Children of the Promise Series by Dean Hughes

These books were given to me by a neighbor several years ago, and I promptly tucked them away on a shelf.  I liked their pretty covers, but I wasn't in the mood for LDS fiction (honestly, I'm never in the mood for LDS fiction).  But having nothing to read a while back, I thought I'd give them a sporting chance.  So, dust covers removed, I began to "plow" my way through the series . . . or so I thought.  Instead, I found myself completely drawn in by Hughes' writing style, the stories, and the characters themselves.

He really did his research--I have to applaud that.  Although the main characters are fictional, almost everything that happens in the series is based on fact.  It follows the Thomas family, an LDS family living in Salt Lake City preceding, during, and following World War II.  With realistic dialogue, likeable characters, and a thrilling, fast-paced storyline, I didn't want to put the books down.  Any of them.  I think what I liked the most was learning about a piece of my family's history--both of my grandpa's served in WWII, and seeing what things were like for both them and their family and girls back home really struck a chord with me.  Very much worth reading, especially at this time of year--it begins around Christmas-time and describes the varied Christmases the family experiences as they spread all over the world.

Nick of Time by Ted Bell

This book was a lot of fun because it had a sort of taste of Treasure Island to it--there were a lot of fun parallels to that book, which I also enjoyed, but that's another story. Literally.

Anyway, I loved the fun adventures going on throughout the book and the mysteries involved. And the history. I thought it would be a perfect book for my boys when they get older. My only complaints were that there were a some unanswered questions (there's time travel in the story, which always presents a few), but then again, they could be resolved in the sequel, which I haven't read. Also, the author seemed to jump inside of anyone's brain he wanted to. That's not necessarily a bad thing--I just prefer first person or third person from one or two points of view. Other than that--really fun, perfectly enjoyable, and a light, quick read.

The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

This is a very fun, entertaining, clean book. Sometimes it's nice to have a book like that--a "'tweener" to read in between heftier books. I found it very refreshing and hard to put down. It's an epistolary novel (aren't you proud of me for knowing that word?), which means it's written in letter form. Usually I'm not too keen on that type of book (Anne of Windy Poplars was the hardest of the Anne of Green Gables series for me to get through), but this one doesn't drag on like some.

Set in a little-known chunk of World War II history--the German occupation of Guernsey Island, off the coast of France--it contains a bit of mystery and romance--just enough to keep you turning pages. There is so much about World War II that is difficult to swallow, but this book focused on making the most of a difficult time, and perhaps that's why I enjoyed it so much. After all, isn't that what we are all aiming for?