It's Halloween again, which means we have to read a scary story. So my first pick is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. He's from Edinburgh, Scotland and I got to drive by the house he lived in. Edinburgh is kind of a spooky city and it's no wonder we got the likes of Dr. Jekyll and Harry Potter out of it. But I had a hard time picking just one book for Halloween, so if this doesn't strike your fancy try: "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," which I've heard is hysterical, or "The Graveyard book," by the same guy who wrote Stardust. Just a couple more "dark" books on my list to read! Happy Halloween!

September Already?

Time sure flies when you're too busy to think strait, doesn't it? For this month I've decided to recommend one that I've already read, but that I think the two of you should read too. It's the first in a trilogy (the 3rd book comes out Oct. 15th!) of books based on the Alice in Wonderland story by Lewis Carroll, called "The Looking Glass Wars" written by Frank Beddor. Here's a synopsis I stole from Amazon, cuz I'm too lazy to write my own!
Frank Beddor's clever novel puts Lewis Carroll's heroine—along with her loony, puzzle-riddled world—into a new and wholly satisfying frame. The Heart family rules the kingdom of Wonderlandia, a place where imagination is real power. On young Alyss Heart's 7th birthday most of her family and friends are ruthlessly killed by her evil Aunt Redd in a bloody coup. Alyss escapes through the Pool of Tears, which is actually a portal between worlds, and winds up in Victorian England and is renamed Alice. At first, the child tries to tell ordinary humans about her world and the power of imagination, but they gently chide her for telling stories. Meanwhile, Hatter Madigan, a member of Wonderlandia's Millinery, who also escaped through the Pool, searches for Alyss across continents and time, until he finds her more than a dozen years later. Back home in Wonderlandia, the few who have escaped evil Redd's soldiers plot to retake the land.
I loved it. It's a quick read, light and fun. Just what we all need to jump start our too-busy fall seasons. Love you both!

Book for August

I know August is halfway over. I've been a little distracted with being really sick and living out in the woods. This month I've picked a book that I have already read, but I do not think either of my sisters have, and now I'm going to make them read it, too!

Brandon Sanderson is a fanstastic writer and a fellow Utahn! I always enjoy supporting the locals. Mistborn is the first in a trilogy set in a post-apocalyptic world. Vin, the main heroine of the story, along with a ragtag bunch of rebels, set out to overthrow the ruling dictator and his oppresive regime.

Book Reviews

It's Laura's turn to pick the book this month, but I think she's too busy playing Mountain Woman to think about it. I on the other hand have started my maternity leave and am still waiting the arrival of this little one, so I have much time on my hands and not much energy to use it productively. Thus I have read a couple of books in the last week and I'll take a moment to review!

A Distant Thunder: this is actually book two of the series. Believe it or not, this is the first of Anita Stansfield's that I have tried, and I'm not much impressed. Too much Drama-Rama for me. But I've been sucked in now and will probably have to finish this little series anyway, just to see what happens to these poor people.

Wildwood Dancing: Now this book I do recommend. It's probably one of the better ones I've read in a while. Kind of like Shannon Hales books, it's based on a folk tale. It's set in the Transylvania area, and yes there are vampires, but not like you would expect and it's not a vampire story. There are other mythical creatures involved as well. It did get a little slow at some points, but I loved the imagery overall. Very imaginative and entertaining, go pick it up!

Book Club Memories!

Hey, I don't know if you ladies even got to see this shot, and it is a part of the Sister's Gelder book club history! It is especially significant now because we can no longer meet at the tea shop where this was taken. :( It was taken on November 1, 2008, so it must have been October's book meeting. (Pre-Porno ;))It also makes me realize that we REALLY need a new photo! Love you both!

Huck Finn

I've never read it. It's July, and it's an american classic. One to get marked off the list, enjoy!

Princess Academy

It's June. It's summer. It's busy. I have chosen a somewhat simple book for this month's read, but I am excited for it none the less. It is called "Princess Academy" written by Shannon Hale. It is considered a "youth" book, but I think it sounds good anyway. It should be light, fluffy, and just the ticket for summer's crazy schedule. Besides, who hasn't dreamed of becoming a princess? (Some of us live that dream despite our friends and family's continued vociferous distress, but that's beside the point.) Plus, I had a friend who recomended Hale as a good author. She has some adult publications as well, but this title grabbed me the most. Enjoy!

High on the side of rocky Mount Eskel, far from the valleys where gardens are green and lush, where lowlanders make laws, Miri’s family has lived forever, pounding a living from the stone of the mountain itself. For as long as she can remember, Miri has dreamed of working alongside the other villagers in the quarries of her beloved mountainside. But Miri has never been allowed to work there, perhaps, she thinks, because she is so small. Then word comes from the valley that the king's priests have divined Mount Eskel to be the home of the prince’s bride-to-be—the next princess. The prince himself will travel to the village to choose her, but first all eligible girls must attend a makeshift mountain academy to prepare themselves for royal lowlander life. At the school, Miri soon finds herself confronted by bitter competition among the girls and her own conflicting desires to be chosen by the prince. Yet when danger comes to the academy and threatens all their lives, it is Miri, named for a tiny mountain flower, who must find a way to save her classmates—and the one chance to leave the mountain each of them is determined to secure as her own.