(Image from Barnes & Noble)

It's been a week since 21-year-old Ginerva "Ginny" Delacourt became engaged to marry the debonair Sir Anthony Crenshaw and she couldn't be more thrilled.  So deliriously happy is she that nothing can drag her down from the clouds on which she floats.  Until Sir Anthony's cousin dies, leaving Sir Anthony as the "recalcitrant heir to death, duty, and the Duke of Marcross" (2).  The event calls everything into question—Sir Anthony's future, his feelings toward Ginny and, most especially, their upcoming nuptials.  Ginny can only stand helplessly by, her heart torn to shreds, while Sir Anthony decides what to do.

The last thing Sir Anthony wants is the heavy responsibility that comes with his soon-to-be elevated status.  He would much rather frolic in the countryside with Ginny than play society games with London's elite.  But that is not to be, not if Sir Anthony's uncle has his way.  According to the ailing Duke of Marcross, Sir Anthony must choose a wife worthy of the title Duchess—not a lowly minister's daughter like Ginny Delacourt.  

As much as Sir Anthony loves Ginny, he knows he cannot cross his uncle, especially not while the man lays on his deathbed.  So, when the Duke comes up with a proposal of his own, a way for Sir Anthony to win the Duke's approval to marry Ginny, Sir Anthony doesn't hesitate.  The tasks required of him are impossible, but he has to try.  Whether it results in injury, even death, Sir Anthony will make sure that Miss Delacourt finally has her day.

Like Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind, this second novel in the series is a fun, lighthearted Regency romance.  The characters may not be wholly original, but they're likable and compelling.  The plot gets silly at times, but really, Miss Delacourt Has Her Day is lots of fun.  I enjoyed this light, easy read about a resolute young woman, her dashing fiancee and all the loops through which they have to leap before they can achieve their Happily Ever After.   

(Readalikes:  Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind by Heidi Ashworth)

Grade:  B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Miss Delacourt Has Her Day from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.  

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Truth.  In mainland China from 1949 to 1976, truth is all but eradicated, suppressed and supplanted by the iron will of Mao Tse-tung.  Millions of people suffer untold anguish as their history, their culture, and their lives are brought under communist rule.  Many flee to Taiwan and Hong Kong.

As a child, Chen Wen-shan was taken from her family home in mainland China and sent to live with her great-uncle—a former general in the Nationalist Chinese army who had become one of the first converts to the LDS Church in Hong Kong.  For ten years, Wen-shan has carried the sorrow of abandonment in her heart, with few memories of her life before.  But at the death of Chairman Mao, fifteen-year-old Wen-shan receives a mysterious wooden box that holds a series of beautiful paintings and secret letter that reveal the fate of the family she has not heard from in more than a decade.

As Wen-shan and her great-uncle read the letters in the jade dragon box, they discover an unbreakable bond between each other, their family—both past and present—and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Letters in the Jade Dragon Box is a beautifully written LDS historical novel inspired by the real life experiences of one man who was offered truth that would heal his heart, his spirit, and his family.  His story helps shed light on a time and a place where, despite all odds, truth refused to be broken.  (Text taken from jacket flaps of Letters in a Jade Dragon Box by Gale Sears)

I've never done one of these before, but I wanted to do something a little more personal today.  One of the problems with reading (almost) exclusively Whitney Award finalists for two months is that I'm reviewing lots of books that are kind of obscure and therefore, don't generate a lot of commentary.  And, darn it, I like commentary.  So, since I couldn't find an "official" format for this thing, I stole Suey's approach.  I'm sneaky like that.  You experienced Sunday Saloners, tell me if I'm doing this right, okay?  Here goes nothin':

Outside my window:  Ugh, it's hot.  Already.  It's only 6:30 in the morning, but the heat already feels oppressive.  It was 100 degrees here yesterday, so my kids spent a good portion of the day in the pool.  I was too wimpy to get in, even though the kids assured me the water felt great—after you got used to it, of course :)

I am listening to:  Uh, nothing.  Everyone is asleep but me and my 10-year-old daughter.  She's reading a book, so a tornado could pick up the house and toss it into the Grand Canyon and she wouldn't notice.  Haven't heard a peep out of her.

Song of the week:  I've been listening to a lot of Disney princess songs in the car with my 3 year old.  Does that count?

TV Talk:  You know, I don't watch much t.v. anymore.  I watch recorded episodes of Jeopardy! while I fold laundry and I listen to Battlestar Galactica while my husband and son watch it on Netflix.  I don't really watch it—although my husband insists I should because it's just like all those end-of-the-world novels I like so much.  He's probably right, but I usually spend the time reading or playing Words With Friends instead. 

READING REPORT:  

Books Finished:  I finished my reading for the Whitney Awards.  Phew!  That was a lot of work.  Books I took down this week (I think) are Smokescreen by Traci Hunter Abramson; Bloodborne by Gregg Luke; Acceptable Loss by Anne Perry; and Asfall by Mike Mullin (This one isn't a Whitney finalist—I read it for fun).  

Books Started:  Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin.  This is the sequel to Ashfall, a YA novel about what happens when a dormant volcano in Yellowstone erupts, causing widespread post-apocalyptic destruction.  I got it via Netgalley (Yes, I have finally taken a baby step into the 21st Century!).  The book doesn't come out until October, so I'll probably wait until then to review it. But, so far, it's got lots of action.

Books Up Next:  Well, now, that is a very good question.  I've been pondering what to read next.  I'll definitely read Hope's Journey by Stephanie Connelly Worlton this week.  It's about two LDS teenagers dealing with an unplanned pregnancy.  I've only read a chapter or so, but already I like Worlton's realistic portrayal of the situation, which I believe is based on her own experience.  After that, I have a few middle grade books I need to read for the reading program at my kids' elementary school.  Of course, I still haven't gotten to Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver or Defending Jacob by William Landay.  So, yeah, we'll see.  

I am thinking:  About how even though I look really nasty in this picture, I want to post it because it represents the fun Suey (It's All About Books), Melissa (One Librarian's Book Reviews), Gaye (Inside A Book) and I had meeting each other and chatting it up at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona.  Picture is courtesy of Suey's cell phone. 

I am grateful for:  Modern medicine.  Reading Ashfall, in which the survivors have to use primitive methods to take care of common health problems, reminded me of the fact that a person with my issues (Type 1 Diabetes, cancer, reading OCD [Ha!], etc.) would have a very hard time surviving in anything but the most modern of conditions.  So, I'm thankful I don't live in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and that I have ready access to modern medicines.  Also that I can afford (barely) to pay for them.

Around the House:  We moved the boys into one bedroom and let the toddler have her own room, so there's been a lot of cleaning and organizing going on around here.  As soon as I get things completely sorted out, we're going to have all the bedrooms painted.  Finally! 

Recipe of the Week:  Recipe?  Ha ha ha ha ha.  Does strawberry cheesecake from Costco count?  It's really good :)

Favorite Thing of the Week:  Clothes shopping at Old Navy with my 10-year-old daughter.  It was fun to hang out together. 

Least Favorite Thing:  Triple digits.  Gah!  The heat just zaps me of all energy and motivation.  I think I might actually get in the pool this week.

Family Matters:  We've been thinking a lot about what to do with all of ourselves over summer break.  The oldest (13 yo) will be going to Scout camp and taking a swimming class at BYU.  My 10 yo will be attending a fun bookish event in Provo, Utah, with her grandma.  She's also planning to take a couple of art classes.  The 7 yo is going to do a football camp at BYU and the baby (3 yo) will be taking swimming lessons and dance class.  She'll be starting Preschool in August—we can't wait!

The Coming Week:  I'm heading off to LDS Storymakers in Provo in about a week and a half, so I've got lots to do around the house to get ready for that.  I also have book club, a wedding reception and who knows what else.  I should probably take a glance at my calendar so I'm ready for whatever's coming ...

Blog Report:  Just the usual reviews, with more to come.  I'm about 10 books behind on reviews, so, yeah, I'll be playing catch up this week, too.  

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!

     

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

After breaking her engagement to her righteous, but utterly predictable, fiancee, 27-year-old Julia Darling knows she needs to get out of the Salt Lake Valley.  Longing for adventure, she answers a newspaper ad written by a "desperate rancher" in Wyoming looking for a "chef of mature years" to cook for him and his ranch hands.  A graduate of Boston's most renowned cooking school, Julia certainly knows her way around a kitchen.  She ignores the "mature years" bit and accepts the position.  

Before Julia's really had time to think about what she's doing, she's packed and on a train to Wyoming.  Her new boss, a crusty rancher named Paul Otto, is startled by her youth, even though, at 35, he's not as seasoned as he made himself sound in his ad.  More concerned with his empty stomach than by the impropriety of a young, unmarried woman living on a remote ranch full of men, Mr. Otto hires Julia.  His new cook is nervous, but determined.  Until she sees The Double Tipi.  It's obvious she can't cook—let alone live—in such a wild, untamed place.

As much as she wants to run straight home to Utah, Julia's struck by how much she's needed at the dilapidated ranch.  There are empty bellies to fill, an orphan child desperate for a mother figure, and, of course, an uncouth cowboy who grows more intriguing by the hour.  It's adventure she's craving—this qualifies in spades.  But can she really survive for a year out in the wilderness, so far from her family, her friends and her faith?  She'll find out as she battles everything from rats to snakes to deadly weather to the traitorous yearnings of her own heart.

Before reading Borrowed Light, a historical romance by Carla Kelly, I'd never heard of the author, let alone read one of her books.  Which is a darn shame because, frankly, I loved this one.  It's one of those novels that has everything—adventure, mystery, romance, humor, even spirituality.  Don't be turned off by that last one because the religious aspect of the story is interwoven so well with everything else that it doesn't come off as didactic or heavy-handed.  In fact, it's that balance between all of the different story elements that make Borrowed Light so enchanting, so compelling and so thoroughly enjoyable.  It might be a little far-fetched (Would a single LDS woman in 1909 really have been comfortable—not to mention safe—living out in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of men?  Would her conservative, protective parents really have given her their blessing to do so?), but I don't care, I loved this book.  And, believe you me, it won't be the last Kelly novel I read.

(Readalikes:  Captive Heart by Michele Paige Holmes; the Sarah Prine novels [These Is My Words; Sarah's Quilt and The Star Garden] by Nancy E. Turner; Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner; and a little like Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson)

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for scenes of peril and mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a PDF of Borrowed Light from the generous folks at Bonneville Books (an imprint of Cedar Fort) via the Whitney Awards Committee.  Thank you!