On the Banks of Plum Creek

**Links: Book 1 * Book 2 * Book 3**

I'm still in love with this series. After a book away from Laura and her family, it's so nice to be back with them again.

They have moved to Minnesota in this book. But things are not all well. Their first crop of wheat is destroyed by a plague of grasshoppers. The next year, they can't get a harvest of wheat because the grasshoppers had laid eggs and ruined the soil. Then, the blizzards start. It is a tough time for them. But through it all, they have each other, and that makes everything wonderful.

If only things could be that simple now.

My three year old loves having me read this to her at night, and I love reliving the series.

The Gathering Storm

**Links: Prequel * Book 1 * Book 2 * Book 3 * Book 4 * Book 5 * Book 6 * Book 7 * Book 8 * Book 9 * Book 10 * Book 11**

This book, book 12 of 14, is the first of the series not completely written by Robert Jordan. In 2007, Robert Jordan passed away, and Brandon Sanderson was eventually chosen to continue and complete this epic series. I'm not going to lie, I actually really enjoyed Sanderson's writing of Robert Jordan's work. You can tell it's different, but it still has most of the feel of Robert Jordan in there.

That being said...

Perrin and Faile don't have a huge part in this book. They're getting used to each other again after her rescue from the Shaido Aiel.

Egwene remains in the captivity of the White Tower and Elaida, but she refuses to denounce her claim as Amyrlin, in fact secretly working to get the Tower Aes Sedai to accept her as such.

Mat, ah, sweet Mat. He just wants to get to Camelyn to help Thom with a mission from Moiraine (yeah, she died several books ago, but there's a mission). I'm really looking forward to seeing how that goes in the next book.

Rand, well, he's the tough one to really get a handle on. He's broken in a sense. He's totally different from the Rand you meet way back in Eye of the World. That Rand was kind, considerate, hell, even a little shy at times. This Rand? He's hard, cruel, uncaring. But there's this part of you, when you can actually get inside that head of his, that feels for the poor guy. I mean, the Last Battle is coming, fast. The prophecies say, essentially, that Rand is going to die. He's going to break the world to help save it. All sorts of just horrible stuff that he still has to face. He's trying to keep himself emotionless to keep from feeling guilt over the people he needs to kill, to keep from feeling sad that he will be leaving the three women he loves. It's got to be hard.

I liked a few lesser character story lines in this book too. Suian, the former Amyrlin, has finally admitted she loves Gareth Bryne, the general of the rebel Aes Sedai army. Gawyn has changed his allegiance from Elaida to Egwene. But you just know he's only doing that because he's in love with the girl. I'm really hoping that they can patch this little issue they have at the end of this book, because I'm so wanting to see Egwene bond Gawyn as her Warder.

Huge fan of this book. Now I just have two more to finish and I'll have to move on to a new series.

Frankenstein

Ok, first, I can totally admit to going into this book blinded by the Hollywood versions of it. You know the ones: mad scientist creates monster, loves said monster, even when it is ravaging the landscape? Yeah, totally wrong.

Victor von Frankenstein is a bit of a mad scientist, but he's pursuing a more noble cause, helping the world. What he creates can be considered a monster. But he doesn't love his creation, he loathes it. Frankenstein becomes a broken man. His creation starts killing the people he loves. And he feels the blame belongs to him. He created this monster, so these murders are his fault.

The book's Frankenstein, the true character that hasn't been warped and distorted by Hollywood in an effort to make a buck, is one that you can truly feel for. He loves his family so deeply, and that love costs lives. He refuses to help his creation (who is quite eloquent himself, also unlike the movie versions) in making another creation. Death piles up around him, so he is determined to do one thing, and one thing only: kill his creation.

At times I even felt for the creation. This being wanted to be loved like any other human. It wanted to have friends, not because of what it looked like, but by who it was intellectually. It wanted companionship. But the grotesque nature of its face and body prevented any companionship, so it was a creature alone. It wanted one thing in life: another one like it.

I loved this book, and I would definitely read it again if I had the chance.

**Slight note (off topic) - If you've noticed my Goodreads currently reading list has a book that is not added, it is because it will not be reviewed. It will count towards my books read this year, but I will not be reviewing it. It's a textbook for a class that I'm currently taking.**

Lord of the Flies

Having just finished this book moments ago, I'm still sort of reeling from it all. I'm really not sure exactly what to say about it.

A bunch of boys get stranded on an island. The bigguns and the littluns. Ralph is "elected" to lead them, Piggy (whose real name we never really learn) has an intelligence that is ignored because he's different from the other boys, and Jack is, well, cruel might be the best word for Jack.

At the beginning, they're a unified group, they want to be rescued, they want to go home. But as the book progresses, these boys slip from confident and united to broken and terrified. There's a beast, something is coming for them.

Just watching the madness descend on these boys was awe inspiring. The way they break apart and start losing anything that resembled a civilized society was almost frightening. It really makes you aware of how isolation can bring out the savage in even the most well-refined of boys.

I can't say that I enjoyed this book, but I didn't dislike it either. I can understand how it became a classic novel though. It has a significant meaning now, just like it has for years.

Slaughterhouse Five

I honestly didn't really get this book. It was bizarre. It's called an anti-war book, but I definitely didn't get that vibe from it. I more got a vibe that this was a book about a very unusual man who kept going in and out of his time in World War II.

Billy Pilgrim jumps through time. Basically, he's able to see different points in his life from other points. It's a very confusing concept. There is a lot of jumping between the 60s and the 50s and the 40s. Sometimes he's in Dresdan before and after it is bombed, and then the next moment he's twenty years in the future, and then he's back ten years.

I'm not saying it wasn't a good book. I can appreciate how it became a classic. But it's still very bizarre, and not really my favorite.

Knife of Dreams

**Links: Prequel * Book 1 * Book 2 * Book 3 * Book 4 * Book 5 * Book 6 * Book 7 * Book 8 * Book 9 * Book 10**

This book got exciting. The end is near and the world is changing.

Perrin spends a good chunk of this book (when we follow him) trying desperately to save Faile. Faile, meanwhile, is plotting ways to escape the Shaido and find her way back to Perrin. She makes deals with people who are either not trustworthy or have questionable motives.

Elayne continues her pursuit for the throne of Andor, while a woman who is challenging her lays siege on the capital city. Elayne's grasp on the Power, as well as her own emotions, is difficult to control due to the twins growing within her.

Egwene, the Amyrlin, is captured by the White Tower and begins to spread dissension among the Aes Sedai who are faithful to Elaida. She endures punishments multiple times a day for not bowing down and behaving.

Mat continues to run with Tuon, both in an attempt to get away from Seanchan (ironic considering Tuon is Seanchan) and as a way to find safe passage for his would-be bride back to her people.

As for Rand.... His ability to keep Lews Therin from taking over is often times tenuous, even resulting in him completely losing control for a span of time. Rand knows that the Last Battle is coming, and his prophesied death.

All the main characters have gone through some radical changes. Perrin has grown harder, angrier. Mat is more mature and less of the wild child. Elayne is striving towards the ruler she is meant to be. Egwene is working to restore herself as well as heal the rift in the Tower. And Rand, oh Rand. He is walking a tight rope with himself. He could fall so many ways before the end, but he won't. He is meant to fight the Last Battle, and he will.

Farmer Boy

**Links: Book 1 * Book 2**

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. It's a good book, but I think what I enjoy about the Little House series is following Laura herself around.

Farmer Boy, while it still fits with Little House, follows Almanzo, Laura's future husband, when he is a little boy on a farm in New York. It's a very engaging book, and shows what it was like for a little boy growing up in the pioneer days.

I read this to my daughter, who doesn't fully understand the story line, but I'm hoping that she will come to enjoy this series just as much as I do.