{The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society} by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This was such a fun read. I didn't think I would like reading letters back and forth from someone, but it turned out to be so interesting. I loved hearing thoughts and experiences from different people to Juliet. We got to experience and share parts of the war and it was sad and tragic to hear what these people went through, but you could see that it helped them work through it to talk about it and share it with Juliet. I absolutely LOVED the ending and was so happy that Juliet ends up with Dawsey. The characters became so real and I wanted to see pictures of them to put a face to the names. Very easy read and two thumbs up from me! :)

{My Sister's Keeper} by Jodi Picoult

My read this month was "My Sister's Keeper". I had a bit of a hard time finishing this book. I'm a big believer of positive thinking and whatever you think about will come about. So reading a book on a girl with leukemia and how her family dealt with it was a struggle to keep my own thoughts positive. (In the back of my mind as I am reading this is that my dad has lung cancer and I'm pregnant with my third, so I don't want to pull anything negative to me reading this depressing book). I almost quit, but somehow I trudged on. It was a very ironic ending and very tragic to say the least. I bawled, of course. I felt really bad for that family. The poor brother (I forget his name...?) but he suffered the most, I think. He got overlooked and has some serious issues to deal with. The sister's at least had each other, and YES Anna was brought into this world for the sole purpose of being a donor for her sister, but at least she felt needed. I would hope that if something like that were to happen in my life I would still love equally and be there for EACH child. How can I say that though? I don't know what it would be like. I guess it just goes to show that life isn't fair and that it never goes as expected. But cherish each moment and each person in your life. Ugh...on to the next book.

{The Christmas Box} by Richard Paul Evans

My new years resolution this year is to read at least one new book a month. This month I chose "The Christmas Box" by Richard Paul Evans. It was such a quick read, I think I finished in just a couple of days. It was a very touching book and I cried through a lot of it. It was easily relate able because the story was based out of SLC and I was familiar with the culture and locations. Two thumbs up from me!! :)

It's been a loong time since I've read a great book. Any suggestions?

The Host by Stephanie Myer

Despite all the negative things I had heard about this book, I actually really really liked it. I was facinated by the imagination of the author and how she could come up with such a clever idea for a story. It did take me a couple of chapters to grasp the concept of the story and where it was going. Then as I got more deep into the book, I found myself not wanting to put it down. I feared for the humans and tried to understand the souls. I loved the ending and am so glad it was a happy one. I stopped reading with 2 chapters left thinking that was it, then I turned the blank pages and saw that I wasn't finished. That's when the happy ending came! YAY! I want to know more about what happens with the humans and with Ian and Wanda. And I'm excited they met other humans that also kept souls. It was awesome and highly recommend this book with two thumbs up!!!!!!!!

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

So I am not officially finished with this book, but I have to say that I am excited and super impressed by the good feelings I got when I read it. I was so excited to change my "thoughts" and direct my feelings to good. I feel like I have so many questions for the "Secret Team" about the whole concept of it, but overall, I totally believe in the law of attraction. I used to think it was karma, what goes around comes around. I have put it into practice since I started reading it and have nothing but positive results. I want to have a good attitude and stop thinking about what I don't have or dont' want. I am blessed with so much and am thankful that I can use my mind for powerful things, like shifting my feelings. And what is the harm in thinking positive? I have been happier and my outlook in life is nothing but joyful. I think being LDS and having the Gospel has also helped me with this, but The Secret has just brought it out in a different way and reminded me that I have the power within me to be whatever I want. I'm excited to finish up and I'm sure I'll have more to say when I'm done.

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

BEWARE OF READING unless you have finished this book. I give away too much! Sorry!!!

I just finished the much-awaited book of the Twilight Series. Whew! It's nice to have my life back... When I first started reading, I cried and cried as I felt Jacob's heart break as Bella gets married and suffers through so much pain as she carries the half-breed baby. Yet he sticks around through all of it with a flicker of hope, but knowing full well his heart is going to break again when she becomes immortal or dies because of the "fetus". I was very mad at Bella for making Edwars suffer so much and for everyone around her suffering because she was in so much pain. I didn't understand why she'd let the fetus break her! I mean, I understand the love of a mother and child, but I couldn't see this as a child...yet! Then it just turned nasty as Bella had to drink blood to survive. Eeeeeewww! I really thought Bella was going to die. (Sidenote: I loved how Jacob narrated the 2nd book. He has a great sense of humor and I just love how he is so real and still immature!) Then everything changed when Bella became a vampire and wasn't the typical "newborn". I liked how she was so hard core and tough and graceful and strong and so un-Bella like. It went from this happy make-believe world to this hard reality of the Volturi coming to destroy everything they had. I really thought the Voltori were going to come and kill everyone. Only because of Alice and what seemed like doom. I knew that she couldn't just leave, though. I cried when Bella prepared to say goodbye to Renesmee. And I really thought that Jacob and Renesmee would be the only ones left. I'm so glad it had a happy ending, but it isn't so final that Stephanie couldn't come up with a 5th book...although where on earth could it go that it hasn't already been??? She got her cake and ate it too!! She got to have Charlie in her life and have her baby and Jacob and of course forever with Edward. Unbelievable! Loved it!