Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card

 Teen Fiction. What if many of us had actual powers--not super powers, but micro powers. Things we may seem to think are insignificant, but that other people cannot do. 

Ezekiel finds things, actually lost things find him and he returns them to their owners. Sounds like a great micropower, but it has gotten him into trouble with the police so he mostly ignores this power of his. Until he meets a girl who helps him see and understand his power in a different light. 

This was published last year and I listened to the audio version, which was wonderful. I liked it so much I wanted to read it out loud to my kids. It's a little wordy, but after being patient for the first part of the book they really became interested and enjoyed the story. It does deal with violent crime for a good part of the book, but the author (he and I grew up in the same neighborhood) inserts enough light hearted banter that it doesn't become too heavy. 

Recommend: Yes

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

 Teen Fantasy. This is number 3 in the Queen's Thief series. I couldn't stop listening to just the first two books. The twists and turns in the plot make me smile more so this second time through the book. The subtleties of the intrigue of the Kingdom of Attolia are missed the first time through. Eugenides (Gen) is a genius and a fool depending on how you look at him, but in my opinion, he is completely enjoyable to read about. 

Recommend: Yes. 

The Dream by Agatha Christie

 Mystery short story. I have always loved Agatha Christie and especially her books with Hercule Poirot as the detective. I listened to the audio version which was narrated by the actor that portrays Captain Hastings in the BBC productions of the Hercule Poirot mystery series. As always, this story was filled with all the things I love about her mysteries--impossible scenarios that turn out to be very logical when viewed from the impressive viewpoint of Hercule Poirot. 

Recommend: Yes.

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

 Teen Fantasy Fiction. This is the 2nd book in the Queen's Thief series, it follows The Thief. I listened to the audio version which was well done. After rereading The Thief and remembering all the things I loved about this series I immediately downloaded this book. As much as I love The Thief, this second book is equally, if not a little, better in my eyes. It has some shocking plot twists and keeps the reader guessing until the end, but the main reason I love it is the character development of the wonderful people I met in the first book. Megan Turner does a masterful job of rounding out her characters with nuances that lend me to think I would recognize them if I met them on the street. 

Gen is again doing what he does best, stealing things. This time he may have gone too far as he progresses from stealing things to stealing people. Things don't go as smoothly for him as they have in the past and he finds himself at the center of a war between not two, not three, but perhaps four countries. 

Recommend: Yes!

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

 Teen Fantasy Fiction. This is one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read. I first read it years ago and gave it as a gift to my son a few Christmases ago. He finally picked it up and read it and his comments to me about it motivated me to read it again. I listened to the audio version this time and it was lovely. This book was a runner-up to the Newbery Medal in 1997. 

Gen is a thief. He gets caught only to be freed to steal something for the king. That makes the plot seem simple, but it has wonderful twists and turns and surprises that are delightful. 

Recommend: YES!

The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough

 Non-Fiction. This is the first book by David McCullough that I have read. (I actually listened to the audio version.)  I listened to a speech he gave at BYU years ago and my interest in his books peaked. I put a number of them on hold and this was the first one that became available. 

Prior to this I had zero knowledge of the most disastrous flood this country has known. Over 2000 people died on May 31, 1889 in Pennsylvania as a result of the breaking of the dam. McCullough is a master at retelling of the facts of not only that infamous day, but of the atmosphere before and after the dam broke. He quotes many eye witnesses to the flood and the descriptions are not for the faint of heart. It was hard to listen to the amount of suffering and destruction, but I'm glad I finished it. Not the happiest of books I've read, but worth the read. 

Recommend: Yes

The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball

Religious Non-Fiction. I haven't read a lot of religious non-fiction books in my lifetime, really non-fiction books in general, at least not ones that weren't assigned to read. I decided to read this one because my son had and he gave me some quotes from the book that were inspiring so I downloaded it on my phone and started to read. It's not a lengthy book and reads easily. The author, past president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, uses plain language to communicate the necessity of repenting daily and the healing balm of peace that comes with forgiveness. I appreciated his insights from his long life of counseling with others and seeing lives put back together when it seemed that would be an impossible feat. 

Recommend: Yes

The Secret Lake by Karen Inglis

 Junior Fantasy Fiction. This was a quick read about a brother and sister on holiday in England. They discover magical moles which allows them to time travel back a hundred years to meet the family who lived in the house they are renting for their holiday. It has a nice plot, but the story is so short that there isn't much character development which was a distraction for me. This reminded me a bit of the authors E. Nesbit and Edward Eager, whom I love, but the story needed twice as many chapters to do the plot justice. 

Recommend: Maybe

The Mad Wolf's Daughter by Diane Magras

 Junior Fiction Fantasy. Drest is the youngest daughter of the Mad Wolf, a raiding bandit, and she must rescue her father and all her brothers. This story is set in medieval Scotland and includes witches, healers, bandits, and one feisty twelve year old. This story moved quickly and I found myself finishing it in just a few hours. There is a sequel, The Hunt for the Mad Wolf's Daughter, which I immediately put on hold. Drest has a limited view of the world being brought up by her father and many brothers. She takes everything they say as the whole truth. In her brave adventures she learns that not everyone sees her family as she does and that her family may not be as perfect as she thought. At the same time she decides that she can be who she is because of herself and not because of her family's past. She learns that people can love and be imperfect. She learns to trust and be braver than she thought she could. Great story!

Recommend: Yes

At the Pulpit, Edited by Jennifer Reeder and Kate Holbrook

 Non-fiction history. This book highlights talks and discourses given by women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in a 185 year period, from 1831 to 2016. It starts with a short discourse by Lucy Mack Smith, mother of Joseph Smith, the prophet, and ends with a talk given by Gladys N. Sitati at a Brigham Young University Women's Conference in 2016. The women chosen to be included in this book vary from early pioneers in the United States to those of other countries, like Sister Sitati from Kenya. 

I enjoyed all these women and their viewpoints and found common ground no matter if they lived a hundred years ago or are still alive today. I found myself marking things they said and sharing them with my friends and family members. All were uplifting and edifying for me personally. Here are just a few of my favorites: 

"Faith comes through obedience" Kate M. Barker, 1937. 

"Women should be women and not babies that need petting and correction all the time. I know we like to be appreciated, but if we do not get all the appreciation which we think is our due, what matters?" Julie B. Beck quoting a talk given by Eliza R. Snow in 1869. 

"The truth of doctrine can be known only by revelation gained as a result of obedience." Ardeth G. Kapp, 1980. 

"...no matter what our office may be, we should do our part and do it cheerfully, and as we do one part, our responsibilities and talents will be added to, and we will go onward and upward as it is destined that we shall go." Amelia Flygare, 1916. 

"Earning happiness and contributing to the happiness of others should be the most important goal in our lives." Lucrecia Suarez de Juarez, 1972

Recommend: Yes

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

 Junior Fiction-Mystery. 1979 Newbery Medal Award. This has been a favorite book of mine since I was a child and I wanted to share that love with my kids, so I read it to them. An eccentric millionaire arranges for 16 people to move into an apartment complex he owns and then accuses one of them of killing him. If the others can solve the mystery then they inherit his huge fortune. The clues are convoluted and confusing at times and my kids could not see how some things fit together, but that's what makes a great mystery!  The ending was a delightful surprise for them. 

Recommend: YES!

The Princess Companion by Melanie Cellier

Teen Fantasy Fiction. The Princess Companion is a retelling of the fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea. I'm a great fan of fairy tale retellings, but have never read one of this particular fairy tale. I listened to the audio version over a period of a few days. This story kept taking my by surprise, I would think I knew where it was going and even stopped listening at one point for a short while because I thought I recognized the predictability of Alyssa, the main character. I was pleasantly surprised at each turn in the plot and whole heartedly enjoyed the unwinding of the tale. 

Recommend: Yes!

A Plethora of Regency Romances

 I find that when I'm feeling a bit stressed I turn to comfort food and comfort books. Since I'm trying to change my eating habits and be healthier I dove into four regency romance novels this past week. They are quick reads for me, especially the ones I've read before, but even with their predictability, they never fail to bring me some enjoyment and allow me to escape for a moment into another world.

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. When I was working at the Orem Public Library in Utah I was able to read this as an advanced readers copy, one that had not had the final edits in place. This is Donaldson's debut novel and she is adept at this genre. I have to put my favorite seal of approval on this one as I feel it excels above all other regency romances I've read and I have to admit I've read this one more than a few times. 

Marianne Davenport is 7 minutes younger than her twin sister, Cecilia. She has always let her sister get what she wants because of that 7 minutes. But this time there is something or someone they both want and Marianne is not about to come in second place again. Philip Wyndham is tired of young women and their mothers doing all they can to nab him and his inheritance, so he decides to run away from it all. He didn't count on meeting Marianne and is surprised that he wants to return home because of her. 

Donaldson wrote a short prequel to Edenbrooke, called Heir to Edenbrooke, which is the first few chapters of Edenbrooke from Philip's point of view. It doesn't need to be read first and is just as enjoyable. 

Recommend: Yes

Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden. This is a bit of a far fetched story about a wealthy man who kisses a stranger to squelch the advances of another woman he abhors. The results of this kiss impact his life dramatically and also the poor woman he kissed. Eden has written scores of titles, many of which I've read. I feel she does a good job of character development, even though the plot is a bit fantastic at times. 

Recommend: Yes

An Unlikely Match by Sarah M. Eden. This is the only book of the four I read that was new to me and it was the one that I enjoyed the least. This has a bit of a fantasy edge to it, which is different than Eden's other books. Nickolas Pritchard inherits a large estate in Wales. He gladly moves in and finds that his home was actually a historic castle and it is haunted by a very persistent and beautiful ghost. Her history is a bit of a mystery, but with the help of the local vicar he finds a way to save his beautiful damsel in distress. The plot was a good one, but I didn't feel a connection between Nickolas and the ghost. 

Recommend: Maybe

Books by Kasie West

 Maybe This Time.  By Your Side. Teen romance. 

On a long road trip to Utah my daughter, Lucy, and I spent an enjoyable time listening to two of Kasie West's books. Her teen romances have likable characters, not too much cheese, and just enough teenage angst to make things interesting. 

We started with Maybe This Time at the beginning of our trip. Sophie works at a flower shop in small town Alabama and dreams of being a design student after high school in New York City. Her best friend's father runs the only catering business in town. He is being mentored by a famous chef to help him grow his business and the chef comes with a son named Andrew. Sophie and Andrew don't get off to a good start with each other, but over the course of a year with many events, i.e. weddings, funerals, barbecues, parties, they start to see eye to eye. 

On our way home from Utah Lucy wanted to listened to another one of West's books. I let her choose and she chose By Your Side. I had already listened to this one and didn't mind listening a second time. Mostly because it centers around a girl and a boy locked in a library over Martin Luther King weekend. I mean, for a librarian, what better way to start a story!!  I especially liked the direction the plot led us. Autumn is a senior in high school and has a great group of friends. She doesn't always feel comfortable hanging out with them all the time because she suffers from anxiety. She hasn't told her friends about her condition because she wants them to treat her normally. The boy she spends a weekend in the library with, Dax, is the local "bad boy". At least that's the reputation he has. Autumn learns differently. Both Dax and Autumn learn to look at people in a more accepting way and to communicate their feelings with their friends and each other which leads them to see how much happier they can be. Great lesson!

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Junior Historical Fiction. Newbery Medal Award Winner 1959. 

This is the next book that I chose to read aloud to my kids that I have loved for a long time. It started out a little slow for my kids, but they quickly became invested in Kit and what would become of her in the world of New England in the late 17th century. 

I think this is a wonderful book for children to read and discuss. There are so many lessons to be learned about how to treat people. It helps us look at our own expectations of people and, hopefully, we can learn from these fictional character's mistakes and triumphs. There are a few true historical figures in the story which can lead to further learning about the early settlers in this new world of America. 

As I've read more historical fiction and non-fiction about the beginnings of our culture and religion in the United States, I have felt a profound gratitude for these people's lives and choices. They sacrificed more than I can understand and like today, they had many choices to make that were filled with nuances that cannot be seen from one quick glance. 

Recommend: Yes!

Beauty by Robin McKinley

Teen fantasy. I have been revisiting some of my favorite books and reading them aloud to my children. I chose about 5 and let them pick which one I should start with. All three chose Beauty.

Robin McKinley is an incredible author whose descriptions and characters are life like and full of color. I've read Beauty too many times to count. I never tire of rereading it. It's the best retelling of Beauty and the Beast fairy tale that I have ever read (and I've read a lot of them)!  It's one of the books I always recommend to all types of readers, young and old, male and female. All three of my kids really enjoyed it. It's not too mushy for a 12 year old boy, but has enough romance for a 14 year girl to sink into. It has decisions that are hard to make and people who turn out to be more than you thought.

Recommend: Yes Yes Yes.

Murder in Waiting by Lynn Cahoon

Mystery. This is an addition to Cahoon's Tourist Trap Mystery series. I advance order each installment to read on my Kindle. It's always a wonderful surprise when I open up my email and see that it's been delivered!  I've bought into these characters hook line and sinker!  Admittedly they aren't always the best written plots, but the culprit is never easy to guess and I thoroughly enjoy getting lost in the fictional town of South Cove, California.

Jill is the owner of the local bookstore/coffee shop and her boyfriend, Greg, is the small town's police chief. With a cast of endearing characters in the town, including Jill's eccentric aunt and a police dispatcher who is clairvoyant, there is plenty of side plots going on amidst the murder investigation to keep the story moving well.

Recommend: Yes.

Magic Shop Books by Bruce Coville

Jennifer Murdley's Toad. Junior Fantasy. I have loved all of the Magic Shop books by Coville. On a quick trip to Utah and back I downloaded a few of them to pass the time for my two kids stuck in the car for hours. We listened to this one first. These books are a quick read or listen and the audio version has a full cast of people voicing the different parts, which I always love. Coville's Magic Shop books start with a child who has a problem and they "accidentally" run into a shop that they've never seen before. Inside is an old man who offers to sell them any item they desire. This item, a toad in Jennifer Murdley's case, turns out to be magic and helps them solve their problem, although things seem to get worse before they get better and they always learn something about themselves along the way.

Jennifer has felt self conscious about her plain looks and has a great desire to be beautiful. The talking toad she buys from the Magic Shop shows her what's really important and in the end she has to make a difficult decision that will change her life and those she loves.

Recommend: Yes




Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. Junior Fantasy. Jeremy is a typical 6th grade boy, he has friends, loves to draw, thinks one of his teachers hates him, and has that group of kids that love to tease him. Through a dragon's egg that he buys at the Magic Shop he comes to see the people around him in a different light and makes friends with a wonderful dragon as well.

Recommend: Yes




I recommend the rest of the Magic Shop Books series. They do not need to be read in any particular order:

Juliet Dove, Queen of Love
The Skull of Truth
The Monster Ring

Dangerous by Shannon Hale

Teen Science Fiction. Recently I tagged along with my daughter and son-in-law to Barnes and Noble. As we were walking into the store the friendly sales clerk informed us that the store was closing in 3 minutes!  It had been ages since I have had the freedom to browse a bookstore, so I was a bit disappointed. I walked around the teen fiction area and saw this book, grabbed it just as the announcer informed us that the store was closed.

I have enjoyed reading many of Shannon Hale's books, Book of a Thousand Days, being my favorite of hers. As I started this book and realized it was more science fiction than fantasy I was a little disappointed and actually put it down a third of the way through. Science fiction can become too technical for me and the science part of it can disrupt the flow of the plot at times (in my humble opinion). But I liked the main character's determination and her resolve not to let her hormones take over her decisions when it came to boys and so I decided I would finish the book. I'm very glad I did, the last half is action packed and I really liked where she took the story down to the ending.

Maisie Danger Brown was born without a right hand. She has been homeschooled her entire life and has dreams of becoming an astronaut. She wins a contest that gives her admittance to an astronaut boot camp. This starts her on an adventure involving a boy, a megalomaniac, and an alien plot to take over the world.

Recommend: Yes.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

Junior Fantasy. Ophelia is a young girl who has just lost her mother and has a father who is coping with the loss of his wife by focusing on his job as an expert on ancient swords. They travel to a museum for the winter so the father can work on an exhibit of rare swords. With this background Ophelia learns of a magical boy who is trapped and only she holds the key to his release and the safety of the world.

This is a loose adaptation of the fairy tale, The Snow Queen. It moved quickly and pulled me into Ophelia's world and her tendency to disbelieve the magic she saw around her. She discovers she is braver than she thought and some things just need to be believed to be seen. The story felt at times like dreams I've had that suddenly have strange creatures and unexplained plot twists and then ends too suddenly and leaves me feeling like I need to go back to sleep for five more minutes to finish the story, but not in an unpleasant frustrating way.

Recommend: Yes.

Daisies and Devotion by Josi S. Kilpack

Regency Romance. Another one by Josi Kilpack. This is in a series called Mayfield Family Series. I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the characters and the descriptions. Typical regency romance novel, but not any less enjoyable because of the predictability. Marianne has a fortune, but no marriage prospects that she desires. She wants a man that wants her for who she is, not just the money that comes with her.

Recommend? Yes

Medium by C.J. Archer

Teen Fantasy. This is the first book in the Emily Chambers Spirit Medium Trilogy. I started listening to the audio book in the car with my daughter as we were on the way to Cody. It held our interest pretty well and we were enjoying the plot. Emily can speak to and see spirits of those who have died. Her sister inadvertently releases a demon and Emily is sent a spirit who can help her banish the demon before it does any damage. The spirit who is sent to help her is of a young man, Jacob, who can't remember how he died or where his body is. Of course they fall in love and Emily wants to try and help him find his body and who killed him.

My daughter wasn't too interested in listening more when we arrived home, so I finished the book alone. At the end of the first book the reader still does not know who killed Jacob and so I downloaded the second book, Possession, just to find out who did the deed. After listening to about half I got impatient and downloaded the last book, Evermore, and listened to the last few chapters to find out what happened. It is all wrapped up in the last two chapters which satisfied my curiosity.

This is one of those trilogies that could have been one stand along novel. I didn't miss reading/listening to the entire trilogy although the plot was good, it was just stretched a bit to thin to cover three books.

Recommend: Maybe not

The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews

Regency Romance. I admit I have a weakness for these types of romance books. They seem to be a comfort type food for me because I can read them in an evening and be amused by everyone's antics. This is a case of a man marrying a woman to free her from the grasp of a cruel man. Of course the marriage ends up being a match made in heaven!

Recommend: Yes, if you have a free evening.

A Lady's Favor by Josi S. Kilpack, Proper Romance Series, book 2.5

Regency romance. This short novella was a quick light read and just what I needed the other day. It has all the typical ingredients of a regency romance with a spitfire leading lady and a dashing young man with a controlling mother thrown in for good measure. Great book to sit by the fire and read in an evening.

Recommend: Yes.

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Young adult mystery. I enjoy mysteries, especially if the writer keeps me guessing until the end. The main character, Pip, is a gutsy girl who as her senior project decides to solve a five year old mystery of the disappearance of a teen girl and the apparent suicide of her boyfriend.

I listened to the audio version of this book which made it a bit difficult to keep all the character names in my mind. When I read a mystery book it's helpful to look back in previously read pages to remind myself who all the characters are. That being said, I really enjoyed listening to the narrators. It does have a bit of crass language throughout.

Recommend? Yes.

The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance, book one of Candle Man, by Glenn Dakin

Junior Fantasy. I read this book a number of years ago and decided to read it aloud to my kids (one of my favorite pastimes is reading books with my kids). This fantasy book has all the ingredients of fantasy lovers: bad guys, creepy monster-like creatures, talking garghouls, super power infested young person, and characters who you thought were bad surprising you in the end. This is the first in a series and I haven't read the next book yet, but I plan on ordering it from Amazon soon.

Recommend: Yes.

Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

Teen Adventure. Maddie Manchester's father is the head of the secret service for the President of the United States. The President's son, Logan, witnesses the kidnap attempt of his mother and both he and Maddie see the kidnappers shoot and wound Maddie's father. This leads Maddie and her father to hide in deep Alaska from the bad guys. This was a high adventure story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It moved quickly with lots of suspense. There was blood shed involved, but in the end the good guys win.

Recommend: Yes.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Junior Fiction. This is a delightful story about a china rabbit whose character is shaped by the people who own him. He starts out life as a small girl's cherished toy and ends up at the bottom of an ocean, buried under piles of garbage as well as suffering cracks to his china body. Through it all he learns to love those who love him. This took me a couple of hours to read and left me with a smile on my face.

Recommend: Yes

The Saints, Volume 2: No Unhallowed Hand

Non-Fiction. I read parts of this and listened to parts of it as well. I found this uplifting, heart breaking, revelatory, and fascinating, sometimes all at the same time. I learned new things about church history that I did not know and I came to love characters I never knew existed. I took away a profound gratitude for those early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and their dedication amidst staggering trials.

Recommend? YES

The Girl With the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke

Teen Science Fiction/Historical Fiction. Ellie, our heroine, time travels back to East Berlin a year before the Wall comes down. She travels there via a red magic balloon and finds out her grandfather was saved by a similar balloon from the concentration camps during World War II. I enjoyed the connections that happened as the story progressed and overall it had a good plot. The biggest problem I had was not a major part of the story line. The three teenagers, although somewhat abandoned in their worlds, seem to have no problem drinking and sleeping around. This is only vaguely touched on, but it still bothered me that passing around a vodka bottle was treated as normal and expected considering the situations they were experiencing. None of the adults in the story seemed to see this as a problem. The historical fiction accounts of the Jews in the Polish ghettos and the mystery surrounding how some escaped were thought provoking, but the under-aged drinking and promiscuity tainted the story for me.

Recommend: No

The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz

Murder Mystery. This is the second book in the Detective Daniel Hawthorne series. I thoroughly enjoyed his first book in the series, The Word is Murder and this second one is just as good. This mystery series has a unique twist; the author, Anthony, is a character in the story. He acts as Hawthorne's second man just as Watson did to Sherlock Holmes. Hawthorne is brash and blunt and doesn't much care about people's feelings, but, like Holmes, he's brilliant. Anthony is continually trying to smooth things over with the people they interview.

I love a good mystery and I always think I may know who did the crime, unfortunately I'm usually wrong. I listened to the audio version which was well done.

Recommend: Yes

Grayling's Song by Karen Cushman

Junior Fantasy. Karen Cushman is one of my top authors. Her Newbery Medal award winning book, The Midwife's Apprentice is one of my favorites. I love the medieval time period descriptions and the depth of her characters. And so I was excited to dive into the middle ages with this book, Grayling's Song.

This one had fantasy elements in it, which was a change from her previous books. Grayling's mother is a wise woman and possesses some talent for healing magic. Even though Grayling loves her mother, she feels inferior because she doesn't think she has the talents of magic that her mother displays. One day she hears her mother's cries and finds that her mother is turning into a tree and her book of magic is gone. Grayling sets out on a quest to find the book and rescue her mother and others like her who are meeting the same fate. 

Grayling was a blah character. The best adjective I could find to describe her is milk-toast. The others she meets on her journeys are negative and surly. It isn't a long book and so I finished it, but it was a disappointment. I didn't find the medieval charm that fills Cushman's other books.

Recommend? No.

Insignificant and Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling.  Junior Realistic Fiction.

I listened to the Audio version at the request of my children on the way home from Utah which made the 6 and a half hours much more enjoyable. I have to admit I wanted to hear more descriptions of the Arizona heat as I was entering winterful Wyoming.

Aven is an 8th grade girl living in Kansas when her father gets a new job in Arizona, just outside of Scottsdale. The move is rough on this middle schooler, but more so than normal because she was born without arms. Her friends in Kansas that she grew up with accepted her without prejudice, but this new group of kids in a larger school have some adjusting to do as they watch her accomplish everyday tasks with her feet just as well as they do with their hands. She makes some good friends and comes to terms with some some questions she has had about her life.

Aven is relatable and funny and full of courage and determination. I found myself thinking of how I view others and how instant judgments can be made on looks alone. I feel like this is a must read for everyone, but especially those in the midst of middle school where it's so easy to judge other kids by how they look and act. 

Recommend? Yes Yes Yes

Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. Junior Realistic Fiction.

We started to listen to the sequel before we reached our home after loving the first book. I finished listening to it the very next day. This one starts as Aven is entering high school as a 9th grader. She deals with extreme bullying and many more issues than just how people view her. It isn't as lighthearted as the first one, but I feel like it can hatch important conversations with teens and adults. Her problems aren't solved easily and some aren't solved at all, which I feel is an important aspect of this book. I especially liked to see Aven realize that when she was less self absorbed her problems seemed easier. 

Recommend? Yes Yes Yes

Books of 2019

Number of books read in the year 2019: 48. Of those I only mildly disliked two of them, which has to be a record for me.

I'm separating my list this year into audio and print books. I've found that some books are better when listened to and some when read.

AUDIO
Junior Fiction
A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff, published in 2013. Fantasy. A wonderful book about our individual gifts and how our choices affect others, even when we don't think they will. This is one of those stories where you aren't sure how the individual stories are connected and then in the end they come together in a beautiful way. I'm in awe of authors who can spin a story so well.

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, published in 2002. Realistic fiction. We listened to this on a road trip. A few kids rescue an owl habitat from being destroyed.

A Bandit's Tale by Deborah Hopkinson, published in 2016. Historical fiction, takes place in late 19th century in New York City. A young boy leaves Italy to work to benefit his family back home, but instead gets enslaved by a corrupt man who makes him work as a street musician. He escapes only to wind up in prison for theft. This story eventually has a happy ending, but it took awhile to get there. The audio version moved slowly and this is a case where I think the print version would have been better.

Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath, published in 2001. Realistic fiction. Newbery 2002 Honor Book. A young girl loses her parents at sea and is raised by the residents of Coal Harbor.

Cavern of Secrets by Linda Sue Park, published in 2017. Fantasy, Wing and Claw, book 2. I enjoyed the first book better than the second, but I really need to see where this series was going. A young boy is a gifted apothecary and is learning how to use botanical magic to give the gift of speech to animals.

Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park, published in 2000. Historical fiction, takes place in Korea. I'm usually not a huge fan of historical fiction, but Park is an exception. Her book, A Single Shard, is one of my all time favorite books, which also takes place in Korea. Kite Fighters is a simple story of two brothers and includes, as does her other books, lots of great lessons and morals that can apply to all of her readers.

Ghost by Jason Reynolds, published in 2016. Realistic fiction. A young boy has a gift for running fast. With the help of a good coach he uses running to change and improve his life. I really enjoyed listening to this except it has a cliff hanger ending!

The Evil Wizard Smallbone by Delia Sherman, published in 2016. Fantasy. This was a strange little book which I quite liked. A runaway boy finds himself as an apprentice for a grumpy, slightly evil wizard who is supposed to protect the village from even worse evil. Their adventures include a wizard's duel and people transforming into animals. The best thing about the book was a very satisfying ending.

Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan, published in 2013. Realistic fiction. This takes a hard subject, death, and turns it into a positive story of not just surviving a tragedy, but finding joy in life and others around you. Highly recommend.

The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli, published in 2017. Realistic fiction. A young girl grows up next to a prison with just her father to raise her. This is a coming of age story that was unusual, but with satisfying results. Spinelli has written some really wonderful junior fiction and this one was didn't disappoint.

Teen Fiction
Peeled by Joan Bauer, published in 2008. Realistic fiction. There is not a book by Bauer that I've read that I haven't enjoyed. She is a wonderful realistic fiction writer for young people and adults. This is a great illustration that the power of the press and the determination of a young girl can change things for good.

Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card, published in 2019. Fantasy. My favorite part of this book was the positive parent child relationship. It's nice to read a book without a dysfunctional family as the center of the plot. Instead of heroes with super powers, in this story there are people with micro powers. Highly recommend.

Unenchanted by Chanda Hahn, published in 2011. Fantasy, Unfortunate Fairy Tale Series #1. A relative of the Grimm Brothers must relive all of their fairy tales to lift the curse on their family. I enjoyed listening to this book, but there are 5 books so far in the series and I wasn't sure I wanted to continue the story.

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar, published in 2005. Realistic fiction. Shout out to my daughter for letting me know about his book, she read it with her high school English class. This one was definitely worth listening to as each character had a different person voicing their lines which added greatly to the story. This book deals with lots of issues kids encounter in high school, but especially those of suicide and judging others by their looks.

Beautiful by Juliet Marillier, published by 2019. Fantasy. This is only available on Audible. It is a retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Great story focusing on the troll princess instead of the human girl. Addresses prejudice, ignorance, and mercy

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, published in 2016. Historical fiction, takes place in Prussia during World War II. Here is another historical fiction author that I love. Her details and characters are so life like and intense I feel like I'm experiencing the plot unfold. The audio version was especially nice as it added another depth to the characters through the voicing of them. This focuses on a maritime disaster rarely talked about, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff during the war. I especially appreciated the point of view shift from the German characters to the non-German characters. It really helped me see the war from different points of view.

Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch, published in 2016. Realistic fiction. Lina goes to Italy to live with who she thinks is her father after the death of her mother. I enjoyed the romance and Lina's journey in dealing with her mother's death and finding out about her father.

Fiction
Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen, published in 2018. Steampunk/romance. I liked this when I listened to it last January, but then found myself listening to it again at the end of the year because I had forgotten the plot!  I realized half way through that I had already listened to it. Excusing my bad memory, I still really liked this book. I'm a sucker for steampunk fiction! This is a loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty with some good character development.

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz, published in 2017. Mystery, Hawthorne series #1. This is a unique mystery in that the actual author of the book is one of the characters. The crime scene description was a bit graphic, but I really enjoyed reading this twist on the typical mystery. I will definitely being reading more.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien, BBC audio version, published in 2007. My sons Peter and Palmer were reading these books for the first time and it had been awhile since I had read them, so I decided to listen to the BBC audio version which was such a treat!  This version was abridged, but the voices brought to life all the characters that I love from reading these books so many times. Highly recommend!

The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky, published by 2013. Historical romance. This was a typical book for it's genre, but the ending was tied up a bit too neatly so it's not a favorite.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2003. Mystery/Historical fiction, takes place in England after World War I. This is the first book in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series. I found the characters in this book reacting a bit too calm considering their situations. Maisie is resourceful and resilient as a private investigator, and her back story as a nurse during the War was impressive, but I found her a little boring for my taste.

Non-Fiction
The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson, published in 2018. Really liked this story of the 2005 heist of the British Natural History Museum. The natural history segment was interesting and it read like a mystery drama. My only regret is that parts of the mystery have yet to be solved.

PRINT BOOKS
Junior Fiction
Tumble and Blue by Cassie Beasley, published in 2017. Fantasy/mystery. A boy and girl solve the family curse. Very nice middle grade reader, enjoyed it.

Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville, published in 2015. Fantasy. The brownie needs to travel from England to America to take care of his family. Cute fun read as are most of Coville's books.

Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, published in 2018. Fantasy. This was similar to Ella Enchanted, but a little weaker.

Wrath of the Dragon King and Master of the Phantom Isle by Brandon Mull, published in 2018 and 2019. Fantasy. These are books 2 and 3 in the Dragonwatch series. I like Brandon Mull's story telling ability and enjoyed reading this series. The only downside being I have to wait another year to read the next book!

Beast of Stone by Linda Sue Park, published in 2018. Fantasy, Wing & Claw book 3. This is the last in this series and it ended nicely. I enjoyed reading this one instead of listening to the audio version as I did the first two books.

Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck, published in 2006. Historical, takes place in rural Indiana in 1914. Richard Peck is a wonderful author who uses humor expertly in his stories. His books are great for reading aloud which is what I did with this book. A story about two siblings who are auto mechanics and the people in the small town where they live.

One Hundred Dresses: If the Magic Fits by Susan Maupin Schmid, published in 2016. Fantasy. Wonderful middle reader fairy tale, new story well told with great characters.

Rump by Liesl Shurtliff, published in 2013. Fantasy. Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin from his point of view. Fun read.

Teen Fiction
The Stepsister's Tale by Tracy Barrett, published in 2014. Fantasy. Cinderella told from the step sister's point of view. I have never read a version of this fairy tale from this point of view, unique and interesting. I really enjoy the retelling of fairy tales from characters view points who do not normally take center stage.

Skyjacked by Paul Griffin, published in 2019. Realistic/Action. This book was action packed! A group of teens need to escape from a hijacked airplane.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, published in 2019. Fantasy. Retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I really enjoyed this one, but the ending left an opening for a sequel, which I'm not sure I always like. Sometimes it's nice to read a stand alone book.

On the Fence, P.S. I Like You, Lucky in Love all by Kasie West, published in 2014, 2016, 2017. Realistic fiction. All three of these books were teen romances. I liked the first one and then found myself reading all three. They are clean and a quick read with not too much cheesiness.

Fiction
Rocket's Dead Glare, A Deadly Brew, Santa Puppy, by Lyn Cahoon, published in 2018. Mystery. Three novellas from the Tourist Trap series. Short and sweet, no murder, just another crime or mystery to solve. Nice quick reads.

Corned Beef and Casualties by Lyn Cahoon, published in 2019. Mystery. Latest installment of Lyn Cahoon's Tourist Trap mysteries. Always enjoyable.

Lord Fenton's Folly by Josi Kilpack, published in 2015. Romance. I found this book as I was staying at my sister's house for the holidays. I finished it at 1:30am on January 1st, so I guess technically it should go on next year's list!  It was a great way to welcome in the New Year!

A Holiday by Gaslight: A Victorian Christmas Novella by Mimi Matthews, published in 2018. Romance. Nice, short, clean, romance about an aristocrat marrying a tradesman.

The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews, published in 2018. Romance. This Victorian romance has all the ingredients you could expect, a brooding leading man, a damsel in distress who really has a backbone, and a dark past they are both running from.

Non-Fiction
Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume One, published in 2018. I very much enjoyed reading this detailed account of the Church. It has increased my admiration of those early Saints and increased my testimony of the restored church.