Our New Read

Debby has picked the book for June.  We will be reading The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.  It is a fun, light read, and Debby has copies available if anyone needs to borrow one.  Here is a teaser of what it's about:

This ingenious fantasy centers around Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Joining forces with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth's gates and begins a memorable journey. He meets such characters as the foolish, yet lovable Humbug, the Mathemagician, and the not-so-wicked "Which," Faintly Macabre, who gives Milo the "impossible" mission of returning two princesses to the Kingdom of Wisdom.

So, grab a copy from the library, or talk to Debby.  Happy reading!

Our New Read

Jen Tripp has picked our next book.  We will be reading The 5 Love Languages: The Secrets to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman.  I think this is going to be a great book that we all could benefit from, not just for marriages, but for other people in our lives as well.  Here is a little of what it is about:

Marriage should be based on love, right? But does it seem as though you and your spouse are speaking two different languages? New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman guides couples in identifying, understanding, and speaking their spouse’s primary love language—quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch.
By learning the five love languages, you and your spouse will discover your unique love languages and learn practical steps in truly loving each other. Chapters are categorized by love language for easy reference, and each one ends with specific, simple steps to express a specific language to your spouse and guide your marriage in the right direction. A newly designed love languages assessment will help you understand and strengthen your relationship. You can build a lasting, loving marriage together.

Pick up a copy at the local library, borrow it from a friend, or if you think this will be a nice addition to your own library it's only $9.07 on Amazon. Here's the link:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Love-Languages-Secret-Lasts/dp/0802473156/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y
So, happy reading, my lovely ladies.  :)

Our New Read

Cecilia has picked our book for April.  We will be reading The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale.  Here is a little teaser of what it's about:

 She can whisper to horses and communicate with birds, but the crown princess Ani has a difficult time finding her place in the royal family and measuring up to her imperial mother. When she is shipped off to a neighboring kingdom as a bride, her scheming entourage mounts a bloody mutiny to replace her with a jealous lady-in-waiting, Selia, and to allow an inner circle of guards more power in the new land. Barely escaping with her life, Ani disguises herself as a goose girl and wanders on the royal estate; plotting how to reclaim her rightful place as the bride-to-be of the Prince of Bayern. Gifted with the ability to speak to animals and talk to the wind, Princess Anidori–now called Isi–falls in love, makes new friends, and collects allies in her quest to claim her title.

It's a really good book, and it's been a long while since last I read it, so, I'm excited to re-read it.  Grab a copy at the library or borrow it from a friend.  Happy Reading, my lovely ladies! 

Our New Read

Alecia has picked our book for March.  We will be reading The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.  Here is a synopsis of what it's about:

A tiny girl is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913. She arrives completely alone with nothing but a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a single book—a beautiful volume of fairy tales. She is taken in by the dockmaster and his wife and raised as their own. On her twenty-first birthday, they tell her the truth, and with her sense of self shattered and very little to go on, "Nell" sets out to trace her real identity. Her quest leads her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and the secrets of the doomed Mountrachet family. But it is not until her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search after Nell’s death that all the pieces of the puzzle are assembled. A spellbinding tale of mystery and self-discovery, The Forgotten Garden will take hold of your imagination and never let go.

Sounds really interesting.  I'm sure we will have a fabulous discussion for this book.  So grab a copy from the library or a friend, and happy reading!

Our New Read

Dari has picked our book for February.  We will be reading Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz.  Here is a snippet of what it is about:

The master puppeteer, Gaspare Grisini, is so expert at manipulating his stringed puppets that they appear alive. Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, is spellbound by Grisini’s act and invites him to entertain at her birthday party. Seeing his chance to make a fortune, Grisini accepts and makes a splendidly gaudy entrance with caravan, puppets, and his two orphaned assistants.
Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are dazzled by the Wintermute home. Clara seems to have everything they lack — adoring parents, warmth, and plenty to eat. In fact, Clara’s life is shadowed by grief, guilt, and secrets. When Clara vanishes that night, suspicion of kidnapping falls upon the puppeteer and, by association, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall.
As they seek to puzzle out Clara’s whereabouts, Lizzie and Parse uncover Grisini’s criminal past and wake up to his evil intentions. Fleeing London, they find themselves caught in a trap set by Grisini’s ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it’s too late.

So pick up a copy at the library, borrow it from a friend or if this sounds like something you would like to have in your personal library I'm not going to stop you from buying a copy. :) Happy reading ladies!

Our New Read

So, I have picked the next book we will be reading.  We won't be meeting in December though, we will meet in January instead.  I have chosen the book Elantris by Brandon Sanderson.  Here is a snippet of what it's about:

Elantris was the capital of Arelon: gigantic, beautiful, literally radiant, filled with benevolent beings who used their powerful magical abilities for the benefit of all. Yet each of these demigods was once an ordinary person until touched by the mysterious transforming power of the Shaod. Ten years ago, without warning, the magic failed. Elantrians became wizened, leper-like, powerless creatures, and Elantris itself dark, filthy, and crumbling.

Arelon's new capital, Kae, crouches in the shadow of Elantris. Princess Sarene of Teod arrives for a marriage of state with Crown Prince Raoden, hoping -- based on their correspondence -- to also find love. She finds instead that Raoden has died and she is considered his widow. Both Teod and Arelon are under threat as the last remaining holdouts against the imperial ambitions of the ruthless religious fanatics of Fjordell. So Sarene decides to use her new status to counter the machinations of Hrathen, a Fjordell high priest who has come to Kae to convert Arelon and claim it for his emperor and his god.

But neither Sarene nor Hrathen suspect the truth about Prince Raoden. Stricken by the same curse that ruined Elantris, Raoden was secretly exiled by his father to the dark city. His struggle to help the wretches trapped there begins a series of events that will bring hope to Arelon, and perhaps reveal the secret of Elantris itself.

Okay, so it was sort of a BIG snippet, but it does it way more justice than what I tried to explain.  Interesting tidbit, the author is LDS and teaches creative writing at BYU.  So, grab a copy and happy reading!

Our New Read

Alecia has picked our book for November, but we will be meeting at Debby's house to discuss it.  We are trying to create a central location for us to meet and Debby and Sarah have offered the Mitchell/Aina household for us to use.  Thanks ladies!  Alright, back to the book.  We will be reading The Light Between Oceans by: M. L. Stedman.  Here is a little snippet of what it's about:

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

So, pick up a copy from the library or borrow it from a friend.  Happy reading!