian I have seen it come and go many times. I decided I better read it if I was going to watch the movie because that’s just kind of a rule in my book: Read first, watch second.

I loved this book. I would highly recommend it. It is a book of hope, love, family, and faith. But it is also a story of struggle and overcoming our trials. It is written simply and beautifully and makes you realize how much our Father in Heaven really does love little children. The book mentions a little girl prodigy who has visions of heaven and then paints them. I had to look her up on youtube and she really is amazing. I’ll post a video of her below too. It’s stories like these, among other things of course, that leave me with little doubt that heaven really is for real.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vzRpYp7WME