Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

Another book club read from awhile ago. A story about three orphans growing up in a home without any money. They go to a ballet school and look forward to turning 12 so they can get jobs and earn money.

I was excited to read this classic, especially since it's famously referenced in one of my favorite movies (You've Got Mail), but I was a little disappointed. It was kind of a boring book. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, but the story cycled through the different jobs the girls were able to get and how they could cope with limited funds.

3 stars

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Let me start by saying how much I adore this movie!! I've made my husband watch it with me once or twice and it was fun to watch him squirm in the girly parts. I love it in all it's cheesy glory.

Now, moving on to the book, which is a completely different beast. Ella Enchanted in it's literary form is far more serious than it's movie counterpart. It still has lighthearted, silly moments, but Ella's struggles are more severe. She is under a fairy curse that makes her obedient to whatever anyone tells her to do. Her spiteful stepsister discovers this weakness and exploits it, making Ella do things like give up her deceased mother's necklace and end her relationship with her best friend. Ella eventually gets herself out of those situations by running away from the boarding school she attends with her stepsisters. She heads off in search of the fairy who gave her this "gift;" on her journey she gets captured by ogres, runs into long-time friend Prince Char, and with his help, manages to avoid becoming dinner. Ella in the book is far more empowered and strong than her movie self. She solves her own problems and makes hard choices. The final conflict in the movie where Ella is battling internally trying to defy an order to kill Char doesn't happen. Instead, a less dramatic scene occurs where Ella has the same internal struggle that leads to her breaking the curse, but it is over whether or not she will marry Prince Char. Not quite as exciting as how the movie does it, but the same ending is accomplished: Ella and the prince live happily ever after.

I very much enjoyed this book. More serious than the movie, but still a lot of fun. Though, I think I might like the movie better. You can't get better than cheesy, all-cast musical numbers. Dancing ogres? Yes, please!

4 out of 5 stars

The Beyonders series by Brandon Mull

Jason and Rachel, middle-school-aged strangers from Washington and Colorado, find themselves in a mysterious new world, Lyrian. They learn that they have been summoned as heroes with the potential to save Lyrian, which has nearly been conquered by ruthless Emperor Maldor. Feeling under-qualified and far from anyone's hero, Jason and Rachel embark on a perilous quest that could either lead to their own destruction or save the world.

I very much enjoyed this adventure. I love Brandon Mull's Fablehaven books; Beyonders is similar in the fantasy and magic but written for a slightly more mature audience, which I liked. Throughout the series I was somewhat skeptical of how Jason, a completely average 13-year old kid, could save Lyrian; it seemed a little far-fetched. However, by the end, I was won over and actually inspired by how a normal, even unremarkable, person can effect change for the better. It doesn't take a powerful person to have a positive impact on the world around them. This should be a lesson for everyone to not sit idly through life; take a stand and change your world for the better! Anywho, I'll get off my soapbox, but I liked how Mull's characters were relatable, everyday people who have the courage to do what's right. Really the only negative I have with these books is about the pace of the story, which seemed to drag at times. Overall, fun, adventurous stories that both kids and adults will enjoy!

4 out of 5 stars

The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

If you've read the Percy Jackson series and enjoyed it, you'll definitely like The Heroes of Olympus. This series picks up not too far after the Percy Jackson series ends; the gods are at war with their two selves, their Greek against their Roman aspects. We are introduced to an entirely new Roman camp of demigods that has been kept secret from the Greek Camp Half-Blood, due to the Greeks' and Romans' inability to get along. The ancient Gaea, aka Mother Earth, is awakening and seeks to control the world. In order to heal the gods and thwart Gaea's rise to power, the Greek and Roman demigods must learn to work together.

Lots of action, humor, and fascinating mythology. I really enjoyed these books and loved the characters. I've always liked Greek mythology and I love how these books help teach old stories to a new generation of readers in such a fun way. I've seen that Rick Riordan has also written a series that goes into Egyptian mythology, which I know hardly anything about but think would be absolutely fascinating to read. They're called the Kane Chronicles, if anyone wants to go look them up. Overall I can definitely recommend this fun series!!

4.5 out of 5 stars

Dangerous by Shannon Hale

I am currently experiencing an extremely rare moment when my newborn and my toddler are asleep at the same time. Highly unusual because my toddler doesn't nap anymore (man, grocery shopping really wiped her out today!) and my newborn rarely sleeps anywhere but my arms, so this post will be quick.

Just finished this new book by Shannon Hale, my favorite author, this morning. Quite different from anything else she's done but as usual it was very entertaining. Dangerous stars a girl named Maisey Danger Brown, an intelligent home-schooled girl with only one arm who wins a trip to an astronaut camp from a contest off the back of a cereal box. Camp turns out to be something more than the standard, and she and 4 others are gifted with supernatural powers, intended for them to save the world from an alien invasion.

Yes, very different from Hale's typical fairy tale, happily ever after stories. Lots of action and plot twists. I was engaged for the entire ride. Definitely recommend!

4 out of 5 stars

The Giver by Lois Lowry

I'm not sure how I've gone my whole life without reading this book. Most people read it in elementary or middle school, but somehow I missed it.

**spoiler warning--I figure most people have read this book, but if you haven't and don't want to know the ending, you probably shouldn't read this post**

The Giver is a dystopian children's novel about a boy named Jonas. In his society, there are no emotions, good or bad, and it is set far in the future. Everyone is pretty much the same and everything is controlled. There is no color, no snow, no hills, no hot or cold. There is one person in the society who holds all the memories of these kinds of things and he is called the Receiver. Jonas is called to be the new receiver and is slowly given memories from the old receiver, who he calls the giver. They come up with a plan to change their society so one person wouldn't have to hold all the pain and memories for everyone else. Jonas escapes the society to give the people a chance to experience the memories for themselves. The story ends super ambiguously with Jonas weak and cold and climbing a big mountain searching for another civilization.

When I finished the book I was mad at how unclear the ending was. What happened to Jonas? Did he find people? Did their plan work? Or did he die there on the mountain? He was freezing, starving, and in the middle of nowhere. I'm inclined to believe that Jonas died up there, still believing that he was close to a new life.

What do you think the ending meant?

4 out of 5 stars

Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage

I've recently joined a new book club. I haven't actually been able to attend any of the meetings yet but I'm trying to read the books anyway. One of these months I'm convinced I'll be able to make it. Two months ago the assigned book was "Magyk" by Angie Sage. Little did I know that I was checking out the first of seven books in the series. If I'd known it would be such a commitment I'm not sure I would have taken the plunge.

How does one sum up an entire 7-book series?? I'm not so sure I'm up to the task but I'll do my best. The series has been compared to Harry Potter, targeted toward children and young adults, but aside from magic, I don't think they have much else in common. Septimus Heap is the seventh son of a seventh son, which, in the magical world, is very rare and means he is born with great magical power. As an infant he was stolen from his parents by agents of an evil and powerful magician, intended to become a dark apprentice, but through a mix-up, ended up in an army for kids with no knowledge of his true identity. The story brings him back to his family ten years later and Septimus begins his study of magic as the apprentice to the top wizard, Marcia Overstrand. Throughout the books Septimus fights evil alongside his adoptive sister, Princess Jenna (heir to the throne), best friend Beetle, and several of his Heap brothers.

Some of the books in this series were really good, others were kind of lame. One major problem I had with the series as a whole was that there was no overarching theme, dilemma, or objective to tie all seven books together. They could be grouped in pairs, trios, and singles: books 1+2, books 3+4+5, book 6, book 7. I think it desperately needed something to unify the series. In Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort pops up everywhere to create an epic battle at the end, culminating the efforts of the previous 6 books. Lord of the Rings has evil Lord Sauron and the Ring to keep the heroes busy throughout the trilogy. A series of this length needs something to unify the story, and poor Septimus just didn't have it.

Also I felt that the author went on a lot of boring and useless tangents. I had to skim read a lot, which I hate because it wastes my time. I shouldn't have to skim to get to the good parts. It's annoying.

I thought the characters were really fun. I loved Septimus and his best friend Beetle. By book 7 I had a little girl crush on Beetle. He's adorable. I liked how magic was presented and that it was different from HP.

Overall I enjoyed the series but there were definitely some flaws. Perhaps it would be enjoyed more by kids.  This was a fun read but long, so only start if you're willing to see it through. Starts a little slow but it picks up as you go.

3 out of 5 stars

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Ahh, the perfect, light-hearted thing to read after a depressing WW2 book full of death and suffering. Flipped is about 2 kids who live across the street from each other, Juli and Bryce. Since the day Bryce's family moved in when they were about 6 years old, Juli has been in love. Something about his beautiful eyes made her swoon and forget her senses. So for years, until they hit middle school, Juli is on the offensive trying to be with Bryce as much as she can. Problem is, Bryce thinks she's a freak and doesn't want anything to do with her. Juli is oblivious to his cold shoulder and idolizes him for years. As she grows up a bit she starts to realize he may not be all she thought he was cracked up to be. Of course, this is about the time when Bryce realizes that Juli isn't exactly what he thought she was either and now has to convince her that he is a good guy, worthy of her attention.

This was a sweet, simple and silly story that took me back to elementary and middle school and all the crushes I had on boys. Only, unlike Juli, I was always too scared of the boys I liked to talk to them at all. I would pine for them from afar. It was fun to remember those days and the change in my literary repertoire was welcome. I finished in about a day and it was the perfect reprieve from overly serious stories.

3 out of 5 stars

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 This is the final (for now) installment of my series of World War 2 related books. After reading The Book Thief, I've decided I really need a break. Not that I didn't enjoy the story, it was just much heavier than I had anticipated. In my search for pictures of the cover I learned that yet another recently read book is being made into a movie. The Book Thief is set to release in January of 2014, according to IMDB. The cover picture to the left is the one that was on the copy that I read, but I found the picture below and really liked it and decided it must be included.

The Book Thief was an interesting book. It was narrated by Death, which I thought was a unique perspective, and it turns out that Death has a sense of humor. So Death takes us around Nazi Germany and showcases various stories, mostly focusing on a little girl named Liesel who is sent to live with foster parents after losing her family. In time her new family offers a hiding place to a young Jewish man in their basement. Amidst the stress and horror of her life during the war, Liesel finds comfort in books and reading and she begins to steal literature where she can, whether that be a graveyard, a bonfire, or even an old lady's house.


It's hard to really say what this book is about since the storyline is interrupted so many times by side stories and glimpses into the future or past. Death kept giving away the endings to characters and I felt that really took away from my interest. I had a bit of a difficult time getting into the story, mostly because of the way it was narrated. I like the uniqueness a story told by Death, but to be honest it wasn't gripping enough to make me fall in love with any of the characters. My favorite character was Rudy, the boy who lives next door to Liesel, but unfortunately I didn't get the story I wanted out of him. I think the thing that put me off the most was the ending: it was horribly depressing. Not that it wasn't probably the most realistic of endings considering the time period, but still depressing.

Overall I would recommend The Book Thief, but don't expect a happy, feel-good story.

3.5 stars out of 5

On Becoming Babywise

So it's been months since I've posted any book reviews, primarily because I haven't read anything. This is due to the recent addition to my little family of a beautiful baby girl named Sadie. She is my pride and joy. Chris and I have been adjusting to becoming parents; the hardest part has been the lack of sleep and trying to figure out what her cries mean and how to stop them. After the first few weeks we were exhausted and my sister-in-law Allison recommended we read this book, On Becoming Babywise. I devoured the whole book in 2 days. What I got out of the book was that I should implement a 3-hour schedule consisting of sleep, eat, and play. Many people get the order wrong and do eat, sleep, play, which eventually creates a dependence to eat before falling asleep. So we have been doing this 3 hour schedule for 6 or 7 weeks now and it has really helped organize our lives. Sadie knows what to expect of her day and that has helped transition to sleeping longer at night. She is 11 weeks old and last night slept for 7 hours! The night before she did 6, before that did 4 then 3, before that another 6... so she has been doing FANTASTIC this last week or so. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this pattern will continue because I cannot say how much better I feel after 7 straight hours than 3+2+2. I definitely would recommend this book. I don't think any method can be a cure-all for sleep problems but Babywise really helped add some predictability to our lives which made everyone happier.

5 out of 5 stars

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Over the holidays I spent one night at my brother and sister in law's home. While our husbands were off playing basketball, Lori and I started talking about some of our favorite books and she asked if I've read anything by Shannon Hale. Well, I got pretty excited at that point because I LOVE Shannon Hale's books, at least the 5 that I've read (all of which can be found reviewed on this blog). She loans me her copy of Princess Academy since I haven't read it yet and I finish it within about a day and a half.

Princess Academy is about a little girl named Miri who lives in a mountain village, Mount Eskel, where everyone works in the quarry mining a special type of rock called linder. When the king's priests prophesy that the future princess will come from Mount Eskel, an obscure corner of the kingdom, an academy is set up to prepare the girls of this village to potentially become princesses. Not all of the girls want to become a princess but all are forced to work hard to refine their habits so when the prince comes to choose his bride in a year's time they will be ready.

Like all of Shannon Hales books, I quickly fell in love with her characters, especially Miri, who is a real spunky and spitfire of a girl. She grows up quite a bit during the course of this story, making up for her small size and inability to work in the quarry like everyone else by using her brain to improve the quality of life of those in her village and saving the lives of her peers at the academy from bandits. This wasn't really as good as Hales' other stories, but she still was able to weave a charming new world with believable characters. I even cried once or twice. :) Definitely would recommend this book!

3.5 out of 5 stars

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

This book was recommended to me per my ward's book club list. When I started reading I realized that I have read this book before, once upon a time in my youth. I used to love Jerry Spinelli's books growing up, especially Maniac McGee. I thought his books were fun. So rereading this book was a pretty interesting experience since it's been so many years I'd forgotten most of what happened.

Stargirl is a beautiful story about a girl who, after being home schooled all her life, starts 10th grade at Mica High School in Arizona, a school where conformity is the way of life. She is unlike anyone the school has ever seen; she sings to people on her ukulele, wears pioneer dresses, and performs random acts of kindness everywhere she goes. She messes up the delicate social balance of the school and her fellow students come to hate her for who she is. The story is being told from the viewpoint of Leo, who finds himself head over heels in love with Stargirl, though he isn't always brave enough to be her boyfriend.

This was a tender story that celebrates non-conformity and I think everyone should read it. At the end Stargirl's family moves and Leo never sees her again, at least not within the 15 years of him telling the story. I like to think that Leo does meet up with her again and that he is strong enough to be proud of who she is and love her unconditionally.

Great book, especially for those who are in the insecure growing up stage of life. Every middle schooler particularly should read this book.

4 out of 5 stars

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

So! I just read the Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. It was funny and new, but I was a little confused through out the story. Turns out this is a "middle" book. It is a "Discworld" book and there are some 37 or so books in the Discworld series. Within Discworld there are 4 books about a girl named Tiffany Aching. I think The Wee Free Men is book 2... but I'm not sure exactly. Like I said, I got a little confused.

But from what I understood from the story and the characters, The Wee Free Men is about a girl named Tiffany who lives in the country of chalk on a sheep farm. Turns out little Tiffany has the makings of a witch! The evil queen of Fairyland kidnaps Tiffany's little brother and Tiffany goes off to rescue him. Along the way she meets the Nac Mac Feegle, aka the Wee Free Men, who are 6-inch blue men who like to drink, steal, fight and speak like Scotsmen. They are definitely the funny part of the story! Together Tiffany and the Wee Free men fight their way into and through Fairyland to find her baby brother and return home. The confusing part of the story is in Fairyland because the landscape keeps changing and they keep entering these crazy dreams that I found hard to follow.

This definitely wasn't a gripping book, but it was fun and interesting enough. I have the next book in the series checked out from the library but I haven't decided if I'll read it yet.

3 out of 5 stars

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

I finished reading The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull (author of Fablehaven) yesterday and am not feeling jazzed to write about it like I usually am when I finish a book. I found The Candy Shop War to be a fun and easy read but overall it lacked that special something to keep me fully engaged in the entire story.

The story starts by introducing the reader to four 10-year-old kids: Nate, Trevor, Summer, and Pigeon. They go by a new candy shop in town and become acquainted with the owner, Mrs White, who begins to solicit their help in doing odd jobs in exchange for magic candy that gives you special powers while eating it. The kids love this new candy and agree to do some jobs for her, but eventually Mrs White asks them to do things that become increasingly more sketchy all in the name of trying to find a certain treasure. The kids realize that she's dangerous and get help from another candy man in town, who turns out is also magical and also after this treasure. The kids are caught in the middle of this race to find a treasure and are forced to be rather creative in how they get out of trouble. Things all work themselves out in the end.

I guess technically there wasn't anything wrong with the book, I just had a hard time sticking with it because I felt it was geared toward a very young age group. With the Fablehaven books, even though they were written for kids, as an adult they gripped my attention from the very beginning. The Candy Shop War was a little too simplistic and predictable, but still a fun and easy read. My 9-year-old nephew Tyson enjoyed the book, if that's any indication. Overall, a light and easy read with some clever conflict-resolution scenarios dispersed throughout the story. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone under the age of 14 but not necessarily to other adults.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

I've been putting off this post for a little while because I wanted to write about all of the books together, but then I realized that this might mean a really long post and I've never been particularly long winded, so I'll do my best. These books were recommended to me by several people, the latest being my sister Teresa and brother-in-law Frank. The author, Brandon Mull, was actually on of Frank's roommates at BYU, which I think is funny because he also knows Stephenie Meyer from his home ward in Arizona. I guess Frank just has awesome connections to people who write books that I really like! Moving right along, the Fablehaven series was SOOOO GOOD!!!! I recommend it to everyone; I absolutely loved it.

Book 1: Fablehaven

Fablehaven sucked me in right away and I quickly fell in love with the two main characters, 14-year-old Kendra and 12?-year-old Seth. They are fun, real kids who actually act like siblings. Their banter is very entertaining. The world that is set up in such a beautiful way and I was so quickly drawn in. In this story Kendra and Seth discover the secret world of magical creatures that live around them during their visit to their grandparents, who happen to be caretakers of the magical preserve Fablehaven. Fun first story!




Book 2: Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star

This was a step above the first book on the "exciting" scale. I feel like the first book could have stood on it's own as a single, fun book without any sequels. So I enjoyed how Book 2 brought you back into the story at the end of their school year to spend their summer break at Fablehaven. We start to experience what betrayal feels like by characters you think you can trust, which becomes a theme that the author tends to touch on quite a bit. Kendra and Seth do make some lasting relationships and encounter some creative difficulties in this second book, including surviving being eaten by a huge demon, finding an artifact, and destroying an evil revenent. Always good times!


Book 3: Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague

In this book the adventure and trials get stepped up again in intensity and excitement. The preserve is being taken over by a plague that is turning all the creatures dark/evil. In this book we get to know a greater variety of the kinds of creatures that live on the preserve. And just so we're all clear, the centaurs are total jerks! I would not want to have anything to do with them. The satyrs are fun; highly immature and add a lot of spunk to the story. They help lighten the mood when things get too serious. Seth and a character named Warren also have fabulous senses of humor. Throughout their adventuring in the last couple books Kendra and Seth have acquired some new and useful abilities that help them save the preserve from the source of evil that is threatening to take over. Of course they save the day while meeting more fun and exciting characters along the way. Fun story! Oh, and Kendra totally meets a cute boy in this book who we quickly fall in love with. At least I did, but then I'm a total sucker for adolescent romance.

Book 4: Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

Again, a large step up in excitement from the last story. You can feel the tension growing as you get a feel of what they need to accomplish before the end of the series in Book 5. Getting an idea of the overall purpose behind the adventuring made it more intense for me. This book was definitely the most....I don't wanna say emotional but I guess it was in the sense that it toyed big time with your connections with the characters. Brandon Mull was very successful in making you fall in love with several particular characters so that you really come to care about their well being and how they relate to other characters. Because he was so successful in creating meaningful characters, the ending in this book REALLY pissed me off!!! I haven't been so angry from reading anything in years. In fact, it's possible that I have never been as angry as what happened at the end of this story. I'm still fuming, even though I know everything works itself out by the end of Book 5. But holy cow! I don't want to put in too many details here in case anyone who might happen to read this blog actually reads these books, but man, it was intense. So even though it made me really mad, there were some seriously creative and fun adventures in this story, including being kidnapped, escaping from vampires, and breaking into a dragon sanctuary to steal an artifact. Brandon Mull created such a crazy twist ending and again visited his theme of serious betrayal, which I suppose is safe to say what caused the emotional roller coaster I went through in the last couple chapters. I hope I'm not giving away too many details; I'd really hate to spoil the story for anyone...maybe if you read this and want to read Fablehaven take a break before reading so you can forget everything I wrote about the story.

Book 5: Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison

So in all the previous books Kendra and Seth and a bunch of others have been trying to collect 5 artifacts that serve as keys to the demon prison Zzyxz. A bad guy is trying to open the demon prison which would basically mean the end of the world cuz the demons would get out and slaughter everyone. So the good guys are trying to get the artifacts and make them safe to save the world from the demons. Basically in this book they fail to keep the artifacts safe and so now have to prepare for how to keep the world safe from the demons. There is an epic battle at the end, very exciting as should be expected. And there is also a new love interest in this story for Kendra! which I was very happy about. This guy is really cool and we like him a lot. The sap in me wishes that there had been more details about their budding romance, but I have to remind myself that these books were written for 10 to 12-year-old kids who have no desire to read about how Kendra and (I won't ruin the story for anyone by saying his name here) hold hands or how he puts his arm around her. But the story ends very well and the world doesn't get destroyed by demons. I definitely read this book in 3 days while simultaneously hanging out with my family. I had a really hard time putting it down at all. Captivating read!

Overall summary: Fablehaven is fabulous! I'm already considering buying all the books because I think I'll want to read them again. Plus I think Chris should read them and someday I'll read them to my kids. I think they're just as fun as Harry Potter and I have all of those books. I love adding to my library when I find truly entertaining (and clean!) literature. Everyone needs to read these stories!


Rating: 5 stars! (I rarely give 5 stars, so this must be big.)