must reads!

I've been reading a lot since school started-- it's way more entertaining than TV and helps me relax before bed or when I get home from school. So far:

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I started reading this guy the day Amazon delivered it to my door and I was obsessed until I finished it (3 days after opening the cover). It wasn't what I expected but I really loved the developing relationships between Peeta,Gale and Katniss and I fully accept and love the ending. One of the scenes I loved picturing was of a group of characters from District 13 running through the sewers of the Capital being chased by weird people/dog characters (these showed up at the end of the 2nd book).
  

Fire in the Bones- The Story of William Tyndale by Michael Wilcox. This is a biography of the guy who translated the Bible from Latin into English despite harsh, life threatening criticism from King Henry VIII and the English Cardinals. Amazing what this man went through. Because this book was written by Michael Wilcox, a well known institute director here in UT, there are a lot of references to parallels between Tyndale and Joseph Smith and it's very eye opening. I had no idea that the King James Version of the Bible that the LDS Church uses is about 90% of Tyndale's translation and he is the one who coined words and phrases like, "in the twinkling of an eye", "and it came to pass", "atonement", "for unto us a child is born"... and obviously most of the Bible. I guess I'd never really thought much about it, but when translating you put the ideas of one language into words in another language and you have to phrase things in your own way during the language switch. Due to his own reading of the Bible, Joseph Smith used Tyndale phrases when translating the Book of Mormon. This is an incredible book that reads like a novel and is truly inspiring.

Sarah by Orson Scott Card. This book is the first of a trilogy about the wives of the prophets, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This book is about Sarai and her life with Abraham. While, obviously made up, Card researched customs and details of the time and incorporated them into a great story that has really boosted my faith in God's promises. I guess it would be true to form for Sarai to be very concerned about the fact that she couldn't have children when her husband's fortune could only go to a male member of their household and she was looked down on by every other woman because of her lack of children.

One of my favorite discussions in the book is between Sarah and the main keeper of household when she asks him if her lack of faith is obvious and he responds, "My lady, I assumed that you would have such thoughts simply because any human being in your position would have to have them. You give no outward sign of it. And it is not a lack of faith. You can't stop thoughts like that from entering your head. Faith doesn't mean that you never doubt. It only means that you never act upon your doubts." (page 183).  I also love something Abraham says, "Love is you," Abraham said. "Love is finding that things you like best about yourself are not in you at all, but in the person who completes you."

I intend to find the books about Rebecca and Rachel next!

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison. This book was just super fun and easy to read. It's about a teenage girl whose boyfriend breaks up with her so he can date her older sister and a fairy godmother gets sent to help her. The only problem is that the fairy is only in school and is on probation for messing up other girl's situations and Savannah's case is her last chance to do something write. Due to bad communication with her wishes, Savannah spends some time as Cinderella and Snow White before creating a wish that sends a guy from her school back to the Middle Ages and she has to go rescue him in order to find Prince Charming. This book of full of magic spells, wicked step sisters, handsome princes, dragons, ogres, and everything a good fairy tale should have!