Outside my window:  It's a nice, quiet morning.  We're in the middle of a cool down (it was in the 80s yesterday and today, the temperature's only supposed to reach 90).  

I am listening to:  Nothing at all.  I always get up early on Sunday mornings so I can prepare my Primary lesson (I teach the 5-year-olds at my church) before anyone else wakes up.  So, I'm listening to the glorious sound of silence.

I am reading:  I stayed up last night to finish My New American Life by Francine Prose—not because it was such a page turner, but because, frankly, I was tired of reading it.  Maybe I'm missing its brilliance, because I thought it was dull and depressing.  At any rate, you can read my review of the book tomorrow.

I am going to read:  Next up is The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain.  I'm supposed to have a review of it up on Thursday for my good friends over at TLC Book Tours.  Then, I'll probably move on to two manuscripts I've been asked to beta read and then, I really want to read Between Shades of Gray (not to be confused with Fifty Shades of Grey) by Ruta Sepetys.  We'll see how much I get to this week!

On the blog this week:  I finished reviewing all the books that were finalists in this year's Whitney Awards competition.  I also talked about a YA dystopian and two books in a children's fantasy series that my daughter loves.  Good stuff.

Coming up on the blog:  I've got a fun giveaway coming up.  Check in on Wednesday to get all the details!

Around the Book Blogosphere:  I just got my first issue of Ladies' Home Journal.  It's not a magazine I usually read—I'm getting it as a replacement for another publication that went bankrupt or something.  At any rate, I noticed that it has a small "Notes/Books" feature, in which there's a section (at least there is in the June 2012 issue) that asks book bloggers for their favorite titles of the past year.  Weirdly, I haven't heard of any of the bloggers and I only recognized one of the books they recommended.  Am I that out of touch?  Ack!

I am thinking:  Maybe I should go back to bed.  It's not quite 6 and I've already done my lesson prep and half of a TSS post.  I've accomplished enough, right?

I am grateful for:  Veterans.  Tomorrow's Memorial Day, so naturally, I'm thinking about the men and women in my family who have sacrificed their time, energy and even their lives in service of this great country.  I'm always humbled by their patriotism.  So, here's a shout out to my brother, who serves in the U.S. Coast Guard and my brother-in-law, who's a Naval officer currently on deployment in Spain.  Being the sister of a military wife also means that I have great admiration for the spouses and children who keep things together on the homefront while their spouses and parents are away.  That's an incredible sacrifice in and of itself.   

Around the house:  So, guess what?  Looking around, you'd never know there was a flood in this house just a couple short weeks ago.  The damaged rooms have been repaired, painted and carpeted.  All the rooms upstairs, in fact, got shiny new paint.  They look great.  We've still got to return furniture and other items to their rightful places, but it's definitely looking good up there.

In the kitchen:  Maybe you can help me with this one.  I joined Weight Watchers (for about the five millionth time) on Friday, so now I'm on the look out for some good, healthy recipes.  Do you have any you really recommend?  How about great blogs/websites that are chock-full of low-cal stuff to make?  I'd love some suggestions.

High of the Week:  Taking control of my health by joining WW (again) felt good.  I also had a good time this week playing with the kids in the pool.  

Low of the Week:  My kids' last day of school was Thursday.  My 7-year-old son had been home for all of 10 minutes before he moaned, "I'm bored."  Gah.  It's going to be a long summer ...  

Family Matters:  We spent a couple of hours yesterday cleaning together.  With Owl City on the iPod and all of us working in tandem, it was actually kind of fun.

The coming week:  Not a whole lot is going on.  We'll celebrate Memorial Day in the pool, no doubt.  Also, my 3-year-old starts swimming lessons this week as well as a little community dance class, so that will be fun.  

Words of Wisdom:  God bless America.  I love this country more than I can express with words.  Thank you to all who give so much to her every day.  Happy Memorial Day, everyone!  Have a great week.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  Although this review will not contain spoilers for 13 Curses, it may inadvertently spoil plot surprises from its predecessor, 13 Treasures.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Rowan "Red" Fox has already lost her parents to a car accident.  She's not going to lose her baby brother, too.  But James hasn't simply wandered off, he's been abducted by fairies.  The creatures have taken the baby to their world—a magical realm where older humans are not welcome.  To get her brother back, Red will have to bargain with the fairies, who are not exactly known for their integrity.  They do, however, enjoy games, which is why the Fairy King gives Red a puzzle to solve.  Her prize for completing it successfully?  James.

Red's task is to find thirteen silver charms, special decorations that belong on an old charm bracelet owned by Red's friend, Tanya.  The charms represent important fairy treasures:  the Platter, the Cauldron, the Sword, the Heart, the Key, the Goblet, the Cup, the Staff, the Light, the Book of Knowledge, the Dagger, the mask of Glamour and the Halter.  As if locating tiny pieces of jewelry isn't hard enough, Red discovers that each charm has been enchanted to have a sinister affect on whoever possesses it.  If Red and her friends, Tanya and Fabian, can't gather the charms in time, everyone they know could be cursed.  And James will be lost to the human world forever.

While I enjoyed 13 Treasures, the first book in Michelle Harrison's middle grade fantasy series, I really liked the second, 13 Curses.  Why?  Because it combines the rich, compelling storytelling that made the first book intriguing with a clever treasure hunt that makes this second installment unique, while keeping it interesting.  The kids collect the charms a little too easily, sure, but I still enjoyed following along on their magical journey.  Since Harrison gave 13 Curses its own, distinct personality, I'm especially interested to see what she does with the next volume.  Michelle Harrison is one of those authors I'm definitely going to be keeping my eye on.         

(Readalikes:  13 Treasures and 13 Wishes by Michelle Harrison; also the series reminds me a little of the Fablehaven books by Brandon Mull)

Grade:  B

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for intense situations and violence

To the FTC, with love:  I borrowed 13 Curses from the library at my kids' elementary school and read it as part of my volunteer work for the same.        

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

No one believes Tanya when she talks about the fairies.  Why would they?  It's too fantastical to be true.  But Tanya sees their ugly little faces, hears their menacing taunts, fears their potent magic.  As hard as she tries to ignore them, the fairies refuse to leave her alone.  

When Tanya's mum finally has enough of her daughter's wild stories, she sends Tanya to live with her eccentric old grandmother.  Tanya barely knows the woman, since Florence has never made any effort to keep in touch. As if living with a stranger isn't bad enough, Tanya now resides in Elvesden Manor, a creepy old mansion that sits alone in an isolated, overgrown corner of the Essex countryside.  A thick forest known as Hangman's Wood surrounds the house, making it feel even more sinister.  The only part of Tanya's new home that feels at all welcoming is Fabian, the groundskeeper's 12-year-old son.  But even he is just an annoying, bookish boy.

It doesn't take long for Tanya to realize Elvesden Manor is full of secrets.  It's not just the fairies, either—although the house is home to plenty of otherworldly creatures—it's something bigger.  When Tanya learns about a girl who disappeared in Hangman's Wood fifty years ago, she's determined to find out what happened.  But solving the mystery will not be easy.  In fact, following the clues will take Tanya and Fabian on a complicated and dangerous journey—one that will lead them right to the brink of the formidable fairy world.  And beyond.

If you're expecting 13 Treasures, the first book in Michelle Harrison's middle grade fantasy series, to be a nice, calm Fablehaven-ish read, think again.  There are similarities between the two books, for sure, but Harrison's has a sinister bent that's a little ... scary.  Still, although the story's not particularly original, it is rich and absorbing.  I enjoyed it.  I did find the book more chilling than charming, which isn't a bad thing, just not what I expected.  If your child's easily frightened, I would be cautious recommending this one, but my daughter really liked it and so did I.

(Readalikes:  13 Curses and 13 Wishes by Michelle Harrison; also reminded me of the Fablehaven books by Brandon Mull)

Grade:  B

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for scary situations and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I borrowed 13 Treasures from my kids' elementary school library and read it as part of my volunteer work with the same.                             

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Alex Halprin doesn't mind being left behind when his parents and younger sister go on vacation without him.  In fact, the 15-year-old is thrilled.  He's not planning any wild parties either; he just wants to enjoy a nice, quiet weekend without anyone bugging him.  It looks as if Alex is going to get exactly what he wants.  Then a supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park erupts, covering the Midwest and beyond in a thick, choking layer of ash.  Fires break out, looting begins, and people become frantic to find food, water, shelter, help.  As Alex watches his ordered world crumble into a brutal, post-apocalyptic wasteland, he forgets about video games and alone time—he just wants to survive.

After disaster strikes, Alex realizes he can't just sit around in small town Cedar Falls, Iowa, waiting for the world to go back to normal.  Normal no longer exists.  Alex decides to take action, to hike across 140 miles of ruined terrain in the hopes of reaching Warren, Illinois, the town for which his family was heading before the volcano blew.  What he doesn't realize is just how much the world has changed in such a short amount of time.  Alex thought the biggest challenge he would face on the road would be finding food, water and shelter.  Not so.  While those are certainly issues—vital, life-or-death issues—they're nothing compared to the monsters lurking around every corner.  Only they're not monsters.  Not exactly.  They're good, Midwestern folks turned hungry, desperate and dangerous by their increasingly hopeless situation.  Does a lone, teenage boy have any hope of surviving, let alone making it all the way to Illinois?  Alex is about to find out.

Like most YA dystopians, Ashfall by Mike Mullin paints a pretty bleak picture of humanity's hope of surviving a catastrophic ecological disaster.  It's not just lack of food and water that will destroy us, according to such stories, but our own selfish, savage selves.  In the world Mullin describes, it takes less than a month for humans to turn into wild, cannibalistic beasts.  While that may be far-fetched (let's hope), it does make for an exciting, action-packed story.  While Ashfall's not especially original or brilliant, it's definitely entertaining.  With a fast-paced plot, interesting enough characters and some food-for-thought situations, it's a decent YA dystopian. Not the best and not my favorite, but not bad either.        

(Readalikes: The Road by Cormac McCarthy; The Last Survivors series [Life As We Knew It; The Dead & the Gone; This World We Live In] by Susan Beth Pfeffer; and a little like the Gone series [Gone; Hunger; Lies; Plague; Fear] by Michael Grant) 

Grade:  B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), violence and some sexual content (not graphic)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find