Sept - Dec 2004

My New Year's resolution is to get this all caught up. So, let's get cracking...

September 2004:
Blue Bottle Club, by Penelope Stokes
This book came recommended by the token reader of this blog. It's a slightly cheesy (that's a compliment - it could have been so much worse!) Christian fiction book about four girls who grow up together, then go their separate ways. Many many years later, one of them hunts down the rest and they compare lives. That's a really generic synopsis because it's been a while and I don't know if I remember all the details correctly, and I don't want to screw them up because Liz might call me on it. It's pretty good, and probably better than I am making it sound here.

The Land of Oz, by L Frank Baum
Book 2 in the Oz series.

Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
One of my all time favorite books. Ender is a little kid who is sent off to battle school with all the other smart kids to learn how to fight so he can save the world from the buggers when they attack. It's well-written, captures the behavior of 7 to 15 year-olds (good and bad), and includes fun battle "games" with no gravity, which always sounds fun to me. This is a wonderful book. Even if you think you don't like science fiction, you should read this book. I re-read it every couple years just to remind myself how great it is.

October 2004:
Ender's Shadow, by Orson Scott Card
I'd like to take this moment to state that I love almost everything I have ever read by Orson Scott Card. I think I already said that. Anyways, this is another book about Ender and his little friends from battle school. It takes place after Ender's Game, back on Earth after the bugger attack, and focuses on one of his battle school-mates.

The Secret School, by Avi
This is a fairly short, middle-school level book about some kids in a one-room schoolhouse. Their teacher has to leave to take care of a sick relative, so one of the older students decides that they will secretly continue to have school, with her as the teacher, so she can finish and go on to high school the next year. Not one of Avi's best books, but not bad at all.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares
Four teenage girls have known each other since birth. They are now in high school and facing the first ever summer where they will not all be together. In a thrift shop, one of them finds a pair of jeans that magically fits all four girls perfectly. They form the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and make a pact that they will rotate the jeans around and keep in touch over the summer. The four head their separate ways and have separate adventures, and the pants always show up just when they need them the most, as a tangible reminder of the other three girls who love them and will always be there for them.

The Escape from Home, by Avi
A book about a poor family who is trying to catch a ship to America to make a better life.

Searching for Shona, by Margaret J Anderson
I remembered reading this book when I was in grade school, and it took me this long to find it again. Sadly, it wasn't as good as I remembered, but it wasn't bad. Two girls switch identities as they are being shipped off to a safe place from WWII London. They live several years under the wrong identities, and are much happier where they ended up than where they were supposed to go. They promised to meet and switch back after the war was over, but neither wants to.

Songmaster, by Orson Scott Card
This one is unrelated to all of this other books, and it's about a young boy who has a magical gift of song. Not too bad.

Blink, by Ted Dekker
This book was recommended by a friend's IM away message. It's about a girl who escapes the Middle East and an arranged marriage to the United States. She meets a supersmart college student, and they drive all over the place trying to evade her husband-to-be and his minions who come after her. It's interesting, and reminds the reader why our country is theoretically fighting for more rights and freedoms in the Middle East.

Ozma of Oz, by L Frank Baum
Book 3 of the Oz series. This was my favorite when I was little.

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, by L Frank Baum
That's "in" Oz, not "of" Oz. Book 4 of the Oz series.

Shadow of the Hegemon, by Orson Scott Card
Another sequel of sorts to Ender's Game. Ender's older brother Peter becomes the Hegemon, who is the world leader after the bugger wars are over.

Beyond the Western Sea, by Avi
The sequel to The Escape from Home.

Christy, by Catherine Marshall
A classic story of a young girl who goes into the mountains to teach, the hardships she endures, the friends she makes, and the love she finds. Anyone who has ever thought about teaching loves this book.

The Lost Years of Merlin, by TA Barron
The first in a 5 book series about Merlin's childhood and how he became the famous wizard who helped King Arthur bring peace to Britain. A unique perspective on the Arthurian legend, and very good. I wish there were more of these books.

Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli
A sad story about a girl who doesn't fit in. She tries to fit in to please a boy, but she loses a part of herself. Then the boy loses her, and he is sad. Conforming is not all it's cracked up to be. Excellent book.

The Seven Songs of Merlin, by TA Barron
Book 2

That was a lot of books for one month! I promise, I really do work full time and have a life.

November 2004:
The Last Page, by Brian Palmer
A great book by a college friend, about two people who meet and must overcome their inablility to trust others. Especially fun because it is set in the town where we went to college.

The Literary Detective, by Chris DeVore
Another book by a college friend, although this one was harder for me to read because it is more abstract. It does involve baseball, though, which is always good.


The Fires of Merlin, by TA Barron
Book 3

Julie, by Catherine Marshall
A girl and her family move to Pennsylvania and she grows up and life isn't easy. Not the classic that Christy is, but a good book nonetheless.

Second Summer of the Sisterhood, by Ann Brashares
More adventures of the traveling pants!

Wings of Merlin, by TA Barron
Mirror of Merlin, by TA Barron
Books 4 and 5, which sadly ends the series.

Speaker for the Dead, by Orson Scott Card
Oddly, this book came up in conversation with my boss several months ago. Ender is all grown up, and travels about the planets speaking about people who have died. Instead of the usual platitudes one hears at a funeral, he speaks truth, which is usually more than the listeners want to hear. He speaks fairly and honestly, with the intent of showing all sides of a person, not just the side that everyone saw. It's great.

Shadow Puppets, by Orson Scott Card
Another story about the people back on Earth after the bugger wars.

December 2004:
Monkey Sonatas, by Orson Scott Card
A book of short stories. A bit more science-fictiony than I like, but that could just be me.

Folk of the Fringe, by Orson Scott Card
A group of Mormons heads west to seek the promised land after nuclear weapons destroy the eastern US. Actually a group of connected short stories.

Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom
Let me sum it up for you: Enjoy life. Enjoy the people around you. It's all going to end someday.

The Pelican Brief, by John Grisham
A young, and of course pretty, law student stumbles across something that puts her in danger, she flees, using disguises and nearly getting killed, and somehow survives. I liked this book.

The Thornbirds, by Colleen McCollough
This is supposed to be a really great book. It includes a priest who breaks his vow of celibacy multiple times with the same woman, who seems to sleep with anyone who will hold still long enough. There's some other story in there too, but that's what I remember.

Call of the Wild, by Jack London
Uh, there is a dog involved. I forget the details.

White Fang, by Jack London
Another dog story, about a misfit who is forced to learn to get along with other dogs so they can all survive.

One year down, two to go!