#11 The Wednesday Wars- A story of cream puffs, shakespeare, and yellow tights.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt is a great read in young adult fiction that is also entertaining for adults. I admit, it had a bit of a slow start, but it did not take long to fall in love with Holling Hoodhoood and his Presbyterian ways. The story is warm and funny and only slightly unrealistic. In fact you can almost imagine your self in Holling's 7th grade class. A great read and fun to have a story written from a boys perspective.

#10 Taking Charge of Your Fertility

OK, I debated about whether or not to post Toni Weschler's Taking Charge of Your Fertility, but it really is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone, so I am going to include it. You might wonder why a single girl is interested in taking charge of her fertility. The book teaches you about how a woman's body works. This is not exactly the stuff you learn in 8th grade health class. I found it really interesting and empowering, not to mention, miraculous. This a must for anyone trying to get pregnant or trying to not get pregnant, but also a great read for anyone who wants to understand their body, considering that their body is a girl's body.

#9 The Lovely Bones

I think it is a good thing if you feel passionate about a book. Unfortunately, I feel passionately that I hated this book. I don't hate a lot of books, sometimes I think they are poorly written, sometimes I think they are boring. I didn't think this book was poorly written or boring, in fact I could not put it down, but I still hated it. It tells the story of a girl who is kidnapped and murdered by a neighbor when she is 14. Then she watches from heaven as her family falls apart and her killer runs free. I knew that this is what the book was about, but somehow I thought it would be a good story. It wasn't. There is a movie coming out, that has moderate reviews. I have not decided if I will see it. I'm curious if there is anyone out ther who has read this one and has an opinion on it. Clearly, I did.

#8 Three Cups of Tea- Is Educating Girls the Way to Save the World

I think the answer to that question is yes. The last half of Three Cups of Tea tells about Greg's mission to combat extremist by building schools in Pakistan and eventually in Afghanistan. The people there are starving for education. The government does not provide schools in rural areas, and the parents are desperate to educate their children. The extremist Islamists build schools and educate children in anti-western and extremist principles. Unfortunately, the children are taught to hate America. Greg Mortenson is trying to combat this trend by providing an alternative to parents. He helps the members of a village build a school and provide a non-extremist education to the children of the village. He has discovered that if girls are educated, they become mothers who are educated and they teach their children correct principles. When young men are asks why they did not join extremist organizations, they often say that they knew their mother's would not approve. Greg Mortenson's story has been on my mind since I finished this book, and I have a feeling it will be on my mind for a long time. I strongly recommend reading this book.

#8 Three cups of Tea- I can't say enough about how much I love this book

This book is moving to the top of my list as my favorite book I've read so far. What an amazing true story. This book is appealing because it is the story of a man who seems like an ordinary person, but is so full of love and compassion that is able to accomplish unthinkable tasks. I love the story of his path. How he wants everything to happen in a moment, but is required to exercise patience. Mostly I love that although the path is hard, it seems as though divine providence is guiding him. Just when it seems that all is lost, the way opens. It is a beautiful story. I am now in the part of the story when he is building 3 schools each spring. The year is 1998. Knowing what is coming in history, I am worried that terrorism and Islamic radicalism is about to destroy his efforts. Sometimes I forget that in these warring nations filled with men seeking to destroy our freedoms, there are beautiful people and children. It is too easy to forget.

#8 Three Cups of Tea- I can't wait to dig into this book

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson has been on my list for a while. I have heard great things about the real changes this man has been able to make through education. I became even more excited after Mr. Mortenson presented at BYU. His stories of the value of education, particularly the value of educating girls, drew me in. I have a firm belief that education is the way to change the world. I am excited to read this one and I am hopeful there are some more of you out there who have read this as well. Let me know what you think.

#7 The Help- A Glimpse in the Dark of the Deep South in the 1960's

I loved this book! It was recommended by my friend Camille and I would highly recommend it as well. I read the description a few months ago and I wasn't that interested. Sometimes reading about civil rights, just makes me feel guilty for things I had no control over. This book is more than a depressing story about the African American plight. It is about people. It tells the stories of all kinds of relationships and choices and consequences. It makes you realize how things can seem so important in the moment, but in the eyes of history, when you know the world is changing, how ridiculous important things can become. It also tells the story of how inhuman, humans can behave. It made me think about how I respond to people, not just to people who are of a different race, but to all the people in my life. I hope you will love this book, but if not, I hope at least this book makes you think.