The Secret Life of Bees

 

After you read the last word of this book, you close it, hold it to your chest, and let the emotions wash over you again and again. Its impossible to jump right back into your reality once this story is a part of you - it's one of those books. A book that makes you a better person and increases your understandings just by living within its pages for a while. I would rank this right up there with 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Small Great Things'. 'The Secret Life of Bees', by Sue Monk Kidd, is a necessary read for all. It is impossible not to fall in love with these women, to cheer them on, laugh with them, cry with them, and wish that their bright pink house was in your neighborhood so that you could be best friends with them. The words are beautifully written, almost poetic. The lush descriptions have you completely immersed, and the character development is phenomenal. So obviously, to say that I recommend this book is a huge understatement -- just make sure to have the box of tissues close. 

Lily Owens is growing up in South Carolina in 1964 with an angry, abusive father, and a black woman servant who was the motherly figure that she didn't have. Lily is haunted by the day her mother was killed when she was just four years old. She struggles to remember the details of that terrible day, and is too nervous to ask her father about it. So when a series of events forces Lily to frantically flee her little town, she heads to the only place that might hold some answers to her mother's past. She doesn't plan on finding herself living in a home with three black sisters, but she thinks they might hold the clues she so desperately seeks. 

The Giver of Stars

 

When Alice married an American man she was sure her life was about to be one big adventure. She was leaving her family, friends, and country behind for a man who was as dreamy as a movie star. However, Alice finds herself in a strange new land where she definitely does not belong. No one seems to like her, she can't seem to do anything right for her new husband, and her father-in-law is downright insufferable. So when news spreads in the small town of Baileyville, Kentucky that a library is opening up and all of the books will be delivered by women on horseback, she quickly volunteers for the job. 

'The Giver of Stars', by Jojo Moyes, is based on the  true stories of the pack-horse libraries that were set up by Eleanor Roosevelt to increase literacy throughout the United States. These women librarians would ride through all kinds of conditions, delivering books to people who lived in the furthest reaches of their communities. They were tough, brave, and strong women who were true literacy warriors. 

Being a huge book nerd, any book about other book nerds is bound to be an immense favorite, and this novel definitely did not disappoint! From the very first page I was hooked into a plot line so intriguing, suspenseful, and heartfelt I never wanted to stop reading and was incredibly sad to reach the end. There are rumors that this one is going to be turned into a movie so fingers crossed for that one! (They better not ruin it!) This story is one that I am sure I will be revisiting again and again. It was an instant favorite for sure!

Small Great Things

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

I began reading 'Small Great Things' by Jodi Picoult in December of 2019. Life got busy, as it so often does that time of year, and my reading rut began. Every once in a while I would try to pick this book back up, it captured my interest from chapter one, but for some reason I just didn't give "reading time" a priority for the first few months of this year. I do not believe that it is an accident that I read THIS book at THIS time. 

This book feels like one of the  most important books that I have ever read. It awoken my sleeping, ignorant, blind, naive little mind to the suffering of my black brothers and sisters in no way anything else ever could. I had no idea. I had NO idea. 

This should be a mandatory read for everyone. If you haven't read it, please do. 

Ruth Jefferson has worked as a labor and delivery nurse at the same hospital for over 20 years. She graduated with her nursing degree from Yale University. She is a widow of a marine who was killed in the line of duty. Her son is an honor role student who is applying to some of the most elite colleges in the country. 

Ruth is also black.

Turk is married to the love of his life, Brit. They just welcomed their first child into the world and named him Davis. They are elated with their new budding family and feel like they are on top of the world. What could possibly go wrong? 

Turk is a white supremacist leader in the KKK.

When Ruth becomes the nurse to Davis, Turk is infuriated and demands to see her supervisor. A sticky note is placed into Davis's folder that states that no person of color is permitted to touch this patient. On a busy Saturday morning two of the nurses working with Ruth have to rush into an emergency C-section, leaving Ruth alone with Davis in the nursery, who just had a circumcision and needs to be closely watched for the next 90 minutes. When complications occur, Ruth is handed a dilemma. Does she save this baby even though she is strictly forbidden from doing so, putting her own career on the line? Or does she do nothing, follow the rules, and potentially cause the infant harm? 

It's an impossible, lose-lose, choice. 

This book will keep you on your toes. It will open a world to you you may have never seen before. It will slam you with the hard questions of racism and prejudice. It will ask you to choose a side. It will change you for the better. 

  

The Orphan Keeper

Have you ever read a book that left you speechless? It was so mind-blowing that you almost can't even process it? That's how 'The Orphan Keeper' by Camron Wright was for me. It's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that this book is based on a true story. That the events in this novel actually took place. I can't say enough good things about this book. It takes you on quite the journey with the highest of the highs and the lowest of the gut wrenching lows. Please open this book. I can guarantee you won't want to put it down.

Chellamuthu  is a young boy living in poverty in India. He is rambunctious, full of life, rash, wild, and a little disobedient as most youngsters are. He longs for things like playing in the wealthy children's park, eating ripe mangos, and proving to the other kids that he is big and tough. One day he is waiting for his father when an older boy lures him into his own kidnapping. He is placed in a Christian orphanage that he can't escape from and is eventually adopted by an unsuspecting family in the United States. Chellamuthu finds himself in a foreign country where he doesn't speak the language, has new parents and new siblings, and is thousands of miles away from his own loving and worry stricken mother. By the time he learns enough English to tell his adopted parents that he actually has a family back in India, they are shocked and do everything in their power to find his family, but with very little luck. 

This novel is a story of endurance, strength of families, and hope. It is sure to touch your heart and bring forth more empathy then you ever knew you had.

The Princess Academy Series

Whenever the heir to the throne comes of age, the priests divine what providence the next princess will come from. A Princess Academy is then set up to teach and prepare the noble girls to meet the prince at the Academy Princess Ball. After the ball, the prince will then decide what Princess Academy graduate will be the next princess. When the priests divine that Mount Eskel is where the next princess is from, many in the kingdom are outraged. Mount Eskel is not even a providence,  just a territory. It is a small town full of uneducated, and very poor people, without any nobles. When the people of Mount Eskel learn that their daughters will be taken away from them for one year, fear grips their hearts. They barely have enough to eat, how will they survive through the winter without so many workers in the quarry, their only source of income. Miri is scared to go to the academy too, she has never been away from her family before. However, once at that academy, Miri is taught to read and she discovers a love of books she never knew she had. She loves learning, and learning opens up secrets that she never knew, and may actually save her village in the end. 

I first fell in love with The Princess Academy over a decade ago. I am thrilled that the third and last book has finally been published, it has been a long time coming! If you know me at all you know I have an obsession with Shannon Hale and all of her novels, and these three books definitely did not disappoint. I devoured them and lost many, many hours of sleep over them. They are brilliantly written and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

EEEEEEEEK! Dreams DO come true! I was so excited to get my hands on this book and of course, I devoured it. Heading into it I was a little apprehensive... Do I even like reading plays? Will it be worthy to carry the Harry Potter name? My answer is YES! It is amazing and wonderful and so much more then I expected it to be! I was literally giddy with excitement reading this book because it surpassed all of my expectations!

So what is it about? Well, this is a script for a play. It takes place right where the last movie ends, on Platform 9 3/4 on Albus Sirius Potter's first day of school. When Albus sits by Scorpius Malfoy on the Hogwarts Express, an instant friendship strikes up. Rose, Albus's cousin, is apprehensive of Scorpius, fretting that the mysterious rumors of his origin might be true. To Albus's dismay, and Scorpius's delight, both boys are sorted into Slytherin. Albus fears what people will think of Harry Potter's Slytherin son, but worse, he is worried about what his father thinks of him. Harry and Albus always seem to butt heads and this may just drive the father and son apart for good. When Albus convinces Scorpius to right a wrong made by his father a long time ago, the results are astronomical and lead the two boys on quite the adventure!

I couldn't put this book down. It kept me up way too late at night, but was oh so worth the caffeinated coma I was in the next day. To quote Ron, it was "bloody brilliant!" Now if only I was rich and could jump on a plane to London to see the play... what are the chances it will come to Utah do you think?? Better yet, how about turning THIS into a movie eh?

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.

Pride and Prejudice

There is a book that I have returned to many times when I need some really well spoken English in my life. That book is 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen. I love the taste of the words in my mouth. Austen's writing is almost poetic in a way. And if her humorous style of writing about serious political issues wasn't captivating enough, she also creates the most lovable characters imaginable. From Mrs. Bennett to Miss Bingley, Elizabeth to Darcy, every character's personality pops on the page. This is such an amazing classic and everyone should read this at least once in their lifetime.

And of course, I am a huge fan of the movies as well. Here is a trailer from one of my favorite versions of 'Pride and Prejudice'.

Ella Enchanted

If you are ever looking for a very fast, fun, entertaining read than my suggestion would be ‘Ella Enchanted’ by Gail Carson Levine. This is a romance, fairytale, adventure and coming of age story at its finest. It is very short and you can definitely read it in less than 24 hours.

When Ella was born, a misguided fairy “blessed” her with the gift of obedience. Now Ella has to do what she is told, whatever she is told. If someone tells her to clean her room or jump off a cliff, she has no choice but to obey. Ella’s mother and housekeeper are always concerned for Ella’s life. If someone were to discover her secret she could be in great danger. When her mother dies from illness Ella’s father begins to have a stronger influence in her life more than ever. Her father is trying to control her life for his own benefits and now it’s more important than ever for Ella to find a way to break the curse that was placed on her so long ago.

This is by far one of my very favorite books. It is simple but I love it. Sometimes you just need a really quick read that doesn’t require any thinking ya know? However, don’t even waste your time on the movie. I don’t know what Disney was thinking when the created that monstrosity, but I get angry just thinking about it. It’s not even close to how the book is and I just hope that the movie hasn’t kept people from reading the book. I have heard that some ‘Ella Enchanted’ fans have to think of the movie as a completely different story than the movie so if you can separate the two than more power to ya!

The Scarlet Pimpernel

'The Scarlet Pimpernel' by Baroness Emmuska Orczy is another one of my very favorite books. It is the story of Sir Percy Blakeney, an English gentleman, who sneaks into France and rescues the French royals from their fate with madame guillotine during the French Revolution. Although this book's setting is a dark and dreary one, the author manages to throw humor and romance into this story that leaves the reader completely captivated. Everyone should read this novel at least once in their lifetime, so put it on your list.

Also, this just happens to be one of my very favorite movies as well, but if you watch it you need to watch the 1982 version with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. They are amazing together. Ah! I just love, love, love this story!

The Books of Bayern

I was recently perusing my book blog and realized that my very favorite series, well the one that is the closest in competition with Harry Potter anyway, is missing from this blog. Oops. I have  mostly been writing about my current readings, which means that many of my favorite books prior to this blog are not on here. So hopefully every so often I will be able to write about an "oldy but a goody", while continuing to keep up on what I am currently reading.

The series that I am referring to is called 'The Books of Bayern' by Shannon Hale. My best friend in high school gave me 'The Goose Girl' as a birthday present. I fell in love with the book and read it over and over and over again. I actually did not even read the rest of the books until I got to college. 'The Goose Girl' is by far my favorite book in the series and you can read it without reading the others if you wanted to.

This story is about Princess Anidori. After her father dies her mother decides that she is going to send Ani to Bayern, a neighboring kingdom, to marry the prince and hopefully smooth out the rocky relationship the two kingdoms have. Although Ani knows that this is an attempt to prevent war, she is hurt by her mother's utter disregard to her feelings. The trip to Bayern is very long and dangerous, and Ani has mixed emotions about what no only awaits her on the trip, but what her new life will be like in Bayern as well. During the trip something tragic happens, and Ani realizes that she no longer knows who to trust and is left completely on her own, having for the first time in her life, to defend for herself. And for a girl who has never even had to dress herself, this can be quite the challenge. This is a story of bravery, friendship, romance, and the journey to self discovery. It is a story that has found a place forever in my heart and one that I return to almost yearly.
In order:
The Goose Girl
Enna Burning
River Secrets
Forest Born

Firelight Series

This last week I just finished the 'Firelight' series by Sophie Jordan. There are three books in the series: 'Firelight', 'Vanish', and 'Hidden'. The series is about a girl who is a descendant of dragons and is forced to leave her colony of draki (that is what descendants of dragons are called) after she is spotted by some hunters,  to try to live a "normal" life among humans. Not gonna lie, the first book has some similarities to 'Twilight', but I promise you that Jordan is a much better writer than Meyer and is definitely not as cheesy. I pretty much gobbled up this series reading all three books in a total of two days. These books are filled with adventure, mystery, romance, and loyalty. I would highly reccommend this series.

The Princess Academy

In case you don't know this about me, I am a HUGE fan of Shannon Hale! I absolutely love her style of writing. I have always been a big fan of "The Princess Academy", so when I came to work one day and saw that there was a second book I was beyond ecstatic! I hurried and re-read "The Princess Academy" so  that I would be ready for when I was next on the hold list for "Princess Academy: Palace of Stone".  When I finally got it I took it home and the next day I  read before work, during my lunch break, and stayed up until three in the morning to finish it. I was not planning on reading it in one day, but there was a point in the book where I was seriously wondering how this could ever have a happy ending. I just had to find out what happened. I love books like that. The one's that are absolutely not predictable, but keep you guessing until the very end. Shannon Hale definitely did not disapoint on this sequel. I enjoyed every single minute of reading this, so much in fact, I am pretty sure I need to get onto Amazon and buy myself my own copy.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins, has become a national phenomenon.  And like all phenomenons, there is bound to be some controversy. In case you don't know anything about this series, it is about a futuristic country that includes the capitol and thirteen districts. There was a time when the districts rebelled against the capitol and to prove their power the capitol initiated something known as The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games requires two children, a boy and a girl, from each district to be put in an arena and fight to the death. The last child standing wins fame, fortune, and best yet- extra food for their district for that year.  One guess what the controversy is over... You got it. The kids killing kids part. And of course that is absolutely awful! But to me, that is kind of the point. It should shock you. It should make you stop and think. It should make you question your government instead of following along like a mindless robot. And I think the biggest lesson of all, is that kids should NOT hurt one another. It has been said that these books model our society- and I must admit, I agree. How many violent games are there? How many gangs involve too many kids? And remember how we are in the middle of a national bullying crisis? Violence has become socially acceptable in our society and I feel like these books kind of draw us out on that. These books teach, inspire, make you laugh, make you cry, and make you skip meals because you literally cannot put them down. Suzanne Collins is an amazing author and she deserves credit where credit is due. The movie is indeed incredible, but nothing beats the books. So read it and decide for yourself. And I would love to hear your opinion on this series!

“Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when it's morning again, they'll wash away
Here it's safe, here it's warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.” 

A Potter Generation

This blog of mine would feel pretty empty without a tribute to Harry Potter somewhere. We are the Harry Potter generation after all. No one else, past or present, can say that they grew up with Harry. The first book came out when I was ten years old, the last, when I was twenty. I was 14 when the first movie came out and 24 when the last movie hit theaters. These books and movies were one of the strongest influences in my world, at the time of my life when I was discovering who I was, while I was learning to leave my childhood behind and become an adult. Just like Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I really did grow up with them, and somehow, they became my friends too. Unlike some book fads that have gone around where everyone was jumping on the bandwagon left and right, Harry Potter is actually GOOD literature. J.K. Rowling is a genius! All of her twists and turns, and being able to connect the last book to the first one is incredible. You know she didn't just sit down and write the first book without thinking about how the rest of the series were going to turn out. I think she knew, or sort of knew, how it was all going to end by the first books publication. She is an amazing author that captivated not only audiences of all ages, but all over the world as well. Harry Potter has been published in over 200 countries and has been translated in over 65 languages! These books really are universally loved and cherished, and if you haven't read them yet, then now is the time to start. I promise you that you will get so much more out of the books than you ever can from the movies. Don't get me wrong, I love the movies, but the books are just so much more.... magical. 

"Whether you come back by the page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home." -J.K. Rowling-

WE ARE THE HARRY POTTER GENERATION.

we defended the stone,

we found the chamber,

we freed the prisoner,

we were chosen by the goblet,

we fought alongside the order,

we learned from the prince,

we mastered the hallows.

WE OWE IT ALL TO J.K. ROWLING ♥ 

Fire of the Covenant

If you read the first post of this blog you'll remember that I mentioned this book. Seeing as this book helped me out during one of the lowest points of my life, I think it deserves to be the first book recommendation of this blog. "Fire of the Covenant" by Gerald N. Lund is about the three LDS handcart companies in 1856 that  made their way across the wilderness to their new homes in Utah. This book illustrates not only the struggles, heartache, and trials that these brave pioneers had to face, but it also contains spirituality, the bond of families, and even includes a little romance in the mix. I fell in love with these characters and felt like I was right there along side of them pulling that dratted handcart across the prairie. It will make you laugh and cry, increase your spirituality, and make you VERY grateful for what you have. Don't let the size intimidate you- it's worth it. I promise.