Books

Because of the TV writers strike I've not turned on the tube at night. Nothing new to see. (Except I'm very excited that LOST returns tomorrow night!!!) Once the girls are in bed I usually unwind by watching a show however, since there's nothing on in my opinion, I read. I have read a lot this month at night and also at the gym. I finished 4 books, two of them being over 400 pages. I haven't read so much since college when it was required for a Children's Lit. class. I decided to post my reviews of these books since many of you are readers yourself.

Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama (author's first book): This was about a young girl, Pei, who is "sold" to the silk factory at the age of 8 to earn money for her poor family. The story covers about 20 years of Pei's life with the silk workers where Pei finds strength and friendship in their sisterhood. The setting is in 1920's China. It was an interesting look at the hard life the girls lead and how they became a family to each other. It was a quick read -250 pages and had some interesting topics to discuss (it was our book club book). It could have used a little more character development and maybe another chapter for the ending. I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Sarah's Quilt by Nancy Turner: This is a sequel to the book "These is my Words" (one of my favorite books). This is loosely based on the author's great grandmother's life set in early Arizona. Sarah is faced with many challenges in this book: her ranch is in a drought, her neighbor wants to marry her, someone's poisoning her water hole, her two boys have left college and come home, and much more. This was a good continuation of the first book. I just love Sarah, her strength and determination through all her trials. I give this 4 out of 5.

Austenland by Shannon Hale: This is just a fun book. I already wrote about it in a post below. This is not a book for literary discussions, it has it's flaws. This is one to just have a good time reading on a rainy day. I'd give it 5 out of 5 for pure enjoyment.

19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult: This is the third book by this author that I have read. I liked the other two much better ("My Sister's Keeper" and "Plain Truth"). I couldn't put the other two books down but, this one I could and come back to it later. Maybe it was the subject. This is about a young boy who is bullied throughout his life. One day he's had enough and shoots up his high school killing 10 and wounding 19. The book does some flashbacks to show you what lead up to the shooting and gives great character development. The author does get you in the mind of the shooter and what happened that day. Jodi Picoult uses the same formula on this book as she has on the others I've read: something major is happening, there's some trial/lawyer involved, someone falls in love, and there's a twist at the end. I would recommend the other two books of hers that I read over this. There is some strong language in here that I thought was a little over the top. I give it 3.5 out 5.

President Hinckley

I am so grateful for the life of President Gordon B. Hinckley. I remember the first time I ever saw him live at a BYU devotional. When he walked in, everyone stood and sang "We Thank Thee O'God for a Prophet." It was a very powerful and moving experience for me. He was a true prophet.

President Hinckley lead such a wonderful life full of service and love. He accomplished so much in his life. He always encouraged us to do just a little better than we did today and that is something I'm always striving to do. We were so blessed to have him guide and direct us. He will truly be missed.

For Family Home Evening we talked about President Hinckley passing away and who the new prophet will be. Abby asked if President Hinckley was with Heavenly Father and Jesus now. What a sweet thing to say. Hail to the prophet, ascended to heaven...

Austenland

My friend, Katie, recommended a book called "Austenland" by Shannon Hale (author of the Princess Academy). So I'm here to recommend it to all you Jane Austen lovers out there. It was a fun, cute, quick read that I enjoyed. Definitely a chick book. It's about a young women, Jane, in her early thirties who is having a hard time finding Mr. Right due to the fact she compares everyone to Mr. Darcy. One of my favorite lines: "I don't think I could explain it to a man. If you were a woman, all I'd have to say is 'Colin Firth in a wet shirt' and you'd say, 'Ah.'"

Video Games

As many of you know, we did our whole media room for Christmas. This included Todd finally being able to by some gaming system - we went with the PS3. We don't have any games yet except for the demos Todd's downloaded. The other day, the girls we watching Todd play some games. One particular game he kept dying. Abby encourages him by saying, "You're not very good at this game dad." And that was the end of that game.

And speaking of games, are there any out there that you like to play? I personally like Guitar Hero and Rock Band (as long as I'm not doing the singing).

Question for everyone

I was wondering a random question - is my blog centered on your computer? My sister's computer has it aligned to the left. What do you see?

Pie

You Are Lemon Meringue Pie

You're the perfect combo of sassy and sweet. You always know how to brighten someone's mood, but you're not overly sappy. In fact, you can be a bit too honest at times. And most people find that refreshing. While you're always true to yourself, you keep things light. That's how people are able to stomach your slightly bitter outlook. Those who like you have well refined tastes. You're complicated - and let's face it - a true enigma. You enjoy defying expectations, and there are many layers to your personality. There's not one easy way to define you.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Resolutions

It's the year of the house. For my New Year's resolution I'm getting my house in order. After 2 1/2 years, it's about time. I guess it started with us finally doing our media room. Now I'm moving my way through the house, de-junking and rearranging things. I've even picked out paint colors for several of the rooms. Be on the lookout for before and after pictures throughout the year.