My Not-So-Fairy Tale Life by Julie Wright

I enjoy talking with Julie but I always feel like the shy girl talking to the popular girl! I get tongue tied and flustered only because she is so fun, funny and wickedly cool!
I rarely cry; not in movies and not while reading a book (well, sometimes those Hallmark commercials get me).
This book got me.
Probably because I am adopted.

I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book. I didn't want to read a YA sob story about sin and sinning and poor girl what ever will she do? Wringing of the hands...

But the story took me places I haven't been and wasn't sure I could go. Thank you, Julie!

Suzanna Quincy, or Cue as she likes to be called, is raised in a home where her mother lets her know she isn't wanted and father who bows to the mother. Her brother is the only person who understands her.
To get away from her harsh life she abuses drugs and alcohol and surprise! Ends up pregnant. Now she must come to grips with living as an adult and with the consequences of her choices.
After being kicked out of the house by her mother, she finds herself running to Utah in the hopes her brother and his wife will take her in; both are converted members to the LDS faith. On the bus ride to Utah (paid for by a kind stranger) a LDS boy named Rion sits by her and doesn't give up on her.
Cue has attitude but it is a front for hurt that goes deeply. And the big question for her; what to do with the baby?

Julie's book made me laugh out loud and quietly cry. I would recommend it to mothers who have daughters. Not only does the story show the consequences of choices, good and bad, it teaches how we should treat others. We don't know what everyone is going through. We should love each other unconditionally.
And we should know, any person of any faith, that our Heavenly Father is real and loves us.

Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

The Fablehaven series just keeps getting better!

I bought #4 hoping it would be a keeper like the other three and I wasn't disappointed.




In the magical world that Kendra and Seth, brother and sister, have been thrown into, there is an evil plot. A plot to open the great demon prison and destroy the earth! Wah hahaha (evil laughter)
Kendra, Seth, their grandparents (who are caretakers of Fablehaven) and others will try and stop the evil mastermind. But who is it? And how can they stop him/her?
Two hidden artifacts have been found. Three more remain uncovered. If all artifacts end up in the hands of the bad guys, the demon prison can be opened. Kendra learns of the location of the key to one of the artifacts and it is decided to move it to another location. But there are many obstacles in the way...and betrayal!

Every character we have come to know throughout the series has grown and matured, even Seth! :) Mr. Mull has given each character their own quirks, strengths and voice. The story flowed well and the descriptions of the magical places were just right.
The magical creatures Mr. Mull introduced were all believable (I love that one has a crush on Kendra), scary and unique.

There is plenty of laughs, tension, twists to keep this story moving right up to the end and the betrayal. (Personal prideful note: I guessed the person in book 3 but was thrown off by the personality in book 4 so didn't suspect!)
And once again, I LOVE the lessons taught throughout the book! Thank you, Brandon Mull, for teaching good life lessons!
And thank you for writing a clean book that I can recommend to any parent or YA without any trepidation!

Wings by Aprilynne Pike BOOK REVIEW

For her first book, Aprilynne has woven an intriguing tale of humans and fairies.


Laurel seems like your average teenager, except she's not. She has been homeschooled all her life until her family moves. Her mother insists she go to public school where she enters as a sophomore. Oh. And Laurel is beautiful and the cutest guy at school likes her.
Her fathers dream of owing and running a bookstore comes true and the family move about an hour away from the cabin Laurel grew up in. The cabin is surrounded by woods, which Laurel loves.
Laurel has little quirks like: eating only fruit or drinking Sprite. She likes to be outdoors, especially in the sun. She isn't bothered by cold weather. And she can hold her breath for like, 15 minutes.
Then she gets a bump on her back which she is sure is cancer.
Then the bump blossoms.

And now Laurel has a huge flower growing out of her back which almost looks like wings.
Who can she confide in? She doesn't want to become a science experiment. She turns to one person she wants to trust: the cute guy, David.
David is stunned but trusts Laurel and has to believe her when she shows him her back. He is amazingly supportive.
Laurel goes back to her cabin to find answers and mets Tamani who is like Laurel: a fairy. The area is protected by fairies because of the secret they know. You'll have to read the book to find out the secret...
At the same time her mother is trying to sell the cabin that has been in her family for years and her father is hospitalized for some unknown toxin.
Come to find out, there are also trolls living in the neighborhood. Bad guys.

This story was easy to read and the flowed right along. The characters were believable. The story was believable.
And I once again believe in fairies.

Book Review-'Loyality's Web' by Joyce DiPastena

"Loyalty's Web' by Joyce DiPastena


Do you enjoy medieval stories? Romance? Intrigue? Sinister plots? Than "Loyalty's Web" by Joyce DiPastena is a story you will want to read.


King Henry II of England has just finished crushing a rebellion his sons have started. Peace treaties have been signed and barons whose loyalty were to the Princes have been pardoned-for now.
To make sure princes and barons are following the terms of the treaty, the King has sent the Earl of Gunthar to stay with the Laurants. Not many are happy to see the kings representative and several assassination attempts are tried.

As Gunthar tries to ensure the peace treaty is kept, he also must solve the mystery of who is trying to kill him, find a spy or two, fall in love and get out of being betrothed. Throw in several plot twists and you have quite a story that must be read to the very last page.

From the start of the book the reader is immersed in the a story set in medieval times. Ms. DiPastena wove history and storytelling well.

The characters were lovable and despicable and I found myself wanting the bad guys to be taken care of RIGHT NOW! I felt along with the characters as they faced their conflicting desires of love and loyalty. The webs of both are hard to unravel once they are intertwined.
Every character had a goal and tried to reach that goal in whatever way they could. And each character had great personality, depth and faults. It was interesting to watch where their paths led them.

An enjoyable read!

Book Review

Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind by Heidi Ashworth

Ginny is the niece of a dowager who LOVES her roses. She can not get into town to check on her roses or to make sure that some doesn't steal any clippings of her prized roses. The dowager schemes to get Ginny engaged and sends her to check on the roses with Sir Anthony as an escort. Sir Anthony is very proper while Ginny speaks her mind and neither cared for the other. But from the beginning fate conspires against the couple. The are stranded by a highwayman and thus starts their adventure.

Ginny and Sir Anthony are forced into each others company as they are stuck at a family members home and the battle of words, wit and misread cues are constant. Both Ginny and Sir Anthony soon find themselves drawn into games and trying to reveal the real person in each other.

And the dowager's roses? You will have to read the book to find out....
Great book for summer reading!