Beyond Foo, Book 1: Geth and the Return of the Lithens by Obert Skye

Beyond Foo, Book 1: Geth and the Return of the Lithens by Obert Skye

Review by Bubs, Age 9 (who is apparently picking up on Daddy's sales skills.)

Join Geth and Clover on an exciting adventure in the hidden border of Foo. 

Geth and Clover, in search of adventure discover a secret passageway to another realm. They soon learn that the realm is controlled by an evil man named Payt. Geth also discovers that his thought-to-be-dead brother is in Payt's dungeons. 

As the two set out on a rescue mission for both Geth's brother and the realm, their very lives are in fate's hands.

I liked this book because of the good humor and awesome action. Obert Skye has a great sense of creativity too, creating a wonderful story.

This book is a middle-grade fantasy.

Book Review: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Little Princess has always been a favorite book of mine. Though bittersweet, it leaves you wanting to live a more grateful, imaginative life.

Sarah Crewe has lived a privileged life, to say the least. She has always been given everything her heart desired, and been waited on hand and foot. You might think that a girl like this would be spoiled and selfish, but Sarah has a generous heart. She entertains the girls in her boarding school with wild stories of India, befriending even those less popular.

When Sarah's lot in life changes drastically, she becomes a penniless servant, hungry and cold. She pretends to be a princess, and reminds herself to be gracious and share the little she has.

I highly recommend this story for listeners of all ages. Like I said, it was a favorite of mine as a child, and now I realize that it still holds a place in my heart.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien

I picked this book up at a yard sale a while back, and it was promptly shelved. Hesitant to read it to my kids, there it sat. The hesitance stemmed from my memories of the rather creepy movie version I used to watch as a kid.

I was wrong to wait. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a delightful story, full of mystery, adventure, science, and compassion. In short, we loved this Newbery Award winning classic.

Mrs. Frisby may be just a little mouse, but she is full of heart and courage. Her family needs to move before the farm plow comes through, but her son, Timothy, is too ill. She gathers her courage and  goes to seek the counsel of a wise owl. While there, the owl advises her to ask for help from the rats, but everyone knows the rats keep to themselves.

Will they help her in time to save her little family?

Such a sweet, fun story, it almost made me like mice. Almost. But no.

Highly recommended for any young readers or listeners.

Today'sMama: Three Books I Could Read Over and Over...

I'm over at Today's Mama discussing three books I could read over and over. Several bloggers have given their shortlists of favorites. Come see.

How our Book Club Works

I hosted book club this month. We tend to have around 7 or 8 people come each time. This month, we discussed The Phantom of the Opera, which made for excellent conversation.

The book club has been going for a few years. Here are some things we have found...

-The group works best if we are casual about food/treats. Nobody wants to host the group if they are expected to make a bunch of food.

-One person is responsible for all book club emails. They send email reminders twice/month.

-As a group, we choose 4 books at a time. We have found that when we choose more than 4, we tend to make changes. This frustrates people who buy books ahead.

-When we choose books, everyone brings a few ideas. If we have the books, we pass them around. Usually we decide what we want to read through discussing. When nobody wants to choose, we take a vote.

-Everyone is welcome to join the club, but only avid readers end up in it for the long haul.

-We meet once/month. On the night we choose books, we also choose hosts for each month.

-The host generally initiates the book discussion.

-We try to read a wide range of books. When we have read a couple heavy books in a row, we opt for a lighter one. We try to throw in nonfiction, fiction, YA, and historical fiction.

Here are some of the (deliciously clean) books we have particularly enjoyed as a book club:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

These is my Words by Nancy Turner (She'll call your book club! So will Donna Woolfolk Cross, author of Pope Joan...and wow, she's a riot!)

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

I'd love to hear some of your top choices for book club books, as well.

Thanks!

Why I'm Here

Welcome to my brand-new blog. Here's the gist of why I'm here...

The last few books I have started, I have not been able to finish due to pages full of swearing/sex scenes. It is extremely frustrating to get halfway through a page-turner and find that your conscience will not let you continue. I wish there was a rating system for books similar to movies. Then, I would know not to pick up R-rated books. Few Pg-13s would make my to-be-read list, to be honest.

In other words, I hope this blog will be a valuable resource for people who, like me, want to read clean books. I am a huge advocate for reading. And I hope that this will become a place where many people will feel free to comment, discuss and make recommendations for future clean reads in the novel-length fiction category.

Thanks again for visiting. It may take a few weeks to get started. I will be rounding up some like-minded readers to join in this endeavor.

See you soon!