#33 - A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin

2003 Honor book

"Hattie Owen has never really thought about the world outside her small town. Her family's boarding house is where she feels most at home, with its eccentric tenants and predictable routines. But there are secrets in Hattie's family, and the biggest one is her young uncle Adam. Hattie doesn't even know he exists until he shows up in her town, right when she's about to turn twelve. Suddenly the place she thought she knew so well begins to feel different. Her family and neighbors aren't ready to deal with Adam's mental problems...so Hattie gets caught in the middle. In one summer, Hattie will find out how small a small town can be, how big the world outside is, and how far our hearts and minds can go."

Ann M. Martin has been one of my favorite authors since I was about 11 years old, and discovered the Babysitter's Club series. I really enjoyed this book. The relationship between Adam and Hattie was heartwarming. It had developments that made the book very gripping (but I'm not going to give anything away...)

It is interesting to me just how many award winning books deal with the topic of autism.

#32 - Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

2006 Honor book

"High on the slopes of rocky Mount Eskel, Miri's family pounds a living from the stone of the mountain itself. But Miri's life will change forever when word comes that her small village is the home of the future princess. All eligible girls must attend a makeshift academy to prepare for royal life. At the school, Miri finds herself confronting bitter competition among the girls and her own conflicted desires to be chosen. Yet when danger comes to the academy, it is Miri, named for a tiny mountain flower, who must find a way to save her classmates - and the future of their beloved village."

I honestly did not expect much from this book. I'm not generally a big fan of books set in mideival times, and I had looked at this book a long time ago with disinterest. But, I was pleasantly surprised. I loved how one of the underlying themes was the discovery of books and the importance of education. It had a good amount of adventure, and a little bit of romance. I will be looking for other books by this author!

It's been a tough week!

It has been over a week since I finished a book - any book! :( I had so much homework this week, I haven't felt very well, and other factors have made this past week a tough one, with not much time to read for pleasure. But, I didn't want to go TOO long before posting here. I have not given up on my project! In fact, we went to the Salvation Army store, and I found some great book deals! It just so happened that the deal of the day was 50% off books!! I found several Newbery books to add to my collection - Rifles for Watie, My Side of the Mountain, Shiloh, and Out of the Dust were some of them, along with several other great non Newbery titles. Some are fairly new titles, that I have actually been eyeing at Walmart! I love hitting the book jackpot! Oh, and the kids found some for them too, lol!

I'm working my way through the third Hunger Games book right now. Here's hoping for a better reading week this go around!