Big Stone Gap (Adriana Trigiani) **

Big Stone Gap is a real place in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia where the author grew up. It's an enjoyable story about a woman named Ave Maria who grows up there and learns more about her family after they're gone. It's got some great characters. It's the first in a series of three and I want to read the other two. It's supposed to become a movie also.

Life of Pi (Yann Martel) ***

319 pages. This was a very interesting book about a young boy (Pi, short for Piscine) who survives in a lifeboat in the ocean for 7 months. His only companion is a Bengal Tiger, who he manages to train. The first part of the book was a little slow, with a religious slant to it (Pi practices Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam). The second part was hard to put down, and the third part made me stop and rethink the whole book. I really enjoyed it.

1776 (David McCullough) ***

294 pages. Excellent book. It follows the Continental Army, George Washington, and important events (like the Declaration of Independence) during the year 1776. I enjoyed it more than "John Adams", possibly because it's shorter, but also because there's a little more action. I finished with the impression of how miraculous it is that we won the Revolutionary War, considering all the difficulties and disadvantages that had to be overcome in the early years.

The Peacegiver (James L. Ferrell) ***

199 pages. This is a story about the Atonement, and how it can be applied in our daily lives. Specifically, it was about a man in a troubled marriage, being taught lessons by his Grandfather. Basically it seemed like the author was putting his institute lessons about the Atonement into a story format. I enjoyed it.

Wish You Well (David Baldacci) ***

This is about a 12 year old girl and her 7 year old brother who live in New York in 1940, then move to the mountains of Virginia with their great-grandmother after a family tragedy. It was a fun read, imagining the family learning to live off the land and all the struggles that go along with it. I got pretty wrapped up in it. My ward book group read it last month, and again, I'm behind. 400 pages.

O'Henry's Short Stories - part 1

I've been reading a collection of O'Henry's short stories. I'm about a third of the way trough and I thought I'd share a list of the ones that are best:

The Gift of the Magi - Story about true giving.

The Trimmed Lamp - Story about what makes people truly happy.

The Social Triangle - Ironic story about people's perspective of social status.

The Guilty Party - The responsibility of parents to children.

The Last Leaf - I read this as an interesting metaphor for the Atonement. Christ makes the ultimately sacrafice for us, even though we act silly.

Marley and Me

This was a great story about a family and their crazy dog. We follow the dog and the family as they grow up. Very well written: made me laugh and cry. I'd recommend it. 3 stars.