I finished this book last night and it was a sweet and inspiring book. I checked this book out a few weeks ago and read the back of the book, I liked the idea of a husband and wife writing to each other every week. Preston and I actually started it three weeks ago and and now we send each other an email sometime during the day every Wednesday. I have really enjoyed it and I hope we keep it up as long as Jack and Laurel, the letter writers from Jason F Wright's newest book, THE WEDNESDAY LETTERS. A story of forgiveness, acceptance, charity and love. Read it...it's a great quick read that inspired me to love my husband and children the way Jack and Laurel loved each other.

Publisher's Synopsis

Jack and Laurel have been married for 39 years. They've lived a good life and appear to have had the perfect marriage. With his wife cradled in his arms, and before Jack takes his last breath, he scribbles his last "Wednesday Letter." When their adult children arrive to arrange the funeral, they discover boxes and boxes full of love letters that their father wrote to their mother each week on Wednesday. As they begin to open and read the letters, the children uncover the shocking truth about the past. In addition, each one must deal with present-day challenges. matthew has a troubled marriage, Samantha is a single mother, and Malcolm is the black sheep of the family who has returned home after a mysterious two-year absence. The Wednesday Letters has a powerful message about forgiveness and quietly beckons for readers to start writing their own "Wednesday Letters."

It's A Challenge!

Alright, I want you to know that I KNOW this is a cheesy picture but it's the best I could do!

In Jane Austin’s Novel Northanger Abbey she poses the question “Can one read too many novels?” I whole heartedly reply, “No Way! Well, I hope not. If you can I am in some serious trouble.” I love reading it’s one of my passions in life and lately I have found myself immersed in Novels. I think there is much to be learned from novels BUT in an attempt to push myself out of the current comfort zone(and you all as well…if you’ll join me) I thought it might be fun to do monthly challenges. Your challenge can be anything. You could challenge us to read books from a particular author, time period, or on a specific subject. Challenge us to go places we’ve never been before. You could challenge us to read a book by an Australian author or a Civil War book. We could have a month devoted to poetry or mystery. What ever your little heart desires! I will take the month of March and then whoever wants to be in charge of April’s challenge let me know in the comments.

So for this month’s challenge….Going back to my original question I thought it would be fun to read at least ONE (1) NON FICTION book this month. Anything you want. It could be a book on Finances or Knitting, The French Revolution or Parenting, A Biography or Pliates Instruction Manuel. The sky is your limit. I am excited to dive into the world of Non-Fiction once again(not for too long I’ll miss my novels oh so much) and I am more excited to see all the great books you are reading. You have a week till March 1^st to search, explore, and discover the books that are waiting for you. Are you in? Let me know what you think of this whole “Challenge” idea ( Am I being ridiculous?) and if you want to host the “Challenge” next month!

River Secrets

River Secrets by Shannon Hale

Well, I've finished the "Goose Girl" series. I finished River Secrets last night and overall I really enjoyed the series. It was fun to journey to a whole new world, I love when authors can create a whole new place complete with food, customs, prejudices, stories and history. Shannon Hale has joined the ever expanding group of women/mother authors whose talent is amazing.

Booklist Review

Hale, whose most recent novel, The Princess Academy (2005), was named a Newbery Honor Book, continues the story begun in Goose Girl (2003) and Enna Burning 2004) in this stirring, stand-alone adventure. The kingdoms of Bayern and Tira have just completed a war, and Bayern teenager Rizzo is astonished when he is chosen to join a company of the castle's best soldiers on a diplomatic mission to Tira. A poor swordsman with a reputation as "a brave fool," he knows that his most noteworthy talent may be "cramming two cherries into a single nostril." Once the company arrives in Tira, though, he learns why he was selected: he sees and remembers everything, without "seeming to pay attention to anything beyond dinner," making him an excellent spy. Tension between the kingdoms heightens with a series of recurring, pyrotechnic murders, just as Rizzo falls for an intrepid young Tiran. The story's pace is leisurely, but Hale's accomplished writing will easily pull readers into her vividly realized world. The expertly chosen, often poetic details set and pace the story, and the fully drawn characters, whose dialogue crackles with wit, will point readers to the underlying themes of cultural prejudice and the corruption of power that touch on contemporary political debates. Suspenseful, magical, and heartfelt, this is a story that will wholly envelop its readers.

A Cullen Family Portrait

Alright, I hope you don't mind me putting this small post and think I am completely overly obessed w/ Twilight cause that's all I've commented on lately but really mylife does revolve around other things I promise LOL and other books but my little cousin who reads the Twilight series keeps me well Informed day to day on new news and this is kinda big so I thought I would share. If you go to Stephenie Meyers Offical Web page and then hit Movie section, She released the offical movie pictures of the entire Cullen family of what they all look like w/ hair color changes and eyes and everything! So I hope everyone can go cause I can't wait to hear everyones opinions!

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/

A Book Club Forum

I made a bookclub forum to kinda go along with this site. But on there you make posts under categories and they are there by title so you can choose what you want to read and there are differnt categories like book reviews, classic books and more.

It's really hard to describe but its kinda like this and I made it for the people on here but instead of Andreas Book Club it's Katie's Book club... I just put my name.
PLEASE CHECK IT OUT!

http://www.katiesbookclub.freeforums.org

Please register if you want too.
Katie

Breaking Dawn

In case you didn't hear, Breaking Dawn (the next Stephenie Meyer book) is going to be released at 12:01 am on August 2nd. You can pre-order your book on amazon.com. Also, the movie is set be released December 12th. Merry Christmas!

Pride and Prejudice part 1

Tonight is JANE AUSTIN night once again and tonight we embark on part 1 of 3 in the wonderful Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth. I can't wait!!!!

Enna Burning

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

This is the second book in the Goose Girl trilogy. I actually liked this book as much, if not more, than the first book in the series. I didn't think I would like the main character, Enna, as much as I liked her best friend and main character Anni/Issi, in the last book...but I was wrong. I fell in love with her and enjoyed every page. This series of books is refreshing in it's originality. I started the last book in the series last night and can't wait to see how it ends.

Publisher's Book Summary

Enna and Princess Isi became fast friends in The Goose Girl, but after Isi married Prince Geric, Enna returned to the forest. Enna's simple life changes forever when she learns to wield fire and burn anything at will. Enna is convinced that she can use her ability for good--to fight Tira, the kingdom threatening the Bayern borders--and goes on secret raids to set fire to the Tiran camps and villages. But as the power of the fire grows stronger, she is less able to control her need to burn. In her recklessness she is captured by the Tiran army and held captive by a handsome, manipulative young captain who drugs her to keep her under his influence. Can Isi and her old friends Finn and Razo rescue her without sacrificing themselves? And with the fire still consuming her, will Enna find a way to manage the gift that threatens to destroy her?

Austenland by Shannon Hale

AUSTENLAND by Shannon Hale

Have you ever wished that you could go back in time? Have you ever desired just one afternoon in ball gowns, shawls, bonnets and slippers? Have you ever watched Pride and Prejudice, with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and wished you could have been born in 1806, in Regency Era England? I know I have and so discovering Shannon Hale's book, AUSTENLAND was a TREAT.
I really loved it! Really. I started it feeling silly, burying it at the bottom of my library checkout pile,going through the self-check out line, with the hope that the librarian wouldn't see how silly and ridiculous I could be. But I am ashamed no more. Witty,origional, captivating and fun... Hale created a great modern day twist on Ms. Austen that left me smiling and wishing there really was an AUSTENLAND!!!

The Goose Girl

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

This book was difficult for me to summarize so I will just use the publisher's description...it explains much better than I can! What an ususaul find, so unlike the books I have been reading lately, and yet very enjoyable. Beautifully written, Hale describes a world so perfectly you can feel the breeze, touch the animals, and experience the sights and smells as our heroine Ani does. There were a few slow parts, and at times I was lost within the descriptions but the end result was magical. There are two more books in this series and I will be starting them today!!

SUMMARY

Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life under her aunt's guidance learning to communicate with animals. As she grows up Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but is never comfortable speaking with people, so when her silver-tongued lady-in-waiting leads a mutiny during Ani's journey to be married in a foreign land, Ani is helpless and cannot persuade anyone to assist her. Becoming a goose girl for the king, Ani eventually uses her own special, nearly magical powers to find her way to her true destiny. Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can become queen of the people she has made her own.

Miss Austin Regrets

Don't forget in all the SUPERBOWL hype that tonight is JANE night. Premiering tonight is, Miss Austin Regrets, based on the life and letters of Jane Austen, Miss Austen Regrets tells the story of the novelist's final years, examining why, despite setting the standard for romantic fiction, she died having never married or met her own Mr. Darcy. I'm excited to see it...It has to be better than last weeks flop!