17. The Grand Tour by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

This is the second book in this series. It was great too. This time instead of being written in letters, it is written as the diary of the two main characters, Kate and Cecelie. I liked it because it showed two different viewpoints on the same events. Kate and Cecelie go off on their honeymoon trips to tour Europe with their new husbands and get robbed and held up. They get roped into investigating some strange magical occurences and come into their own magically. It was a fun read. I really enjoyed it.

16. Sorcery and Cecelia: The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer

At girl's camp a few years ago when I was in Young Women, some of the girls told me about a book series by an author named Patricia Wrede called The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I like fantasy books, especially fun children's ones and these girls raved about these books, so I picked up the first one, Dealing with Dragons. I loved it too. The next summer I read one of them to the girls (Kate and Mary were little at the time). They loved it. I got Kate one of them on tape and she listened to it nonstop for like a year (to the point that I think both John and I had parts of it memorized). Anyway, we really liked that series, but I didn't know of anything else that the author had written.

About a month ago I was wandering around at the library and I saw a new book by Patricia Wrede on their fantasy book display. I was so excited. I picked it up and have finally finished reading it. It was awesome! The novel is a mix between Jane Austen and Harry Potter, just the right mix for me. It is written in letters, a format I really enjoy, and the characters are strong yet funny. I really liked it and probably will re-read it, maybe even purchase it. This one is the first in a three book series and I am excited to read the whole series. I would definitely recommend this book and all of the others by Patricia Wrede. Super fun!!

15. The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

This was the book for the mother-daughter book club this month. I had never heard it and the cover is really dark (I thought the elephant on the front was the moon until half way through the book. I really had no preconceived notions about the book and I was pleasantly surprised. It is a really quick read, but I really liked. The writing is so lyrical, like reading poetry. I loved the imagery and I really liked the story. It definitely is worth a read. And that's what I love about book clubs, you get to read books you would never pick up on your own.

14. Greenwitch by Susan Cooper

This is the third book in the five book Dark is Rising series. This whole series is amazing, probably my favorite, second only to the Narnia series. When I read these books I always think, "Where does she come up with this stuff?" I just can't believe the weaving of mythic stories with a modern story line. It is awesome in the truest sense of the word. This installment has the Drew children and Merriman from the first book and Will Stanton from the second combining to thwart the Dark in a Cornwall fishing village. They have to stop the Dark from using the traditional Greenwitch. It is so interesting. I definitely would recommend it to anyone.

13. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I loved this book. It is all about one London writer who learns about the German occupation of the Channel Islands after WWII ends. It is a novel in letters and it was awesome. It is funny, poignant, and enlightening all at the same time. It was honestly the best book I have read (for the first time) in years. It shows the power that reading and literature can have in people's lives and I really connected with it. Definitely go out and read it. I'm going to buy it so I can read it again soon.

12. Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy

I'm going to say right up front that I don't really like holocaust books. I believe the holocaust happened and I believe it was terrible, but I don't like to read all the horrors of it. But this is probably the happiest holocaust book I've ever read. I read it because it was the mother-daughter book club for the month. Yellow Star, based on the author's aunt's actual experiences, is about a Jewish girl named Syvia in Nazi Poland. It goes from 1939 when Syvia's family is forced to move to the ghetto in Lodz until her family is liberated by the Russians in 1945. The whole book is told in free verse poetry from the perspective of this little girl. I really liked it. The free verse really appealed to me and was very touching without being heavy handed. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

11. One Bright Shining Hope: Messages for Women from Gordon B. Hinckley

This a great hopeful book. The pictures are beautiful and the quotes are inspiring. This is the second time I've read it and I've loved it both times. Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"We honor best those who have gone before when we serve well in the cause of truth."

"To you women of today, who are old or young, may I suggest that you write, that you keep journals, that you express your thoughts on paper. Writing is a great discipline. It is a tremendous education effort. It will assist you in various ways, and you will bless the lives of many--now and in the years to come, as you put on paper some of your experiences and some of your musings."

"Cultivate an attitude of happiness. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine."

"Some years ago I clipped an article on Commander William Robert Anderson, the man who first took a submarine under the North Pole from the waters of the Pacific to the waters of the Atlantic. It was an untried and dangerous mission. In his wallet he carried a tattered card with these words. "I believe I am always divinely guided. I believe I will always take the right road. I believe God will always make a way where there is no way."

"Be not afraid, only believe." (Mark 5:36)

"You did not come into the world to fail. You came into the world to succeed. You have accomplished much so far. It is only the beginning. As you move forward on the trail of life, keep the banner of faith in self ever before you. You may not be a genius. You may not be exceptionally smart. But you can be good, and you can try. And you will be amazed at what might happen when in faith you take a step forward."

10. These Three Remain: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan

This is the last in this series. It tells the last half of Pride and Prejudice from the part where Darcy runs into Elizabeth at her aunt's house to the end. I think the author makes Darcy really likable and moral. She does a good job of making Darcy's feelings for Elizabeth seem plausible and real. I also like the supporting characters she added, especially Lord Brougham. It is a fun retelling of the best parts of Pride and Prejudice.

9. Daughters of God by M. Russell Ballard

This is a collection of 3 talks by Elder Ballard about women. Two focus on motherhood and one on women in general. They are very uplifting and inspiring to read, especially all together. I also liked the photography in the book that goes along with the talks. It is a nice little gift book from Deseret Book.

8. Duty and Desire : A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan

This is the second in the three part Darcy series which is basically a retelling of Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view. This middle book covers the time between Darcy leaving Hartfordshire just before Christmas and Darcy running into Elizabeth at Easter. I really like it because the story is a pretty good Victorian Gothic novel on its own while still maintaining ties to the original novel. The characters are interesting and fun to read about. This is the second or third time I'ver read it, I can't remember. Each time I am not very excited to read it because it really doesn't have any of the parts of Pride and Prejudice that I like, but then I get sucked into the story and I just can't stop.

7. For They Shall Be Comforted: Grieving the Loss of a Child by Camille Call Whiting

I really liked this book, maybe because this lady went through a very similar experience to mine and it was nice to know that I'm not crazy. I felt like I was led to this book. Several times at the library before I lost the baby, I saw this book and almost checked it out, but then stopped and said to myself, "Why would I read this book? I haven't lost a child." Well, after I had lost a child I remembered this book and looked it up at the library. It has been a real comfort to know that I'm not alone in some of the thoughts and feelings I've had. It also had some good suggestions on grieving and working through grief and how others can help. It was very honest and candid and I appreciated reading it.

6. An Assembly Such As This: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan

This is the first in a 3 book series telling Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view. It covers the time from the beginning of the book to when Darcy returns to London after the ball at Netherfield. This is actually the second or third time I've read it, I can't remember. But obviously I like it. The thing I like most about it is that Darcy is a nice guy. He has his flaws but not any moral ones, which is how I would like it to be. I also like the other characters she has added to flesh out the story and her portrayal of the other existing characters like Colonel Fitzwilliam and Bingley. It is a little long sometimes but it has been fun reading it while I walk and listen to my ipod. It is clearly a light read. Anyone who really likes Pride and Prejudice will probably enjoy this novel.

5. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

This book took me a really long time to read. It is kind of like Jane Austen meets Jules Verne. It definitely was less violent than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but only slightly. I couldn't quite put it down because I had to find out how they would follow the Austen story and still incorporate the sea monsters. The dedication to the book reads, "This book is dedicated to my parents--lovers of great literature and great silliness." That pretty much sums up the book, great literature mixed with great silliness.

4. Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan

This is the mother-daughter book club selection for this month. At first I was a little nervous about it because the library lady said it was about a young girl in India that is forced into an arranged marriage and then, through some crazy circumstances, ends up living on the street. That doesn't exactly sound like something I want my 10 year old reading. But I read the book, and although that is an accurate depiction of the storyline, I didn't find anything offensive in the story. It is beautifully written and very hopeful. It reminds me a little of Shannon Hale's writing, but set in real world circumstances. I would definitely recommend the book to anyone. It may not be for young readers, but the age on the book says 10 and up and I agree. There are some sticky situations but they are told in a very non-graphic, non-shocking way. It probably will lead to some good discussions about different cultures and situations, but I think that is productive. It is a National Book Award winner and I would encourage anyone to read it.