Good Reads ?

Recently, I read a book that I enjoyed. It was a good story about women and the things that move them,the things they do to make themselves "complete," and the hobbies that bring women together. It is called The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs.

Maybe I am a prude, but I was disappointed because the characters lacked morals, they used the ‘f’ word, and took the name of the Lord in vain repeatedly.

After I read the book, it stayed with me. Mostly because I kept thinking to myself, why did I finish it? I know I should read books that are wholesome, and don't make me uncomfortable.

It seems to me to be a sign of a lack of strong writing skills someone has when they can’t make a character hard or disappointed with out using cuss words. The story was wonderful, and the ending was perfect. It could have been even better though.

I started reading a new book today. It is called The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. I was hooked the first page. It is a story of woman whose daughter dies and she takes up knitting. The main character was well developed in the first few pages, as were her relationships with her husband and mother, and her editor at the newspaper. About 35 pages into it though here comes the ‘f’ word. I thought, okay, I can read that a few times in a book and have it not be a big deal. A few pages later here were the details of her immoral teenage years. I thought about continuing, but I didn’t. I put it down. It went back to the library today. But I still want to know how the woman's daughter died.

It seems like there is no imagination in books and tv anymore. A new comedy has a really good first and second season but by season three the writers have lost all their imagination and here comes the sex. It seems to be turning that way with fiction too. And it is so disappointing. And I am so tired of it. I have been reading more young adult/teen fiction instead, because I know those are "safe."

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I have read some books that I have really enjoyed lately though. I’ll tell you about them, and then you can tell me about the books that you have enjoyed recently.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson - This book is the first of three and they are prequels to Peter Pan (I have read two of them). They are fun, fantasy books full of adventure and comedy. I highly recommend them (in fact, I continue to get after my mom and dad to put them on hold at their library...have you done it yet?) for youth in 6th grade and up.

The Uglies by Scott Westerfield - This is also the first of a trilogy. I have only read this first book, but I tell you, I am hooked. In the beginning I thought that it was weird, but it is intriguing. A book that really makes you think about beauty, self-esteem, and all that other stuff that makes the world go round. I can’t wait to read The Pretties and The Specials to find out what happens.

Slumming by Kristen D. Randle - Another YA adult fiction book. I have known her and her darling family for about 13 years now, but this is the first book of hers that I have read. I truly enjoyed it. I took it camping with us, and I finished it too quickly. It is about our affect on the people around us and friendships. I have another of hers on my nightstand waiting. It is called The Only Alien on the Planet.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Anne Brashires - Another YA series (seeing a theme here?) and while there is some alluding to sex in it, it isn’t done in a shocking way. The series made me feel young again, (and glad that I am not in highschool anymore).

Redemption Road by Toni Sorenson - This book is written by an LDS woman, and she writes about a woman that lives in Kenya working at a hotel. Very inspiring.

The Elm Creek Quilts series by Jennifer Chiaverinni - There is 9 or 10 books in this series, and I have read probably 5 of them. They are light, fun, wholesome books about quilts, and relationships. My favorites are the ones that have the history about the underground railroad in them.

So, what have you read?