In regards to reading, 2010 has started out great! I did some quality reading this month already.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. What better way to start the year than some Jane Austen? I loved the characters in this book, and found it interesting to compare the differences in Fanny Price and Elizabeth Bennet.

An Assembly Such as This by Pamela Aiden. Loved it!

Duty and Desire by Pamela Aiden. Loved it!


These Three Remain by Pamela Aiden. These three books make up the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy. All I can say is that any fan of Pride and Prejudice should read these! They tell Darcy's side of the story, but they are more than just the flip side of P&P, Pamela Aiden really creates Darcy's whole world, and it's very intriguing and entertaining.

Reflections on the Psalms by C.S Lewis. Like all his books, there was so much in this book to really get you to think. I learned a lot about the Jewish religion during OT times, and the Bible in general from this book.

Till We Have Faces by C.S Lewis. This book was a twist on the Greek myth of Psyche and Cupid. It was very good and interesting, although I wish I would of been familiar with the myth before I read the book. They did include the original story at the back of the book and reading it made parts of Lewis' story make better sense.

The Wedding Girl by Madeline Wickam (Sophie Kinsella). I recently found out that Sophie Kinsella used to write under a different name. This book was good, but not quite as funny and maybe a little more edgier than the books under the Sophie Kinsella name.

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen. When I started this book, I was a little disappointed because at first it seemed like the exact same formula as her other two books I read (which were ridiculously similar). There was quite the twist in the middle of this book (I think I actually flinched) and it turned out quite different.

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen. This was a good story, and I liked the choices eventually made at the end.

Wings by Aprilynn Pike. This was such a good story (for those whole like fantasy type books). It was really quite original, which is not easy to find anymore in that genre with everybody trying to copy JK Rowling or Stephenie Myer.

The Four Loves by C.S Lewis. Good book (of course! C.S Lewis!). I especially thought the chapter on friendship was interesting. He always has such a simple yet deep way of looking at things.

20 and Counting by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. I've enjoyed their show on TLC since it started and I waited for months for our library to finally get a copy of their book. It is worth reading this book just to hear how they live debt-free and the incredible stories that go along with that.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. I could not put this book down, it was so good! Funny, just like all her books.

The Departed by Kathryn Mackel. This wasn't too bad. It had enough weird for me to enjoy it.

Love Someone by Delilah. This was written by the radio host Delilah who I listen to all the time (one of the few stations we pick up clearly in our house). I really loved when she writes about her mom teaching her to sew. She shares a lot about her own life, which is pretty interesting (she has adopted seven children) and she also shares stories of some of her listeners.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. Another blogger recommended this YA author so I thought I would try one of her books. It was very good, I'm surprised I had never heard of her before. I loved the characters, and the very slow building, subtle romance.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. I enjoyed her other book so much, I thought I would try another one. The two books were very similar in plot and characters, but this one was also good.

Rainbow's End by Irene Hannon. This was a Christian fiction romance. Honestly, I can't believe I even finished it. I love romance as part of a story, but I don't like a story about romance (if that makes sense). So predictable.


Catching Katie by Robin Lee Hatcher. This was okay. I liked the idea of the story, but it was a little too light and fluffy for me.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. This book is the second in the Hunger Games trilogy. SO GOOD! I could not put this down.

True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In by James Choung. This was a good book. Very thought provoking. It really made me look deeply at some issues.

The Great Divorce by C.S Lewis. What can I say, I absolutely love C.S Lewis's writings. This is an allegorical story about heaven and hell. Very thought provoking, as all his stories are.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. This was pretty good, although I was expecting a little more considering he took 10 years to write this book. Although it was written in the same "race against the clock" format as his previous two, it just didn't carry the same suspense. One of the big twists was easy to figure out early on, and I found myself actually rooting against the good guys in one aspect. Pretty good book though.

Blink by Ted Dekker. This was really good! The characters were very likable and the plot moved really fast, no dull moments at all. And of course, a dash of Ted Dekker's weirdness.

Kind of a short list this month. There were several other books that I started but didn't care to finish. Here are the ones I did:

The Pilgrim's Regress by C.S Lewis. This is an allegorical story of Lewis' own journey to faith. Very good, although some parts were a bit complex and hard to follow. I've seen a book that helps explain this book (sort of like cliff notes), and I might read that.

The Missing by Beverly Lewis. Second in the Seasons of Grace trilogy. This was good, although I have to say it didn't leave much suspense for the next book. Unless she is planning on a huge twist or something in third.

Intervention by Robin Cook. Not his best by far.

Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer. I've seen several "P&P through Darcy's eyes" books, but this was the first that I actually decided to read. Mostly because it was written in the same chaste style as the original P&P. I think most P&P fans would like this, it almost feels like reading the original again, just from a different view.

This has been a month of sequels as most of these are sequels to other books.

The Golden Road by L.M Montgomery. I have actually had this book for over 10 years. I just needed to get my hands on The Story Girl first! It picked up right where The Story Girl left off. And c'mon it's L.M Montgomery so you know it's good!

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry. On the cover it says it is a companion to The Giver, however, I thought of it as more of a contrast. The two books share no characters. It was a really good book though.

The Messenger by Lois Lowry. Now this book tied Gathering Blue and The Giver together. Also good, although it got a bit weird at the end.

Extras by Scott Westerfeld. This is the fourth book in The Uglies series. I wasn't that anxious to read it, but it was right there at the library so I grabbed it. Turns out it was really good! Better than the second and third even.

Max by James Patterson. Okay, I know I swore I was done with this series but my curiosity got the better of me. The thing about this series is that the characters are very likable even thought the actual stories are kind of dumb.

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff. This was a story about a poor girl who ends up babysitting for an even poorer teenage mom. The author painted a realistic picture of poverty, but I felt like the whole story was kind of "dumbed down" (which I'm sure is part of the effect she was going for).


The Ruins of Gorlan (The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1) by John Flanagan. Now this was a good book. If he would of added a bit or romance, it would of been terrific!

The Story Girl by L.M Montgomery. I have waited so long to read this book and finally got it from Paperback Swap. Very good, just like all her others. This is the book that the show "Road to Avonlea" is based off of.

When I Lay My Isaac Down: Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances by Carol J Kent. A friend recently recommended this book and I really liked it and it left me with a lot to ponder.


Dunkirk Crescendo by Bodie and Brock Thoene. This was #9 in the Zion Covenant series. I had a hard time getting through it because most of my favorite characters were not in it and there was so much war and battle stuff.

Looking For God in Harry Potter by John Granger. John Granger is a Christian homeschooling dad with a literature background who first read HP so he could explain to his daughter why she couldn't. Instead, he found a resonating story that was chalk full of symbolism. Loved this book, and I recommend it to any HP fans. I had no idea of J.K Rowlings extensive literary background and the hidden meanings and symbols she put in her stories.


The Deathly Hallow Lectures by John Granger. This book is not quite as easy-reading as Looking For God but if your a "serious Harry Potter reader" (as the author likes to say), then you would like this book. There is also a lot of info on interpreting literature in general.