My Daughter's Book Review of Illuminations of the Heart, by Joyce DiPastena

I haven't had a chance to read Joyce DiPastena's new book, Illuminations of the Heart, but my 14 year old daughter has, and loved it. She finished reading Joyce's first book, Loyalty's Web a few weeks ago and loved it so much that she insisted that I truck right down to Deseret Book and buy Joyce's next book. Because I haven't yet had a chance to review Joyce's new book, I am going  to post a link to my daughter's blogg and you can check out her book review.  You might find it interesting to see how a 14 year old goes about giving a review on a book that she likes.

Carolyn's Homemade Vinegrette Dressing

This month for my Mid-Month Make-something Madness, I've decided to share one of my favorite recipes that I have created. I use this salad dressing all the time, not just on green salad, but on pasta salad and as a marinade. It is simple to make and very versitile. I hope you enjoy it.

Book Review: Sapphire Flute, by Karen Hoover

I just finished reading Karen Hoover's debut novel, The Sapphire Flute. It is a middlegrade/YA fanatacy that takes place in a historical-type setting in a fictional kingdom immersed in magic. The book alternates between the lives of Kayla, a girl who has been trusted to keep the sacred Sapphire Flute safe and Ember, a girl who is learning to manage her newfound magic. A smaller number of chapters is devoted to the POV of the main antagonists, C-tan. I found the storyline unique, full of magic, shape-shifting, great villians and courage. The author's creativity deserves applause. Her writing was good, but in some cases I felt overdone. It read at times like a literary novel, pouring out prose in an almost poetic fashion. Unfortuantely, I found this distracting. It was like a fancy bakery cake with too much frosting and one too many royal icing roses. I wanted to get to the tasty story, but was slowed down by having to skim off some of the fluff. I also found myself confused at times. I did not enjoy the constant switch in POVs. Every other chapter was in someone else's head. I would have liked to be in the character's head a little longer before I got shifted. I just started to immersed myself in the character, when I got ripped away. I'm sure the author was just trying to keep me hanging, but it just frustrated me. I put up with it, hoping that soon the two characters would meet up and their stories merge. That was my greatest disappointment in the book, when the two main characters did not, in fact, meet up in the book. I presume that will happen in the next book.
But still, I would recommend this book to any kid, or adult, who loves fantasy. The story is outstanding, and not everyone reads a book like me, with a red pen in hand.

Where Does My Time Go?

Here it is, the first of June and I let May slip by without rounding it up with a Rhyme. Okay, so I'm a day late and a dollar short, (and I still use cliches in my writing), at least it inspired a rhyme to post today.

Time

Like a bird with big wings,
time flies past my eyes.

Its clenced beak never brings

enough of the stuff.

I'm always wanting more

as each day slips away.

Like a miser, tight and poor,

I share, but can't spare.

So I treat it like gold;

make haste, never waste,

never allow it to grow old.

But more, I want more.

If only it could grow,

like leaves on the trees,

or move back, or go slow,

I'd be a new me.

Since it won't, I must give
all the time that is mine
to good things and then live
with head high, not a sigh.