Atlas Shrugged Review

I can tell when I really enjoy a book because I am still thinking about it long after I have finished. I recently read the book Atlas Shrugged on a friend's recommendation. I must warn you that the book is intimidating due to the fact that it is so huge. We are talking 1100 pages! It took about 300 pages for me to really get into the book, but once I did I was hooked and I neglected my family for a couple of days while I read every minute I could.

The book was written 50 years ago, but there are many parallels between the book and what is happening to our government and society today. Apparently, many liberals in Hollywood fought hard against a movie coming out about it. Some favorite quotes:

"Watch money. Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue. When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion—when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing—when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors—when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you—when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice—you may know that your society is doomed. Money is so noble a medium that is does not compete with guns and it does not make terms with brutality. It will not permit a country to survive as half-property, half-loot."

"Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think that you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong."

"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."

"Love is our response to our highest values. Love is self-enjoyment. The noblest love is born out of admiration of another's values"

I highly recommend the book. For a summary of the book, click here. I also just saw that they recently made a movie of the book. It is a three part movie. Part 1 was out this past spring in theaters and will be on dvd this fall and Part 2 will be out in theaters soon after that. Yay! I've attached a trailer (with commentary) of the movie. I love who they cast as Dagny, the protagonist. She is just like I envisioned her in the book.

Classic Kids Books (3-8 years)

The last couple of times we have gone to the library we haven't really found any fabulous books in the children's section. I usually request books but haven't been very good at doing that lately. I decided to look online for suggestions on classic children's books to request and I found this site that has great selections. You may want to check out some of these classics you may not have read before.

Three Great Christmas reads

Here are three wonderful reads to get you in the Christmas spirit.

1. The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke - a short 18-page story available for free here.

2. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - a classic we are all familiar with that is perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit. Also available for free online.

3. Luke II - What better way to remember the birth of the Savior than to read the account of His birth?

*These are the three texts Pres. Thomas S. Monson reads each Christmas season, as he explained in this Christmas devotional.

Preschool Activities: Thanksgiving Week

It was fun teaching my son about Thanksgiving. He is so excited about all the holidays this year and it makes them more special seeing them through a child's eyes. Below are preschool activities for Thanksgiving Week you can enjoy the next couple days.

Supplies Needed for Thanksgiving Week:
-Construction Paper
-Turkey Pattern

-Googly eyes
-Paper Sack
-Feathers
-Crayons and or paint

Suggested Books to Read:
-I just grabbed what my library had. The only one I was impressed enough to recommend is Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland. Update: I also found a book called Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes that is a good read.

Pilgrim and Native American Day:
-Make an Native American Costume. Ideas here and here

Thankful Day:
-Make a Thankful Turkey -Watch Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Turkey Day:
-We colored a turkey coloring page from our local newspaper. You can find your own sheet here or here.

-You have your preschooler help make the place card holders for Thanksgiving day. Here are some ideas I gave last year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Preschool Activities: The Letter C

Here are some ideas for learning about the letter C with your preschooler.

Supplies Needed:
-Samples of white, dark, milk chocolate
-Carrots
-Crayons
-Colored marshmallows
-Pipe cleaner
-Marker

Books Needed:
-The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
-Carrot Soup by John Segal*
-Do You Have Any Carrots? by Leonard Kessler*
-Just Enough Carrots by Stuart J. Murphy*
-Max's Chocolate Chicken by Rosemary Wells*
-The Story Behind Chocolate by Sean Stewart Price*
-Percy's Chocolate Crunch*
-Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory by Margret and H.A. Rey's*
-A Day with No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch
-Crayons from Start to Finish by Samuel G. Woods*
-What Happens at a Crayon Factory? by Lisa M. Guidone*
-My Crayons Talk by Patricia Hubbard
-The Green Caterpillar by Lo Coccinella
-It's a Caterpillar! by Elisa Peters*
-Houdini The Amazing Caterpillar by Janet Pedersen
-Arabella Miller's Tiny Caterpillar by Clare Jarrett
-The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (we also wathed the DVD The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other stories)*
-The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle (also watch the DVD)*
-Do you still love me? by Charlotte Middleton
*These were our favorites and the ones I recommend. You may find some other great books on these topics when you look at your local library.

Carrot Day:
-Read The Carrot Seed, Carrot Soup, Do You Have Any Carrots?, and Just Enough Carrots.

-We snacked on carrots that day. Mom son loved all of the books. Carrot day was a huge hit.

Chocolate Day:
-Read Max's Chocolate Chicken, The Story Behind Chocolate, Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory, and Percy's Chocolate Crunch.
-That is all we did that day. It would have been nice to have samples of different types of chocolate.

Crayon Day:
-Read A Day with No Crayons, Crayons from Start to Finish, What Happens at a Crayon Factory?, My Crayons Talk

-Made a crayon train (my son's idea)

-Of course, you can color a picture using crayons

Caterpillar Day:
-Read The Green Caterpillar, It's a Caterpillar!, Houdini The Amazing Caterpillar, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
-Watched The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other stories dvd, which also had to other books that began with the letter C on it.


-Made caterpillars out of colored marshmallows and pipe cleaner and used marker to dot the eyes. My son loved this. We made a family of caterpillars representing each person in our family.


Chameleon Day:
-Read The Mixed-Up Chameleon, Do you still love me?
-Watched Watched The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other stories dvd

Preschool Activities: The Letter M

Here are some ideas for learning about the letter M. So far, this has been my son's favorite week. He absolutely loved playing with marshmallows and making muffins.

Supplies needed for Letter M Week:
-Bag of big marshmallows and bag of colored small marshmallows
-Paint (watercolors or finger)
-White paper
-Elmer's glue
-Googly eyes
-Black yarn
-Print mask here
-Ingredients to make muffins

Suggested books for Letter M Week:
- The Marshmallow Incident by Judi Barrett
-Marshmallow Kisses by Linda Crotta Brennan (not really about marshmallows, except for one page)
-Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
-One Monkey too Many by Jackie French Koller
-Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh*
-If you give a Mouse a Cookie*
-If you give a Moose a Muffin*
*Our favorite books of the week.

Marshmallow Day:
-Read The Marshmallow Incident by Judi Barrett and Marshmallow Kisses by Linda Crotta
Brennan
-Sort marshmallows by size and color
-Marshmallow races and games, such as running with marshmallow on spoon
-Glue marshmallows on the letter M that you draw on a piece of white paper (my son loved this so much we did it a couple of days during "M" week)

My son needed to get his front loader to help move the marshmallows.

Mouse Day:
-Read If you give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff and Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
-Paint - you can explain how the primary colors make other colors like the mice discovered in the book Mouse Paint
-Make a Letter M mouse


Monkey Day:
-Read One Monkey too Many by Jackie French Koller and Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
-Make monkey mask

Moose Day:
-Read If you give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff and Moosetache by Margie Palatini
-Make muffins

The Letter H

Supplies Needed for Letter H Week:
-This week was busy and we only read the books, but I put links to various activities you can do with each day.

Suggested Books for Letter H Week:
-The Magic Hat by Tricia Tusa
-I've Lost My Hat by Charnan Simon
-Hat by Paul Hoppe
-Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina*
-Go Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman
-Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash
-The Wild Little Horse by Rita Gray
-A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman*
-The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton*
-The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood*
-Hippos Go Beserk by Sandra Boynton*
-The Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton*
*Our favorite books of the week.

Hat Day:
-Read The Magic Hat by Tricia Tusa, Hat by Paul Hoppe, I've Lost My Hat by Charnan Simon and Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina.
-Choose a hat activity here.

Horse Day:
-Read Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash and The Wild Little Horse by Rita Gray.
-For the activity you can put on cowboy hats and ride your stick horses (broom, stick, etc). You can even make your own stick horse.

House Day:
-Read A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman, The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton, The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood.
-For activities you can build a house with lincoln logs or we have a Little People House we played with.

Hippo Day:
-Read Hippos Go Beserk by Sandra Boynton, The Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton.
-Hippo activities here.

Preschool Activities: The Letter L

I have been having learning activities based around one letter each week with my three year old. He loves doing his school work. I am still working out an exact routine, but I thought I'd begin sharing what I am doing so far. This may give you some ideas to use with with your preschoolers.

Supplies Needed for Letter L Week:
-Broken yellow, red, and orange crayons
-Wax paper
-Iron
-Googly eyes
-Black yarn
-Yellow paper

Books Needed for Letter L Week:
-Llama Mama books by Anna Dewdney*
-Is Your Mama a Llama by Deborah Guarino (also on DVD)*
-Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
-Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson*
-Leaves by David Ezra Stein
-Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
-Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen*
-The Happy Lion by Lousie Fatio*
-If I Were a Lion by Sarah Weeks
-The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
-Ladybug Girl by David Soman
-Are you a Ladybug by Judy Allaen and Tudor Humphries
*The books my son and I enjoyed the most and I'd enjoy in our library collection.

Llama Day:
-Read Llama Mama books by Anna Dewdney
-Watch (or read) Is Your Mama a Llama by Deborah Guarino

Leaves Day:
-Read Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert, Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson, Leaves by David Ezra Stein, and Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
-Make wax leaves
-Go on a walk and collect leaves and come home and glue them as a collage on a piece of paper

Lion Day:
-Read Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, The Happy Lion by Lousie Fatio, and If I Were a Lion by Sarah Weeks
-Make Lion craft

Ladybug Day:
-Read The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle, Ladybug Girl by David Soman, and Are you a Ladybug by Judy Allaen and Tudor Humphries
-Ladybug activities

Before Five in A Row

I have started a dedicated learning time each day with my three-year old and one of the resources I have been using is a book called Before Five in a Row by Jane Claire Lambert. It is a book full learning activities for your children ages 2-4. The first part focuses on books to read with your child and activities you can do when discussing each book.

Here are the books on the BFIAR book list:

• Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by N.W. Carlstrom
• Yellow Ball by Molly Bang
• My Blue Coast by Chris L. Demarest
• The Little Rabbit by Judy Dunn
• Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack
• Blueberries For Sal by Robert McCloskey
• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
• The Big Green Pocketbook by Candice Ransom
• The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
• The ABC Bunny by Wanda Gag
• If Jesus Came to My House by Joan Gale Thomas
• Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
• The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• The Quiet Way Home by Bonny Becker
• Play With Me by Marie Hall Ets
• Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field
• I Am An Artist by Pat L. Collins
• Angus Lost by Marjorie Flack
• Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne
• We're Going On a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
• The Red Carpet by Rex Parkin
• Corduroy by Don Freeman
• Jenny's Surprise Summer by Eugenie

I have been checking out one of these books from the library each week to read and discuss. I also have been focusing on a letter of the week, which I'll be doing posts of each letter we do and suggested books and activities.

The second half of the BFIAR is full of creative ideas to do with your preschooler. Ideas range from activities to develop large motor skills (balancing, crab walk, skipping) to small motor skills (puzzles, cutting and pasting).

It is a resource I have enjoyed and recommend you checking out at your local library.

Best Baby Products - Birth to three months

When I had my first child I wasn't sure what baby products I would really use. It would have been really useful to have a list of "must haves" and "nice, but not necessary" to know which products were worth purchasing. I feel like I have a better grasp on what items I would put on this list (at least for the first three months) as I am now using my favorites again w/my daughter. So, here is my list. Feel free to leave comments with your favorites.

Baby "Must Haves" for 0-3 months:

• Large blanket to swaddle (the small receiving blankets just don't cut it, get a really large, thin blanket).
• Sound soother (A fan works great. I also bought a white noise cd on itunes that really calms my baby. We got tired of turning on the blow dryer and our cd has blow dryer white noise plus three other calming noises.)
• Zipper pjs (Gerber sells these - can purchase at Babies-r-us or Amazon.) In the middle of the night you don't want to be messing with snap pjs.
  
• Bouncer, like this one - this is the perfect place for the baby to sit and look around while you make dinner and get some things done. This is probably my number one favorite product. My son used his until he was 9 months and no longer could sit with out his whole body hitting the ground. My daughter absolutely loves it too and spends a lot of her awake time in this looking around.
  
• Travel system (I have the Graco snugride and their single and double strollers and love them both because they have plenty of storage space and they have held up well with all of the daily abuse they get. I bought my double on craigslist and it was almost brand new and saved $150.)
  
• Pack-n-play (Both of my kids slept in this everyday for the first 3 months and I like that it has a diaper changer and baby mobile.)
  

"Nice, but not necessary" Baby items for 0-3 months:

• Boppy - I used the boppy the first two weeks and that was about it. It does help when getting used to breast feeding, but a flat,thin pillow will work just as well of if not better. The lactation specialists I talked with at the hospital preferred flat pillows over the boppy. The boppy is nice to prop baby up, too, but I prefer the bouncer and my kids have, too. I think the boppy is overpriced for what it does.
  
• Miracle Blanket - I bought this with my daughter because she is a little houdini when it comes to getting out of her swaddle and it worked great until about 7 weeks when she outgrew it. I would like the blanket a lot more if it would have lasted longer. It was overpriced and short lived. However, it does make one fantastic swaddle!
  
• Baby Bjorn (I think this becomes nicer when the baby is older than three months. If you buy, I would consider buying on ebay for a better price.)
  
• Play mat (my three month old is just getting into this and it is nice, but not necessary for the first 3 months)
• Breast pump (This is nice, but not absolutely necessary, if you are breast feeding. I used a hand pump with my son and purchased an electric with my daughter. If you plan on pumping daily, get a Medela electric.)
• Swing (For my babies it wasn't necessary, but for fussy babies it may be a "must have." My son hated the swing but my daughter likes to nap in it. Look on craigslist or yard sales to get a better price.)
  

Great Resources preparing for baby:

• On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam (this book has helped me get both of my children to sleep well and get on a schedule)
• Happiest Baby on the Block DVD (Check your local library--they probably have this. It gives great advice on how to calm a newborn baby.)
  

Potty Training Resources

At the beginning of the month we began potty training my son. He has the concepts down, but we are still working on perfecting it. I've found a lot of good resources along the way that I thought I would share with you.

Books for Parents:
Potty train your child in just one day by Teri Crane
Potty Training 1-2-3: What Works, How it Works, Why it Works by Gary Ezzo and Anne Marie Ezzo

Books for Kids:
I checked out about all the children's potty books out there and these were mine and my son's favorites.

The Princess and the Potty
Everyone Poops
The Potty Book for Boys (or Girls)
The New Potty (Little Critter)
Max's Potty

Movies:
Potty Power - For Boys and Girls
Potty Time with Elmo

Potty Charts:
You can print out a great chart for boys here and girls here. Then grab some great stickers to post on the chart each time your child uses the potty.

Potty Supplies:
Gerber Training Pants - I like these because they are underwear (and not Pullups) but they are padded so if your child does have an accident they absorb a lot of it but still don't feel like a diaper like a Pullup does.

Safety 1st Comfy Cushy 3-in-1 Potty
I prefer the potty seats that connect to the toilet for easy cleanup, but I also like having a potty seat for times when I am busy and can't sit in the bathroom with my son. He can sit on his potty seat and watch a movie in the living room while he sits and waits. It isn't fun to cleanup but it isn't as bad as cleaning up messy underwear. It also doubles as a stool which is handy for washing hands after using the potty.

Mommy's Helper Contoured Cushie Tushie Potty Seat
This is a great little seat. It is soft and it also has a fairly big opening (unlike the potty seat, which is pretty small).

Treats and prizes - I give my son a sticker on the potty chart after using the potty and a small treat for going number one and I have big prizes for going number 2 (like a hotwheels truck).

Blurb coupon through Saturday

For those of you who want to make a book of your blog posts, now is a great time. You can get 20% off your book until Saturday, July 31 at blurb.com. You need to enter the code LIBERATION at checkout.

Pencil in the Hand of God

I am reading a book by Jane Clayson Johnson called, I Am a Mother. In one of the chapters I read today it had a quote I love by Mother Teresa. She said:

"I am like a little pencil in [God's] hand. That is all. He does the thinking. He does the writing. The pencil has nothing to do with it. The pencil has only to be allowed to be used."

Jane Clayson comments on this by saying, "Will the Lord look upon me one day and see an obedient servant? Will he see a woman who was willing to be a pencil in the hand of God, to do his work humbly and happily, even when it was painful and difficult?...although the story he has written for me is completely different from the version I had in my own mind, I know now that his plan is better from me than the one I had mapped out for myself. Oh, but at times, it has been painful."

Children's Book Giveaway!

I was recently introduced to the Best Fairy Books. These are books written by Bobbie Hinman and illustrated by Kristi Bridgeman. The books include The Sock Fairy, The Belly Button Fairy, The Knot Fairy, and The Fart Fairy. Each book also includes an audio cd where the author reads the story for you to follow along. A song relating to the book is also on the cd. Very fun! The books are targeted for ages 3-7.

The author sent a copy of The Sock Fairy to me and my nearly three year old has loved it. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and they capture his attention. Today after reading the book he went and got a pair of socks to put on since he wasn't wearing any...let's just hope the sock fairy doesn't steal them!

These are definitely books worth checking out. Look at the website for more info and you can purchase online at Amazon. Best of all, one of you will get your own autographed copy of The Sock Fairy. To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post. If you don't check this blog regularly, make sure to leave your email so I can contact you when the winner is announced. You have until end of day Saturday, May 22, to leave your comment.

Llama Llama Children's Books

I was recently introduced to the Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney. I've been reading Llama Llama Red Pajama to my toddler this week and he loves it. The book has a wonderful rhythm, great pictures, and a fun story. Check out the author's webpage for more information. I highly recommend these books. You can even find online activities to go along with these books.

Kids' Easter Basket Gift Ideas

Easter is coming up, so it is time to start planning what to put inside your little one's Easter basket. Below are some ideas. Please leave a comment with any other ideas you have.

Easter Books:

Religious Books:

Since Easter is a religious holiday, I think it is good to put something religious in the Easter baskets. My favorite children's religious books are by Greg Olsen. I love his artwork and that the pictures look more real. So many of the religious books I have looked at for kids have cartoon characters, but I think kids prefer looking at more lifelike pages. I actually used the free Picaboo coupon and made my own "Church Book" for my son to put in his basket this year. I included stories from the bible and about Jesus and Gospel concepts.


Grow in Water Animals:

Kids love seeing little animals grow. I think these are really cool, too. Buy a 5-pack here for $3.88.

Coloring Books/Crayons/Paint/stickers:

Hit your local dollar store or Wal-Mart and find some fun art activities for your child.

Other ideas:

Bubbles, matchbox cars, stuffed animals, clothing, sand toys

The Happiness Project

I've had an article from Woman's Day Magazine sitting on my desk for over a month now. The article was about the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben. She basically realized that she wasn't as happy as she could be. Here's how she explains it:

"I always figured I'd eventually stop twisting my hair and wearing running shoes all the time. I'd remember my friends' birthdays. I wouldn't let my daughter watch TV during breakfast. I'd spend more time laughing and having fun. I'd be more polite. Then, one April day, on a morning just like every other morning, I had a sudden realization: I was in danger of wasting my life. It was that the years were slipping by. 'What do I want from life, anyway?' I asked myself. 'Well...I want to be happy.' But I'd never thought about what made me happy or how I might be happier."

She went on to design a yearlong plan to accomplish her goal of becoming happier. Each month she had a different focus. Here are the areas she chose to focus on each month.

• January—Energy
Sleep more, exercise better, and clean out the closets
• February—Love
Work on marriage, nag less, fight right
• March—Aim Higher
She launched what became a highly successful blog [www.happiness-project.com]
• April—Lighten Up
Enjoy parenthood’s “fog happiness” – “the kind of happiness you get from activities that, closely examined, don’t really seem to bring much happiness at all – yet somehow they do.”
• May—Be Serious About Play
Learn to have more fun
• June—Friends
Nurture friendships new and old
• July—Buy Some Happiness
Money spent wisely can buy a little happiness after all.
• August—Spiritual
Contemplate deeper meaning of life.
• September—Pursue a Passion
She wrote a whole novel. Do something you've always wanted to do.
• October—Pay Attention (mindfulness)
Meditate, yoga
• November—Attitude
She adjusts her attitude to laugh more (small children laugh 400 times per day, but adults just 17 times).
• December—Boot Camp Perfect
All the changes may seem overwhelming but just take one step at a time.

Check out this site with great site with overview of the book. I haven't read the book yet, but I enjoyed the article summarizing it and I may just have to check out the book when I'm at the library next.

Favorite Young Children's Books

My husband watched my son on Friday night so I could go browse at the bookstore (one of my favorite things to do). I spent the entire time in the children's section. There are so many great books for kids, so I thought I would post what I think are the best. I'd love to hear your favorites, too!

Sandra Boyton Books - I especially love the Belly Button Book and Pajama Time
Dr. Suess - The rhythm of these books is great for kids development and kids seem to love them. I love Dr. Suess's ABC Book and my son loves the Cat in the Hat.

P.D. Eastman - A protegee of Dr. Suess. Some of my favorites of his include Go, Dog Go! and The Best Nest.

Eric Carle - He wrote the classics the Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear.

Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joff Nummerhoff

The Way I Feel by Janan Cain

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
The Napping House by Audrey and Don WoodDog Breath by Dav Pilkey - This was voted by the 3rd graders I volunteered with in Oregon as their favorite a few years ago. It is a clever story. I think younger kids will enjoy this, too.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice SendakClick here for a list of the top 100 children's books of all-time.

Free audio download of "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I loved the Little House on the Prairie books growing up. For those of you interested in a free audio download of the book "The Long Winter" (part of the Little House books) visit this site. The audio reading uses different voice actors for each character, which makes the reading fun for kids.

November Must Read: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

If you haven't read any of Shannon Hale's books, you are missing out. She has several young adult fairytale books as well as two books for adults.


My favorite of her fairytale books is probably The Goose Girl, although Princess Academy is right there as a favorite. The Goose Girl follows, Ani, a crown princess, who learns at an early age that her special gifts are not those valued by her queen mother and her future subjects. She is eventually sent to marry a prince in a different kingdom, but along the way is overthrown by her lady-in-waiting. Ani becomes a servant, tending geese, while she searches for a way to return to the marriage and throne that is rightfully her own.

Some other Shannon Hales books that you should check out.

Miri would love to join her father and older sister as a miner in Mount Eskel's quarry. However, she finds herself rounded with many of the other local girls in town to go to the Princess Academy where she competes for a chance to marry the prince.

Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren’s refusal to marry a man she despises. When supplies run low, Dashti finds away to escape which takes them on an adventure that changes their lives.

This is a creative twist of the fairytale of Rapunzel. It reads comic book style and has the cheesy comic book humor. Great artwork. Fun story.

This book was extremely cheesy most of the time, yet I still really enjoyed it. I listened to the audio book and I loved the narrator. I may have to listen to more audio books. Laying on the couch listening to a story is really relaxing!

Jane is a 32 year single woman ready to give up on love since no one can live up to Mr. Darcy from Pride in Prejudice, whom she is obsessed with. Her great aunt picks up on this obsession and sends her on a three week vacation to England where sh...more This is one of Shannon Hale's novels for adults. This book was extremely cheesy most of the time, yet I still really enjoyed it. Jane is a 32 year single woman ready to give up on love since no one can live up to Mr. Darcy from Pride in Prejudice, whom she is obsessed with. Her great aunt picks up on this obsession and sends her on a three week vacation to England where she lives in "Austenland," as she calls it. She lives and interacts with characters as if she were living in the time of Pride and Prejudice. I loves the twists in plot and loved the cheesy lines. Along the way, Jane also discovers herself. Fun, fluffy read.