The Full Cupboard of Life

By Alexander McCall SmithLife is a rich, full, and happy experience for Mma Ramotswe, who is still engaged to the good-hearted Mr. J.L.B. Matakone. Even though they have not yet set a date for a wedding, she helps him with his problems and cooks and cares for the two orphans he has taken into his home. Over the course of this book, Mma Ramotswe and her friends face several "difficult" problems. First, a woman who has made a fortune establishing hair-braiding salons hires Mma Ramotswe to find out whether her suitors want to marry her for her money. Then, Mr. J.L.B. Matakone finds himself tricked into "volunteering" to do a parachute jump. He is also disturbed to discover that First Class Motors, a rival garage, has sold improper parts and failed to service a classic old Range Rover correctly, and he has been procrastinating about reporting him to authorities. However, as always, these problems and more are all resolved through Mma Ramotswe's quick thinking and observation skills.

One more book down, still loving them. I am going to be sad when they are all over.

P.S. Don't you love the artwork on the cover?

The Kalahari Typing School for Men

Mma Precious Ramotswe is content. Her business is well established with many satisfied customers, and in her mid-thirties. She has a house, two adopted children, a fine fiancé. But, as always, there are troubles. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has not set the date for their marriage. Her able assistant, Mma Makutsi, wants a husband and needs more income. And worse, a rival detective agency has opened in town, an agency that does not have the gentle approach to business that Mma Ramotswe’s does. Even more distressing, Mma Ramotswe is charged, through her casework, to determine the identity of a cheating man's lover, only to find that it is Mma Makutsi! But, of course, Mma Ramotswe manages these things, as she always does, with her uncanny insight and her good heart.

Still loving them....

Morality for Beautiful Girls

By Alexander McCall SmithThis book begins with Mma Ramotswe still engaged to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, owner of Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. Things are not going very well for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which faces a slowdown of business that may force them to close their doors. At this same time, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is dealing with a mysterious illness that is causing him to neglect his business and the people that are important to him. It takes all of Mma Ramotswe's intuitive thinking, and the assistance of Mma Grace Makutsi, secretary of the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, to get both businesses back up and running smoothly.

Still loving these books! They are perfect for busy people who don't have time to devote their life to reading. I can read a chapter here or there and be perfectly happy. And I am always happy to read more about Mma Ramotswe and her perspective on live.

Tears of the Giraffe

By Alexander McCall SmithAt the end of the first book, Mma Ramotswe became engaged to Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, the garage owner. This book opens with the couple's first major problem, Mr. J.L.B Matekoni's rude maid's attempt to frame Mma Ramotswe for a serious offence. In this book we also see Mma Ramotswe use her intuitive skills to help an American woman whose son disappeared in Botswana some years previously and to deal with a paternity case. We also learn more about Mr J. L. B. Matekoni as he adopts two orphans and has to figure out a way to break the news to Mma Ramotswe.

I love the second book as much as the first, a sequel really felt natural for these characters. I really recommend reading these books. They have the best of everything, a little bit of humor, morality, and mystery all while taking you away to another place.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

I love this book! The story follows Mma Precious Ramotswe as she uses her beloved father's inheritance to start a private detective agency. As indicated by the name of her agency, Precious is the first woman in Botswana to enter that profession. Through the curious cases that she receives, Precious encounters many dangerous and risky obstacles. Motivated by her desire to help other people and to make Botswana a better place, Precious uses her common sense and good observation skills to solve every case that she is given. Throughout the course of each investigation we learn more about Africa, the people who live there, the love they have for their land, and the many changes that are taking place in Africa.

That description just doesn't do this book justice. This isn't really a mystery book. And it isn't really a book about Africa. It is a book about a good, kind lady who uses her common sense and solves problems around her. It is a book about the observations that Precious makes on the world around her and her opinion of the people that she sees. This book is funny, yet filled with good solid values. I want to be like Precious!

P.S. I just read something on the internet, while looking for a picture of the book, that there is an audiobook version. I don't normally like to listen to someone else read, but I think this book might actually be very enjoyable in the audiobook version.

Afternoon of the Elves

By Janet Taylor LisleAfternoon of the Elves is about two little girls who are complete opposites. Hilary has the perfect family, a mother and a father that love her and take care of her, and a close group of friends. Sara-Kate lives with her sick mother, has no friends, and is left to fend for herself. The story follows the formation of their unlikely friendship as Sara-Kate shares her elf world with Hilary. Intermingled with the story of their friendship is frequent social commentary on how we, as a society, view and respond to children such as Sara-Kate who are left to raise themselves.

I remember loving this book as a kid. Mostly, I think, because of the descriptions of the miniature elf world in Sara-Kate's backyard. Reading this book as an adult, I recognize how beautifully written it is. But I don't like it. I feel that the book is not meant for children, as child, you could see the adults wanting to help Sara-Kate as doing something wrong. It is just to dark, and leaves to much unsaid on such a sensitive topic. And you don't get a sense of any of those deeper issues from the title or from reading the back. You might think you were just reading a happy, little, fantasy book about two girls who imagine a world of elves living in their backyard. But this book is much more than that and I wouldn't recommend reading it unless you are ready for that.

Messenger

By Lois LowryThis is the third book in The Giver triology and the real reason I read the other two books again. Messenger was published in 2004 and this is the first time I have read it. I really like this book! It ties the characters in the first two books together and completes the story very beautifully. It is a little bit sad and the characters go through some difficult learning experiences. I highly recommend reading these books and having any kids you know read them. They are filled with symbolism and are all about being true to yourself and kind and good. Read them! It won't take you long either!

Gathering Blue

By Lois LowryThis is the second book in The Giver trilogy and is loosely connected to The Giver. While the main characters are not the same, many of the issues that they deal with are the same. Gathering Blue focuses on a young girl, Kira, who was born with a deformity. In her society, people with deformities are usually left at birth to die. Her mother kept this from happening to her, but Kira has not been accepted well because she has to depend on others. Gathering Blue follows Kira as her mother dies, she discovers her talents, learns secrets that the leaders of her society are keeping, and ultimately makes a huge sacrifice for the good of her people.

This book is just as good as The Giver. I really like the way these books go together in the message and values that they are teaching. If you liked The Giver, you should read this too!

The Giver

By Lois LowryThe Giver is a wonderful little book about a 12 year old boy named Jonas and his role in his futuristic society. At first it seems like this society is perfect, but we gradually learn, as Jonas learns, that this society is very far from perfect. The book follows Jonas as he learns about the problems of his society and what his role was supposed to be and as he decides how he is going to change what is happening.

I love this book, I have read it many times before. Lois Lowry is a great writer. Her writing is expressive and deep but is very easy to read. I also like that her stories can be read at many different levels. I think that this book could be read (and is read) and loved by many late elementary school children. I also think that this book can be appreciated on a very adult level and should be reread many times throughout your life.

Lady of Avalon

By Marion Zimmer BradleySo this book is one of Avalon series, obviously, and historically it fits between The Forest House and Mists of Avalon. The Priestess of Avalon occurs at the same time as the middle part of this book but about different characters. This book has the same writing style and themes as the other books, so if you like those you will like this one and if you don't like those, you probably won't enjoy Lady of Avalon.

This book is broken up into three parts, each part following one High Priestess and her time ruling in Avalon. The book was interesting and enjoyable in itself, but I really liked how it ties together the storyline during the The Forest House to the storyline in Mists of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley really worked out a whole history of Avalon that parallels written history perfectly. It is pretty amazing when you think about all of the research that must have gone into these. I loved it, these are some of my favorite books. Read Mists of Avalon and decide if you like that first before you get into the rest of the series.

P.S. I am all caught up on my book journaling. Now I can go read some more books.

Flying Changes

By Sara GruenSo I was reading Riding Lessons, and couldn't not go find the sequel and read that too. The books really go together as one complete story, I wouldn't recommend reading one without the other. This book picks up where Riding Lessons left off, with the wonderfully imperfect lives of Annemarie and her daughter Eva and and all of the problems that they make for themselves. While this book is still told from Annemarie's perspective, much of the drama comes from her trying to deal with Eva's riding dreams and Annemarie's fear of another horrible accident. There are some unexpected twists that I don't want to tell you about because it would ruin the first half of the book. But it makes the second half perfectly, and helps wrap the book up nicely. And by wrapped up nicely, I mean that they will still have many life problems, just like the rest of us, but that they might be able to handle them. Read it. After you read Riding Lessons.

Riding Lessons

By Sara GruenIn case you didn't catch it, this book is by the same author that wrote Water For Elephants, one of the books we read for our book club meeting. I saw this at Value Village for 2$ and thought it was worth trying to see if I liked it. And I really liked it. It wasn't as sensational as Water for Elephants, but her writing is just a good and the story she weaves is pretty compelling.

The story follows Annemarie who, after a divorce, moves her troubled teenage daughter back to her childhood home. Doesn't sound too noteworthy, but Annemarie was an Olympic Equestrian who suffered a freak accident that killed her horse and almost killed her. And she never got back on a horse. And her childhood home is a horse farm. And Annemarie's father is dying. Sounds rather depressing right? Amazingly, it is not. I think my favorite thing about this book is that it focuses on characters who are not perfect. They make a lot of dumb mistakes, just like the rest of us do. But they learn to come to grips with some of the drama/trauma in their lives and get back on a track. I also like that the story never aims to make the characters lives perfect, just normal and livable. If I had to pick a theme for this book I would say that it revolves around families (and all of the problems that come with family) and love, in all of its diffrenet forms. I would highly recommend this book, purely enjoyable.

Playing for Pizza

By John Grisham
My mom picked up this book at Costco a while back and wanted me to see if it was any good. I am always happy to be handed a book so I gave it a try. Playing for Pizza is about a professional football player who is terrible at football, but that is all that he knows how to do. He singlehandedly ruins a big game and no one will hire him, except for a small team in Italy. The other players on the team all play for pizza and love of football, he is the only paid player. As the book progresses he learns about loving football, being part of a team, and realizing that there is more to life than football.

John Grisham is a great writer, with an amazing ability to suck you into a plot. Because of that the book was enjoyable to read. It was fun, nothing bad about it. But there was way too much football talk for me. There was excellent descriptions of the plays they ran, things I didn't understand or care about, and injuries that people recieved. All of the parts that bore me about football. There were also great descriptions of Italian food, countryside, and people; but all of the football talk definitely turned me off from ever reading this book again. If you are at all interested in football you would enjoy this book, but I myself am not.

Lord of the Flies

By William Golding

So I've been a little behind with my book posting lately. As the rush before school started, I began cramming as much reading in as possible. Which left little room for posting about my reading. But I am going to try and get caught up.

We read Lord of the Flies for our book club this month, but then none of us could find a time to meet. I have read Lord of the Flies before but it had been a while. I can't say that I LIKE this book, but I definitely think it is worth reading. It is pretty short and it has an interesting plot so it is easy to get through. I just find the comment on society a little bit disturbing, not wrong, just not the part I like to think about. Excellent writing though, definitely a style that not many people use anymore. I recommend reading Lord of the Flies if you like books written with purpose and you are interested in reading a classic novel because it is a good one to start with.

Priestess of Avalon

By Marion Zimmer BradleySo after I read The Forest House I wanted to read more of the Avalon Series. I didn't have the next book, Lady of Avalon, but I did have Priestess of Avalon, so I read that. It was okay skipping around because this book seems to stand on its own a little more. At some point I would like to have all the books and read them in order, but it may take a while. This one follows a Druidic Priestess named Eilan (Helena to the Romans) from her birth, her training at Avalon, her meeting and romance with Constantius, her banishment from Avalon, her birth of a son (Constantine), and eventually her life as the Empress Mother. As Empress Mother she works to find understanding between the old religion of the Druids and the new religion of Christianity.

I really liked reading about this time period. It was a time when things were changing a lot and it was interesting to think about how people might deal with something that big. I also really liked getting attached to the one character and following her as she moves through the world, experiences many different positions in life, and seeing how her thinking and beliefs both change and stay constant.

All of my thoughts on Marion Zimmer Bradley's writing style from The Forest House apply here, it feels a lot the same even though this one was completed by her writing partner Diana L. Paxson when Marion Zimmer Bradley died. Again if you have read Mists of Avalon and loved it I totally recommend Priestess of Avalon but if you haven't, I would start with Mists of Avalon first.