Book Ideas for Christmas Gifts

I have been asked by a few people for some good ideas on books for their kids for Christmas.  I decided to compile a little list.  Some are more for girls but a lot can be enjoyed by both girls and boys.  I'll label the more girlie books.

Teens (Probably 13 and up)-
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill you by Ally Carter (Girls)
The Heist Society by Ally Carter (Girls)
Starcrossed by Elizabeth Bunce

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
Matched by Ally Condie (Girls)
My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison (Girls)
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Airman by Eoin Colfer

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck (Girls)


Older Child/Preteen (Maybe 8-12)
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordin
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordin
Magyk by Angie Sage
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (Girls)
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan
The Girl Would Could Fly by Victoria Forester

The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker (Girls)

The Wide Awake Princess by E.D. Baker (Girls)

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (Girls)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
The 39 Clues Series by Various Authors
Savvy by Ingrid Law
Scumble by Ingrid Law
Ida B. by Katherine Hannigan
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass (Girls)

Finally by Wendy Mass (Girls)
13 gifts by Wendy Mass (Girls)
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

Hope this is helpful to someone out there!

Favorite Books of 2010

I'm always getting asked for book recommendations, so I thought I would put together a little list of my favorite reads from 2010.

Picture Books:

Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester

Poor Rodney is made fun of at school because he can't pronounce his Rs. In the end he saves the day with his speech impediment and becomes the hero. Funny read and I think I loved it so much because Chase has the same problem.

Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke

A cute story about a Princess who doesn't really like acting how a Princess is supposed to. Aria loved it!

Kid's Books (Ages 9 and up):

The Ranger's Apprentice Series by John Flanagan

I'd heard about this series a long time ago and I even purchased the first book at a book fair, but never got around to reading it. It turns out I had been missing out on a great book. I've now read quite a few of the series and can't wait to hand them over to Hunter. Lots of adventure, great examples of friendship, loyalty, and courage.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Quirky fun book about a girl who is about to turn 13 and receive her magical savvy. Mibs, two of her brothers, and a couple of friends go on a crazy adventure while they try to get to the hospital where her Dad is in a coma. Michela had a lot of fun reading this book too.

Young Adult Fiction:

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

After reading the Warrior Heir series a couple of years ago I fell in love with the author's writing. This new series is every bit as good, but with a lot less violence. A story about a country in peril as the magicians try to take over the queendom. Interesting characters, lots of action, and lots of twists and turns.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

I really enjoyed Westerfeld's Uglies series, but this is a total departure from that kind of story. A bit of Steam punk thrown in with an alternate reality. A war adventure with some strong characters, a lot of spunk, and some good laughs as well.

Fiction- Mystery:

Lemon Tart by Josi S. Kilpack

I thought I had this one figured out, but the author threw in a little twist in the end. I love surprises. A fun quick read with a fabulous heroine. And the icing on the cake is the wonderful recipes sprinkled throughout the pages.

Fiction- Romance:

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

I love this author's writing. Her books all seem to have a little magical element to them. Her writing is magical as well. This story centers around a teenage girl living with her grandpa in a quirky little town. Here she befriends the next door neighbor who has some secrets from her past that she has been trying to run away from.

Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Patillo

If you love Jane Austen's books, you'll have fun reading this book as well. Our modern day heroine is going through some trials which end up bringing her to England. Here she is on a quest to get a look at the "lost" letters of Jane Austen. But before she can see them, she must go on a treasure hunt of sorts through the life of Jane Austen.

Fiction:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Amazing historical fiction that takes you back to the 1960s during the time of the Civil Rights movement. So many strong characters that you can't help but fall in love with. The writing is wonderful and it makes you feel like you are there with these incredible women. It really made me think, how would I have acted in these situations? A definite must read!

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

This book takes place around the same time as The Help but has a different tone. CeeCee has lived a hard life and after her mother dies she is taken in by her Great Aunt. The book is full of amazing women who help CeeCee come to terms with her past and work through her grief. I found myself crying and then laughing out loud all on one page.

Guilty Pleasure:

The Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter

My friend introduced me to these books saying she had bought them for her teenage daughters but ended up reading them herself and loved them. Fun reads with laugh out loud moments and lots of adventure. What isn't there to love about a boarding school for girls that ends up being a spy school training the spies of tomorrow.

The Best Books I Read in 2009

Well, it's almost February, but I wanted to do a post on my favorite books that I read last year. If you don't know me too well, then you don't know how much I like to read. When I was younger you would often find me back on my bed reading instead of playing with friends. I loved rainy days because it gave me an excuse to curl up with a good book. I still love rainy days just for this reason. :) People are always asking me what I've been reading lately so I thought I would just put out a little list.

I've been reading a lot of young adult fiction the last couple of years. I like the fact that they are usually clean and without a load of swearing. Mystery, romance (not the smutty kind), adventure, humor, fairy tales, sci fi, historical fiction,... I like it all! So here is my Top 10 List for 2009.

10. The Time Travelers by Linda Buckley Archer- A fun children's book about these two children who go back in time. They have to find a way to adapt as well as try to find a way home.

9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- A fictional book set during the holocaust narrated by death.

8. The Summer Kitchen by Lisa Wingate- Her books are very uplifting and inspirational.

7. Ink Death by Cornelia Funke- The final book in the Ink Heart series. Beautiful series!

6. The Frog Princess Series by E. D. Baker- Not your typical Princess in these books. She gets into some pretty funny situations. A joy to read.

5. Star Garden by Nancy E. Turner- The third book of the These is My Words series. Once again I was amazed at all this poor woman had to go through. She is one tough cookie though and this book was a great story.

4. The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester- I loved this children's book about accepting ourselves, tolerance and friendship. Piper McCloud is pure spunk and sunshine, with a little X-Men thrown in.

3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore- Lots of adventure, action and romance. Graceling is part Heroes, The Thief and Alias wrapped into one story.

2. The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins- I can't wait for the third book to come out in this gripping series. These books are serious page turners full of action, suspense and heart.

1. The Thief, The Queen of Attolia and the King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner- I adored these books and read the three books in about a week! A new one is coming out in March, can't wait. I loved the characters, the humor, and the action. I especially loved that they weren't too predictable. Loved the twist and turns. Definitely my favorite books of the year.

Skippyjon Jones

If you haven't heard of Skippyjon Jones you need to get yourself to a bookstore. These books are hilarious and are one of our favorite read aloud books. Skippyjon Jones is a siamese cat who likes to pretend he is a chihuahua. He goes on all of these pretend adventures as his alter ego, Skippito Friskito. I love reading these books to the kids and particularly enjoy breaking into a Spanish accent. I think my Spanish accent is 2/3 Cheech and Chong and 1/3 Nacho Libre.

On Friday night we had the opportunity to go up to Salt Lake to attend a reading of the newest Skippyjon Jones book, "Lost in Spice". It was at this cute little bookstore called King's English Bookshop. It is in this little old house and has a great children's book selection.

The author, Judy Schachner, was so much fun. She is a bit all over the place and was quite entertaining. She told us a little bit about herself and how the Skippyjon Jones books came to be. She then read the book and had the kids laughing. After the reading she pulled out a Skippyjon Jones puppet and let the kids interview him. She is pretty quick and had a ready answer for every question. She illustrates the books as well. She said she actually drew and went to art school before she ever started writing.

We had so much fun and even got to meet her and talk to her for a bit while she signed our books. I loved doing something different with the kids, rather than the old standby of a movie. It was also fun to be together as a whole family and show the kids that we love the fact that they enjoy reading so much. Mike was a great sport, he actually likes listening in when I read the books to the kids. He thinks they are pretty funny too. And the best thing was on the way home the kids told me they thought I read the books even better than she did!

My Silly Girl

Aria makes me laugh every single day.  She is one part sunshine, one part ball of energy and one part pure silliness.  The other day I was trying to get her dressed.  I changed her diaper and as I was trying to find something for her to wear she slipped out of the room and headed for Michela's room.  She found a cute purple hat and then wandered into the boys' room for a book.  I finally found her sitting on the chaise in my bedroom reading her book.  She just looked so darn cute that I ran for the camera.  

One of her favorite things to do is look at books or be read to.  All of my kids have been this way.  I usually can't get away with reading less than 3 books every day at nap time or every night before bed.  Her favorites lately are her Disney Princess books and her "Elmo Loves You" book.  When she wakes up from her nap or in the morning I can usually hear her "reading" her books out loud.  It is so fun to listen to her.  

I often read to her and then stop in the middle of a sentence and see if she can finish it.  She has an amazing memory and often rattles it off with no problem.  The other night we were reading the Elmo book and I read, "Monsters love to ...", she chimed in "keckxercise" (exercise).  I started to giggle.  Then I read the next part, "and kids love ...", she finished, "buggle bum" (bubble gum).  That one really got me going.  And she says it in her sweet little sing song voice which makes it even cuter.  Oh, that little girl just melts my heart!

"Inkheart"

I am a major fan of Cornelia Funke, the author of the "Inkheart" series, "Thief Lord" and many other great books.  When I saw that they were making a movie of "Inkheart" I got goosebumps.  This book happens to be one of my favorite children's books.  I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a book full of adventure, fantastic characters, beautiful writing and an incredible story.  

So I was very excited when the movie came out a couple of weeks ago.  My sister and I were planning on going and I decided to take Michela and Hunter along.  So I was a bit saddened that it got such horrible reviews.  Now, I pretty much like every movie I see, I'm not too hard to please, but I thought the reviews would be 4 stars for a story like this.  I didn't let the bad reviews keep me away though.  

So we went to the movie over the weekend, minus Hunter (story of that to follow) and waited with growing anticipation for the movie to start.  The scenery was beautiful!  Most of it was filmed in Italy, so no surprise there.  I loved the actors.  Personally I like Branden Fraser, before the "Mummy" films he did some great stuff like "With Honors" and "School Ties".  Don't get me wrong, I love the "Mummy" films too.  Helen Mirren was spot on as Aunt Elinor, she also provided some much needed humor.  The girl who played Meggie did a wonderful job, I must say she is a much better actress than Kristin Stewart in "Twilight".  The villians were perfect and Paul Bettany could do no wrong as Dustfinger.  They did make a few changes to the story, but they kept in the keeping of the idea of the book. 

I wouldn't take small kids, there are a few scary moments in the film, but Michela is almost 10 and she did just fine.  Hunter is almost 8 and he would have been fine too, but he decided he didn't want to go for other reasons.  So my review would be out of 4 stars I would give it 3.5 stars.  If you are one of those people who hate it when the movie isn't just like the book, then you might be a wee bit disappointed.  But if you understand that a movie can never be as good as the book and just go with an open mind and  are looking for a fun night at the movies I think you will be throughly pleased.  

Now, on to Hunter's story.  So as we were getting ready to go out the door Hunter started saying he didn't want to go to the movie.  I'm thinking, "what is wrong with this kid?"  So I tell him to just go get in the car and to stop whining about it.  I know he will like the movie so I think I'll just put up with it for a bit.  As we are pulling away I look in the rearview mirror and see him seriously pouting.  So I stopped and asked him why he didn't want to go to the movie.  Silence.  I tell him the movie is full of lots of action and adventure and I'm sure he'll love it.  More Silence.  I cannot stand it when he does this.  I was really not in the mood to put up with a night of pouting and with him I didn't know if he was going to throw a big tantrum when we got to the movie.  Picture me trying to pull him out of the car while he is screaming and holding on to the seat with all his might.  Not a pretty picture.  So I told him to get out of the car and walk back home, we were just two houses away not a mile away.  Now he starts crying.  What is the deal?  So I ask him again if he really doesn't want to go and he says he doesn't want to go to the movie.  So he gets out of the car and I watch him until he is in the house.  Now I feel bad.  Should I have made him go?  Would he have ended up liking it or would he have been miserable.  Is he now at home crying to Mike telling him that I am a mean Mom?  So the next day Michela asked him why he didn't want to go to the movie.  His answer, "I didn't want to see any kissing."  Oh my Heavens!  I had a good laugh at that one.  What a silly boy, I would have told him when to cover his eyes.  Oh well, at least I know not to try and take him to anything that might have kissing in it in the future.  Kids are so hilarious sometimes.  

Breaking Dawn

I have been so excited for the new book in the Twilight series to come out.  This last week I re-read the first three books.  Mike thought I was a little insane, but I wanted everything to be fresh in my mind.  Breaking Dawn came out on Saturday, but Mike had been out of town and didn't get home until about 8:30pm.  As soon as he walked in the door I grabbed my keys and drove down to my beloved Border's bookstore and got my copy of Breaking Dawn.  I finished the book in two days, it would have been faster, but I do have a family to take care of. :)

It was so AWESOME!  It wasn't at all what I was expecting which made it even BETTER!  I love to be surprised and this book had a lot of surprises in it.  I was totally bawling through the entire book.  It had me on edge from the very beginning and I didn't want to put it down because I was so anxious to see what would happen next.  I don't want to give anything away, I hate when other people do that to me, so I will just say that it was an INCREDIBLE read and you won't be disappointed.  Through the ages we have had Romeo and Juliet, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Tony and Maria, Rhett and Scarlet and now we have Edward and Bella.  Thank you Stephenie Meyer for creating such a wonderful story.  Happy reading everyone!  

The Host

Well she has done it again! Stephenie Meyer has written another awesome novel. How does she do it?! She knows how to suck you in so well and get you so involved in the characters you can't put the darn book down. I was up until Midnight last night because I was so close to finishing that I couldn't stop. Mike thinks I am seriously insane, but he just doesn't get my obsession with reading. I love picking up a book and instantly being transported to a different time, circumstance, place ... I just love getting lost in a good book. Those who loved the Twilight books will probably like this as well. I will warn you that it is a bit on the Sci-Fi side of things, with alien life forms and such, but it is such a good story. There is lots of action, heart pounding, heart wrenching and nail biting moments. And she definitely knows how to write a good love story. I can't wait for the new Twilight book coming out in August, what will happen to Edward and Bella next?

The Milking is Done

I can't believe it but I am done nursing. I've been weaning Aria for the past month and I was down to weaning her off the last feeding this weekend. Friday night I was trying to nurse her while Mike and I were watching a movie and she decided that she was done. She nursed for a second, pulled off, stuck her tongue out and spit at me. I couldn't believe it! Mike started cracking up and I thought it was pretty funny too, I must admit. I tried to nurse her again and she bit me. So, it's offficial, the cow has been milked for the last time!

I'm really going to miss it though. I have throughly enjoyed nursing each of my babies. It was so much fun to sit in my big chair, put my feet up and cuddle up with my sweet little ones. It makes me kind of sad, but Aria had so many teeth she made the choice quite easy. I will really miss all the time I got to read. The pages were flying and I buzzed through a ton of books this past year. Mike would often poke his head in to Aria's room and ask if I was done nursing. I would look down at her, she would be totally asleep, look at the great book I was deeply into and reply that she would probably be nursing for a little while longer. Sometimes I even looked forward to getting up in the middle of the night because I knew I would be able to get back into a great story. Crazy me, I know. I was talking to a friend the other night and I was telling her some of the great books I've read this past year and she said I should put them on my blog. So here it goes, here is a list of the books I have read since Aria was born (At least what I can remember, who knows what I got from the library). Maybe this will inspire someone else to pick up a good book. (Sorry it's so long!)

Inspirational: "The Traveler's Gift"-Andy Andrews, "A Heart Like His"- Virginia H. Pearce, "The Gift of Pain"- Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancy, "All But My Life"- Gerda Weissmann Klein Fictional Good Reads: "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever"- Barbara Robinson, "Blue Shoes and Happiness"- Alexander McCall Smith, "Austenland"- Shannon Hale, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter"- Kim Edwards, "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven"- Fannie Flagg, "Gracelin O'Malley"- Ann Moore, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan"- Lisa See, "As Time Goes By"- Jerry Borrowman, "Stardust"- Neil Gaiman, "The Golden Compass", "The Amber Spyglass", and "The Subtle Knife"- All by Philip Pullman (These are in the children's section but they are not children's books! The content is better suited for teens and adults.) "Dear John"- Nicholas Sparks Mysteries: "Strong Poison"- Dorothy L. Sayers, "Crocodile on the Sandbank", "The Curse of the Pharaohs", "The Mummy Case", and "Lion in the Valley"- All by Elizabeth Peters Thrillers: "The Alexandria Link" and "The Third Secret"- Steve Berry, "The Historian"- Elizabeth Kostova, "Split Second"- David Baldacci, "The Bourne Identity"- Robert Ludlum Young Adult Fiction: "Girls in Pants"- Ann Brashares, "Eclipse"- Stephanie Meyer (Read the first two if you haven't read them, "Twilight" is incredible!), "Uglies", "Pretties", and "Specials"- All by Scott Westerfeld (Very Cool Sci Fi), "The Warrior Heir" and "The Wizard Heir"- Cinda Williams Chima, Older Children's Books: "Esperanza Rising"- Pam Munoz Ryan, "Enna Burning", "River Secrets", "Princess Academy" and "Book of a Thousand Days"- All by Shannon Hale, "Bridge to Terabithia"- Katherine Paterson, "The Tale of Despereaux"- Kate DiCamillo Older Children's Adventure and Fantasy: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"- J.K. Rowling, "Fablehaven", "Fablehaven Two" and "The Candy Shop War" (This book was so much fun!)- All by Brandon Mull, "Of Mice and Magic"- David Farland, "Half Moon Investigations" and "Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony"- Eoin Colfer (I love all of his books, great books for boys or tomboys), "Magyk" and "Flyte"- Angie Sage, "The Lightning Thief" and "The Sea of the Monsters"- Rick Riordan (another great series), "Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want"- Obert Skye, "Widow's Revenge"- K.L. Fogg Children's Books: "Shiloh"- Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, "Surfer Dog"- Elizabeth Spurr, "Latter Day Spies Resuce"- Michele Ashman Bell, "From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler"- E.L. Konigsburg, "Heat"- Mike Lupica, "Invisible Stanley"- Jeff Brown, "Ready Freddy, The Pumpkin Elf Mystery"- Abby Klein, "Midnight on the Moon"- Mary Pope Osborne, "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" and "Ralph S. Mouse"- Beverly Clearly