Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry

I really enjoyed this book.  I loved her last book "The Amaranth Enchantment" and so I happily picked up this book.  I wasn't disappointed.   I couldn't put this book down.  It was about everything I love in a book.

Evie is interested in healing.  She helps with birthing babies and is intrigued by medicine and helping people get better.

She is from a small cozy villge.  Much happens in this story when a King comes to visit their village.

This book has adventure, snakes, Princesses, kings, castles, and of course, romance.   It really is a great book.  I really enjoyed reading it!  BRAVO!

They Called Themselves the K.K.K. (The Birth of an American Terrorist Group) by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

I have been looking forward to this book for a long time.  Susan Campbell Bartoletti came to BYU's Symposium on Books for Young Readers.  She had talked of this book back then in July of 2009.  It took FOREVER to come out!!  I have read other books by Susan Campbell Bartoletti and I have loved them. 

This book didn't disappoint!  My son was wondering why was reading why I was reading about the K.K.K.  But, after mentioning what little I'd learned at that point (I wasn't too far into the book at that point.)  he is now on the waiting list to read it after his dad.  I like to buy her books because they are so filled with information.  I learned so much from her about this.  My eyes were opened and enlightened.  I feel she is fair in her information to all sides of the table.  I am glad to have read this book and can't wait to see what she'll write about next.

It's well worth your time!  Well worth the read!!!

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

This book is a Newberry Honor Book. I love this book. It is a story about Miri. Miri lives in the mountains with her sister, Marda, and her father. The people in her village work in a quarry. Her father won’t let Miri work there. She doesn’t feel useful with her family.

Then news from royalty comes that the prince will chose someone from Mount Eskel to be the princess. An academy is started to train the girls. There are many obstacles, dreams, surprises, learning, and hardships that happen in the academy and Miri misses her family.

This is an exciting adventure. I love Miri and love the romance that goes on in the book. I highly recommend this book.

Forest Born by Shannon Hale

This book is just as fantastic the other Bayern books.

Rin is Razo’s little sister. Rin lives in the forest with her mother and many brothers and their wives & children. She is very busy helping everyone.

Her mother is a great source of peace but she feels that her mother doesn’t know the real her. She has so many questions about herself. I love the way this books tells the story of Rin finding out more about herself.

The characters I love so much are back and even some unexpected characters surface. Rin is a favorite of mine. I really like her. This book is great!

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

On the acknowledgements page at the end of the book it says: "This story is based on the fairytale "Maid Maleen" as recorded by the Grimm brothers, though I took many liberties with the original in my quest to find Dashti's story."

This is a story about Dashti. Dashti is a mucker. She has a talent of singing and with that song she can heal. When she sings to a mistress to ease her aches, the mistress decides to train Dashti to be a maid for Lady Saren. So, Dashti learns to read, write, and care for her. It takes many months to just train.

So after her training, and barely becoming Lady Saren's maid, she goes to a very busy house and meets Lady Saran. Lady Saran right away makes her pledge to serve her.

Next, She finds out Lady Saren's father is going to lock her up into a tower for seven years because she would not marry the man her father had decided on for her. Lady Saren had another man in mind.

Dashti finds her self having to take care of Lady Saren in a cemented tower and writes it all in a book day by day. I couldn't help but want to keep reading this book. They have many adventures and I really liked discovering them for myself and I think you will too!

Loved this book, and I'd love to read it again.

River Secrets by Shannon Hale

This is a great book. I love the character of Razo. He is a fun, loving guy. This book follows him and what a fun adventure it is!

The Tiran people come and offer an exchange of people. A select few of the Bayern people will go to Tiran and another select few of the Tiran people will go to Bayern. This is done in hopes to promote peace among the two countries.

Razo finds himself among the group that goes to Tiran along with Enna, Finn and Talone. He wonders why. He doesn't think he has anything special about him. The people seem hostile and want war with his country. He discovers some things about himself he didn’t know about before.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of this book, it is great. I look forward to Forest Born on September 19, 2009 where the story can go on.

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

This book doesn't disappoint. It is adventurous, fun, romantic, and thought provoking. Enna is Isi's (Anni's) friend. Enna's brother finds a piece of vellum and learns how to use fire. He seems to change because of it and not in a good way.

Meanwhile, Isi is having a problem with the wind. It is very loud and her husband finds her a place that doesn't have as much wind that is low in the castle.

War is on the horizon with a country that wants to take back their land from many generations ago.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of this book. It is a delight. I had a hard time putting this book down. It is wonderful!

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

I am officially a Shannon Hale fan. This book was wonderful and I want more. Fortunately, there are more books about this same place called, "The Books of Bayern." I will be reading them.

I was hooked on his book by page 2. I recounted what had happened so far from page 2 to my husband. When I said it aloud I realized that everything was intriguing and so much happens even by page 2. I relished every word and couldn't put the book down.

Ani is born with her eyes closed. She doesn't open them until her Aunt comes and tells her stories in the middle of the night. She is close to her aunt and her Aunt teaches her many things and stories that come in handy later on in the story. I don't want to say too much because there's much to be discovered on your own.

I highly recommend this book and would love to read it again--if I didn't have more of her books to try.

Black Potatoes by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

I really liked this book. It seemed incredibly full of facts about this period of time. I have a deep respect for the Irish and all they’ve been through. I don’t know how people could ever survive amid such lack of food…or perhaps lack of access to the food.

I must admit, I was less than pleased about the help they received. Irish seem to be a very hard working group of people. Their ill fortune should not have been so tragic. If other countries, especially England, would have been less selfish they could’ve helped prevent such a massive desolation. England wouldn’t let Ireland handle its own problem. It was like their hands were tied. It makes me wonder what the outcome would’ve been if the Irish’s hands weren’t tied. If they were able to use some of their own resources instead of being taxed to death and left without their other major resources that were exported to England. It is a sad time in Ireland and England’s history.

I would definitely recommend the book. It gave me such a desire to feel grateful with what I have and sorrow for those who didn’t have much. Even though it is sad to know some of the details, it helps to be informed. Being informed may just prevent it from happening again.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Wow! I couldn’t keep away from this book! Wonderful, Marvelous! I love happy endings. It is so intriguing and I kept wishing for the Lass throughout the book. I was pulling for her and her brother Hans Peter. At first, I thought the stranger in her bed was a bit weird, ended in a great way. Ahhhhhh! A book of true love and magic—it’s a fun book!

The cover says: "It’s based on the Nordic fairy tale called “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” and has romantic echoes of Beauty and the beast." I would definitely agree with that.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

According to the jacket of the book, "Princess and the Midnight ball" is a reimagining of “The Twelve Dancing Princess.”

I would agree, It definitely tells a new tale and yet in the spirit of the old.
I love the spirit of this story. It has magic, yet it is still believable.

I love the love story between Rose and Galen. From the very beginning, I was pulling for these two. I find that a compliment to the author.

There is such intrigue in this book, that I was pulled in from the very first page and continued to want to read it every moment.

This was a great, fun, exciting, and romantic book. I highly recommend it.