The Hunger Games Series

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

(goodreads)

Have you read these yet? I know I'm behind here in northwest, we usually are. Apparently these books have been quite the hit for sometime now. Are they really that good? Yes! I don't usually encounter a book that I "can't put down" I read often but in the evenings to settle down before falling asleep, but this book was glued to me. I read while I made lunch, while I ate it and fed the kids, I put a tv show on for the kids so I could read. I read well past my usual bedtime. It was bad, but just because the books were SO good. I didn't start out that way. Not really till halfway through the first book, but then I was hooked.

I'm not sure why I love it so much. You have the typical love triangle as your romance angle, but I think it's the dystopia itself that fascinates me. As a fantasy/sci-fi fan the idea of this book is not new. Bits from The Lottery, Running Man, The Hunted (I think that's what that short story was called but I could be wrong),& several others, anyway, it's how she has managed to put everything together to create a unique world with characters you love and hate.

From the first person view of Katniss the reader can feel personally involved in this cruel world that forces children to fight to the death. Does that sound like a turn off? Don't let it be. Even the violence involved seems clever, strategic. It's a game after all. Give it a read!!! I'm on my second round. :)

Quotes

"Remember, we're madly in love, so it's all right to kiss me anytime you feel like it."
— Peeta -Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

"Destroying things is much easier than making them."
—Katniss- Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

"You’ve got about as much charm as a dead slug."
— Haymitch--Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

"And then he gives me a smile that just seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushes through me."
— Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

"It's lovely. If only you could frost someone to death."
"Don't be so superior. You can never tell what you will find in the arena. Say it's a gigantic cake-"
— Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

"You’re not leaving me here alone,” I say. Because if he dies, I’ll never go home, not really. I’ll spend the rest of my life in this arena, trying to think my way out."
— Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games)

Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!"
— Suzanne Collins (Mockingjay)

"It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart."
— Suzanne Collins (Mockingjay)

"I think....you still have no idea. The effect you can have."
— Suzanne Collins (Mockingjay)

I better stop. These books are highly quotable. But really just go read it! :)

Faith of our Fathers Series

I've finished all 4 books in this series. I must say I started out strong loving the Civil War info the glimpse into America's past full of details I never imagined. The first book ended with no sense of conclusion in any way shape or form leading us into the second and third and forth. It is really on BIG LONG story. Not 4 seperate books with their own rise & climax. but there is plenty happening and many stories to follow.

I really enjoyed the first and second books, but the third I was a bit weary of the same ol stuff. Half way through the 4th book the war ends and Lincoln is assasinated. Somehow we still have hundreds of pages left. This is to wrap up the lives of the characters in a perfect little bow. I found this last half almost agonizingly boring. (possibly because I was looking forward to reading the Hunger Games again).

The LDS aspect that has been plesently discreet is now a major part of the plot, not that I am against this but it seems to disrupt the flow of the story. Whole other characters are introduced in this second half that I just don't care about and also feel they are simply padding to get to the end.

I know this now sounds like a bad review, but I assure you the story is pretty exciting and fascinated me with the Civil War facts and stories. I would recomend them to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. But If I ever by chance choose to read them again I'll probably quit after Lincoln's assassination. :)

Dark Angel

Stuart's Wolf, Ghost Smiler, Hash Face, Red Legs, Devil Man. People spoke his name in frightened whispers. Killer, horribly sarred and savagely aloof, it was worth your life to approach him unbidden. Stuart's Wolf was all those things but more importantly, on a quiet summer day in 1896, he was the answer to young girls prayer...

This book is set in Salt Lake 1869. Shortly after the Civil War and the West was still Wild. But as the author points out through the story, perhaps it's civilized communitees that make for the most wild areas of all. The setting is facintating the narrator a 10 yr old daughter of a mormon bishop. But if you're already rolling your eyes thinking this is a sappy LDS novel you are wrong.

Rose is rather irreverent and tends to use words she learned from the hired hands. How could she not be drawn to the dark dangerous sharp shooter that saved her and her sister's lives.

There's a deep message that isn't just hinted at but thrown at us about how good people can be worse than outlaws. (You'll see below from my quotes) It made me think quite a bit about jumping to conclusions and judging others and what it really means to be Christian. But in case you are now thinking it's too deep and a downer, it also is full of humor, after all this is life according to a 10 yr. old girl. I suggest you read and enjoy it!

Quotes:

"Even people like our neighbors can hurt others. Good people don't always do good things. They become frightened or confused and they do harm to others in the name of good."

Colleen Merrell from Dark Angel by Robert Kirby

"Except for shooting folks in the face and cutting off ears, the lanky killer had impeccable manners."

Rose from Dark Angel by Robert Kirby

"God save us all from good people and their best intentions."

Rose from Dark Angel by Robert Kirby

The Heart the Truly Loves

The Heart that Truly Loves
by Susan Evans McCloud

Millie turned angrily to Nicholas. "You entice innocent women to leave their homes and the beliefs of their fathers, to give up all that they have and go to some wretched place in the middle of nowhere -- "

Nicholas put his hand on her arm as if to stop her. "Miss Cooper, you do not understand." He was grieved.

"I understand! Far more than you realize."

What Millicent Cooper understands is that the Thatcher family, with whome she has lived since her mother's death, has left the culture and refinement of Boston for the wild Missouri frontier. And it all is the result of Judith Thatcher's indroduction to the Mormon faith by four missionaries -- missionaries like Nicholas Todd.

Rather than live among a people with strange, alien beliefs, Millie has chosen to return to her hometown. There she encounters Nicholas Todd, who treats her with a tenderness that she has never experienced before. But his commitment to a religion that has disrupted, even endangered, the life of Millie's dearest friend, Verity Thatcher, only confuses and angers her.

And then there is dark, brooding Luther Fenn, who returns from his voyage at sea seeking to claim the love of his youth. Millie is torn between her conflicting feelings for Nicholas and the promise of stability a life with Luther would provide. But after Nicholas departs for England, and suddenly his letters stop coming, Millie is forced to make the decision that will affect the rest of her life.

The harsh realities and heroic resolve of the Saints in Far West and Nauvoo are seen through the eyes of a nonmember who is struggling to find peace in her own heart. Set against the moody backdrop of the New England coast, The Heart that Truly Loves is a captivating tale of romance, religion, and the clash of two cultures.

That was a really long ingro. Pretty much sums up the story. Sounds cheesey? I thought so too. This book is full of grandiose phrases like"
"Something deep and dormant was awakened in Nature, and in the men and women who, dulled by city life, could yet respond to the pure bliss of living, of drawing life in through the senses and finding it good."
Pretty huh? I find it much more suited for a poem than for a novel, but that could be just me. It took more than half way through before I started caring about any of the characters and found it a good read. But my love historical fiction overcame my disdain of romance novels. If you are the kind of person that does like romance novels than I suggest the book to you, if you are the kind of person that thing reading hopeless romances that have predictable endings than perhaps you should stay away. I did however glean several quotes from this novel that I did indeed like.

"True knowing comes from deep in the heart, and many live and die incapable of it, ignorant of what they have missed."
~Daniel Hawkins

"Never make the mistake of mocking those who have found their way of truth, just because you are still blind to it."
~Daniel Hawkins

"What wretched creatures we are, that only through our own suffering can we develop tenderness for others. Where the mind has not been, the heart cannot follow. But why must it be so?"
~Millie

"To love something good and noble, to give your life to it -- that alone brings joy, that alone brings peace."
~Millie

House Without Walls

Sarah stared in disbelief at the lone house standing charred and vacant amid the rubble of war-torn Hamburg. Like herself, the family home had been miraculously preserved. But why? In the fog of painful memory nothing made sense -- except the two American missionaries. . . and their remarkable blessing. . .
A few years before, Sarah had become a Latter-day Saint. But then came the terror of the Third Reich. Will her newfound faith survive the trials before her -- the loss of family and friend, the horror of the Holocaust. and the heartache of an interfaith marriage? And what will she do when her son begins inquiring about her past?

The story seemed a bit scattered to me, but the information was remarkable. I love learning about war times and am fascinated with religions of all kinds. This is an interesting, realistic story about life and faith and love and tearing down the walls we put up. It was a good read if you are interested in these things as well.

Quotes:

"No man can pray to destroy another soul, only to know more of God."
~ Aaron from House Without Walls by Margaret Blair Young

"Maybe man makes history, but God uses it to teach spiritual lessons."
~Sarah from House Without Walls by Margaret Blair Young

Forgotten Notes

After four years of nursing school, Sarah Lewis has returned home to her tiny Welsh village of Pen-Y-Bryn, to live, to work, and to thrill audiences with her gifted harp playing. She loves the peace and beauty of her village, but finds her serenity shattered by the arrival of two Americans—Iris Pearson, and her handsome son, Brian—looking for answers about their infamous ancestors. The disappearance of Glyn Jones and Mary Williams from the village in 1881 has been the subject of speculation, rumors, and outright lies for over 100 years. When the Pearsons arrive, claiming to be Glyn's and Mary's descendants, some old questions are answered, but new, painful mysteries emerge. Sarah is intrigued by, then attracted to Brian—until she discovers that he is a Mormon. Torn between the horrible things she’s heard about his religion, and her growing affection for Brian, Sarah decides to take a chance . . . If only to help him with his search. Forgotten Notes, by Sian Ann Bessey, is an enchanting, romantic novel about one woman’s resistance to true love, a family’s search for truth, the redemption of a divided village, and the mysterious, long-lost letters that will solve everything.

This turned out to be not as cheesy as I had anticipated. Still very predictable, and the one secret that I thought was going to be exciting turned out to be quite a let down. But the characters were likable and the writing was well done. I loved the Wales setting. Not a deep thinking book by any means, but a good read.

The Diary of Adam and Eve

Mark Twain brilliantly gets down to the true nature of man and woman. It's so funny that I was always giggling and ended up reading the whole thing to my husband because every word was good and worth repeating. It's a quick easy read if you've never done so you absolutely should!


Quotes: (This entire book is quote worthy,but here are a few of my favs.)

"After all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her."
— Mark Twain (The Diaries of Adam and Eve)

"Wheresoever she was, there was Eden."
— Mark Twain (The Diaries of Adam and Eve)

"How little a thing can make us happy when we feel that we have earned it."
— Mark Twain (The Diaries of Adam and Eve)

"I wish I could make him understand that a loving good heart is riches enough, and that without it intellect is poverty."
— Mark Twain (The Diaries of Adam and Eve)

English Trifle

High Crimes at High Tea

Things to Do in England:

Visit Westminster Abbey

the Tower of London

the London Zoo

Take the Jack the Ripper tour (creepy!)

Sample authentic English scones and crumpets

Discover a dead body

What begins as a holiday trip for amateur sleuth and cooking aficionado Sadie Hoffmiller and her daughter, Breanna, turns into a bizarre mystery when they discover a dead body in the sitting room of an English manor. Breanna's boyfriend, Liam, is heir to both the family title and the family estate of Southgate, where everyone seems to have a secret . . . or two. When the body in the sitting room disappears, Sadie and Breanna are stranded at the estate until the police can clear them to leave. With their departure delayed, they might as well solve the murder. Armed with a jogging whistle, her personal recipe collection, and an unfailing sense of American justice, Sadie begins her own investigation to find the killer. But as Sadie uncovers layer after layer of misdirection, secrets, and outright lies, she wonders if anyone is telling the truth or if the case is really as hopeless as it appears to be. Take a missing family history, toss in a secret romance, mix with a mysterious murder, and this is one vacation Sadie will never forget.

For this second time around I felt it a bit more cheesy. Like our dear slueth was more annoying than anything, in the first one with it being her friend in her neighborhood it seemed right for her to snoop, but in this case she just came off a bit more pushy to me.

I did however still enjoy this mystery. I had it figured out pretty quick, though I had the motive all wrong. :)

I even tried one of the recipes in this book and it turned out great! I plan to try another before giving the book back to my mother.

Once again, if you are looking for a good clean mystery, this is a good series.

Faith of our Fathers - A House Divided

For some reason I can't find the backcover teaser for this anywhere, so I'll tell you a bit what it's about.
taking place just before and at the beginning of the Civil War we follow a few different families (good thing there is a character chart at the biginning in case you get confused with who belongs to which family) and their lives as this occurs. From the wealthy plantation owner and their slaves and rogue son who moved out west after joining the Mormon church and a botched attempted to free the slaves he considers family, to the Boston abolitionist family who's daughter dresses as a boy to get the scoop around town for her newspaper column. The war is approaching and Everyones lives are going to change forever.

How was that for a synopsis? good? Well I found the book wonderful. It's a series and completely leaves you hanging at the end. The books clearly do not stand alone like fantasy series usually do, so I guess I just need to get ahold of the other books to read.

The book was clean and entertaining and very educational as I realize I know very little about the Civil War. I loved the real quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Gives a real sense of the feelings and tensions during this time. Check it out!

Lemon Tart

5 families living on Peregrine Circle
1 flowered curtain tieback
1 missing child
1 body in the field
Mix with a long list of suspects and top with two very different detectives. Increase heat until only the truth remains.

Award-winning author Josi S. Kilpack introduces a new series of culinary "cozies" that is sure to tantalize mystery lovers. In this debut volume, cooking aficionado-turned-amateur detective, Sadie Hoffmiller, tries to solve the murder of Anne Lemmon, her beautiful young neighbor - a single mother who was mysteriously killed while a lemon tart was baking in her oven. At the heart of Sadie's search is Anne's missing two-year-old son, Trevor. Whoever took the child must be the murderer, but Sadie is certain that the police are looking at all the wrong suspects - including her!

Armed with a handful of her very best culinary masterpieces, Sadie is determined to bake her way to proving her innocence, rescuing Trevor, and finding out exactly who had a motive for murder.(goodreads)

May sound a bit funny for a middle age home maker to solve mysteries, and to be honest I had my doubts, but the characters were likable, or unlikable, the setting realistic, the emotions true, and the mystery intriguing. I enjoyed it a great deal even if it was a bit cheesey. I was patting myself on the back for thinking I had it all figured out early on in the book only to be proven wrong. lots of fun twists to keep you wondering. Since this is a series, I need to go borrow the next one from my mom. :)

Water for Elephants

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell." Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive "ship of fools." It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival. (goodreads)

Sounds good doesn't it? I picked this book up because we were reading it for the Gingerscraps bookclub this month. Unfortunately the person that suggested it didn't mention the swearing and graphic detail of things that a hint is all that is needed. I got a thrid through the book thinking I could skip the undesirable parts but soon realized it was unavoidable and I closed the book for good.

I believe the story is good and am going to have someone from the book club tell me what happens. This is in the works of becoming a movie and I think it may be likely I'll have to pass on that also. We'll have to see. So read at your own risk, details extremely dirty for sensative ears like mine. :)

Ithaka

Many years have passed since the end of the Trojan War, and Penelope is still waiting for her husband, Odysseus, to return home. The city of Ithaka is overrun with uncouth suitors from the surrounding islands who are vying to win Penelope's hand in marriage, thereby gaining control of the land. When a naked, half-drowned man washes up on the beach, everything changes. . . .

Told through the eyes of Klymene, a young girl who is like a daughter to Penelope--and who longs for more than friendship from the young prince Telemachus--Ithaka captures the quiet strength and patience of a woman's enduring love for her husband and the ensuing chaos that threatens all as Penelope is pressured to remarry.
(goodreads)

Mythology has always interested me, of course this includes the great story of Odysseus. How could I resist the chance to read about the lands and amazingly loyal woman he left behind.

The story was good. Strength, weakness, love, betrayal. I found this story in the young adult fiction section, but it is not a book for the young. There is quite a bit of descriptive love making and violence. Not as much as a full blown romance novel, but more than I would suggest to even the teen age. Just my opinion. I do however plan to read her first novel, Troy, because I did find the story pretty interesting.

Murkmere

Aggie's life in the village is as normal and dull as any girl's; she has never questioned the rule of the Ministration or the power of the divine beings-the birds. Then, the crippled master of the nearby manor, Murkmere, sends for Aggie to become a lady's companion to his ward, Leah. Aggie accepts and even starts to befriend the wild and strange girl who seems to want nothing but to escape Murkmere and its powermongering steward, Silas. As preparations begin for the ball celebrating Leah's sixteenth birthday, Aggie finds herself further and further enmeshed in the sinister plots that surround Murkmere, Leah, and the mysterious Master. Suspenseful and haunting, Murkmere pulls the reader into an unforgettable world between history and myth.(goodreads)

This was an interesting find. It was a bit on the dark side perhaps that's what made it so enthralling. Keeps you wondering through the whole book. I enjoyed it.

The Silver Bullet

Sorry no one else has a write up for this so you'll get just me. This is one of those books I randomly pulled off the shelf.

John Luckless is a soldier in the red coat army. To his great surprise he is chosen to to take a special message through enemy lines to the General in New York. He proves to be very lucky as he survives one danger after another, learning much about both sides of the war and his part in it.

The story itself was pretty good, the way it was written was a bit lacking. I wish I could express myself more clearly but the style came off as the kind of book you'd be forced to read at school and even though exciting things are happening, you care little for the characters or what happens to them. I did enjoy the last few chapters more than the others.

After being imprisoned in a tower, a princess and her serving maid at last escape to find a changed world and danger at every turn.

That was a vague description huh? Well first of all have I mentioned I LOVE Shannon Hale? A couple hundred times? oh well let me say it again. I LOVE Shannon Hale!

Okay on to this book. First of all I got what my husband called "out of control" with this book. It's not a large book the kind I usually finish in a week, but I put off doing things I should have and read it in 2 days. It's a journal written by the lady's maid. It takes place in an oriental type landscape and traditions. It was wonderful. Obviously I never wanted to put it down. I want this girl as my friend and I fell in love with the Khan. What an amazing story taken from a vague Grimm Brother's story.

I think from now on I'll do the books quotes under the book review. That would make more sense huh?


"Mama used to say, you have to know someone a thousand days before you can glimpse her soul."
— Shannon Hale (Book of a Thousand Days)

"You're better than seven years of food. You're better than windows. You're even better than the sky."
— Shannon Hale (Book of a Thousand Days)

"Sometimes my fancy gets to floating inside me, threatening to carry me away like a leaf on a wind. Better to be a stone."
— Shannon Hale (Book of a Thousand Days)

"I let my head fall back, and I gazed into the Eternal Blue Sky. It was morning. Some of the sky was yellow, some the softest blue. One small cloud scuttled along. Strange how everything below can be such death and chaos and pain while above the sky is peace, sweet blue gentleness. I heard a shaman say once, the Ancestors want our souls to be like the blue sky."
— Shannon Hale (Book of a Thousand Days)

"They weren't nice words he said. He could've lived a good life and died never having made a person feel rubbed down to bones and too sad to hold together. "
— Shannon Hale (Book of a Thousand Days)

Fablehaven: Key to the Demon Prison

Since ancient times, the great demon prison Zzyzx has protected the world from the most dangerous servants of darkness, including Gorgrog, the Demon King. After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx is on the verge of recovering the five artifacts necessary to open the legendary prison. Facing the potential of a world-ending calamity, all friends of light must unite in a final effort to thwart the Sphinx s designs and find a safe home for the five artifacts. To this end, Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn will venture far beyond the walls of Fablehaven to strange and exotic magical preserves across the globe, where the end of every quest becomes the beginning of another. In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate struggle to control the keys to the demon prison.

Another great series all done. :( The book was great! Jumped right into the action. More fun magical creatures and cool skills. I just wish I had read the previous books again before I read this one, my memory isn't as good as it once was. Sometime I'll read these all back to back now that they are all written. If you havn't picked up the Fablehaven series yet what are you waiting for? Do ya just hate fairies? Is that too girly for you, what about giant warrior fairies? trolls? demons? When Jaden gets old enough for me to read him chapter books to him I so want to read him these. Hmm may have to wait a bit, they could be a bit scary for a 2 yr old.

The Last Olympian

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows.

While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.

In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

Are you ever sad when you come to the end of a series because it means it's all over, you won't be reading about these exciting people anymore? I feel that way a lot and certainly did at the end of this series. I read them all so quickly it sometimes seems like it was all one book. This last one held up to excitement as the whole book takes place in just a couple days. Things we've only guessed at (guessed correctly, it really wasn't THAT difficult to figure out) are now made clear.

I loved the whole series. Lots of excitement, adventure, and of course monsters. With the hint of romance. Not too much, after all they are just 15 even if they are heros. If you haven't thought to read these yet I suggest you do.

The Sea of Monsters

After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson is finding his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson, a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any normal friends. But things don't stay quiet for long.

Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders that protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia. Only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name: The Bermuda Triangle.

Together with his friends, Percy must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family, one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke. (goodreads)

Gosh I love how clever these are. Perhaps it's because I've always loved mythology so the references are especially amusing to me.

Anyhow, this book was even better than the first. The plot thickens as it were. surprises all along the way with the biggest at the end. I love a good sea quest don't you? and you know the son of the sea god should have an awesome one for sure! I was hoping for a few more showing water skills from Percy what with being in the oecan and all, but it was all good.

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves. (goodreads)

Significantly different from the movie. I can see why some things were changed and in some ways a few of them were for the better. (for a movie I mean) The actual plot in the book is much more interesting. The movie's way of go her then her then here reminded me a lot of Dora the Explorer. The book however gives you much more plot (of course). I did enjoy the movie though. The books however have sucked me in and I continue to blow through them like a storm. They are difficult to put down.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.”

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

This book was adorable! I'll admit after the first two letters I was like "what? This doesn't make any sense." but keep going cause it will. Having the book written just in letters made it very personal in a way. It often made me giggle and sometimes right out laugh! The ending was especially dilectable. Read it and love it! That's all I have to say.