Sun & Moon, Ice and Snow

Blessed—or cursed—with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she’s known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn’t hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servents. Only a grueling journey on the backs of the four winds will reveal the truth: the bear is really a prince who’s been enchanted by a troll queen, and the Lass must come up with a way to free him before he’s forced to marry a troll princess. (goodreads.com)

I loved my first book I read of Jessica Day George and was certainly not disappointed by this one. Beautiful rendition of East of the Wind West of the Moon, & beauty and the beast. The story was familiar but she kept it fresh and exciting. It's a beautiful story and I'm sure any girl would love love LOVE it!

Outcast - Dragon Secrets

After learning how his powerlessness can be used as a weapon in the world of magic and defeating Nicodemus's plan to overthrow the government, Timothy travels to a war-torn dimension to help the Wurm, fierce magicians and warriors descended from an ancient dragon race. But while covertly gathering information on the age-old feud between the bloodthirsty Wurm and the Parliament of Mages, Timothy discovers a very different story -- one of peaceful Wurms and a conspiracy led by the Parliament of Mages.
But that's not the only problem on Timothy's hands. The mysterious girl he spotted in SkyHaven is the granddaughter of Nicodemus, and she's challenging Leander's right to be Grandmaster of the Order of Alhazred. And despite Nicodemus's death, mages are still disappearing...and this time someone is painting Timothy as the villain. (goodreads)

The second installment of the Outcast series managed to be just as good as the first! Often the newness of the scenery wears off and things feel redundunt with some series, but the description of the beautiful yet eerie parliment building as well as the dark and closed in magical prison under the sea. And of course the visit to the Wurm world was also new and interesting.

Timothy and Leander continue to grow and learn more about themselves and the mages Leander had held with such respect for so long. The addition of Cassandra will surely add more drama later, but she still remains a bit mysterious. There's a few more mysteries left for more books also, such as the evil master that seems to be giving directions to all our villains.

It's an easy read, but a good one. Wonderful Magical world.

Quote - Frankenstein

"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that a man is who believes his native town is the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow."

Dr. Frankenstein
Frankenstein, 1818
Mary Shelly

Atherton - The House of Power

From the creator of The Land of Elyon comes a riveting adventure set in an extraordinary satellite world--created as a refuge from a dying Earth--that begins to collapse and forever change the lives of its inhabitants. Edgar, a gifted climber, is a lonely boy scaling the perilous cliffs that separate the three realms of Atherton: a humble fig grove; a mysterious highland world of untold beauty and sinister secrets; and a vast wasteland where he must confront an unspeakable danger that could destroy the people of Atherton. When Edgar discovers a book which contains the history of Atherton's origins and ultimate apocalypse, his world--quite literally--begins to turn inside out. (goodreads)

Fascinating! I've read a great deal of "Utopian Society" books and this one is quite satisfying along those lines. A whole world created, people and animals hand selected by the worlds creator who happened to turn out to be a mad scientist. Memories of their previous lives wiped away. Society divided into the workers and the thinkers. The workers tended to the grove and herds to feed the planet while the thinkers controlled the water supply to keep those below them in line. Seperated by a gigantic cliff. How very clever! I love the characters, the loner hero that finds himself making friends, the tag along young girl, the corrupt head of the entire planet, the mysterious Dr. Kincaid, and of course the mad Dr. Harding who created the world of Atherton. The whole thing is brilliant.

I hadn't realized when I picked the book up that it was a series, but now I can't wait to read more and find out what happens to this planet and the fascinating people on it.

Quote - Motherhood

"There is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood. . . What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else. "

— M. Russell Ballard

Sword

On the morning of Miu Miu's fifteenth birthday, her mother makes a startling revelation: Miu Miu's fate is to travel to the faraway city of Chang'an, avenge her father's death, and find her true love. But the evil emperor has other plans for her. Defeating him will take all of Miu Miu's courage, wit, and martial arts experience.
Master storyteller Da Chen paints a vivid portrait of his native land in this classic tale of honor, adventure, and romance in ancient China. (goodreads)

This book was fantastic! I don't know many Chinese stories, but most that I do know have a good and wise emperor, makes sense though that at times the emperor was indeed evil. I loved the description of her kung fu fighting and would love to see what a real kung fu master could do in real life, ya know without the magic of story telling.

Anyway this story is full of surprises and certainly does not end as one would think a good honorable chinese story would, but then again, it is a "forbidden book" I loved Da Chen's storytelling and would love to read more by him also.

Outcast the unmagician

Arcanum is a society completely based on magic. Hidden away since birth by his father, a powerful mage, Timothy is found by his father's former apprentice, Leander, after the man's death. Though the boy is unable to use magic, he does have some amazing skills, including nullifying enchantments with his touch and building virtually anything mechanical. Timothy is brought into the world of mages, where his mere presence arouses fear and suspicion, and he must determine who is his friend and who is using him. The first part of the book is confusing because the point of view switches often between Timothy and Leander and their voices are similar. Character development is sketchy. Despite these issues, the premise is clever, and the authors have created a unique story filled with adventure.–Tasha Saecker, Caestecker Public Library, Green Lake, WI

I found the magical world of this book different from those I've read in the past and it sounds truly beautiful. A bit predictable in some parts, but not too much so. I enjoyed Timothy's character as well as those of his friends. All who caught on astonishingly well considering most of them spent their entire lives on an interdimensional tropical island.

The story was unique enough that I am going to look into the sequal. Good clean with some magical violence, I have no problem recommending it for all ages, though would probably be most interesting to those around 10-14.

Quote - Pregnant

Being pregnant is an occupational hazard of being a wife.
~Queen Victoria

Being slightly paranoid is like being slightly pregnant - it tends to get worse.
~Molly Ivins

The Secret Prince

During a long-ago battle the king was killed, and his powerful amulet, which protects the kingdom from harm, was lost. Then Kelhadden fell to Ranulf, a cruel Northman, under whose regime the people are dying and the city is deteriorating. Now the only hope is that the true prince of Kelhadden will come forward, recover the amulet, and take back the kingdom.
Born on the night of the red sky, Thorn is taken in by the old warrior Morwid, former counselor to the murdered king and keeper of the all-knowing Book of Ancients. Thorn knows nothing of his background until his twelfth summer, when he learns it is he who must undertake the dangerous quest for the lost amulet. Though Morwid has taught Thorn many useful skills, the tasks that lie before him seem nearly impossibe. But with the help of two remarkable companions, Thorn embarks on a journey to save the kingdom, and in the process reveals deep family secrets, leading him to his rightful place in the world.
The Secret Prince is an exhilarating story filled with enchantment, high adventure, and surprises that will leave readers breathless. (goodreads)

I thought the book kinda went a little slow, not sure why, but it was full of some unexpected surprises that I liked a lot. Good adventure story.

Dragon Slippers

Creel, the heroine of Dragon Slippers is hardly a damsel-in-distress. After her aunt totes her out to the local dragon in desperation (with the hope that the local prince will rescue her from certain death and marry her), Creel refuses the haughty prince and finds friendship with the dragons, who set her on a journey to the center of the kingdom with a pretty pair of what only seem to be ordinary slippers. Along the way we discover Creel's enormous talent at embroidery, and you can't help but linger over the rich descriptions of her lovely tapestry-like gowns, which quickly make her the most sought-after dressmaker in the kingdom. But soon enough those mysterious slippers begin to wreak havoc, and it's up to Creel to save the kingdom from disaster and defend the dragons from certain doom. Creel's feisty spirit breathes fiery new life into this epic world at every turn, making this one of the most memorable and fun fantasy debuts to hit shelves since Cornelia Funke's Inkheart. (goodreads)

This was a fabulous book! One of my favs. The characters were well developed and the story was right up my alley with princes, princesses, dragons, and more than ordinary peasant girls. Fantastic! It's a quick read for an adult, but still worth it if you ask me. It's also great for your younger girls or even boys that love a good dragon story. I'm looking into more books by this fabulous author, who happens to live not to far from me. Huh.