The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Nine-year-old Tiffany Aching needs magic--fast! Her sticky little brother Wentworth has been spirited away by the evil Queen of faerie, and it’s up to her to get him back safely. Having already decided to grow up to be a witch, now all Tiffany has to do is find her power. But she quickly learns that it’s not all black cats and broomsticks. According to her witchy mentor Miss Tick, "Witches don’t use magic unless they really have to...We do other things. A witch pays attention to everything that’s going on...A witch uses her head...A witch always has a piece of string!" Luckily, besides her trusty string, Tiffany’s also got the Nac Mac Feegles, or the Wee Free Men on her side. Small, blue, and heavily tattooed, the Feegles love nothing more than a good fight except maybe a drop of strong drink! Tiffany, heavily armed with an iron skillet, the feisty Feegles, and a talking toad on loan from Miss Tick, is a formidable adversary. But the Queen has a few tricks of her own, most of them deadly. Tiffany and the Feegles might get more than they bargained for on the flip side of Faerie!


This is a stand alone DiscWorld book, though the first of 3 books in series. I have wanted to read this ever since reading Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (which I have read 3 times, so I must love it).

Did I love Tiffany as much as Maurice? No I didn't, but that is not to say I didn't enjoy this book. I could see myself rereading it. I think with Prachett rereading is necessary because there are is always so many quirky one liners that you missed the first time.

What I loved about this book was Tiffany's drive, she knew what she wanted and by golly nothing was getting in her way. Not Miss Tick (her loans Tiffany her talking frog), Rob Anybody and I smiled everytime 'Slightly Bigger Than Wee Jock But Not So Big as Middle-Sized Jock Jock' had something to say.

Looking forward to A Hat Full of Sky and see what happens next.

This book NOT added to Where Are You Read? (because really I don't where Discworld is)

The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

Sonía, 16, thinks that sunny metaphors that portray America as a melting-pot are nonsense. Her parents are illegals, driven north by poverty across the Mexican border, but she was born in the U.S. and is determined to graduate from high school. Her struggle is part Cinderella fairy tale and part contemporary immigrant realism, as she is forced to cook and clean for her family and must stay up past midnight to get her homework done. Candid about the prejudice not only toward Latinos but also within the Latino community (her gorgeous, tender boyfriend is Salvadoran, so he must be kept secret), Sonía’s first-person narrative expresses her fury at her family, including her mother, who still doesn’t speak English and treats Sonía as a servant; her macho brothers; and especially her drunk uncle (druncle), who tries to rape her. But Papi works three jobs, and he is her strong support, and after Sonía visits Mexico, she gains new respect for her roots. Sonía’s immediate voice will hold teens with its mix of anger, sorrow, tenderness, and humor.

I would never have picked this book up if it wasn't for a Challenge that I am involved with on Goodreads. I had to find a book on or about Mexico in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Originally I was going to read The Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz, but I wasn't in the mood for it.

I had a wander at one of my favorite book stores, The Book Depot, it is a huge store and not the kind of place you can run in real fast, grab a book and leave. So wandering the Young Adult section I found this book.

Picked it up Wed, Friday morning I started and finished on Saturday morning. I just couldn't put it down, it grabbed me right away. Sonja's character was well developed. I felt alot of empathy for her and was rooting for her the entire book. I wanted to give the mother a good shaking and the brothers something else. And of course I wondered about papa, but he did show up (sorry no spoilers here). I loved the ending, thought it was great. On the negative side I think that I would have like to see Sonja stand up for herself, though maybe in that culture it would be a difficult thing to do, I don't know.

One thing I would really like to read is a sequel now.

This book added to Where Are You Reading?

Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Revente

International bestseller Pérez-Reverte (The Club Dumas) offers a winning swashbuckler set in 17th-century Spain. Hooded figures, apparently acting on the behalf of Fray Emilio Bocanegra, "president of the Holy Tribunal of the Inquisition," hire famed soldier Capt. Diego Alatriste to murder two Englishmen who have come to Madrid. One of the hooded figures, however, begs Alatriste (out of earshot of the others) only to wound the pair. When Alatriste and his fellow assassin, an ill-humored Italian, surprise the British, the captain is impressed by the fighting spirit they show, and he prevents the assassination from taking place. (The Italian, infuriated, swears eternal revenge.) When the Englishmen turn out to be on an important mission, Alatriste suddenly finds himself caught between a number of warring factions, Spanish and otherwise. Splendidly paced and filled with a breathtaking but not overwhelming sense of the history and spirit of the age, this is popular entertainment at its best: the characters have weight and depth, the dialogue illuminates the action as it furthers the story and the film-worthy plot is believable throughout.

I have had this book on my shelf for a couple of years, it sounded great and the cover looked all mysterious. This is apparently the first in a series, will I continue? I have my doubts.

To put it mildly, I found this book boring, it was slow moving, there was too much stuff that did not pertain to the story. There were poems there, it almost seemed like a filler. The story itself was interesting and I would really have liked to see it developed more.

This book added to Where Are You Read?

The Call of Zulina by Kay Marshall Strom

The Grace in Africa series is a sweeping three-part historical saga of slavery and freedom that takes the reader from an island off the west coast of Africa to Southern plantations and finally on to Canada. All her life, Grace Winslow, the daughter of a mixed marriage between an English sea captain and an African princess, has been sheltered from the truth about the family business--the capture and trade of slaves.

Set in 1787 in West Africa, The Call of Zulina opens as the scorching harmattan winds blow. Desperate to avoid marriage to an odious suitor, Grace escapes the family compound only to be caught up in a slave revolt at the fortress of Zulina. Soon, she begins to grasp the brutality and ferocity of the family business. Held for ransom, viciously maimed by a runaway slave, and threatened with death, Grace is finally jerked into reality and comes to sympathize with the plight of the captives. She admires their strength and courage and is genuinely moved by the African Cabeto’s passion, determination, and willingness to sacrifice anything, including his own life, for his people’s freedom.

This was a freebie from Amazon, I would never have read or discovered this author if I had to pay for it. I am glad to read it.

Previously I have read about John Newton and his slave trading along with his conversion. This book took on the other side, from those captured and readied for a voyage to American. It was tagged as Christian Fiction, however I did not find it preachy. It was an emotional read that showed how real the slave trade was and I can't help but feel for these people. To have men grab people off the street and take them away, never to be heard from again. So sad.

Looking forward to reading the next book.

This book added to Where Are You Read?

The King's Rose by Alisa M. Libby

Though well aware of her cousin Anne Boleyn’s fate only four years earlier, 15-year-old Catherine Howard acquiesces with her ambitious, conniving relatives’ plans and marries King Henry VIII. He calls her “my rose without a thorn,” but she is well aware of the thorny secrets she conceals: no virgin when she and the king married, she later begins a sexual liaison at court, partly in a desperate effort to produce an heir. Soon, Catherine begins a downward spiral toward madness and despair. An author’s note separates historical fact from conjecture in this account of Catherine’s short years as Henry’s “rose.” Libby offers a convincing, sympathetic portrayal of a young woman who relinquishes her hopes of marrying for love and finds herself doomed by her choices and deceptions. Hardly an active heroine, Catherine falls into a trap early on and, in the end, has little left but her dignity. This one’s for historical-fiction fans who will appreciate this character study of Henry’s fifth wife.

I have read other books about Katherine Howard, this is the first from her point of view. Just as her cousin, Anne Boleyn, was a pawn for the Howards so was it for Katherine. I really enjoyed this book, it showed a side of Katherine that I have never seen before. An immature 15 year old girl, suddenly catching the eye of King Henry and becomes his 5th wife. Forced to forget her previous 15 years and become 'the rose without a thorn'.

An emotional book that showed the confused and emotional side of Katherine that was a refreshing change.

I recommend this book.

Added to Where Are You Reading

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders." Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged hill country of England, Year of Wonders is a richly detailed evocation of a singular moment in history. Written with stunning emotional intelligence and introducing "an inspiring heroine" (The Wall Street Journal), Brooks blends love and learning, loss and renewal into a spellbinding and unforgettable read.

This was an audio book and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. The author did the reading and I felt her voice lent well to the story, bringing it to life.

This is my first book by Geraldine Brooks and will not be my last. I felt the emotion of Anna with all she endured during that year of the Plague. I could very easily picture the village in my mind along with the characters and the despair that they felt.

There was one scene towards the end of the book that I felt wasn't necessary and seemed out of the place. A lot of reviews criticized the ending, but I didn't mind it.


The book added to Where Are You Reading

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Moments before Earth is destroyed, Ford Prefect, an alien who's been incognito for 15 years while researching a newer edition of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, rescues his friend, Arthur Dent. The two stow away on a passing spaceship, and their adventures begin. Ford and Arthur encounter ex-hippie Galaxy President Zaphod Beeblebrox; Marvin, the morose robot; and a slew of otherworldly weirdos populating Douglas Adams's cult classic. Stephen Fry's performance is priceless as the interstellar travelers tumble from one near disaster to another. His voice shifts are inspired bits, half schtick, half nonsense. Without editorial comment, Fry injects just the right touches of irony into Adams's cheeky, always hilarious social satire.

Never really had any desire to read this book, the title is too long and really it sounded too science fiction to me. I am in a book challenge and had to read a book that someone gave me. For me to receive a gift of a book is a rare thing (not sure why). I sat and searched my many shelves of books, finally grabbed my Kindle and started pressing buttons and finally came across this one.

My son gave it to me so I read it. I didn't hate it, but also didn't love it. Reminded me of Terry Pratchett and his Discworld Series. I am glad that I read it, it made me smile (even laughed) in places, made me a little confused in a few places too.

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

Having fictionalized Elizabeth Woodville in The White Queen (2009), royal chronicler Gregory now turns to Henry VIII's other indomitable grandmother. The opposite of her alluring Yorkist rival, plain Lancastrian heiress Margaret Beaufort grows up knowing women are useful only for bearing sons, but divine visions grant her an unwavering conviction about her future greatness. At age 12, she weds Lancastrian warrior Edmund Tudor and pours her ambition into his posthumous son, Henry. Constantly separated from her beloved child after her second marriage to a pacifist knight, her frustrations are palpably felt; she later brokers her own union with a crafty turncoat who may be the key to her hopes. While England seethes with discord during the turbulent Wars of the Roses, Margaret's transformation from powerless innocent to political mastermind progresses believably as rival heirs to England's throne are killed in battle, executed, or deliberately eliminated. With constant pronouncements about Margaret's God-given destiny, the approach isn't exactly subtle, but Gregory's vivid, confident storytelling makes this devout and ruthlessly determined woman a worthy heroine for her time.


Even though this book has been sitting on my shelf since its release I never got around to reading it. Last week while at the library I found the audio of it, so it came home with me. I so enjoyed listening to this book. It felt like Margaret Beaufort was sitting with me telling her story. The story was a good, though I did get tired of hearing Margaret's whinning, her 'woe is me' got to be a bit much.

All in all a good listen, and I am looking forward to next 2 in this series.

Christopher Smith: GIVEAWAY: $250 Gift Card at Amazon US, Amazon UK or Nook!

Christopher Smith: GIVEAWAY: $250 Gift Card at Amazon US, Amazon UK or Nook!

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

On July 5, 1906, scandal breaks in the small town of Cold Sassy, Georgia, when the proprietor of the general store, E. Rucker Blakeslee, elopes with Miss Love Simpson. He is barely three weeks a widower, and she is only half his age and a Yankee to boot. As their marriage inspires a whirlwind of local gossip, fourteen-year-old Will Tweedy suddenly finds himself eyewitness to a family scandal, and that’s where his adventures begin.

Cold Sassy Tree is the undeniably entertaining and extraordinarily moving account of small-town Southern life in a bygone era. Brimming with characters who are wise and loony, unimpeachably pious and deliciously irreverent, Olive Ann Burns’s classic bestseller is a timeless, funny, and resplendent treasure.


The only reason I even read this book was because it was the April read for a book group that I joined. I would never have discovered this book on my own and for that I am grateful. I started out reading the book, then quickly discovered the audio. The audio itself started out very fast, like the reader had a certain time limit to finish, but gradually he slowed down. The other thing was that sentences repeated itself in the audio (very distracting).

The story itself, I loved. It was a story that flowed together nicely. Told from the point of very of 14 years old Will. It was an honest veiw of 1906 Georgia, rich in detail of what life was like back then. The beliefs, the lifestyle, the do and don'ts, so different from today.

If there is anything negative I can find is that it ended too soon, I would have loved to hear more. I understand that there is a small sequel, however the author passed before she could finish it.

Juliet by Anne Fortier

Fortier’s debut offers a beguiling mix of romance, intrigue, history, and Shakespeare. Twenty-five-year-old Julie Jacobs is stunned to find the aunt who raised her has left everything to her self-involved twin, Janice, save for the key to a safe-deposit box in Siena, Italy. Hoping to get some answers about the suspicious deaths of her parents over two decades ago, Julie travels to Siena and learns she’s actually a member of the Tolomeis, a powerful Sienese family. Her first acquaintances in Siena are a vibrant woman and her handsome godson Alessandro, who happen to be members of a rival family, the Salimbenis. Julie can’t figure out why Alessandro seems to dislike her almost instantly, but she’s soon embroiled in the mystery opened up by the safe-deposit box, which contains notebooks and letters belonging to her mother. Soon Julie is engrossed in the historical story of Romeo and his love, Giulietta, and on the trail of a legendary treasure.

Have you ever heard about a new book that is about to be released, seen the cover, read what the book is about and knew instantly that you had to have it and that it would turn into a favorite? That is how I felt when I first heard about Juliet. It had the historical aspect that I love, the mystery, the suspense and adventure. Then add to that some romance (which has to be done the right way, otherwise it is too mushy) and you have Juliet. I just loved this book and can honestly say that I will even reread it. The story line was great, weaving back and forth from present day to 1340, the story flowed nice and smoothly, even with all the twists and turns (that I didn't even see coming).

I highly recommend this book and have added Anne Fortier to my favorite author list.


This book has been added to Where Are You Reading?

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

As the spaceship Godspeed travels toward a new earth, the lives of 100 cryogenically frozen settlers hang in the balance after someone endeavors to quietly murder them. The other passengers aboard the ship have never known life outside its walls and are enslaved by the machinations of Eldest, their tyrannical leader, who divides them into three distinct classes. When Amy, a frozen settler from earth, survives being thawed in a murder attempt, she immediately bonds with Elder, Godspeed's lone teen and future leader. Amy’s individuality, her rebellion, and her fierce desire for freedom, inspire Elder to act on his own doubts and defy Eldest--his mentor and keeper--with shocking results. Eldest’s methods of twisting history and altering the lives of this captive community are a frightening echo of tyrants in our own history, and Across the Universe challenges readers to consider the impact of unchecked power, blind trust, and the ability of one dissenting voice to make a difference.


I am not into science fiction at all, fantasy is still new to me, but science fiction holds no appeal at all. So needless to say this book was not on my list of YA Debut books. But while browsing at the library it started calling my name. What is a reader to do when a book starts calling to you? So home it came (not by itself mind you, had to bring some fiends with it too).

So I read and read and read some more, and I have to say I quite enjoyed this book. Took only 4 days and I am done. The first chapters grabbed me and it didn't let go. I felt Amy's emotion at watching her mother frozen, the decision she had to make and then when she was awoken 50 years too soon.

I loved how the ship worked and the twists that happened. I even liked the ending. Will definitely read more by this author.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon,up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.

I have wanted to read this 2004 John Newbery Medal Winner for so long. I found this lovely illustrated hardcover at my local Value Village (like a Goodwill) and it just had to come home with me.

Another book that I enjoyed, it had that fairy tale quality that I love. The words just flowed, the writer has a real talent here. Who couldn't help feeling for little Despereaux the 2 oz mouse, or Pea the princess, Mig with her cauliflower ears and even Roscuro the rat (well kinda). However there is some parts that might frighten little ones - Mig being sold my her father and beaten by her 'owner'. Despereaux basically rejected by his family because of his size. Do the four get their 'happy ever after' in the end, well I guess you will have to read the book to find out.