what I've been reading lately

Nursing a baby 6-8 times a day (and 3-4 times at night, still!) has me spending a lot of time just sitting or laying around - especially since I seem to have a slow eater. (It still takes him 20-40 minutes to eat and he is almost 5 months old!) So... I've had plenty of time to read lately. Here is a list of what I've read since having Nolan and a little bit of what I think of each one.

The Mistborn Trilogy - by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is also an LDS author, but his genre of choice is fantasy. Scott loves Sanderson and most of his books. When we were first married, he convinced me to read "Elantris". I actually really enjoyed that book, but I've always had a harder time getting into fantasy books (besides Harry Potter, of course :). Scott has been wanting me to read this series FOR EVER, but I've always had something else I've been reading. He even convinced my entire family to read them before I ever got around to it! But since Scott got the trilogy for Christmas this past year, and I was currently stuck at home with nothing to read, I decided to give it a shot. And... turns out it is a pretty good series!

I can tell that Sanderson planned out the entire trilogy before he started writing because everything fits together perfectly! Tiny details from book one end up being hugely important at the end of book three. All the characters are interesting and develop differently as the books progress. I also really enjoyed the magic system that he created. Its intriguing and fairly elaborate. The books tend to start out somewhat slow with a lot of descriptions and explanations and then the last 100 pages or so are action packed - so just be aware you won't want to put it down once you get to that point! Overall, I would recommend them to anyone! - Even if you aren't a huge fan of fantasy!

[Mistborn: The Final Empire: 4 STARS]
[The Well of Ascension: 3 STARS]
[The Hero of Ages: 4 STARS]

The James Potter Series - by G. Norman Lippert

This fan fiction was written by G Norman Lippert and is based off of JK Rowling's Harry Potter series. Because he uses many of Rowling's characters and her magical world, she still owns the rights to the series which means he can't publish for a profit. So the good news is...these books are free to download! I read them off of Goodreads on my iPod - so convenient! So far, he has written 3 books - I hope he goes on to write more! They are about James Potter, Harry's first born son.

As I first started to read, I had a hard time accepting the books. The author just isn't quite as good as Rowling. He is from the US and is attempting to continue writing in Rowling's British tone. But he sometimes throws in vocabulary that just doesn't sound quite right. As I got farther into the series, I stopped noticing! I'm sure it was a combination between an improvement in his writing and me getting used to his style. Despite this, I really enjoyed Lippert's addition to the overarching magical world. He attempts to describe how magic is possible using "technomancy". It really is kind of interesting.

Te first two books are set at Hogwarts just like the Harry Potter Series. I especially enjoyed the second book - I think its my favorite overall. The third book is set at the wizarding school in the US. Lippert really did his own thing in this book - inventing a new school, new government system, new wizarding sport, etc. However, I kind of missed Hogwarts and all of that so I have mixed feelings about this one. Overall though, I think for fan fiction, it is pretty good! I would recommend it for any Harry Potter lover!

[James Potter and the Hall of Elder's Crossing: 3 STARS]

[James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper: 3.5 STARS]

[James Potter and the Vault of Destines: 3 STARS]

Dean Hughes Novels

Promises to Keep: Diane's Story

Dean Hughes is an LDS author and most of his books are centered around fictional LDS characters. He is most known for his series "Children of the Promise" and its sister series "Hearts of the Children". My grandparents had both of these series and growing up I loved to read them when we visited them during the summer. "Promises to Keep" is the the story of what happened to one of the characters in "Hearts of the Children" after the series ends. I really enjoyed this book especially since I was already familiar with most of the characters in it. [3.5 STARS]

Midway to Heaven

This is another book by Dean Hughes. It is about a recent widower and how he deals with the older singles scene and with his youngest daughter falling in love. It was a quick and easy read but entertaining as well for those familiar with the LDS culture in Utah. [2.5 STARS]

Before the Dawn

This novel by Hughes is a little bit different than the other two in that it is set during the Great Depression. Actually, one of the things I enjoy about Dean Hughes is that many of his books (including the two series I mentioned earlier) can be considered historical fiction because they are set during historical events and he includes some good information about them as well. Anyway, the story is about a widow who is raising her two teenage children and taking care of her farm. She doesn't get a long very well with her ward, but is called to be the Relief Society President. I loved hearing about her struggles in her calling and how she was able to overcome them. [3 STARS]

Other Books..

The Usual Rules - by Joyce Maynard

The Unusual Rules is an historical fiction novel about a girl dealing with the death of her mother after 9/11. It is an interesting experience reading historical fiction about an event that you lived through. I surprisingly happened to be living in the US during the attack and I still remember it like it was yesterday. But, I was living across the country - and I know that my experience was no where near as terrifying as it was for those living in NY and DC at the time. It was interesting to read a novel about a girl who was approximately the same age I was at the time, but who was far more affected than I was. It has some really sad parts, but overall is a good story. [3 STARS]

Crossed - by Ally Condie

Crossed is the second book in the Matched series by Ally Condie. I really enjoy the utopian/dystopian genre. It might even be my favorite. But I sometimes get tired of the fact that most of them are young adult fiction. I'd really like to read a good dystopian novel with adult language and depth. That is how I was feeling when I read this book. So, most of my criticisms for this book are based on my attitude when I read it. Overall, I didn't think it was as good as the first, but it was a good read! I did get a little bit tired of the love triangle after awhile... [3 STARS]