The Wrinkled Crown by Anne Nesbet

The Wrinkled Crown by Anne Nesbet

    In the wrinkled hills, Linny will do anything to pluck the beautiful strings of the ukulele-like instrument called a lourka, even ignore the threat of being taken to Away. In her village, girls under the age of twelve cannot touch the instrument without putting themselves at risk.

    But then her best friend Sayra, who's never touched a lourka in her life, is taken to Away for Linny's crime. Linny knows the only hope for Sayra is the Plain, where an ancient battle is just beginning. It also seems someone is trying to destroy the wrinkled hills. Can Linny help both Sayra in Away and save her beloved hills and stop the battle?

   I loved this book! It's very unique and interesting. I'd recommend it for 10+.

   -Grace

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

The Unwanteds By Lisa McMann


      In the world of Quill, creativity is bad. It counts as an infraction, and on the day of the Purge, every thirteen year-old is put into three categories: Wanted, Necessary, or Unwanted. Wanteds are honored, Necessaries become slaves, and Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.When Alex Stowe is sent to the Death Farm after the Purge, he discovers that being Unwanted doesn't bring death... it brings the discovery of a whole new world called Artime.

       In Artime, creativity is allowed. Even encouraged. The wild-haired leader, Mr. Today, helps each artistic Unwanted learn that they can hold their title like a badge. Because in Artime, creativity is a magical gift... and a weapon.

       It's the first book in the Unwanted Series, and I am so excited for the last one to come out in April! If you like dystopian novels and magic, then you should totally try this book out!

-Grace

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is a creative retelling of Cinderella. As a baby, Ella was cursed by a fairy to obey any orders that were given to her, no matter what they were. So when her mother dies and her father remarries, Ella must live with her stepsisters, Hattie and Olive. Quickly, Hattie discovers that Ella will obey her and uses that knowledge to her advantage. Instead of being treated as an equal, Ella is forced to be her stepfamily's servant.

Ella meets Prince Char. Together, they have exciting adventures. Slowly, they fall in love, but she knows that if she marries him, an enemy of the throne could command her to do something awful to him. She struggles to protect him and break the curse, but it seems impossible with such a burden as hers. Will she ever gain the freedom required to be with her true love?

-Grace

The Tales of the Frog Princess by E.D. Baker

The Tales of the Frog Princess by E.D. Baker

   

     Princess Emma of Greater Greensward could never be the princess her mother wanted her to be. The way she walks, the way she laughs, and the places she goes - none of them were right for a princess.

     So when her mother tells her she has to marry Prince Jorge, she hides in the swamp, where she thinks she can hide. But when a frog hops up to her asking for a kiss, she realizes she was wrong. 

     The frog is an enchanted prince named Eadric. He convinces her to kiss him, and says that if she does, he will be released from the spell and transformed into a human again. But when the kiss backfires, Eadric is still a frog- and so is Emma! 

     8+. T I have loved this book for a long time, but just recently got it for my birthday. 

     -Grace

Our Current Reading

I'm usually a One-Book-at-a-Time kinda girl, but at the moment I'm all over the place.

As much of a reader as I've been over the last decade, I feel like my eyes are just beginning to open, and I feel this thirst for more knowledge...and it feels good.

Right now, I'm making my way through...

Non-LDS Books


The Cat of Bubastes by G. A. Henty-There's so much to learn from his historical fiction. Wow! Makes a great read-aloud. Long at times, I admit, but it's quite the adventure. We're all enjoying it.


Les Miserables by Victor Hugo-So great when I read it, but I find myself drawn to other books first.


LDS Books


10 Critical Keys for Highly Effective Mormon Families by William Dyer and Philip Kunz-Interesting look at what successful families do.


The Infinite Atonement by Tad R. Callister-Beautiful. Great insights.


The Temple Experience by Wendy Ulrich-Haven't read much yet, but I'm hoping that it will help me get more out of my temple experiences.



That's it at the moment. What are you reading?

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Here's another quick recommendation. As you know, I've been a bit of a slacker on the blogging front lately.  During my recess, I have read many books. Some turned out to be unworthy of Deliciously Clean Read status. Others were forgettable.

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby
was one that stuck with me, and I wanted to make sure to mention here at Homespun Light.

Amazon has the following plot description:

Critically acclaimed author Matthew J. Kirby deftly weaves a stunning coming-of-age tale with chilling cleverness and subtle suspense that will leave readers racing breathlessly to the end.

Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig--along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors--anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. Solveig must also embark on a journey to find her own path. Yet, a malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, as a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another.

Those charged with protecting the king's children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father's watchful eye? Can Solveig survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he manages to destroy a kingdom?

Besides being a great page-turner, this book has some great themes. It talks about the importance of stories, what it is like to be a middle child, bravery, and selflessness.

This book kind of has a fantasy feel, but you certainly won't find any fairies or goblins in it.

I highly recommend it. If you enjoy books like The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (review here), check this one out!

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.

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

I picked this one up on our last trip to the library, and I'm so glad I did. What a fun story! I'm going to add it right away to my list of clean fantasy romances for growing girls.

I don't know how I missed it until now, but the timing is right, because I just saw that a sequel is forthcoming this Fall.

Here's my Book Review: Princess Annabelle, known as Annie, is the younger sister of Gwendolyn (aka Sleeping Beauty). When the beautiful Gwendolyn pricks her finger on a spinning wheel, everyone in the castle falls asleep. Everyone except Annie, that is.

Annie isn't affected by magic. In fact, any magic near her grows increasingly weaker. The other royals despise her because their magical gifts of beauty and grace fade in her presence. Even her parents keep their distance.

Annie sets out on a quest to find Gwendolyn's true love, so she can wake her family. One adventure proceeds another as she travels through fairy tales.

Along the way, the meet a Hansel-and-Gretel-esk witch, an enchanted prince who is in the form of a bear, a swamp prince who used to be a frog, and a prince holding contests to find a bride.

Baker flips many fairy tales on their heads in this creative adventure.

I thought the witch mentioned above was kind of creepy. She was fattening up a couple children to eat them. Of course, Annie outwitted her, saving the children, and creating a pretty funny and entertaining scene.

As you can imagine, there is also quite a bit of talk about kissing. After all, it IS the only way to wake a sleeping princess.

I read this to my 8 and 6 year olds. They both loved it. We finished it a few days ago, and today my 6 year old girl, Welly, said, "I just keep thinking about The Wide-Awake Princess. I can't believe that..." Sorry. I can't tell you the rest. It would spoil the ending.  :)

Witch Song by Amber Argyle

Witch Song
by Amber Argyle

Brusenna has always lived in hiding, deep in the forest with her mother. The townspeople know they're witches and shun them.

If only the people understood that the witches exist for the good of all...to keep the seasons, oceans, plants and climates under control.

Brusenna knows very little about being a witch. Her mother has kept her in the dark in order to keep her safe.

But long before she is ready, Brusenna finds herself alone, the only witch who has not been captured by Espen, the betrayer.

Brusenna, along with her handsome guardian who she meets along the way, set out to save the world.

Can an untrained witch fight the strongest witch on Earth? If she fails, the world will be destroyed.

I recommend this fun, clean read for teen/adult lovers of fantasy romances.

Clean Fantasy Romances for Growing Girls

For years, I waited for my kids to be old enough to appreciate Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. I would pull it off the shelf now and then and consider it for our next read-aloud, but the right time hadn't arrived.

Until recently. We just finished reading this wonderful book last week.



My patience paid off. Both Bubs (8) and Welly-Bells (6) thoroughly enjoyed it, but Welly was absolutely triumphant as the sweet little romance wrapped up. Giddy even.  :) She pranced around a lot and giggled a little...and I thought, Oh Boy! My little girl is growing up.

I told her that she comes from a long line of love. Couples that are madly in love for life and beyond.

I certainly haven't grown out of sweet little romances like The Princess Academy. I'm still a sucker for a good, clean fairy tale.

That got me thinking about all the other wonderful fantasy romances that I'll be able to share with her over the years. Can't wait!

Gail Carson Levine's:

Ella Enchanted

and Fairest

Shannon Hale's:

Book of a Thousand Days

and The Goose Girl series

Jessica Day George's:

Dragon Slippers
series

and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Robin McKinley's:

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

Julie Berry's:

The Amaranth Enchantment

and Secondhand Charm

Martine Leavitt's:

Keturah and Lord Death

E.D. Baker's:

The Wide-Awake Princess



These books vary in maturity, but I consider them all Deliciously Clean Reads. What books would you add to the list???