I know I said I wouldn’t join any more challenges this year, but this one was just too fun to pass up.  The Hogwarts Reading Challenge runs March 8 2010 to December 13 2010.  I am a student at Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor House.  Now I need to attend class (read books) to get points for my House.  Here are the classes:

Transfiguration– read any book that has trans or figure in its title, is about shape shifting, has a shape shifter in it, or is about anything having to do with changing one thing into another

Defense Against the Dark Arts– read any book that has defense, dark and/or art(s) in its title, read any book that is about self-defense, war, history of war/martial arts, murder mysteries

Charms– read any book that has charm in its title, any book that gives something or someone a new aspect (for example the nerdy guy become a handsome doctor)

Potions– read any book that has potion in its title, cookbooks count but you must cook at least one recipe out of the book

Astronomy–  read any book that has astronomy in its title, books about planets, stars, sci-fi

History of Magic– read any book that has history or magic in its title, books about magic, witches, etc.

Herbology– read any book that has herb in its title, again cookbooks count and you must cook at least one recipe out of the book

Arithmancy– read any book that has arithmancy in its title, any book with a number in its title, any book that deals with numbers or math

Ancient Runes– read any book that has ancient or runes in its title, books about historical places like the pyramids, Stonehenge, Great Wall of China, or any book about symbols

Divination– read any book that has divine in its title, any book about psychics or psychic abilities, tarot reading, etc.

Care of Magical Creatures– read any book that has magical or creatures in its title, books about supernatural beings

Muggle Studies– nearly any book works here, what better way to understand Muggles than to read what they read

Reading a Harry Potter book earns 25 House points.

March points for Gryffindor House:

• 16 March-In the Company of Cheerful Ladies-Muggle Studies
• 18 March-Rapunzel’s Revenge-History of Magic
• 20 March-Calamity Jack-Care of Magical Creatures
• 23 March-Blue Shoes and Happiness-Charms
• 24 March-Forest Born-Herbology & Divination
• 28 March-The Good Husband of Zebra Drive-Defense against the Dark Arts
• 28 March-Here Lies the Librarian-Muggle Studies

April points for Gryffindor House:

• 1 April-The Miracle at Speedy Motors-Muggle Studies
• 2 April-Miss Julia Delivers the Goods-Muggle Studies
• 3 April-HP & the Sorcerer’s Stone
• 7 April-HP & the Chamber of Secrets
• 9 April-Riot-Defense against the Dark Arts
• 9 April-Monster-Defense against the Dark Arts
• 10 April-HP & the Prisoner of Azkaban
• 12 April-HP & the Goblet of Fire
• 13 April-Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba-Muggle Studies
• 17 April-HP & the Order of the Phoenix
• 20 April-HP & the Half-Blood Prince
• 23 April-Miss Julia Renews Her Vows-Muggle Studies
• 23 April-The Thief-Charms
• 27 April-The Aloha Quilt-Muggle Studies

May points for Gryffindor House:

• 3 May-The Queen of Attolia-Defense Against the Dark Arts
• 5 May-HP & the Deathly Hallows
• 8 May-Tea Time for the Traditionally Built-Herbology
• 10 May-The Double Comfort Safari Club-Muggle Studies
• 11 May-The Telling-Muggle Studies
• 18 May-A Conspiracy of Kings-Defense Against the Dark Arts
• 19 May-The King of Attolia-Defense Against the Dark Arts
• 21 May-SLOB-Muggle Studies
• 25 May-The Lightning Thief-Charms
• 28 May-The Sea of Monsters-Care of Magical Creatures

June points for Gryffindor House:

• 1 June- The Titan’s Curse-Care of Magical Creatures
• 2 June-The Piano Lesson-Care of Magical Creatures
• 5 June-The Battle of the Labyrinth-Care of Magical Creatures
• 6 June-The Last Olympian-Defense Against the Dark Arts
• 14 June-Tallgrass-Herbology
• 14 June-I Capture the Castle-Ancient Runes
• 15 June-The Dragon’s Child: A Story of Angel Island-Muggle Studies
• 17 June-The Higher Power of Lucky-Muggle Studies
• 17 June-The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner-Care of Magical Creatures
• 18 June-Dragon’s Gate-Muggle Studies
• 21 June-The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel-Transfiguration
• 24 June-The Demigod Files (Percy Jackson & the Olympians)-Care of Magical Creatures
• 29 June-Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese-American Internment Camps-Defense Against the Dark Arts

July points for Gryffindor House:

• 1 July-The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin-Defense Against the Dark Arts
• 1 July-Falling In-History of Magic
• 1 July-The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg-Defense Against the Dark Arts
• 5 July-Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet-Defense Against the Dark Arts
• 12 July-Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron-Muggle Studies
• 15 July-The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles #1)-History of Magic
• 17 July-Born in Ice-Muggle Studies
• 18 July-The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel-History of Magic
• 21 July-Before Green Gables-Muggle Studies
• 25 July-The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel-History of Magic
• 27 July-When the Mountain Meets the Moon-Astronomy
• 29 July-The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel-History of Magic
• 30 July-Briar Rose-Defense Against the Dark Arts

August points for Gryffindor House:

• 4 August-A Brief History of Montmaray-History of Magic
• 5 August-Anne of Green Gables-Muggle Studies
• 8 August-Star Trek: Movie Novelization-Astronomy
• 10 August-Sarah’s Key-Defense Against the Dark Arts
• 14 August-The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate-Herbology
• 16 August-Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy-Muggle Studies
• 17 August-Those Who Save Us-Defense Against the Dark Arts
• 21 August-Star Wars: Death Star-Astronomy
• 22 August-Al Capone Does My Shirts-Muggle Studies
• 23 August-The Big Over Easy-Care of Magical Creatures
• 25 August-Leaving Gee’s Bend-Muggle Studies
• 26 August-Everything on a Waffle-Potions
• 27 August-The Fourth Bear-Care of Magical Creatures
• 30 August-Mockingjay-Defense Against the Dark Arts
• 31 August-Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights-Muggle Studies

September points for Gryffindor House:

• 3 September-The Kingdom Keepers-History of Magic
• 4 September-Alchemy and Meggy Swann-Potions
• 7 September-The Misadventures of Maude March-Muggle Studies
• 9 September-Hatchet-Charms
• 10 September-Rhett Butler’s People-Muggle Studies
• 11 September-The Compound-Charms
• 14 September-Maude March on the Run-Muggle Studies
• 17 September-Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close-Muggle Studies
• 17 September-Cannery Row-Muggle Studies
• 18 September-Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart-Charms
• 20 September-The Quilter’s Homecoming-Muggle Studies
• 24 September-Pontoon-Muggle Studies
• 28 September-The Birthday Ball-Charms
• 28 September-The Last Olympian-Care of Magical Creatures
• 29 September-Twenty Wishes-Muggle Studies

October points for Gryffindor House:

• 3 October-The Kingdom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn-History of Magic
• 5 October-Summer on Blossom Street-Muggle Studies
• 7 October-Love Comes Softly-Muggle Studies
• 8 October-Love’s Enduring Promise-Muggle Studies
• 10 October-Love’s Long Journey-Muggle Studies
• 14 October-Love’s Abiding Joy-Muggle Studies
• 14 October-Love’s Unending Legacy-Muggle Studies
• 15 October-The Cross-Country Quilters-Muggle Studies
• 15 October-Incarceron-Charms
• 22 October-Buster Midnight’s Cafe-Muggle Studies
• 27 October-Love’s Unfolding Dream-Muggle Studies
• 28 October-Love Takes Wing-Muggle Studies
• 28 October-Love Finds a Home-Muggle Studies

November points for Gryffindor House:

• 1 November-Prayers for Sale-Muggle Studies
• 5 November-HP & the Sorcerer’s Stone
• 8 November-Red River-Muggle Studies
• 10 November-Peter and the Starcatchers-Transfiguration
• 16 November-Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow-Care of Magical Creatures
• 19 November-HP & the Half-Blood Prince
• 24 November-The Serpent’s Children-Muggle Studies
• 27 November-Mountain Light-Muggle Studies
• 27 Novemberl-HP & the Chamber of Secrets

December points for Gryffindor House:

• 6 December-HP & the Prisoner of Azkaban
• 8 December-North and South by Gaskell-Muggle Studies

I keep a book journal and here are my statistics for 2009:

Books read: 73

Pages read: 23,576

Of the books read:

• Non-fiction: 3
• New-to-me novelists: 31
• Continuing series: 36
• Re-reads: 5
• Challenges completed: 8
• Ongoing tally of Newbery winners: 48 of 88

2008:

79 books; 32,031 pages; 8 non-fiction; 15 new-to-me novelists; 31 continuing series; 19 re-reads; 42 of 87  Newbery

2007:

44 books; 17,069 pages; 3 non-fiction; 8 new-to-me novelists; 15 continuing series; 13 re-reads; 38 of 86 Newbery

Ensign » 2008 » November

Happiness, Your Heritage

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency

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Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Happiness, Your Heritage,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 117–20

Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness.

My dear sisters, I am grateful for this, my first opportunity to speak to the women of the Church gathered together in all parts of the world. We are especially honored today with the presence of President Monson and President Eyring. The choir has touched our hearts. We have been inspired by the messages of Sister Thompson, Sister Allred, and Sister Beck.

Since learning that I would be with you today, I have thought about the many women who have shaped my life: my wonderful wife, Harriet; my mother; my mother-in-law; my sister; my daughter; my daughter-in-law; and many friends. All my life I have been surrounded by women who inspired, taught, and encouraged me. I am who I am today in large part because of these singular women. Each time I meet with the sisters of the Church, I sense that I am in the midst of similar remarkable souls. I am grateful to be here, grateful for your talents, compassion, and service. Most of all, I am grateful for who you are: treasured daughters of our Heavenly Father with infinite worth.

I’m sure it comes as no surprise, but the differences between men and women can often be quite striking—physically and mentally, as well as emotionally. One of the best ways I can think of to illustrate this is in the way my wife and I cook a meal.

When Harriet prepares a meal, it’s a masterpiece. Her cuisine is as wide-ranging as the world, and she frequently prepares dishes from countries we have visited. The presentation of the food is awe inspiring. In fact, it often looks so beautiful that it seems a crime to eat it. It’s as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the sense of taste.

But sure enough, no matter how perfect everything is, looks, and tastes, Harriet will apologize for something she thinks is imperfect. “I’m afraid I used a touch too much ginger,” she will say, or, “Next time, I think it would be better if I used a little more curry and one additional bay leaf.”

Let me contrast that with the way I cook. For the purpose of this talk, I asked Harriet to tell me what I cook best.

Her answer: fried eggs.

Sunny-side up.

But that isn’t all. I have a specialty dish called Knusperchen. The name may sound like a delicacy you might find at an exclusive restaurant. Let me share with you how to make it. You cut French bread into small slices and toast them twice.

That is the recipe!

So, between fried eggs, even when they are greasy, and Knusperchen, even when they are burned, when I cook, I feel pretty heroic.

Perhaps this contrast between my wife and me is a slight exaggeration, but it illustrates something that may extend beyond preparing meals.

To me it appears that our splendid sisters sometimes undervalue their abilities—they focus on what is lacking or imperfect rather than what has been accomplished and who they really are.

Perhaps you recognize this trait in someone you know really well.

The good news is that this also points to an admirable quality: the innate desire to please the Lord to the best of your ability. Unfortunately, it can also lead to frustration, exhaustion, and unhappiness.

To All Who Are Weary

Today I would like to speak to those who have ever felt inadequate, discouraged, or weary—in short, I would like to speak to all of us.

I also pray that the Holy Ghost will amplify my words and bestow upon them additional meaning, insight, and inspiration.

We know that sometimes it can be difficult to keep our heads above water. In fact, in our world of change, challenges, and checklists, sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to avoid feeling overwhelmed by emotions of suffering and sorrow.

I am not suggesting that we can simply flip a switch and stop the negative feelings that distress us. This isn’t a pep talk or an attempt to encourage those sinking in quicksand to imagine instead they are relaxing on a beach. I recognize that in all of our lives there are real concerns. I know there are hearts here today that harbor deep sorrows. Others wrestle with fears that trouble the soul. For some, loneliness is their secret trial.

These things are not insignificant.

However, I would like to speak about two principles that may help you find a path to peace, hope, and joy—even during times of trial and distress. I want to speak about God’s happiness and how each one of us can taste of it in spite of the burdens that beset us.

God’s Happiness

Let me first pose a question: What do you suppose is the greatest kind of happiness possible? For me, the answer to this question is, God’s happiness.

This leads to another question: What is our Heavenly Father’s happiness?

This may be impossible to answer because His ways are not our ways. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are [God’s] ways higher than [our] ways, and [His] thoughts [higher] than [our] thoughts.”1

Though we cannot understand “the meaning of all things,” we do “know that [God] loveth his children”2 because He has said, “Behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”3

Heavenly Father is able to accomplish these two great goals—the immortality and eternal life of man—because He is a God of creation and compassion. Creating and being compassionate are two objectives that contribute to our Heavenly Father’s perfect happiness. Creating and being compassionate are two activities that we as His spirit children can and should emulate.

The Work of Creation

The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty—and I am not talking about the process of cleaning the rooms of your teenage children.

You might say, “I’m not the creative type. When I sing, I’m always half a tone above or below the note. I cannot draw a line without a ruler. And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop.”

If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe. Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination.

But to what end were we created? We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy.4 Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways we find this is by creating things.

If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation—not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching and nurturing them. If you are not a mother now, the creative talents you develop will prepare you for that day, in this life or the next.

You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us.5 The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.

What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.

If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it.

Nearly a century and a half ago, President Brigham Young spoke to the Saints of his day. “There is a great work for the Saints to do,” he said. “Progress, and improve upon and make beautiful everything around you. Cultivate the earth, and cultivate your minds. Build cities, adorn your habitations, make gardens, orchards, and vineyards, and render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations. In the mean time continually seek to adorn your minds with all the graces of the Spirit of Christ.”6

The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you.

Being Compassionate

Being compassionate is another great work of our Heavenly Father and a fundamental characteristic of who we are as a people. We are commanded to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.”7 Disciples of Christ throughout all ages of the world have been distinguished by their compassion. Those who follow the Savior “mourn with those that mourn … and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.”8

When we reach out to bless the lives of others, our lives are blessed as well. Service and sacrifice open the windows of heaven, allowing choice blessings to descend upon us. Surely our beloved Heavenly Father smiles upon those who care for the least of His children.

As we lift others, we rise a little higher ourselves. President Spencer W. Kimball taught, “The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls.”9

President Gordon B. Hinckley believed in the healing power of service. After the death of his wife, he provided a great example to the Church in the way he immersed himself in work and in serving others. It is told that President Hinckley remarked to one woman who had recently lost her husband, “Work will cure your grief. Serve others.”

These are profound words. As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness.

President Lorenzo Snow expressed a similar thought: “When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated.”10

In today’s world of pop psychology, junk TV, and feel-good self-help manuals, this advice may seem counterintuitive. We are sometimes told that the answer to our ills is to look inward, to indulge ourselves, to spend first and pay later, and to satisfy our own desires even at the expense of those around us. While there are times when it is prudent to look first to our own needs, in the long run it doesn’t lead to lasting happiness.

An Instrument in the Hands of the Lord

I believe that the women of the Church, regardless of age or family status, understand and apply best the words of James Barrie, the author of Peter Pan: “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.”11 Often I have witnessed quiet acts of kindness and compassion by noble women who extended themselves in unselfish charity. My heart swells when I hear stories of the sisters of the Church and how they rush to the aid of those in need.

There are those in the Church—both men and women—who wonder how they can contribute to the kingdom. Sometimes women who are single, divorced, or widowed wonder if there is a place for them. Every sister in the Church is of critical importance—not only to our Heavenly Father but also to the building of the kingdom of God as well. There is a great work to do.

One year ago in this meeting, President Monson taught that “you are … surrounded by opportunities for service. … Often small acts of service are all that is required to lift and bless another.”12 Look around you. There at sacrament meeting is a young mother with several children—offer to sit with her and help. There in your neighborhood is a young man who seems discouraged—tell him you enjoy being in his presence, that you feel his goodness. True words of encouragement require only a loving and caring heart but may have an eternal impact on the life of those around you.

You wonderful sisters render compassionate service to others for reasons that supersede desires for personal benefits. In this you emulate the Savior, who, though a king, did not seek position, nor was He concerned about whether others noticed Him. He did not bother to compete with others. His thoughts were always tuned to help others. He taught, healed, conversed, and listened to others. He knew that greatness had little to do with outward signs of prosperity or position. He taught and lived by this doctrine: “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”13

In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers.

Conclusion

My dear sisters, I have a simple faith. I believe that as you are faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, as you draw closer to Him in faith, hope, and charity, things will work together for your good.14 I believe that as you immerse yourselves in the work of our Father—as you create beauty and as you are compassionate to others—God will encircle you in the arms of His love.15 Discouragement, inadequacy, and weariness will give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment.

As spirit daughters of our Heavenly Father, happiness is your heritage.

You are choice daughters of our Heavenly Father, and through the things you create and by your compassionate service, you are a great power for good. You will make the world a better place. Lift up your chin; walk tall. God loves you. We love and admire you.

Of this I testify, and leave you my blessing as an Apostle of the Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

This is the last challenge I am planning to join for 2010, but you never know what might happen later in the year.  🙂  The others are Countdown 2010 and What’s in a Name? 3.

Challenge Guidelines:
There are four levels:
— Curious – Read 3 novels that are 2nd in a series or second time you’ve read the author.
— Fascinated – Read 6 that are 2nd in a series or second time you’ve read the author.
— Addicted – Read 12 novels that are 2nd in a series or second time you’ve read the author.
— Obsessed – Read 20 novels 2nd in a series or second time you’ve read the author.

Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.

I’m thinking I will choose Fascinated and read 6 of the following (or others):

Round Robin, by Jennifer Chiaverini (2nd in a series and 2nd time for the author)

Tears of the Giraffe, by Alexander McCall Smith (2nd in a series and 2nd time for the author)

Born in Ice, by Nora Roberts (2nd in a series and 2nd time for the author)

Chocolat, by Joanne Harris (2nd time for the author)

Red River, by Lalita Tademy (2nd time for the author)

Witness, by Karen Hesse (2nd time for the author)

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini (2nd time for the author)

The Magician’s Assistant, by Ann Patchett (2nd time for the author)

something by Susan Vreeland (2nd time for the author)

This is the last of my 2009 reading challenges and I have completed them all.  I even read extra books for this challenge.

War Through the Generations runs 1 Jan-31 Dec 2009: at least 5 books about WWII, fiction or non-fiction

Books from my original list:

Home Again at Last, by Jerry Borrowman-This is the fourth book in the series and I found it to be an interesting story.  The author addressed some issues in the series that you don’t normally find in military tomes, like desertion and its effects on a soldier, a wounded soldier’s addiction to prescribed painkillers, and how a soldier rebuilds his life at home after being wounded.  This book concerns a Royal Navy officer, a British commando, prisoners of war, and Churchill’s cabinet.

Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson-I enjoyed this book, although there was a little more sex and language than I like to read.  Having said that, the story was fascinating.  San Piedro Island in Puget Sound, the setting, was a character in the story as it was portrayed as alive and affecting the people in the story.  The careful unfolding of the backstory during the trial was so interesting as it explained the motivations of many of the major players.  The scenes at Manzanar and the prejudice faced by the Japanese-Americans on the island was carefully told so that the reader could really understand how it affected the current murder trial several years after the war.  The whole trial and its outcome were played out against a snowstorm on the island and the resolution was somewhat unexpected.

The Rising Tide: A Novel of World War II, by Jeff Shaara-I like Jeff Shaara.  In this first book of a trilogy, he focuses on a lesser-known theater of WWII in North Africa.  He looks at the action through the eyes of real characters, famous and unknown, that give an interesting perspective to the action.  I learned alot about this particular campaign and found that interesting.  I am looking forward to the other books in this series.

Resistance, by Anita Shreve-She writes in a very spare sort of way, where you feel what the characters are feeling as the events unfold.  This story takes place in Belgium during WWII and recounts the story of an American pilot shot down and cared for by the Resistance.  It is a story of survival and love, and also addresses the way normal people act under unusual circumstances.  It is a story of bravery and cowardice among men, women, and children.  I really enjoyed this story and found it very satisfying.

The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro-I really loved the movie and wanted to read the book.  I was surprised to find that the movie is alot like the book and I enjoyed it.  It was slow reading because the narrative was by the butler in a formal style that you had to pay attention to follow.  It was fun, though, because it was so different.  It is a very poignant story as Stevens realizes the things he missed in life and also how his loyalty to his employer has affected his life.  Lovely book.

Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen, Bob Greene-This was a charming, endearing book.  It tells the story of the author’s journey to North Platte as he researchs information on the North Platte Canteen during WWII.  He stays in town and gets reminiscences from ladies who worked there and juxtaposes that with his current views of the town.  He also interviews veterans from all over the country about their few minutes at the Canteen and what it meant to them.

Night of Many Dreams, by Gail Tsukiyama-I really like this author.  When I find an author I enjoy, I’m loyal.  This book follows a family in Hong Kong before and after WWII.  The story centers around the two sisters and their aunt and how they each make their way in life.  They follow their dreams, even though they aren’t traditional, and this causes conflict with the mother/sister.  So interesting to watch the story develop.  That’s one of the things I like about Tsukiyama.  You watch the story open up and grow and really come to know the characters, who aren’t caricatures or stock characters, but real people you recognize in real life.  Great read.

Additional books I read:

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak-I found this book to be brutal.  I’ve read WWII books that have more horrific descriptions of events, but this book took the cake.  I’ve been thinking and thinking about why this is, and I think it’s because of the main character.  How many horrible things can one teenage girl experience and still remain a decent human being?  Evidently alot. The writing style was very interesting.  It was chronological, yet the narrator took liberties with the timeline by skipping around and giving teasers about future events.  Also, the choice of a narrator was very interesting.  I really enjoyed the book, but felt battered by the end because of the events.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows-This was an epistolary novel about people on the Isle of Guernsey during the German Occupation.  A London author’s book ends up in the hands of a member of the Society and a correspondence begins.  It was interesting how the letters at first contained the address and full names, but as the correspondence continued with various members of the Society the address disappeared and then full names disappeared.  As you would suspect, the content changed as the correspondents became more familiar and were able to share more difficult stories of the war.  I like books that unfold as you peel back the layers and this was definitely one of those.  So fun to see the characters slowly reveal themselves.

Five Quarters of the Orange, by Joanne Harris-This book had an interesting narrative style.  Framboise, the main character and story-teller, is a widow who has moved back to her childhood home and is trying to come to grips with events that happened during the German Occupation.  So the story moves back and forth between the present and the war as she slowly reveals the events of that time.  But the events are intertwined with the consequences of those events in the present and the past and present weave together.  She foreshadows some things so the reader has an idea of what happened but it’s very unclear until the end.  The story also includes lots of recipes and food allusions.  Interesting story of how daughters come to understand their mothers as they grow older.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne-As a young mom I learned that children understand new information based on their past experiences.  I was reminded of this concept as I read this book, as Bruno processes what he sees and hears through the filter of his own experience.  He makes incorrect assumptions that lead to misunderstanding.  This book was full of symbols and interesting associations, and it was fascinating to see through a young boy’s eyes.  This is a powerful addition to books about the Holocaust and thinking adults should read it and compare it to current events.

The Quilter’s Apprentice, by Jennifer Chiaverini-I have been interested in this series and wanted to try it since I’ve started quilting.  The young couple in the book start work for an elderly woman trying to get her estate ready to sell.  They become friends and the owner, Sylvia, begins to teach Sarah how to quilt.  During the process, she tells stories of life during WWII and how she came to leave the estate.  The characters develop during the book and change in interesting ways, and I liked all the discussion of quilt blocks and their history.  I liked the book and will read some more of this series.

The Devil’s Arithmetic, by Jane Yolen-This young adult book is a time travel Holocaust story.  A young Jewish American girl is tired of remembering what happened to her grandfather and great-aunt in the camps during WWII and during a Passover seder is suddenly flung back in time to Poland during the 1940’s.  She experiences all the horrors of being round up by the Nazis and sent to a death camp.  The story is told in a tasteful and yet still horrifying way by well-drawn characters.  This is a must-read book, although parents may want to use it as a read-aloud to discuss the content.  I listened to this audiobook and really loved the story.