Happy Belated Birthday, Stacia! :party: I laughed out loud at this and had to share with dd's! :lol: :lol: and :iagree: Dh and I were talking along the same lines yesterday about how we can teach our kids history but how the implications of history can go over their heads until they have more experience and maturity. And I agree with never letting a kid think that they have "checked off" a classic. I told one of Aly's friends last month to wait on Pride and Prejudice if she thought she may never come back to it. Would she enjoy it at 13? Yes. However, waiting just a few more years will give her a better appreciation and possibly love for it. There is a lot to be said for waiting for a bit to come to a book with more maturity. Welcome home! I so enjoyed the pictures!!! And the sweet story of Chews on Books ;) I am also in awe of the fact that you did it all with a backpack each :eek: I lugged half of my closet on my 9 day trip to Florida :rolleyes: Definitely read The Grand Sophy!!!! It's such a wonderful, and hilarious, story! I didn't pick up my laptop for the whole 9 days of vacation with dh's family in Florida. Nor did I pick up either of the two books I brought along. The rental house had three stacks of books for the renters to read, and one of them happened to be The Historian. I never got around to reading it when I had it out of the library. I didn't have as much time to read as I had hoped but I am enjoying it, though I wish the author had put dates/places when she switched between stories. Because I am reading it kind of choppily, I keep getting lost. Skye read 4 books on vacation, and Aly read 3 but they had all the time to read in the car and I can't. :glare:

You took the words right out of my mouth. :grouphug: Eaglei. I'm so sorry. The testimony shown by you, your son, and your family has been a blessing. You will continue to be in my prayers.

:iagree:

Hey all! Last week was crazy with a church garage sale to benefit our youth group's history trip. We raised enough to cover each teen's portion as well as mine and dh's! It was very exciting! Now to find affordable, but nice, lodging in Boston lol! I finished two books last week before the garage sale craziness started, but I've yet to write up my reviews. Hopefully tomorrow. I have found myself thinking about books and mentally changing their rating. The one that comes to mind is Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. After much thought I would have rated this higher than I originally did. Which leads to... This year I've decided not to rate books as 1-5 five or anything like that. I'm trying to give a small sum up of how I feel about it so that I can do a better job at the end of year wrap up! We are headed to the beach soon for "Christmas in June" with dh's family. I picked up a Georgette Heyer and Lonesome Dove for beach reading. I needed a Pulitzer Prize winner for my Book Challenge and Lonesome Dove seemed a good choice. My parents loved the movie! I'm also reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and listening to The Goose Girl (which dd has been wanting me to read for years but so far is just very depressing). Eliana - I will be keeping you in my prayers! Robin - hope you are feeling better soon!!

Continuing to pray here as well!

I, too, am afraid of heights! But it looks like so much fun!

I finally finished Eragon by Christopher Paolini this week. This is a reread though it has been many years. I needed a book for my Book Challenge that was written by someone under 30, and since I never finished the Inheritance series, I thought I’d choose Eragon. I actually listened to over 85% of it (that’s a big deal for me!). I finished reading the last 80 or so pages since my loan expired and I didn’t want to reload the whole thing. I’m pretty sure I enjoyed the book the first time I read it because I went on to read the 2nd and 3rd books. This time I felt that there were some great parts and some very not so great that they should have been cut parts lol! And I must be having a thing lately with selfish and immature characters because this is the third book that I’ve had one or the other or both! (Treasure Island’s Jim – immature & Pygmalion’s Higgns – selfish). I really wanted Eragon to listen to, not just hear, what Brom was saying, and to think about somebody else instead of himself all of the time. There were just so many parts where I felt the story could have been written better. SOME GOOD PARTS BUT OVERALL JUST OK. Quote: “These books are my friends, my companions. They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life.†-said by Jeod I also finally finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last night. Another reread. I can’t remember if this was my least favorite of the books or if #5 is my least favorite. It certainly took me long enough to read! Of course, I haven’t had a huge amount of reading time in the last six weeks so that may just be it. There is so much to this book, so many little side stories. It’s a shame that they didn’t include them in the movie. Winky, S.P.E.W., a lot more about Rita Skeeter! I believe this was the worst book to movie adaptation! There are tons of tidbits and nuggets of things to come in this book! I love catching those on a reread. Some of my favorite parts included Malfoy getting turned into a ferret, Hermione and Ron at the Yule Ball, Mrs. Weasley and Sirius with Harry in the hospital wing (made me tear up). I guess when I think of all the little things I loved, I really can’t say that this is my least favorite! THE PIVOTAL HARRY POTTER BOOK for as Hermione says at the end of the movie, “Everything’s going to change now, isn’t it.†My list as I haven't posted it in a month or two... *01. As You Wish by Cary Elwes (non fiction, memoir) *02. The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami (January Author, BaW rec, Japan) *03. The Princess Bride by William Goldman *04. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman (BaW rec) *05. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (England, February Author, reread, classic) *06. Archimedes and the Door Science by Jeanne Bendick (biography, Greece) *07. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (England, classic) *08. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (England, reread) *09. A Murder for Her Majesty by Beth Hilgartner (England, reread) *10. Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers (England) *11. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley (Canada) *12. The Dress Shop of Dreams by Menna van Praag (England, BaW rec) *13. 101 More Devotions for Homeschool Moms by Jackie Wellwood (non-fiction) *14. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (March Author, reread, England) *15. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (England, reread) *16. Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury (England, reread) *17. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (England/Caribbean, classic) *18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (England, reread) *19. Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw (England, classic) *20. Eragon by Christopher Paolini (reread) *21. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (England, reread)

Wow! Stacia! That just looks beautiful and fun! So did you actually have to hike up the cliffs from the green beach or was there a path? Looks a little precarious to me ;)

Thanks for posting the link! I can't wait to show dh and dd's! That is just awesome! Once again, Robin, I just want to sincerely thank you for keeping this thread a haven for those of us who have no desire to step into that mess that's outside on the chat board!

Still praying here! Not only for your son but for your family as well. :grouphug:

Thanks! After watching so many seasons, I have a hard time keeping them straight! There was a week in February where dh was home with the flu and dd was home because of snow days and we watched over a season in one week :laugh:

My book club is doing this challenge this year! We made a rule that a book could only count as 1 check mark ;) Are you listening to a great reader? If so, please share... :lol: We watched all of the 24 Seasons over the winter! My reading time fared badly during this marathon :laugh: Jack Bauer is simply awesome!

:party: Congrats to you and James!!! Happy Summer Vacation!

Thanks ;)

:lol: :lol: Awesome!

Karen, that sounds good! Bodice ripper?

I love these! You are AMAZING! Wisdom teeth extraction was one of the worst things I've ever had done. :seeya: Amy, I hope you just have a blast, and we'll be praying for Chews on Books to travel well ;) Whoo Hoo! Have a wonderful time! Sounds like a great trip!! You make me want to read the book!

Definitely!! :laugh: I am very interested in this book! Unfortunately I am feeling the weight of my TBR list :rolleyes: and wonder if I'll get to it this year. I can't wait to hear your review.

Continuing to pray here as well :grouphug:

I hate that feeling! Hopefully you'll finish soon and get into a great book! This (almost) makes me want to try Dickens again. ....Almost

Praying here as well!

This month for Book Club we were supposed to read a play, so this week I read Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw (#19). Skye had read this her senior year, and I remember her saying how different the ending was from the movie. It has been a while since I’ve actually seen My Fair Lady, and that worked out for me. I only have vague memories to compare with. In the beginning I found it difficult to get into the groove of reading a play. Once everyone had their proper names it became easier. The jumps in Eliza’s progress between Acts kind of threw me for a little bit of a loop. I can see where seeing it performed or made into a movie gives her evolution more substance. I really disliked Henry Higgins. What a selfish, self-centered, manipulative character! I believe in the movie he realizes his error and ends up with Eliza? In the play I can’t even tell if he cares for her at all, or if she is just another convenience to have around, or if the only thing he cares for is the fact that he is not getting his way. I’m still trying to figure that one out! And the author’s “epilogue†was filled with a dizzying wrap up that left me scratching my head at his meaning. I came away with a respect for Eliza, a contempt for Henry Higgins, and wondering if I’m missing some bigger picture here. AN OK STORY THAT LEFT ME WANTING. Quote: “The great secret, Eliza, is not having bad manners or good manners or any other particular sort of manners, but having the same manner for all human souls: in short, behaving as if you were in Heaven, where there are no third-class carriages, and one soul is as good as another.†“Remember that you are a human being with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech: that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and The Bible…â€

Skye makes a great Luna in more ways than one :lol: Part of it is her Aspie-ness, part is just her own unique personality. And yes, I am glad that at 20 she is not "too old" to still have fun. Heck, dh and I were just big kids too ;) Oh. MY. Goodness! What a great trip! Well, England, that is...not sure about cruising :laugh:! Is it just you and dh or are the kids going too? Be safe and have a wonderful time! Thanks for posting this! I very rarely venture outside of here anymore! :seeya: So glad you popped in to say Hello! We've missed you!

The Butterbeer was almost too sweet for me this time because of the change in my diet over the past two years. I still loved it :) We each bought a wand 3.5 years ago, I have Fleur's, dh has Sirius's, Skye Luna's, and Aly's is from the Ollivander show. This time, dh bought an interactive Dumbledore (though like I said he almost got Bellatrix's) and Skye bought Tonks's. I really enjoyed Gringott's but I couldn't keep those 3D glasses on for very long. And I had to close my eyes for some of the screen parts. The beginning is the real kicker, though. Bellatrix casts a spell and tips your whole car downward, and then she casts another and you go whooshing down. If you don't get motion sick then maybe you should try it. Ah, I misunderstood! Still pretty cool! My dd's LOVE Once Upon a Time!! I'll have to check this out. Thanks!

Thanks! Skye was thrilled that people in the Harry Potter part of the parks knew who she was and commented :) I love your story about Fox in Socks!!! I believe my mom said she would groan when I would pick Fox in Socks for her to read to me. When Skye came along, I would read my favorites to her and my parents told me that I couldn't possibly read aloud that fast to her or she would never understand what I was reading. I suppose that may be why she talks fast LOL! Recently we had a youth event where all the activities were done with their feet. One of the ice breaker activities was to read a portion of Fox in Socks (the Beetle Battle) as fast as they could while we timed them :lol: I finished Pygmalion last night and am still mulling it over. It helps that I have only seen My Fair Lady once and it was a while ago (strange, that, since I love Audrey Hepburn AND musicals). I'll be posting about it later. Thanks! Frozen Butterbeer is like a slushie with this foamy yummy goodness on top :drool5: That's a great birthday present for your dd's friend!! I wonder if she was there while we were? There were many Brits (Dd asked why we couldn't sound that cool :laugh: ) and once again, half of Brazil. My dh almost bought Bellatrix's wand! He thinks it's cool. Helena Bonham-Carter really is amazing in that role. The new ride, Escape from Gringotts, features Bellatrix a lot. I was actually able to ride it because I went to the Dr. and got one of those motion sickness patches...and surprisingly it worked! So what is this Jonathan Strange? Family friendly? Do you need to read the book first? Dd's and I like to have something to watch while dh travels.