Hi Everyone! We are back from vacation! Exhausted but had a grand time! I believe I managed to have a Butterbeer a day! Frozen, of course. Dh loved the hot Butterbeer, though I don't know how it managed to drink it in 90 degree weather. Skye made a Luna Lovegood dress to wear into the park, complete with Luna's radish earrings she bought the last time. Aly is now in possession of Hermione's time turner and the bag she carries in the 7th book/movie. And we all got our picture taken with Spiderman.I bought a new copy of Fox in Socks (my favorite Dr. Seuss) in Seussland since my copy is 40 some odd years old and missing the covers. I have not managed to read much of anything as we were busy preparing for vacation and then we were at the park pretty much from open to close every day (and I can't read in the car). So I'm still reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I also started Pygmalion for Book Club this Thursday as the challenge was to read a play, and it was the only one on my Kindle app lol. Missed you all!

Thanks, Karen! I added it to my list ;)

Sorry...these are carry-overs...I'm running behind! Thanks! I will make a toast (or 5 or 6 :blush: )! :lol: I know!! It was such a huge deal! I felt that way about Dudley's goodbye to Harry in the 7th book. Such a milestone there! I think the little girls that Skye nanny's for will love these for activity day! I love the first one too! :seeya: Missed you! I hope to check in some this week before leaving but it's crazy here with Aly trying to finish up all but math before we leave for vacation, packing, cleaning, and my birthday Tuesday :party: Don't party too much without me!

Yesterday I finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Book #18 for the year) The first time I read through the series, this book was my favorite of them all save the last. I found it just as enjoyable this time around as the first! I remember how disappointed I was when I found out how much the movie had left out. All of the intricate details of the Maurader’s Map, and the intrigue of Sirius Black’s story were so great, and barely touched on in the movie. And as always I’m reminded of just how great a character and role model Hermione is. I’m enjoying revisiting the books, especially as we are days away now from our second trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. ONE OF MY FAVORITES!

I read this as "B@@bs in Paradise" :lol: And had to do a double take :lol: I've been out of the house ALL day, and I'm unbelievably tired. And I have a ton of stuff running through my head because vacation is getting nearer. Maybe I'm more tired than I thought. :scared: What a bunch of cuties!! :hurray: to finishing Romeo and Juliet! I tried reading the first book in the Chronicles of Prydain. The series is highly praised, but I thought it was just ok. I find it interesting that you felt it got better in the later books. I really enjoyed The Graveyard Book as well! And I cried at the end!

:hurray: Hopefully you won't be disappointed! Reading Juliet after Romeo & Juliet was fun! We did that Skye's senior year. Not that I know of!! I will definitely pass this along. Skye has been wanting me to read The Goose Girl for a few years now. I need to get to that this year.

Well, I loved it! I also loved her first book Juliet. Fortier writes a present day story that revolves around and connects to a past story. In Juliet, the past story was Romeo and Giulietta in Verona. In The Lost Sisterhood, the past story revolves around Myrina, an Amazon warrior and the journey she takes. I enjoy the way that Fortier seamlessly weaves the stories together. Fortier is usually on my most recommended list, and everyone I've recommended her to has loved her (except one friend who thought it was too racy, but her book standards are stricter than mine ... shocking, I know, I bet no one expected that to happen :lol: ). Now I know we don't have exactly the same taste in books :laugh: however, I think you like a strong female lead character, and Fortier's books usually have two great ones. Aly shared this e.e. cummings poem today in our Poetry wrap-up for co-op! I gave the girls a list of 34 poets and told them that they needed to read some of each poets' poetry and pick their favorite. Today they shared their favorite poems and poets. Aly's favorite poem was The Panther by Ogden Nash. Her favorite poets were Ogden Nash and Edgar Allen Poe. Her least favorite was Maya Angelou. e.e. cummings was Aly's friend's least favorite author along with Christopher Marlow. Neither of the girls liked what I consider the "romance" poets - Shelley, Keats, Byron. It was fun to see the poems they chose.

I'll be waiting to hear how this book turns out. After reading The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier last year, I admit to being curious about the Amazons. :iagree: I enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes stories this year but I did want, more, I guess. I just don't pick up short stories, or even novellas for that matter. Dd's love the Princess Academy books. Have you read The Goose Girl series by Shannon Hale? They are also favorites. I love your description of how The Voyage of the Dawn Treader makes you feel! And EEK! to the last of the snow melting! I'm glad it's gone! Wow! that's crazy!

I just finished Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. It was the last book of our co-op year. And can I just say that we have really enjoyed taking time once a month to sit down and have tea and discuss the books that the girls have picked for us all year. Back to Treasure Island…I was a little nervous about reading this book. Classics can be hit or miss. However, I found it quite enjoyable. Almost from the start I kept making comparisons to Pirates of the Caribbean lol! I was ignorant to just how much pirate lore has come from this book. I am now anxious to rewatch Pirates of the Caribbean! Though I found some of Jim’s choices immature, I realized that that is usually the case with 13 year old boys. I sometimes found it hard to follow the dialogue. Not so much the pirate speech but it seemed as if there were periods and commas in weird places that broke up sentences in the wrong part. But that could just have been me. Overall it was quite an ADVENTUROUS BOOK! Here's my list for the year since I haven't posted it lately... *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)

Sorry! I didn't mean to be unclear!! I meant just kidding about the bwa ha ha. ;) I will be nice. Promise :D

:lol: We do have a lot to say! And I'll be nice... bwa ha ha....just kidding ;)

I was a good girl and stuck my fingers in my ears and went la, la, la at all the Lewis posts ;) I don't have a clue what anyone said! This made me smile and... I get to choose the book?!?! :w00t: I'm so excited. Maybe I should start researching now!! :party: on Don Quixote! And Wow! to those heavy books! :lol: but if we fail, she does a good job at entertaining herself :lol: I refused to even try chowder. It looked gross. However, 3 years ago when we were on our history trip to Boston, we went up to Newburyport to visit the grave of George Whitefield. They were having a street fair and there were lots of local vendors selling all kinds of goodies. Dh said I was silly if I didn't try something local so I had Clam Chowder. It was delicious!! Dh had a huge lobster roll. We are headed back there this summer, and I'm hoping to have some more. I haven't tried any other chowder cause I doubt it will compare to what I had there. PS: Stacia, there is never enough room for both of our emoticons LOL! Why do we feel the need to add to our posts with all of the extras?

YES! Especially because I really want to read it! And because I'm so affected by what others think (whether I agree or disagree), it makes it so very hard for me to ignore. My fingers are now in my ears and I'm singing la, la, la ;)

I just love how this thread enlarges my vocabulary!!! I will certainly try and make good use of the word of the week :laugh: Of course that's the point! ;) My comment about "extra comments" referred to the fact that this was a series I wanted to begin without any presuppositions. It was my original plan to begin it right away in April, but it has been a bad reading month for me. The comments were just distracting and, for me, gave a little too much away. And yes, I did start skimming past posts. It's my fault for not starting to skim sooner. As far as content of the posts, Robin is great about keeping if safe for everyone around here! We love her for that :wub: Of course we always agree Because you love to agree with me, right :001_tt2: And I certainly wasn't talking about you! And I don't even know if I WILL like it! It may be way too different from Narnia for me to like it. Or it may be way too much Sci-fi. I like Sci-Fi in movies and adore fantasy, but I'm unsure of my like of Sci-fi in books. I just want my head clear to make my own opinion. I don't know if you remember, but I was planning to read this trilogy whether we made it an author of the month or not. I'm guessing that has had something do to with my strong reaction to not wanting all the little tidbits. Add that to so many giving negative feed-back, and well :blush: As I said to Rose, it's my fault for not skimming sooner. I'm thinking this may be the first book I've read with the group that I cared that I didn't know what was happening I can be ornery and opinionated but agreeing with me has never been a prerequisite to my love and friendship! Were you talking about me ;) I could have written this about myself. From one chowderheaded friend to another Stacia :grouphug: I love you too! Everyone is a chowderhead :lol: (Jane said I could say that!). That is all. Carry on! PS: I had to edit this post 4 times because between us all there were WAY too many emoticons LOL!

Yes, the bolded is true. Usually everyone is really good about waiting till all have finished the book. I guess this just wasn't a good time to be behind on the group read. ;) Oh, well! Rosie, if that is what you are reading in the tub then YES you do need more romance novels in your life :001_tt2: Pick up a Georgette Heyer or a Sarah Addison Allen! No need to be sorry! I admit that I am skeptical that the Space Trilogy can come close to Narnia. In fact, I doubt it will. Narnia is just special ;) That said, I do want to come to the trilogy without all the extra comments that have been going on :D I think I will come back to it around the end of May after our vacation. If you want to wait for me, great! If not, that is totally fine. I appreciate the offer ;)

I finished rereading Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury yesterday. It was Aly’s co-op pick for the month. I didn’t finish it by our co-op discussion, but thankfully remembered enough to have a really good discussion with the girls. On reading it the second time with more of a bent to discussion, I was pleased to find that our heroine was strong without having crazy feminist tendencies. She was also independent yet respectful. I’m appalled at some of the heroines that make their way into YA books these days, and Agnes was a bit of a breath of fresh air. And she loved “A Lady†(Jane Austen) and quoted her often and in multiple languages! Lots of good discussion about girls’ roles in the 1800’s, the difference between what you might read (or watch) and reality, and what you would do for your country (which was kind of funny as we sat there and listened to our very rule-minded girls say that they would lie and sneak around if it meant the chance to serve their country). Considering that I thought this would be more of a “fluff†book for the girls, I was so pleasantly surprised that they pulled so much from it. A true YA book (nothing inappropriate at all) GREAT FOR GIRLS WHO LOVE ADVENTURE with a little dash of romance. Favorite quote: “Still, perhaps a Darcy in fiction was better than one in reality. Because life with such a man as that could be hard, despite its pleasures.†Aly and her friend’s favorite quote: “But when I found my time coming, I wanted little more than to be left alone with half a rack of bacon.†:lol: As for C.S. Lewis, I began Out of the Silent Planet, but I found it way too distracting to try and read it with so many people chatting about it (especially with all the negative energy) and giving away little bits and pieces. So I think I will wait a bit and restart it with a fresh frame of mind. I enjoy Lewis and his moralizing, so I want to form my own opinion of the trilogy. I've read along with the group before, I don't know why this time has been so difficult, well, maybe I do know, but so it goes. :rolleyes: I'm disappointed as I was really looking forward to reading this but I'll catch it later at a better time. I'm still listening to Eragon while exercising (I hate exercising). I've read it before but I'm really enjoying listening to it. I've also started Treasure Island, which is our last co-op read of the year. I also plan to begin Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. My IRL book club meets tonight. I was supposed to pick a book to read that got bad reviews, and there were quite a few classics that fell under that category, but I just haven't had time to read lately and so I've dropped the ball there. :glare:

I can’t believe how little time I have had to read in the last few weeks! It took over two weeks to finish Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! There were less hints of things to come in this book than book 1. Though there is a big clue near the end! I love Harry freeing Dobby, and him pulling the sword of Gryffindor out of the hat. And who cannot love Ron’s wand and the ridiculous Gilderoy Lockhart LOL! He just cracks me up. I’m disappointed that I’m not going to make it through all the books before vacation, but so it goes. ANOTHER GREAT HARRY POTTER BOOK! Favorite Quote: “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.†--Dumbledore

Oh, Wow! That sounds like so much fun! Dd20 would LOVE the vintage dress shop. She's very Audrey Hepburn in her dress lol. :svengo: :eek: :svengo: :willy_nilly: :lol:

I read this last October! I thought it was good then but it is one of the books from last year that I continually think back to. I believe I liked it a whole lot more than I thought! It sounds like Aly may enjoy this! Samwise is a great sidekick! I've never considered Hermione (and Ron) sidekicks, funny that. I guess I kind of see them all as heroes together with Harry.

I would have to choose Gaiman. King makes me :scared: I don't know Calvino. But I doubt I would choose Murakami either. Can't stand the taste of either. How 'bout a nice big fountain Coke from McDonald's :D Three Musketeers Elf, though it took me multiple times to appreciate it. Jennifer Lawrence, hands down! I can't pick! The first thing that popped into my head, though, was Chris O'Donnell's portrayal of Robin. "Chick's dig the car!"

I'm not a great auditory learner so listening to books takes all my concentration. The Nac Mac Feegles in The Wee Free Men kept me listening. The reader does the accent and keeps you entertained. It might be worth another go.

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett was excellent on audio. Laugh out loud hilarious. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, beginning with Dealing with Dragons is, I believe, a full cast production and also great on audio (per my good friend and my older dd). Aly (14) and Skye have both enjoyed the Dragons is our Midst series on audio, It begins with Raising Dragons. There is some Christian content in these.

Awesome! Actually, that is not the one we bought last time at B&N. I will pass this on to dh. Thanks ;)

Happy Easter! We were up ridiculously early for our church's sunrise service. It was a busy morning as dh spoke for the sunrise service and Skye sang during the main service. I watched rugrats in the nursery and have consumed WAY too much sugar today! I would love to hear that! :D Do you mind sharing the title? Dh and Aly like this kind of stuff! We did snag one from the bargain table a while ago so it's possible it's the same one. I'll check in tomorrow with book related stuff. I have not started Out of the Silent Planet yet, so make sure you keep away from the spoilers!! ;)

I think this sounds so cool!