Mormon Fiction

My sister-in-law recommended these new books to read and I decided to check them out. They were written by H.B. Moore. They are: Abinadi, Alma, and Alma the Younger. The three books trace the stories of these men throughout the Book of Mormon. Even though they are loosely based on the lives of these men, they also include many elements of fiction. It is interesting to think about these men and what their wives, children, and other aspects of their lives would have been like. Often we read the scriptures and think of the prophets as men who just preach the gospel and lacked other aspects of their lives. These books bring them to life in a fun, but still historically correct way. I think Abinadi was my favorite and Alma the Younger my least favorite. Alma the Younger seemed to drag the rebellion out too long. I would have liked to have seen more of his after life, while preaching, marrying, and making up for his sins later in life. It was still fun to read and I enjoyed it. I highly recommend these stories and look forward to reading her other books she has written.

Butterscotch Bars

I made my Mom's Butterscotch Bars last week. They didn't turn out quite the same.

Don't get me wrong- they were good. They were not light and fluffy and heavenly like Mom makes them.

I was disappointed.

In talking with my mom, I didn't melt the brown sugar and butter together first on the stove. The recipe didn't say to do that.

This is the struggle with cooking- all of these little tips that come with time and experience.

Someday I will master the butterscotch bar. In the meantime, I will just have to keep trying.

Mom's always make it look so easy!

Hiatus is Over

I am back and ready to blog. After 3 months away and feeling guilt the entire time, I am resolving to do better and back to the blogging seen. I have actually read the entire time but I won't take the time to write a summary about all of them. I will list each of them and highlight my favorites.

1. A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent by Robert W. Merry

2. Red Moon Over Sharpsburg by Rosemary Wells

3. Team of Rivals by Doris Goodwin Kearns

4. Lincoln and Freedom by Holzer and Gabbard

5. Red Glass by Laura Resau

6. Escape: Children of the Holocaust by Allan Zullo

7. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

8. Half Breed by David Halaas and Andrew Masich

9. Civil War Wives by Carol Berkin

10. The Queen of Water by Laura Resau

11. Empire Of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne

Favorire Historical Book would be Team of Rivals. It is the story of Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet and his ability to balance all of their strengths, political aspirations, and lead the country. Favorite Fiction=Red Glass. Story of a girl overcoming her fears and helping her friends discover the truth of the past.

Summer is here and I am looking forward to more great reads!

During the 2010-2011 school year, I read a total of 50 books. Let's see if I can top that goal in 2011-2012.

Book Review March 14-20

Well, I finally finished my gigantic book: What Hath God Wrought by Daniel Walker Howe. This tells the story of America in the early 1800s. It is 800 pages packed with detail. Howe writes like he is telling a fireside story. This book avoids making an argument in any direction, but simply explains the transformation of America. It is interesting and full of facts. There were a few parts where Howe seemed to get side tracked and some parts of chapters didn't seem to fit together. Overall, I enjoyed it. WARNING: Not for the faint of heart. It is meaty!

I also read Ree Drummond's Black Heels to Tractor Wheels last week. Ree writes a blog called The Pioneer Woman. Her book tells the story of how she met her husband and their courtship. Her style is blunt and frank. She tells it like it is in an open manner that people can relate to. She is real and easy to relate to. I love reading her blog and I loved reading her story even more.

To highlight the week, we traveled to Montana to meet The Pioneer Woman. My sister Kori blogged about it here. Check out the pictures and captions. It was a great weekend. My mom, dad, Kori, Cache, and cousin Mat all made the trek. It was fun to hang out with my Grandparents, Aunt Lynn, Uncle Greg, Counsin Josh, and see Great Falls. I love that town. It was a great weekend with family, fun, and memories.

Thanks to everyone!

Book Review February 28-March 4

Well, this last week has been chaotic! I did not read a full book and I did not post about my book from the week before!

EPIC FAILURE!

I did however, organize a the rally at the Capitol steps, conduct three interviews, speak at the rally, teach school, clean my house, and workout 4 times. So I guess the week wasn't a total failure.

Last week I read, A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce.

I did not like it at all. I thought it was slow developing, the main characters lacked personality and relatability, and the story just seemed predictable. I am in the minority in my critique. The students at school love the book. It was posted as a nominee for many awards. It is spin on the story of Rumplelstilskin set in America in the 1800's. Again, I didn't like it, but you might. Check it out.