Books I Read in
2014
Eggs by Jerry Spinelli. David is
not dealing with the loss of his mother very well. She slipped on a wet floor
and fell down some stairs breaking her neck. Now if can only obey the rules
perfectly she may return and they will see that sunset together. He hasn’t seen
a sunset since her death.
Primrose lives in an abandoned car out in her
front yard. Her mother tells fortunes always the same one. You will have a long
and happy life. Primrose moved out to have her own space. The two meet and help each other heal. It was
delightful.
As You Are
by Sarah M Eden. A lovely Regency
Romance by an LDS author.
Servant: The Dark God, Book One
by John Brown. I have enjoyed John Brown’s writing advice on his web page. I
bought this book when it first came out through TOR. I only read a couple of
chapter and then put it down. He has since decided to publish his own book. So
edits and rewrites later and “Servant of a Dark God” becomes “Servant: The Dark
God, Book One”
I think I’m getting
too old for High Fantasy. It just seemed to stress me out. The writing is good
and the world building is solid. I just felt like even though good triumphed
over evil in the end that all the problems that were facing them before were mostly still there at the end.
I really
wanted to like it because he is and LDS author and a student of Orson Scott
Card’s writer’s workshop.
Ruins by Orson Scott Card. The
story continues in the second installment of the Pathfinders series. Rig, Umbo,
Param, Olivenco and Loaf (I love those names by the way) have made it through
the wallfold. The ships are coming from earth to destroy Garden and they have
to determine why so they can stop it.
I’m not in
love with this series there is a lot of explaining about the repercussion of
time travel and the ethics of it…a lot of explaining. I find myself oddly
anxious to know when the third and final installment will come out. I am
listening to the audio version and love the narrators.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
by Neil Gaiman. Very short novel less than a 180 pages. A man comes home for his father’s funeral and
goes back to the place he grew up. He goes down to the end of the land and
remembers.
A YA Fantasy
with some major adult themes; suicide, child abuse, infidelity.
Lettie, her
mother and grandmother are the funnest part of this book.
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great
by Gerald Morris. I have all his King Arthur and his round table tales. This one was full of laughs. I recommend them
all for King Arthur fan. Written for
ages 8-12.
Spellbound compiled by Diana
Wynn Jones. A complication of Fantasy stories by the literary greats such as
Eva Ibbotson, L. Frank Baum, E. Nesbit, Andrew Lang, Andre Norton, Joan Aiken,
CS Lewis, Rudyard Kipling and Patricia C Wrede. Experpts from some novels and
others as standalone stories. Wrapped up with a story called “What the Cat Told
Me” by Diane Wynn Jones. Very Fun read.
Autobiography of Parley P Pratt
One of the greatest later day missionaries, tells his story and we see the
early days of the restoration through his experiences. His life is full of
service, trials and tribulation. He was also a journalist and a poet. Many of
our later day hymns have him as their author. Through all his trials he had an
unwavering testimony of the restoration of Christ’s true Church on the earth
for the final time.
He sealed
his testimony with his blood. He was a martyr for the cause.
A very
powerful read and testimony builder. Loved it. Was a book club pick.
Sarah by Orson Scott Card. This
is the wonderful story of Sarai and Abram fleshed out for us by OSC. He weaves
together all the stories from the Bible and gives us a look into the heart of
this remarkable woman.
We watch her
change and grow into the wonderful matriarch of Abram’s Kingdom. We feel her
softening as she see’s the promises made to Abraham go unfulfilled because of
her barreness. Beautifully written. I am reading the OT so want to read this
trilogy along with it.
Mazerunner by James Dashner.
Sorry I hated it. All the characters have amnesia. The characters are not very
well realized the premise wears very thin. I stuck it out because he is an LDS
author and they are making a movie from it. I may stand alone in my opinion and
it is just my opinion but I will not read the rest of the series.
Gossamer by Lois Lowry. I love,
love, loved this book. Littlest One is the newest dream giver and she is in
training. She is very curious, loves to dance about, wonders what exactly they
are and sucks her thumb.
It’s the
Littlest’s story but also the story of the 70-yr-old woman who takes in a young
angry boy as a foster parent.
It was wonderfu
to watch Littlest grow and learn and to watch the old woman and the boy heal.
Lois Lowry
is a wonderful writer.
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
with Lynn Vincent. Very sweet story of a minister and his family in small town
(Imperial) Nebraska. After many personal adversities; broken leg, kidney
stones, lumpectomy the final straw was their nearly four-year-old almost dying
from a bust appendix.
Then the
story unfolds as they have those childhood talks with their son and he begins
to reveal his near death experience of going to Heaven. Wonderful book. Very
life affirming and a great faith builder.
More Adventures of the Great Brain
by John D Fitzgerald. TD and JD are up to more adventure. TD or Tom has the
mind of a con artist though he is only eleven years old. His parents take away
the new bicycle he just got for Christmas until he uses his great brain to turn
an illiterate tomboy into an educated young lady. As always these stories are
so fun to read.
Far World – Water Keep by J.
Scott Savage. Another LDS writer. This was good enough that I look forward to
the sequels (3 more).
Marcus has
been handicapped from birth and wheelchair bound. Found abandoned as a baby a
Priest saved him but now he goes from one school to the next.
But somehow
he has skills he doesn’t understand. He can make himself seem invisible to
others and get hints of danger.
Kyja lives
on a world where everyone has magic but her until because of some bond between
them she pulls Marcus to her world. So the adventure begins. I liked it.
Rebekah by Orson Scott Card. The
telling of the story of Rebekah and Isaac. OSC is a wonderful story teller. I
often wondered how the real Rebekah and Isaac felt about OSC depiction of them.
Rebekah is strong willed but beautiful and Isaac never feels like he measures
up to Ishmael. Stayed up most of the night reading it.
Bear in the Back Seat I & II
Adventures of a Wildlife Ranger in the Great Smokey Mountains by Carolyn Jordan
and Kim Delozier. These are the real experiences of Kim Delozier who was a park
ranger in the Great Smokey Mountains for 32 years. It was a wonderful read.
Wonder by RJ Palacio. August
Pullman is a 10-yr-old boy with a severe facial deformity. He has been
homeschooled until now. He is entering a school for the fifth grade. This story
is told in several people's POV as we watch Auggie struggle with prejudice of
people put off by his face and watch how being his friend changes those around him.
It was a wonderful read.
Fair Weather by Richard Peck.
Another gem by Mr. Peck. Lottie, Rosie and Buster get to leave the farm to go
visit their Aunt in Chicago to see the World’s Fair. Grandpa tags along with
Tip his dog. This trip will change all their lives in unexpected ways. I love
Richard Peck’s stories.
Homeland & Exile by RA
Salvator. I got these two books on Audio and listened to them while I worked on
my quilt. Jeanie Phillips and Tracy Blankenship both highly recommended this
whole series. They were both right Driz D’Urden is wonderful protagonist. A
moral man living in an amoral society. A dark elf with ebony skin and snow
white hair. The underdark was a great world with so many amazing creatures.
This is a great High Fantasy.
Once We were Kings by Ian
Alexander. Nice read, not perfectly crafted but kept my interest. Sometimes if
felt like the pace was a little break neck.
The Longest Tunnel by Alan
Burgess. The True story of the Great Escape from Stalag Liff III of RAF, USAF,
Canadian AF and other countries pilot and plane crew that were shot down over
enemy territory and sent to POW camps. Their main job was to try to escape and
cause resources to be used to find them or to escape. This is the story of the
longest Tunnel that was dug and the 76 men that escaped. It even takes you to
post war Germany and the rounding up of the members of Gestapo who murdered 50
of those officers who escaped. Very well written, truly fascinating. I gave
this to Joe and Ryan for our Christmas book exchange along with the movie, “The
Great Escape.”
East by Edith Pattou. Retelling
of the fairy tale, “East of the Sun, West of the Moon.” Easy read, she adds a
lot of flavor with the strong superstitions of the MC’s mother. Also instead of
the four winds carrying Rose on her journey, we have actual people who help her
who represent the four winds. Nicely done! Great research so story is well
fleshed out.
Royal Airs by Sharon Shinn. Once
again Sharon Shinn creates a wonderful world peopled by people with elemental
magic. Josetta is a princess of one of the five families but is far enough from
the throne that she works in the slums to bring relief to the poor. Her sister
ends up in the slums rescued by Rafe a professional card player. He is
different than anyone Josetta has met. He does not seem to have any elemental
blessings. When Rafe is attacked they soon realize the past he has forgotten
may not only endanger their budding relationship but their very lives. Wonderful.
about 25 books read this year.
