A Girl of the Limberlost

A Girl of the Limberlost

by: Gene Stratton-Porter

Genre: Historical Fiction/Inspirational/Romance/Young Adult

Rating: Y

Content: Clean

Summary:  (from goodreads)

Set amid Indiana's vast Limberlost Swamp, this treasured children's classic mixes astute observations on nature with the struggles of growing up in the early 20th century. Harassed by her mother and scorned by her peers, Elnora Comstock finds solace in natural beauty — along with friendship, independence, and romance.

Personal Review:

Someone gave this book to my sister while I was in high school, that was the first time I read it. It became one of my favorites and has remained so ever since. I would borrow it from my sister for years at a time until recently when I discovered that the ebook was free on the Kindle. Cool Fact: this book was published in 1909, something I didn't realize till recently. I always thought it was just a historical fiction but turns out it was contemporary during its time. Why do I love this book so much? Let’s see, it is well written, the characters are well developed, the setting really comes to life, you get to watch a girl turn into a remarkable young women, and spoiler alert she end ups with an amazing man.

-Felicity

If you like this you may also like:

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter

Rapunzel Untangled

Review by Felicity

Rapunzel Untangled

by: Cindy C Bennett

Genre: Fractured Fairytales/Contemporary fiction

Rating: Y

Content: clean

Summary:  (from goodreads)

Rapunzel is not your average teenager. For one thing, she has a serious illness that keeps her inside the mysterious Gothel Mansion. And for another, her hair is 15 feet long. Not to mention that she’s also the key to ultimately saving the world from certain destruction. But then she meets a boy named Fane, who changes all she has ever known, and she decides to risk everything familiar to find out who she really is. Filled with romance, adventure, and mystery, Rapunzel Untangled is one story you won’t want to put down. Discover the true meaning of love and friendship in this modern twist to the classic fairytale.

Personal Review:

I have not read many if any versions of Rapunzel since I was a child. I remember vaguely tales from my childhood and the Disney version is most prominent in my mind. I read the authors note before the book and was reminded of the more original telling of this fairy tale, she pointed out that Rapunzel is an inherently dark tale. This book successfully modernized Rapunzel and gave me new insight into this fairy tale. This book is not Tangled, however I really enjoyed it and would read it again.

-Felicity

If you liked this you may also enjoy:

Golden by Cameron Dokey

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I Am Number Four

Review by Felicity

I Am Number Four  

(Lorien Legacies # 1)

by: Pittacus Lore

Genre: SciFi/Fantasy  

Rating: Y-12

Content: violence

Summary:  (from goodreads)

Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now. The Nine had to separate and go into hiding.

The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth

Personal Review:

I love the concept of this book. My siblings have been raving about this series for a while now so finally my husband and I decided to read it together. I didn’t appreciate how depressing if felt and he didn’t like the lovesick teenage boy. With that said we both felt it worth reading and we are very excited to read the rest of the series. My sister has told me that this book is her least favorite of the series so far, and that gives me hope that I’ll love the other books since I do like the alien concept going on.

-Felicity

If you like this you may also like:

The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) by Pittacus Lore

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Book of a Thousand Days

Review by Felicity

Book of a Thousand Days

by: Shannon Hale

Genre: Fantasy/ Fractured Fairytales

Rating: Y

Content: 3 different references to nudity (however there is nothing crude or graphic about it just a statement, I still consider the book clean)  

Summary:  (back of book)

When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years because of Saren’s refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment.

As food runs low and the days go from broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. With the arrival outside the tower of Saren’s two suitors—one welcome, the other decidedly less so—the girls are confronted with both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows.

With Shannon Hale’s lyrical language, this little-known classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset in a land inspired by the Asian steppes; it is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance, drama and disguise.

Personal Review:

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is well written. There is romance yet the book is about much more than any handsome prince. This is the kind of book I would encourage young girls to read because it is fun, fantasy, and thought provoking all at the same time. Plus the main character is strong and has many qualities to be admired.

- Felicity

If you like this you may also like:

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

The Lost Art

Review by Felicity

The Lost Art

by: Jennifer Griffith

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Fiction

Rating: Y

Content: clean

Summary:  (from goodreads)

Dowdy art exhibit coordinator Ava Young is happy with her man-suits and sensible clogs. She likes the way they clip-clop on the museum’s tile floor. But they don’t win her any lovelorn looks from her office crush. In fact, the handsome new guy calls her “sir” when they first meet. Oh, well. She’s always known the only way a guy would take a second look at her was if she was the only person in the room. And on fire.

But after her workplace crush devastates her by, frankly, calling her something super-duper mean, Ava is ready to make some drastic changes inside and out, even if it means giving up chocolate, or taking hilariously out-of-date but strangely wise-sounding advice on femininity from a 1959 book on “How to Snare a Modern Man.”

Either way, she’d better hurry because when a priceless art exhibit gets a theft threat on Ava’s watch, a billionaire bachelor and a handsome FBI agent will be taking a good, long look at the art and at Ava

Personal Review:

Fun, Flirty, and Clean are the three words that sum up this book. It has several good tips on flirting, and a great concept that was executed well.

- Felicity

If you like this you may also like:

Prejudice Meets Pride by Rachael Anderson

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

Super Daisy! by Jennifer Griffith

Head in the Clouds

Review by Felicity

Head in the Clouds

by: Karen Witemeyer

Genre: Christian/Historical Romance

Rating: Y

Content: clean

Summary:  (from goodreads)

Adelaide Proctor is a young woman with her head in the clouds, longing for a real-life storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a staid governess position on a central Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her romantic yearnings behind.

When Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America's wool industry, he never expected to become a father overnight. And five-year-old Isabella hasn't uttered a word since she lost her mother. The unconventionality of the new governess concerns Gideon--and intrigues him at the same time. But he can't afford distractions. He has a ranch to run, a shearing to oversee, and a suspicious fence-cutting to investigate.

Personal Review:

The best way to describe this book is simply that it is a Cowboy style Jane Eyre. Confession: I never liked ‘Jane Eyre’ so luckily for me this book isn’t really the same story but it has that feel.  Karen Witemeyer has a wonderful way of using the lawless west (namely Texas) as a wonderful backdrop to romances filled with christian values.

- Felicity

If you like this you may also like:

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

As You Are

Review by Felicity

As You Are

by: Sarah M. Eden

Genre: Regency Romance

Rating: Y

Content: Clean

Summary:  (back of book)

A horse breeder by trade, Corbin Jonquil is more at home in the stables than in the ballroom of his sprawling estate. Corbin is the quietest of the Jonquil brothers and has always faded into the background, contentedly unnoticed. When a mysterious young widow, Mrs. Clara Bentford, moves into the neighborhood, however, Corbin quickly comes to realize that being noticed has its advantages. But how to catch the eye of the lady? According to his brothers, Corbin need only make a few simple changes to transform himself into the object of any woman's desire dubious advice, indeed. Following a series of misadventures, Corbin and Clara slowly lower the facades behind which they've been hiding, leaving Corbin shocked by the horrors that haunt the woman he's coming to care for so ardently. When the menace of Clara's past threatens to tear them apart and tensions mount, will the couple have the courage to fight for the promise of forever?

Personal Review:

This is my new favorite of Sarah Eden’s books. Corbin is not your usual hero which makes him all the better. I also love how you get to see so many other characters from her other books. I suggest reading ‘Seeking Persephone’ if you haven’t already because my favorite part of this book is when the Duke of Kielder makes an appearance.

- Felicity

If you like this you may also like:

Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

The Tutor’s Daughter by Julie Klassen

The Lightning Thief

Review by Felicity

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)

by: Rick Riordan

Genre: Fantasy/Young Readers

Rating: Y

Content: Greek gods (children born out of wedlock)

Summary:  (from goodreads)

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Personal Review:

I loved the Percy Jackson movies that have recently came out so I decided to check out the books. I had a rough time getting through this 1st book, I think mostly because I had already seen the movie and I knew what was coming. I think this book is great for preteens, and I plan on reading some of the books that haven’t been made into movies yet because it is a fun fantasy story. However this is a case where I prefer the movie to the book.

- Felicity

If you like this you may also like:

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2) by Rick Riordan

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1) by J.K. Rowling
Leven Thumps and The Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye

Sum It Up

Review by Felicity

Sum It Up: 1,098 Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective

by: Pat Summitt, Sally Jenkins

Genre: Sports/Non Fiction/Autobiography/Inspirational

Rating: Y 12

Content:  I do not remember specifics but overall yes I believe this book is clean

Summary:  (from goodreads)

Pat Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history and bestselling author of Reach for the Summitt and Raise The Roof, tells for the first time her remarkable story of victory and resilience as well as facing down her greatest challenge: early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Personal Review:

As soon as I was introduced to the world of basketball in 7th grade I became a big fan of the Lady Vols and their head coach Pat Summitt. I recently found this book in the library. I was not disappointed, Pat Summitt is an amazing women and I have only come to respect and idolize her more, the more I learn about her. This book shows Pat Summitt’s struggles and successes not only on the basketball court but with Alzheimer’s as well. When I grow up I want to be like her.

- Felicity

If you like this you may also like:

Reach for the Summit by Pat Summitt, Sally Jenkins

Coach: Lessons on the Game of Life by Michael Lewis