Good Books to Curl Up and Read
When the Weather is Cold
By Hollie Parry and Cheryl Caldwell
Holidays
are a wonderful time of year to steal away and immerse
yourself in a good book. It seems
like every year, we find ourselves with a little downtime
to curl up in a cozy corner with our favorite treat and
read a new book; either one that we’ve been saving for
such a time or one that we’ve received as a gift. Whether
you are a fantasy fanatic or whether you favor realistic
fiction, here are some books to have on hand when the
cold winds howl outside your windowpane.
My
Secret Boyfriend, by Lurlene McDaniel
This
is a story about a junior high school girl, Jordan, who
pretends that a family friend is her boyfriend to impress
a snotty girl in her school. Her lie is going fine until
Ryan, her supposed boyfriend, moves to her school. Jordan must find a way to keep Ryan as her friend and dispel
the lies she has told. The biggest problem is that she
doesn’t know how. A quick, easy read.
Gifts
from the Sea, by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
Quila and her father live
on a tiny island called Devil’s Rock. Quila’s
father is the lighthouse keeper and with the recent death
of her mother, he is all the family she has. One day a
baby floats up to the island, tied to two mattresses.
Quila and her father name the baby Celia and although her
origins are a mystery, Celia becomes a part of their family.
After a terrible stormy night, two years later, a woman
comes to the island. She is looking for the grave of her
sister, who died the same time that Celia came to the
island. They soon realize that Margaret is Celia’s aunt
and Quila and her father are
not sure that they can tell the truth and let Celia go.
A heartfelt, touching story.
Saving
Kristen, by Jack Weyland
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to buy
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Kristen
is a young college freshman looking for adventure and
a new life, far away from the boring monotony of her home
in Ashton, Idaho. Before she can search far, Chad Nieteri
finds Kristen. Chad is exciting, flattering, lively, and seems to be full
of adventure and plenty of money. He also seems to have
the contacts to launch Kristen into her dream of becoming
a movie star. What Kristen does not know about Chad’s world is that it is full of secrets, deceit, and
evils that she has never encountered. When Kristen comes
face to face with the reality of Chad and her own mistakes, she must turn to the life and
values that she learned in Ashton, Idaho. Full
of adventure and suspense.
Car
Trouble, by Jeanne DuPrau
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Duff
Pringle is a 17-year-old high school graduate, who has
landed his first big job in California. Despite his parents’
wish that he would go to college and not move so far away,
Duff knows that his talents in computers will take him
far in life. Just miles down the road, his newly purchased
“used” car throws a rod and he is left with a real life
problem that can’t be solved by his computer… or can it?
Duff meets Stu, who although
seems less than trustworthy, becomes his driving partner,
as the two set off to make it to California any way that
they can. Along the way, they pick up Bonnie, and Duff
must deal with a new set of real-life problems that neither
brains nor computers can resolve. An entertaining, book with a twist.
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
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Eragon and his dragon Saphira
are the main characters of this fantasy thriller. As the
story begins, they are at the end of a battle in which
the king of the people of Varden, Ajihad, is killed. Eragon
and Saphira travel to Varden to bury
the king and help with the choosing of a successor to
the throne. After swearing allegiance to the new ruler,
Nasuada, and to the dwarfs, Eragon
and Saphira travel to the land
of the elves to receive training. Eragon
is called a Rider because of his bond with Saphira,
and must learn the ways of a Rider before he can go against
the enemy, Galbatorix and his Empire.
At
the same time Eragon and Saphira
are receiving training, Roran
(Eragon’s cousin) is fighting
his own battles in their homeland of Carvahall.
Terrible monsters called the Ra’zak are accompanying Empire soldiers to kidnap Roran, in hopes that he will lead them to Eragon. Roran is unaware that his cousin has become a Rider or of
the existence of Saphira, but
fights for the Carvahall against the Ra’zak and
the Empire soldiers.
The
story’s intrigue is heightened by the fact that Roran
holds Eragon responsible for the death of his father, Garrow. He swears that when he finds Eragon
that he will avenge his father’s death. Eragon,
unaware of Roran’s anger, periodically
looks in on Roran by magic and believes from his images that Roran is safe.
The
climax is when a battle ensues between Varden
and the Empire. Up until the very end of the book, it
is hard to predict which side will prevail and if hidden
surprises may even bring Eragon
and Saphira down. A
wonderful book, one of our all-time favorites.
