Books! let's talk some books

Facebook is a fun place!  I do love it so.  But, i'm shocked I have not been challenged with the Ice Bucket challenge yet.  But, I was recently challenged by Brian Galloway to share 10 books that have stuck with me in some way. This was fun!  It was posted on Facebook, but I thought I'd post it here too.

I also passed the challenge along, and asked Kathy Bisbey, Shanae Gryner, Julie Jackson, Havilyn Gaither, and Joe Bisbey to do the same...

1. Books I haven't read but should as I enjoyed the movie:

• Gone with the wind. When I was a teen (probably about 16) My mother MADE me spend an entire Saturday afternoon watching this movie. Still one of my favorites, see next book listed.
• The Notebook. Seriously the best love story ever told! Two strong willed people fall in love but "shouldn't" have. Part ways, find other people, but never forgot, fall in love again and the ending in the MOVIE is different from the book ( I know because I read the follow up book) but the end of the movie is omg so bitter sweet. Most MFEO couples feel they should go that way, at the same time. Very touching

This list is probably longer, but these two let me to read books related to these in my list below.

2. Gone with the Wind spin offs

• Scarlett - by Alexandra Ripley. She had the impossible task to write a sequel to Gone With The Wind. Wow, this book, WOW! Of course it's all about Scarlett and picks up at Melly's funeral and goes on a grand adventure of wanting r Rhett to come around but not waiting for something to happen. She goes back to her roots and meets with cousins and family in the states as well as in Ireland. Really a great read! But, if you are reading for Mr. Butler, this book is not for you. It's titled Scarlett for a reason, and it is all about her. Hint, she finally grew up.
• Rhett Butler's People - by Donald McCaig. I was in a mall and a book store was going out of business and this book was 70% off. This book is set before, during, and after as Gone With the Wind, and you find out how truly in love he was with Ms. Scarlett and ALWAYS was, and how deeply he wanted to have children. Good read!

3. Heir to the Empire - by Timothy Zahn. This was Dean's book. He bought it in High school, and never got thru it. Flash forward several years, to the year 2001, and we are living in Colorado and the neighborhood is having a garage sale. We pack all the books we have that we have read or didn't care too much for, and Dean put this book in. The garage sale was slow, so I just picked up this book and started reading. Long Story Short -I started with the Thrawn Trilogy (by Timothy Zahn) in about 2001, I just finished (almost) all the books in thru the New Jedi Order last month. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Wars_books#New_Jedi_Order_Era) Also, this was the introduction the one of the most Bad A.. Woman heroes in the Star Wars universe - Mara Jade!!!!!!
That being Said:

4. ANY of the books in the Expanded Universe - The New Jedi Order. You see, I've always loved Star Wars, and these books were GREAT to read. A few stand outs after the Heir to the Empire above:

• Vector Prime - by R.A. Salvatore - the beginning of the New Jedi Order and the introduction of the freaking scary Yuuzhan Vong. AND the first Star Wars Book that made me cry. If you want to know I'll answer, but it was the biggest loss in the Star Wars Book series ever! I've read where the author actually was told to do it, but didn't want to and almost didn't write the book because of it. But he did. Like I said I cried.
• Outbound Flight - by Timothy Zahn. GREAT book and some insights on Luke and his love life.
• The Courtship of Princess Leia - by Dave Wolverton. Han had some tough competition. Really tough competition, but she chose her Scruffy Looking Nerf Herder after all!

My Star Wars book collection.  I don't have them all since I started reading them from the library at one point when we moved to Kingwood in 2003, but most of them are might here

5. Back to the Sappy - Nicolas Sparks - my favorites:

• The Guardian - it's about a widow woman and her great dane. YES a GREAT DANE! Husband dies and leaves her gifts - a great dane puppy and a promise to always watch over her. GREAT STORY!
• The Rescue - single mother of a child who can't talk very well. I'm not sure why I love this one, but it stuck with me. Maybe because the kid finally said I LOVE YOU MOMMY, and well heart melts!
• The Wedding - the "sequel" to the Notebook, that follows Noah and Allie's Daughter.

6. Jennifer Crusie - LOVE her! Her wit is awesome! Some faves:

• Bet Me - funny little book about great shoes, and chicken marsala
• Welcome to Temptation - great book about making a video in a small town. The sisters talk in movie quotes, need I say more?

7. Harry Potter Series - by J.K. Rowling (7 books)- Just like Brian Galloway posted on Facebook, I picked up the 1st one just to see what the fuss was all about, and was addicted!!! The books are not about evil witches and demons and the like. It's actually not too far away from The Wizard of Oz! It's about good vs. evil, courage, strength, friendship, and some child hood mischief. All good stuff. I loved the Sorcerer's Stone, just a really quick and fun read, and fun introduction to the Characters.  I also really liked the Goblet of Fire.  Tri-wizard tournament was cool!

Note:  I would recommend for kids to read them at the age Harry is in the books. IN NO WAY SHOULD A 11 year old read all of them at once! The last few are dark and scary! Keep them in the same year, 11 for the first, 12 for the 2nd, etc. 

8. The Twilight Saga - by Stephenie Meyer (4 books). I know, Usually HP fans HATE Twilight, and Twilight fans HATE HP (which is funny because Robert Pattinson is in both movies!) Anyway, there are some serious flaws this book can teach young girls - basically, Bella needs Edward to live, and vice versa. This is not good. HOWEVER, I have to admit I could not put them down.  They are "good" vampires AND fight for what is right and live in peace with humans. I have read them each at least twice. Oh, and just to note, the first 2 books, not as good as the last 2, same with the movies. I usually don't watch Twilight when I'm in the mood for the saga.  It in my opinion is a little awkward, and it was just made fun of too much ("Say it!  Out LOUD!" "VAMPIRE!"  dun dun DUN!).  I usually start with Eclipse. New Moon has an AWESOME fight scene, but the Movie "ending" in Breaking Dawn 2 I believe should have been included in the book. It was a total shock in the movie, and GREAT fun when you realize what happened!

Harry Potter and Twilight books co-existing on the SAME BOOK SHELF!

9. LaVyrle Spencer - what a story teller!!! I've loved each book I've read from her! I recently found a book  at half price that I haven't ready yet and I'm reading now and have to force myself to put it down! Most of her books are more historical which I tend to like a lot! My mother and I read most of her books we could find together.

• Morning Glory - reading now - about a "crazy widow" and a ex-con finding love and family. It's going really well now for them, so I'm waiting for the shoe to drop. I have a pretty good idea what's going to happen too, and it will SUCK!  But the ex-con is from Texas.
• That Camden Summer - about a divorced woman with three daughters returning home (Maine) and is looked down upon. Great read!
• Hummingbird - a bandit and gentleman both vie for the girl. Guess who wins! Great story!  Based in Colorado.
• Small Town Girl - my mother and I SWEAR this is could be based loosely on Reba McEntire's life! Story about a country singer who meets a guy who has a daughter (who can sing) and well the story is great! And, I actually got an AWESOME yummy casserole recipe from this book too!  Based in Nashville.

10. Rebecca - by Daphne Du Maurier - Dean bought me this book. He saw online that people who like gone with the wind would like this book. HE WAS RIGHT! GREAT BOOK! Young bride marries a rich older widow, she doesn't know him well and has to live in the shadows of Rebecca his first wife. Haunting book!  I even read the sequel titled Mrs. deWinter by Susan Hill. Loved BOTH!

And, on a related note, Jake wanted me to read this book apparently.  Found it in my purse this morning.

Not sure what is more awesome, the fact that he likes this book, the fact that it's a Star Wars book, or the fact that my purse itself is AWESOME! :)