Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George. Bloomsbury, 2010. 266p. (978-1-59990-478-8)

Princess Poppy is one of the famous twelve dancing princesses. The spell has been broken by her now brother-in-law Galen, but there is political tension amongst the kingdoms due to the death of so many princes who tried and failed to break the spell.

In order to restore good will and strengthen alliances the various monarchs agree to send some of their children, the princes and princesses, on visiting trips to make friends with each other. Of course this is also an excellent opportunity for the heirs to the thrones to also find a spouse. All of the unmarried dancing princesses are sent off to different kingdoms and Princess Poppy finds herself in Breton. Prince Christian of the Danelaw also finds himself being sent to Breton.

Poppy and Christian do become friends but their friendship (and potential romance) is threatened when a mysterious and beautiful young girl, calling herself Lady Ella, appears at a royal gala. Not only does she seem to bewitch every young man present but she also has the audacity to wear a more resplendent copy of Princess Poppy’s gown.

But something isn’t right. Poppy knows magic when she sees it – after all she danced in an enchanted world every night of her life until the spell was broken. She knows who the girl is, but can’t figure out where she is getting her beautiful gowns or fabulous dancing slippers (they appear to be glass!). Nor can she understand the motives behind all the magic. She needs all the help she can get to rescue the girl and break the enchantress’ hold.

Jessica Day George does a wonderful job giving a new twist to Cinderella. I really enjoyed that “Cinderella” was not the main character but that her story was woven into a sequel of another fairytale. Looking forward to reading more of Jessica Day George’s books! Especially Princess of the Midnight Ball which tells how Galen broke the spell Poppy and her sisters were under.

Go read it! Wake County; Greene County; Find it at a library near you; Buy it from B&N

The Rose Garden Husband by Margaret Widdemer

The Rose Garden Husband by Margaret Widdemer. Grosset & Dunlap, 1915. 208p.

Miss Braithwaite, or Liberry Teacher as the children call her, is a public library employee who loves her kids and books, but finds that living in the city and working leaves very little time (and even less money) for herself. One particular trying day she exclaims to herself, 

“I’m sick of working hard fifty-one weeks out of fifty-two for board and lodging and carfare and shirtwaists and the occasional society of a few girls who don’t get any more out of life than I do! I’m sick of libraries, and of being efficient! I want to be a real girl! Oh, I wish – I wish I had a lot of money, and a rose-garden, and a husband!”

Well, watch out what you wish for because you just might get it. That same day an elderly couple that had befriended Miss Braithwaite during their interactions at the library approach her with a unusual proposition. A proposition that includes a lot of money, the potential for a rose-garden or two and even a husband.

There’s nothing scandalous about the proposition, it is merely an arrangement to ease the fears of a dying woman and provide a faithful companion to an invalid. Liberry Teacher is a sweet, patient, conscientious girl with a dash of stereotypical librarianness who takes her job very seriously.

I loved this book. It’s so much fun and written in such a different style than what is common today. The story is sweet, it’s a clean marriage of convenience/arranged marriage story and it’s about a librarian. What’s not to love? :-)

Go read it! Free ebook; Find it at a library near you; Buy it from B&N

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry. Bloomsbury, 2009. 306p. (978-1-59990-334-7)

Half way through this book I wasn’t quite sure how much I liked it because of all the theft and deceit. But then I also decided that Peter and Lucinda couldn’t be just anybody and that I most definitely wanted to know who they’d be. By the end I liked this book a whole lot better, although the thievery still bothers me.

Lucinda had been born to a wealthy, loving family, but a tragic accident killed both her parents when she was very young. Now Lucinda is an orphan living with her uncle and step-aunt, although her uncle wasn’t a blood-relative either, he had just been married to her mother’s sister. He is a jeweler but with little business, and the step-aunt is a harsh, unforgiving woman.

Julie Berry brings in elements of Cinderella, but this is not your typical Cinderella story. Sure Lucinda is an orphan and Beryl is a fairy godmother of sorts and she dances with the prince, but the plot isn’t girl-meets-prince-then-happily-ever-after. The plot centers on an unusual gem that a strange and beautiful woman brings into the shop one day. The same day the woman comes, a handsome young man wanting to buy a gift stops by and then a charming rogue (and the city’s best pick pocket) drops in. Literally. And that’s where the trouble starts. And I wish I could tell you more but I hate spoiling any parts of a story for anyone.

It’s a fun book. Amaranth Enchantment is the first book Julie Berry has published. And she does a good job. The characters are interesting – Beryl, especially, has quite the interesting history. I can only think of one instance where the dialogue was a bit stilted and could have used a bit more work. And I wish the treachery of the villain had been dealt with better at the end. My favorite character was Dog, the goat. So loyal and smart! Overall a fun, fairytale-ish story.

Go read it! Wake County; NCSU; Greene County; Find it at a library near you; Buy it from B&N

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin

Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin. Bethany House, 2011. 388p. (978-0-7642-0498-2)

This is a very satisfying read. Enough mystery, adventure, life and death situations, love, romance, danger, buried treasure and books to make for a great read. And the irony is that the librarian heroine thinks all the adventures she’s living through are like scenes and settings from the novels she’s read. Until she realizes that God is control of her life and living life is better than living vicariously through fictional characters.

Set in 1936 Illinois and Kentucky, Alice is the newest librarian at the Blue Island public library and has been dating respectable Gordon T. Walters for nearly a year. But between Depression budget shortfalls and the death of the library’s main patrons dies, the library must cut back its hours and its staff. The day before Alice found out about losing her job, Gordon accused her of living in a fantasy world and broke up with her.

Alice would rather not keep busy with the tasks her parents give her so she jumps at the chance to travel to Kentucky with her aunt and uncle to deliver the boxes of book donations she has been collecting for the Acorn Public Library. And that’s where her adventure begins.

I don’t want to say anything more about the plot for fear of spoiling your fun. But I will tell you about some of the people. June Ann, Clint, Gladys, and Ike all made me think of some of the people from the Christy movies – feuding, moonshine and a distrust of outsiders is in Acorn just as it was in Cutter Gap. Miss Lillie is a great character, so much wisdom, quirkiness (love potion anyone?), knowledge and history. A woman of great faith, she taught Alice more about God in a short period of time more than she learned from going to church and hearing her father’s sermons all her life.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were entertaining, the mystery interesting and was a great reminder that God directs our steps. He has a wonderful purpose for our lives and we need to be listening to his directions.

Did you have the Steve Green cassette or VHS (or even CD or DVD) Hide ‘em in Your Heart growing up? If so than you know that there is a friend who sticks, kinda like peanut butter: 

The verse, There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24b NIV84) plays a two part purpose in the book. The first is obvious, but for the second you’ll just have to read the book.

Go read it! Wake County; Greene County; Find it at a library near you; Buy it from CBD

Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow

Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow with Nathan Whitaker. Harper, 2011. 272p. (978-0062007285)

I read this last summer and am writing this review completely from memory. Since the Super Bowl is tomorrow (yes, I know, the Broncos aren’t playing) I figured I ought to review a football book, and since this is the most recent football related book that I’ve read, I figured it was appropriate. Especially since the only other one is the novel Hometown Legend by Jerry B. Jenkins that I read back in high school. (A fun novelization of the movie.) Plus Tebow has been discussed quite a lot in the past few months.

I really don’t care about American football, but I actually requested this book from the library before it came out. Why? Because Tim Tebow is a missionary kid (and a homeschooler). I was hoping to learn more about that aspect of his life but his family returned to the States when he was still quite young – around age three or four if my memory serves me correctly. So naturally he doesn’t remember much about living overseas, but it still influenced his life – his dad travelled there frequently, he went there on a mission trip in high school, and his foundation is helping orphans there.

Instead, and rightly so, the book focuses on his football career. How his love and passion for the sport developed while a kid, how much time he spent in high school developing his skills, how he agonized over what college to attend and then his college career. I’m sure it also talks about his move to the NFL and his games there but I really can’t remember much about that part of the book.

Through My Eyes tells a lot about what goes on off the field. All the training and exercise, perseverance and dedication, self-discipline and focus that is necessary to play at that level. It’s no wonder the apostle Paul uses athletes as an example of how we should live a Christian life – focused on Jesus Christ.

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV84)

Tim Tebow’s great work ethic and dedication to his training are very evident throughout his book and Paul mentions the strict training athletes subject themselves to, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1Corinthians 9:24-25 NIV84) And Tim Tebow knows that there is “a crown that will last forever” and he is running hard in that race as well.

I enjoyed this book – even if the football details got to be a bit too much at times. His drive, determination and his love for Christ is inspiring.

Go read it! Wake County; Greene County; Find it at a library near you; Buy it from CBD

P.S. An edition of his book recently came out for younger readers, Through My Eyes: A Quarterbacks Journey And I like this book cover better because you can actually read (and notice) the title.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2009. 451p. (978-0-399-15534-5)

So much has already been said and written about this book. But I wanted to review this in honor of Black History Month. I saw the movie before I read the book and I thought it was a very good adaptation. A couple things were changed or shortened of course but overall I liked the movie. If you don’t read the book, watch the movie. But if you're planning on reading the book, don't watch the movie until afterwards, otherwise you'll know the Terrible, Awful Thing and that takes away from the plot (at least it did for me).

Set in the early 1960s, the book is written from the point of view of three women – Aibileen, Miss Skeeter, and Minny. Aibileen and Minny are both maids in Jackson, Mississippi. Miss Skeeter, whose actual name is Eugenia Phelan, has just graduated from college and wants to become a writer, but her mother wants her to get married like the rest of her peers. Aibileen and Minny both work for some of Miss Skeeter’s friends. And Skeeter gets to know them when she gets a job writing a cleaning advice column for the local newspaper but knows nothing about cleaning.

Before graduating Skeeter had applied to a job in New York with a famous publishing house, a senior editor took interest in Skeeter and encouraged her to send her best ideas in. She did but Ms. Stein told her to find something she was more passionate about. And that’s when it hit her. To write about life in Jackson, Mississippi from the point of view of the help. A risky busy, considering the racial tensions in Jackson, the civil rights movement underway and the KKK. It isn’t easy for Skeeter to convince Aibileen to join her in this venture and it isn’t easy for Aibileen to convince other maids to tell their stories.

But this isn’t just a story about three ladies who join forces to write a book from a controversial point of view. It is the story of what daily life was like for black maids in 1962/63 Mississippi. It is the story of a single, college educated, career desiring young lady living in a time when all the girls she knew were married and had only gone to college to find a husband. It is a story that makes Jim Crow laws come to life. And it shows that everyone has hopes and dreams and secrets no matter what their station in life might be.

I liked this book. It opens a window onto an era and setting that I have not read much about and that is very different (and yet not different) from life today. Kathryn Stockett does an excellent job in giving life to her characters and weaving the story together as it is told from three points of view.

Go read it! Wake County; Greene County; Find it at a library near you;  Buy it from B&N

Month in Review – January 2012

At the end of each month I plan on listing all the books I reviewed and noting which were the most popular. This time I listed them in order of popularity. Many thanks to all of you who have encouraged me in starting this blog! I couldn’t have done it without your love, kind words and good ideas.

	Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl Searching for imaginary monsters during summer vacation is one thing, but when a real dragon makes his appearance Leo needs to defeat the monster. But at what cost? (This was by far the most popular post. And it deserves it. It’s a fabulous book!)
	Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock This book is about a princess who needs to learn how to be a princess and save her kingdom does a great job of mixing and weaving together many fairytales.
	Serendipity by Cathy Marie Hake Inspirational fiction set in 1890s Arkansas and Texas about a couple learning to overcome their differences and love each other.
	The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson A wonderful retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a medieval, Christian twist.
	Hidden by Shelley Shepard Gray Running from an abusive boyfriend Anna finds refuge amongst a friend’s Amish family but needs to face her past.
	Chalice by Robin McKinley Interesting story about a young girl who suddenly finds herself in a position of great importance.
	Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble A fun story about an estranged couple who are trying to figure out the mystery behind their daughter’s kidnapping.