"Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks

This is the second of the author's titles I've read and I am delighted with it. I've been reading some reviews that show this book comes across to some people as a disappointment but I have to say that it's definitely going to be one of my recommends. The village in the story is based on an actual village called Eyam in England. Historical records show that in 1666 when it became known that plague had arrived among them, the rector of the village convinced his flock that the right thing to do would be to voluntarily cut themselves off from their neighbors in order to try and control the spread of the infection. As death reaches into every household, superstitions and fears mount and find release in acts of violence that slowly start to destroy the fabric of this small community. But even among the death and dismay, there are moments of beauty. Moments when something as simple as the smell of hay on the breeze cuts through the numbing effect of this unstoppable disease. 

This book is not flawless, nor are the characters. But among this story of loss and love, acts of violence and hatred, there are shining examples of what it is to be human, scared, at a loss to understand what is happening when the world revolves so closely around religion and believe. It is a glimpse at how times of suffering can render some incapable of continuing on and others are forged into a new version of themselves. There are acts of charity and hope weaved into this story as well. All told this is a worthy rendering of what the real people of Eyam must have faced and after reading it you can only appreciate their decision more. They may have doubted its wisdom and even regretted agreeing to it as time passed and so many friends and family members were struck down but in this moment of time they have forever been memorialized as the reason that humanity strives forward, hoping for those small miracles that help us survive the storm. 

"George and Martha Back in Town" by James Marshall

More tales of two chums palling around. Add to your classics shelf.

"George and Martha One Fine Day" by James Marshall

Silliness and laughter are guaranteed with Martha and George. Classic reads never go stale.

"George and Martha Round and Round" by James Marshall

These pair of silly hippos will bring laughter to any child. A definite add to the classics shelf.

"The Last Hero: A Discoworld Fable" by Terry Prachett

Cohen the Barbarian may be old but one thing he's not is satisfied with being the Emperor. He's got a bone to pick with the Gods, so he and his Silver Horde are on a mission and if they should die a glorious death so much the better. However there are those opposed to this plan since it could mean the end of magic in Disc World, not in time but in seconds which would mean goodbye to wizards, dragons, or actually, anything. Can the wizards make it to the top of the Hub in time to stop Cohen or will the saga of Cohen and his Silver Horde be the most famous one never sung.

"George and Martha Tons of Fun" by James Marshall

Classics. Read them to your kids and enjoy the silliness.

"George and Martha Encore" by James Marshall

Bring back childhood memories or create new ones with these silly chums.

"George and Martha: The Complete Story of Two Best Friends" by James Marshall

The beginning of the funniest hippos ever to walk the pages of a children's book. Silliness has entered the building.

"Reawakened (Reawakened, #1)" by Colleen Houck

I want to take a minute and remind everyone reading this that this is my opinion and that if the book looks good to you, read it. It looked good to me and being a huge fan of Egyptian mythology and history, I dived into the book. But almost from the start I had little tantrums every couple of pages. The writing is fairly well done and the characters are worthy of reading about it's just that every couple of minutes you feel like telling Lily to shut the bleep up about her poor little rich girl syndrome and quite frankly, why does someone who has been accepted into every college she applied to not connect the dots as to who or what Amon is for several chapters. You spend them frustrated at her incapability to grasp what is actually happening. Quite frankly as I was reading this story all I kept thinking was, it's not finished, not polished like you'd expect a final draft to be. The story is a great idea but I felt like the author didn't do more than color in her outlines. This wound up being a template for any Fantasy/Romance title that you could come up with. Though there are moments in the story where you see the potential shining through there's just too much swill in the way. Now having said that I still felt compelled to read to the finish to see what happens to Lily and Amon, I was entertained along the way, and then dropped off a cliff to land among the rocks at the end. This is one of the most frustrating last chapters I have ever had to read and even though there is enough in this story to make me think of potentially picking up a sequel, it would be only if I could borrow it from my local library and was willing to run the gamut of frustration once again. Reader beware, there lurks more than monsters in these pages!

"George and the Dinosaur" by Felix Hayes

George finds a dragon egg and lo and behold he has a new pet. But much to his dismay he finds that his new pet has a voracious appetite. As he begins to run out of things to feed the dinosaur and it continues to grow he comes to realize that he may have a gargantuan problem on his hands. Will he be able to keep his new pet happy, is anything safe from the dinosaur's ravenous appetite?

"Two Girls Want A Puppy" by Evie Cordell

Two sisters are determined to convince their father they should be allowed to have a dog. As they attempt to prove to him they can be responsible, the reader comes to learn about words associated with the care and supervision of pets. A great learning book.