3 More Down

It seems I'm always playing catch-up here. I have read three more books since I last posted. The first was So Much of Life Ahead by Dean Hughes. This was the last book in the Hearts of the Children series. I have laughed and cried throughout this series. It was wonderful. Mr. Hughes really knows how to create characters that you really care about.
The second book was Rick Riordan's book two of the Kane Chronicles, The Throne of Fire. Carter and Sadie Kane are brother and sister magicians. They follow the paths of the ancient Greek gods. In this book, the god of chaos, Apophis, is about to break free of his prison and destroy the world. It is up to Carter and Sadie to awaken Ra and save the world. But it is a perilous journey. They must first find the three sections of the Book of Ra, hidden throughout the world. Then they must take the book and descend into the Duat, the underworld, to find Ra and read the spell that will awaken him. On the way, they come across other magicians trying to stop them along with more gods and demons who are bound to kill them before they can get to Ra. Carter and Sadie must also decide if awakening Ra is the right thing to do. And if they decide to do it, will Ra be the God he used to be?
The third book I read was Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. Miri and her family live on the slopes of Mount Eskel. Her father and sister work in the quarry, but Miri isn't allowed to. She thinks it's because she's so small. One day, word comes from the lowlands that the king's priests have announced the Prince's bride will come from Mount Eskel. So a princess academy is set up for the eligible girls to instruct them on proper lowlander etiquette. Miri and the other girls don't like it very much at first. Olana, the tutor, isn't nice at all and gives out punishments for the smallest things. Then the girls turn the tables on her when Miri finds a secret about Olana. Olana changes her ways and the girls thrive on learning at the academy. After a year, it is time for the Prince to come and choose his bride. The night of his arrival, he is not very friendly. He is stiff and formal and leaves the next morning without choosing his bride. Unfortunately, as soon as the Prince's caravan leaves, bandits invade the academy and demand to know whom the Prince has chosen. They do not believe it when they are told the Prince didn't choose. A big snow storm comes and threatens to leave them stranded at the academy for the rest of the winter. Miri has to find a way to save herself and all the other girls before the bandits can take them away and/or kill them. Can she sing to the quarry rocks and make her father hear her? Will he understand she and the other girls are in danger? Will he be in time to save them? When will the Prince return and who will he choose as his bride? This was a good book and one I hope my daughters will read.

A little behind...

I finished The Girl Who Played with Fire a few weeks ago. It was as good as the first one! Can't wait for the 3rd to come out in paperback.

I also have read Smoke Screen by Traci Hunter Abramson. This book follows Taylor Palmetta, an up-and-coming artist, and Quinn Lambert, a Navy SEAL. Quinn broke Taylor's heart and she headed to Europe to get away from him. Quinn is trying to heal his own heart as he hides the fact that his wife died and that he is falling in love with Taylor.
Just as their romance starts to heat up again, a plot against America is discovered. And Taylor's paintings may hold the key.

Now I am reading Vixen 03 by Clive Cussler. Cussler is my favorite author. There are only a few books I haven't read of his and this is one of them.
An airplane has gone down in Colorado with a deadly cargo. Despite an extensive search by the government and military, the plane is never found (mainly because they thought it went down in the Pacific Ocean). Thirty-five years later, Dirk Pitt discovers the nose gear of a plane in the garage of Congresswoman Loren Smith's Colorado cabin. This sets him off on a hunt for the plane it belongs to. He eventually finds it in the lake near the cabin. Inside the plane is the bones of the crew that flew it and another corpse, the father of Loren Smith.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, a family and the workers on their farm are murdered for no apparent reason. The father had been called away to a meeting and came back to his house burned down and everyone he loved gone. He takes up with the leader of the African Army of Revolution (AAR) and something called Operation Wild Rose. "Their lethal mission: to sail a battleship seventy-five miles up the Potomac and blast Washington, DC, to kingdom come." (back of book)

I'm nearly done with this book. Next up is the 4th installment of the Hearts of the Children series, Take Me Home.

How Many Roads?

Just finished this book. The third in the Hearts of the Children series by Dean Hughes. The Vietnam war is in full swing and Gene has finally been drafted. He also got married to Emily and they have a baby.

Diane and Greg also got married and moved to Seattle. But as their marriage progresses, Diane has some serious questions if she did the right thing.

Kathy has finished school and joined the Peace Corps. She is stationed in the Philipines and asks herself if she has done the right thing and can make a difference there.

Hans has been in prison for a while. He is questioned over and over about the attempted escape of his friend and others. He is offered a chance to go to the USA instead of staying in prison, but chose to listen to the voice in his mind and stay in the GDR.

I am absolutely loving these books and look forward to the next one!

Troubled Waters

I finished Dean Hughes' second book in the Hearts of the Children series last night. These are wonderful books that are full of historical knowledge and wonderful story lines.

Gene, Diane, Hans, and Kathy are growing up and learning where they fit in the world. They have each gone in different directions than they thought they would. Two are about to get married and one is thinking of leaving the LDS church. They all have very important decisions to make that could potentially change their lives forever.

Will Gene go to Vietnam? Will Diane marry Greg or wait for Kent? Will Kathy regain her testimony of the gospel and find her way back to church? Will Hans survive prison? I will have to read the next book, How Many Roads?, to find out!

Book #....... something.......

Next up is the second book of the Hearts of the Children series, Troubled Waters. I am really enjoying these books.

With Gene in Germany on his mission, I keep wondering if he will run into his cousin, Hans Stoltz. I guess I will find out soon enough. This one will probably take me about a week or so to finish, so you may not hear from me.

I still plan on finishing Emma. I'm just putting it off until after this book. I think part of the problem is that I am reading it on my phone instead of an actual book.

Got through that one!

I finally finished The Writing on the Wall. What a wonderful book! I definitely look forward to reading the others in the series and seeing what happens to everyone. I am especially interested in the Stoltz family nd what happens to them.

Up next is Emma by Jane Austen. I've never read a Jane Austen novel, so this should be interesting.

It's Been A While

I am still reading The Writing on the Wall by Dean Hughes. It's a longer one and so it's taking me longer than usual. It's a really good book. The Stoltz family situation tears me apart inside. I think things might be looking up for them though. So I'm hoping to see good things soon for them. I would like to see them escape Germany, but I don't think that is going to happen.

The Writing on the Wall

This is the next book I am reading. It is the first book in the Hearts of the Children series by Dean Hughes. It is set in the 1960s and shows how the turmoil of that era affects a family of Latter-Day Saints.