Holy...Mockingjay comes out tomorrow!!

We can't wait. And to top it off, Katie is coming to Texas for a GLORIOUS 10-day visit. Can I get a yee-haw?

The Lacemakers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri

LOVED IT!!

I am glad that I took a course in contemporary Irish theatre (it was a capstone class for my English major) because I feel like I appreciate better anything belonging to the Emerald Isle.

The concept of this story is about a woman running from her problems in the states to her ancestral home of Ireland. Initially, this idea turned me off big time due to my issues with Eat, Pray, Love, but I think Barbieri really took the novel to a different place. I love that she actually helped this little hamlet of Glenmara, and I loved the premise of doing it through lingerie. (If that's not a tantalizing tidbit that makes you want to read it, we probably don't have the same taste.)

I especially enjoyed her landscape descriptions...I want to go to Ireland in a big way, and this was just another stone in the pot.

4 stars.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

This novel was a little slow for me at the beginning, but it was a very interesting take on a classic (reminiscent of The Crucible). Rather than blaming the Salem witch trials on chauvinism or religious repression, it brings the concept of alchemy into the picture. I thought it was interesting.

I would recommend it for anyone interested in the period or the Salem witch trials. Otherwise, it may be a little difficult to get into it.

3 stars.

Peace out.

Covenant Hearts: Marriage and the Joy of Human Love by Bruce C. Hafen

I have slowly read Covenant Hearts: Marriage and the Joy of Human Love over the last few months. I would read a chapter here and there but didn't read it consistently. It wasn't because it wasn't a good book, but really more that it was a book that gave me so much to think about that I took it slowly and one part at a time. A few weeks ago, I picked it up again and decided it was time to finish it. The author, Bruce C. Hafen, offers an LDS perspective on marriage and human love. The book really gave me a lot of good ideas to utilize in my own marriage and gave me perspective on all relationships. I especially enjoyed the chapter on charity and I am trying to implement it more in my life. I highly recommend this book regardless of whether you are married or how long you have been married. It gave me a lot of perspective on why a marriage is not only important to the couple but to their family/children and also their community. It is a great read so check it out!