Books read in February

Girl Reading Book
Fiction

The Uncommon Reader: A Novella - Alan Bennett
The Apothecary's Daughter - Julie Klassen
The School of Essential Ingredients - Erica Bauermeister
Your Chariot Awaits - Lorena McCourtney
Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains - Laurel Synder
An Irish Country Christmas - Patrick Taylor

I didn't get a lot of reading done this month. Two of the books I read this month I did not like, but I did finish. I started another two books, but I was not enjoying the so I picked up new ones. I was having a very hard time finding books this month that I throughly enjoyed.

A new face!

Delani has acquired a new smile! She gives this to everyone she meets. I am suspicious that her brothers and sister has encouraged this!

Valentine's Day Cards

Another Valentine's Day has come and gone. Handmade Valentine's Day from mom are a tradition in our house. Here is the Valentine's Day cards for this year.

'Lil Pentecostal

Please note: You will need to turn off the player at the bottom of the page.

Happy 40th Birthday, Shade!

The GREAT man of the house is turning the big 4-0! Happy Birthday!!!

Please leave a comment (the button below) and wish him a great 40th birthday!

Book Review: Emily's Quest

Emily's Quest by L.M. Montogomery completes the 3 book series about Emily Starr. Emily has finished high school and is working on becoming a great writer. Ilse, Perry and Teddy all left to aspire to greater things and leaves Emily all alone. Emily works hard at becoming a writer and starts to make something of herself. After learning that her book she has written isn't very good she agrees to marry Dean Priest ,an old friend, and she sets her writing aside.

Later on, she realizes that she can never marry Dean because she loves Teddy. Gradually her love of writine slowly returns and when her Aunt Elizabeth breaks her leg Emily starts to write another story to keep her entertained. Realizing that she has written something special she begins to send it out only to be rejected time and time again. Will her book be published? Will Teddy ever come home? You must read it to find out!

I did enjoy this book, though it really dragged in the middle of the book. The end of the book did make up for it. If you are looking for a quick and fun read I do recommend the Emily of New Moon Series.

Learning Interrupted

Delani was sitting on my lap and sucking her thumb, so I had Chantry bring his reading book over read to me. All of a sudden she climbed out of my lap and sat down directly on top of the book! So we took a break and had a good laugh.

Book Review: The Apothecary's Daughter

Lilly Haswell helps her father in his apothecary shop in Bedsley Priors. Having been abandoned by her mother she helps take care of her younger brother, Charlie, who is very simple. Lilly also has a memory that never fails her. She remembers everything--which doesn't help her father's apprentice, Francis, learn. Lilly longs for adventure and romance.

One day her aunt and uncle appear in her life and an opportunity is given to her to have a season in London. Lilly spends the next two years there receiving an education and trying to find a husband. An anonymous letter sends her home to see the apothecary shop in total disrepair, the apprentice working for another apothecary, Charlie gone and her Father ill.

Lilly slowly build the shop back up with help from her neighbors and friends, but a dark force is working that will put the apothecary shop at risk. She also is surrounded my three admirer's who are trying to win her heart. Lilly slowly learns to lean on the Lord as the pressure build and new information concerning her mother and family secrets are revealed.

The Apothecary's Daughter is an interesting story woven in an apothecary shop. Since I don't know anything about apothecary's shops it did give me an interest to learn a little more. I wished Mrs. Klassen would have included a small information piece about apothecary shops. Here and here is a little bit of information about apothecary shops.

I read The Lady of Milkwood Manor by the same author last year. I really enjoyed that story (and needed a box of Kleenex), even more than The Apothecary's Daughter, and highly recommend it.

Book Review: Emily Climbs

Emily Climbs, the sequel to Emily of New Moon (review), tells the tale of Emily while she goes to high school in the nearby town of Shrewsbury. In order to go she had to promise her Aunt Elizabeth that she wouldn't write any stories. She boards with her Aunt Ruth who just knows that she is "sly". She spends her time getting in and out of scrapes. Her friendship with Ilse is tested and Perry professes his love. Teddy is still her favorite, but how does he feel about her? What does his glances mean?

Emily also grows in her writing abilities and slowly learns the value of life to her writing and poetry and triumphs in her writing. By the end of high school she has sold many poems and brought in some money. Then Emily receives an offer to go to the United States and work for a magazine. Emily must decide what she want to do most in her life.

I enjoyed Emily Climbs a little better than Emily of New Moon. It seemed a little more light hearted even though there are those in the story that are very against her. L.M. Montgomery breaks up the story every once in a while and will give her opinion on what her heroine should do and then continue on with the story. She does get herself in a lot of different scrapes, typical of Montogery's writings, but getting out of them is always fun. Look for a review of the third and final book in the series, Emily's Quest, in a few weeks.