The house of Night Series

After she is Marked, 16-year-old Zoey Redbird enters the House of Night and learns that she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is mis-using her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny— with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

OK I LOVE THESE BOOKS! Hands down I read each one in a day! Now warning they are made for teens, but these books are not writtern like the Twilight series is. Now with that being said I love them all! There is some language in the books that may that be for some, just wanted to throw that out. Also every wal-mart I have seen carries these books so you can get them there which is a plus! All I can say is happy reading!
Sorry these are written by P.C and Kristen Cast

Adding Labels

Hi again everyone. Thanks to all who have contributed to the blog. My reading list is definitely growing, how about yours? Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the blog. I thought it might be a good idea to add labels of the genre of the book, so that if you're in the mood for say a "science fiction book" you can go to the sidebar, click on science fiction, and Bam! a list of science fiction books before your eyes. So if you wouldn't mind going back to the posts you've already made and then in the future posts you make add the genre down at the bottom of the new post box where it reads, "Labels for this post: e.g., scooters, vacation, fall." I've already added the sidebar, so you just need to add the labels. Thanks all. Happy Reading!

Oh, here are some ideas for genres if you need some.
Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Religious, Biography, etc.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I have to be quick, my kids are wanting me. Here's another book that I really liked. There are 2 others in the series that are already out. I'm on the waiting list at the library for them. The 2nd is City of Ashes and then the 3rd is City of Glass. It was fun to read, but I have to say the twist at the end was kind of weird. Still a good read.


When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing — not even a smear of blood — to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end. (Barnes & Noble website again.)

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

I love this book! it is a little long but worth it- it is kind of a historical mystery type book about Dracula- i randomly bought this book at Barnes & Noble one day and it is now one of my favorites ever - and i got all of my family to read it and it is one of their favorites as well now! I don't want to say too much about it because part of the fun of this book is not really knowing where it is going to take you next- so enjoy

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

A little over two years ago I was sitting in a doctor's office having blood tests for gestational diabetes. It took over 3 hours and so I grabbed Harry Potter to take along with me. The nurse and I started to talk about the books and she told me, "Oh, if you like Harry Potter, you should read Fablehaven. Well, it took 2 years, but I started the Fablehaven books and I love them. I would even go so far as to say I love them as much as Harry Potter. They keep getting better and better each book. So I would definitely recommend them. My only warning is that the series is not finished yet and the 4th book completely leaves you on edge. Enjoy! (The pictures and overviews are from the Barnes & Noble website.)

For centuries mystical creatures of all description were gathered into a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite. Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken — Seth is a bit too curious and reckless for his own good — powerful forces of evil are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family, Fablehaven, and perhaps even the world, Kendra and Seth must find the courage to do what they fear most.


At the end of the school year, Kendra and her brother Seth find themselves racing back to Fablehaven, a refuge for mythical and magical creatures. Grandpa Sorenson, the caretaker, invites three specialists — a potion master, a magical relics collector, and a mystical creature trapper — to help protect the property from the Society of the Evening Star, an ancient organization determined to infiltrate the preserve and steal a hidden artifact of great power. Time is running out. The Evening Star is storming the gates. If the artifact falls into the wrong hands, it could mean the downfall of other preserves and possibly the world. Will Kendra learn to use her fairy gifts in time? Will Seth stay out of trouble?



Very strange things are afoot at Fablehaven. Someone or something has released a plague that transforms beings of light into creatures of darkness. Seth discovers the problem early, but as the infectious disease spreads, it becomes clear that the preserve cannot hold out for long. In dire need of help, the Sorensons question where to turn. The Sphinx has always given sound advice — but is he a traitor? Inside the Quiet Box, Vanessa might have information that could lead to a cure — but can she be trusted?Meanwhile, Kendra and members of the Knights of the Dawn must journey to a distant preserve and retrieve another hidden artifact. Will the Society of the Evening Star recover it first? Will the plague eclipse all light at Fablehaven?


Brace yourself for a shocking secret. Two hidden artifacts have been found. Three more remain unrecovered. More preserves face destruction as the Society of the Evening Star relentlessly pursues new talismans. Reading in Patton's Journal of Secrets, Kendra learns the location of the key to a vault housing one of the artifacts. In order to retrieve it, the Knights of the Dawn must enter a death trap-a dragon sanctuary called Wyrmroost. The mission cannot proceed without stealing a sacred object zealously guarded by the centaurs. Anybody seen Seth? The race is on to acquire all five of the artifact keys to the great demon prison. Will the Knights of the Dawn conquer Wyrmroost? Who can stop the Sphinx? Can Vanessa be trusted to help? What artifact will be found next? Find out in Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary.

Austenland

This is a fun read for anyone who loves Jane Austen...or more specifically Mr. Darcy (aka Colin Firth, the only real Mr. Darcy.) It's a short fun read, and I definitely recommend it. Here's a synopsis as stolen from Barnes and Noble...

Jane is a young New York woman who can never seem to find the right man—perhaps because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Predjudice. When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, however, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

A Girl Named Zippy

Hello, everyone. I thought I'd start my first post on this blog with my favorite book ever.

Now, there are categories of favorite books. Some books you read over and over because they're like Ramen: easy to eat and slightly mushy. That's the entire works of L.M. Montgomery for me, especially Anne of Green Gables. I've probably read the entire series two dozen times, mostly between the ages of 8 and 16. It drove my mom crazy. I'll be addressing that series in a later post, mostly because I finally re-read them for the first time in almost nine years. (I was that burned out on them.) And they were just as good, if not better, than I remembered.

Then there are the books you say are your favorites because you want to look smart in front of other people. For instance, I love Ray Bradbury in small amounts. Something Wicked This Way Comes is one of the most beautifully-written, gripping books I've ever read, and it's just one creepy little book. But the descriptions...! the characters...! the ending! I read it and I despair of ever being an author. And Ray Bradbury is one that you can trot out in intellectual circles and people look over their designer glasses at you and say, "Quite."

This book falls in neither category. I can only think of two people (out of the bajillion plus) I've recommended this book to that loved it almost as much as I did. One was my husband (surprise!). One was my sister. My husband loved it because it made him laugh so hard that we had to pull off the highway while he wheezed and wiped the tears of mirth off his glasses. My sister loved it for the same reason that I did: this little girl was me.

There are some marked differences, yes. Haven "Zippy" Jarvis was raised by a detatched mom who burrowed into their living room couch, reading, for years. She toiled not, neither did she spin. (We'll talk about the Zippy sequel, She Got Up Off the Couch, at a later date.) Zippy's dad was a smooth-talking, handsome, do-nothing dad who gambled for a living. Zippy had two siblings: a sister who pinched her in the soft place under her arm while they were sitting in their Quaker church on Sundays, and a brother who was handsome and furious.

Plot-wise, this autobiography is just as skimpy as I've laid it out here. What makes this book so heart-wrenchingly funny is the fact that you read it, and you see things exactly as a seven year old sees them. Consider this excerpt:

My dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I said I'd have to think about it...[One] night, just before I fell asleep, I realized what I wanted to be...I went outside, where my dad was puttering in his tool shed, and told him I wanted to belong to the Mafia. He asked what did I mean when I said that, and I said like in the movies, and he nodded.

A few days later he came home with a framed certificate printed on very genuine yellow paper that said I was an official, lifetime member of the Mafia. Some of it was in Italian and some of it was just in an Italian accent. A man named Leonardo "The Lion" Gravitano Salvatore had signed it with a tall, threatening signature.

After that my life changed, and I mean for the better. Hardly anyone ever bothered me, except for my sister, who must have belonged to whatever is bigger and meaner than the Mafia. Maybe the Jehovah's Witnesses. She dared even to lock me out of the house one night when my parents were away, when there was a bat on the front porch that was clearly diseased and looking for hair. My brother came from out of nowhere and unlocked the door, and just in time, too. Back in the house I gave my sister a whole host of menacing, Italian faces, which she pretended to ignore.

Please, do yourself a favor and read this book. It's clever without being sharp, tender without being mushy, and honest without being preachy. It's the best book I've ever read.

The Hunger Games & Catching Fire

I figured that since I started this blog, I should probably post something, huh? Sorry, I've been busy with in-laws in town. So I'll present my two favorite books at the moment. (I don't have one overall favorite book of all time. I have a thousand favorites. So here are two that I've read recently.) These are a MUST READ.

These two books by Suzanne Collins are AMAZING. I couldn't put either one down. The 2nd book just came out Sept. 1st and there will definitely be more books in this series.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survived. (From the Barnes & Noble website)



Oh and don't read the synopsis for this one until you read the first book. It'll give it away.


Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. (again from the Barnes & Noble Website.)

the mother in me

I am about 3/4 through this book and love it. For those of us who are young mothers. Mothers to young children and at times find ourselves thinking "is this normal". Motherhood is part of us all but it doesn't come easy over night. It is a process and a trait we are all learning. This book includes short stories and poems about being a mother. I love the stories but not a big fan of the poetry. But maybe that is just because I have really never been big into poetry. This is a quick read so I hope you check it out!

The Book Thief

This is a powerful, and very moving book! I bawled at the end.

"It is 1939, Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, where the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife library, wherever there are books to be found."

It is told from the viewpoint of Death, and it is very different and interesting perceptive. The book takes place during Nazi Germany, so there is war-time violence. It is an amazing book that covers so many themes- hope, love, family, courage, and standing up for what you believe in.

The Lighting Thief

I love this series! If you like the Harry Potter series, you will love this series! You meet Percy Jackson, a trouble youth, who finds out the Greek gods are still alive and well in the 21st Century. It is a action-packed, hilarious book. The chapter titles made me roll on the floor laughing- like "I accidentally vaporized my Pre-algebra teacher". It is a great twist of greek mythology and sarcastic humor.

The Book of Lost Things

This is one of my favorite books ever. It was hard for me to get into it, but after the first thirty pages the story really came alive and sucked me in. It has a great twist to some classic fairy tales.

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the loss of his mother. He is angry and he is alone, with only the books on his shelf for company.

But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness, and as he takes refuge in the myths and fairytales so beloved of his dead mother he finds that the real world and the fantasy world have begun to meld. The Crooked Man has come, with his mocking smile and his enigmatic words: 'Welcome, your majesty. All hail the new king.'

And as war rages across Europe, David is violently propelled into a land that is both a construct of his imagination yet frighteningly real, a strange reflection of his own world composed of myths and stories populated by wolves and worse-than-wolves, and ruled over by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a legendary book . . . The Book of Lost Things.

Home for Christmas

I know it is no where near Christmas but I could not help read one of my most favorite books yesterday. This book was written by Anita Stansfield. It is not a terribly long book so if you are looking for something to read in only a day or two this would be perfect for you. Home for Christmas is one of the last in a series she has written but it is actually okay to read this book out of order. The main character is a girl by the name of Allison who is going to school at Provo's BYU and working an accounting job too. Right at the start of the book you learn that she is unable to go home to Australia for Christmas and the reason is simply that she prayed about it and just feels like she needed to stay. Yes, this book has teaching and principles from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day-Saint and how those things apply to everyday life and choices that we make. It is a wonderful book and the story is so sweet and tender. I hope you all get a chance to read this lovely book one day. Well the only thing left for me to say is, "Happy Reading!"

Here we go!

Welcome, welcome! I'm so excited to get this going. I don't know about you all, but I read insatiably. There is nothing like a good book to escape for a little while. But whether you're like me or you're not a big reader at all or you're somewhere in the middle, I, for one, would love to hear what you're reading and how you like it. So if you have a book to suggest, please write a little blurb about it (no giving away the plot though!!) and tell us how you liked it. Please include the author's name so everyone else can find it if they want and a picture of the cover would be great if want to put one up. If there is any offensive language or anything that might be offensive to someone, please give a little warning. Let's respect that not everyone has the same taste and not write nasty comments. Alrighty, I think that's all. I can't wait to get started!