New Moon

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

  Stephenie Meyer has done it again!  New Moon is the second book in the Twilight Series.  Again this book hooks you in and keeps you reading until the last page and leaves you wanting more.  You can not get enough of Bella and Edward and what they have in store for them.

  Back in Forks, Bella and Edward get ready to celebrate Bella's 18th Birthday.  Bella not wanting to be any older than Edward and not wanting to make a big deal about her birthday, has asked that there be no presents and no parties.  That would never stop Alice, Edward's Sister, from throwing one!

  Everything is going great and Bella is having a good time, until she gives herself a paper cut while opening a gift.  Bella's blood smells good and the new "vegitarian" vampire Jasper, can not control his blood thirst.  He tries to attack Bella and Bella gets injured while Edward tries to get her out of the way.  Bella gets stitched up and goes home.  Edward of course blames himself for putting her in danger, yet again.

  Edward and his family decide to leave.  Edwards thinking is that if he leaves, Bella will be safe and can live a normal life.   But leaving had done a lot of damage to Bella.  She pretty much shuts herself off from everyone and goes catatonic.  After her father threatens to send her back to her mother, Bella tries to pick up the pieces and fit back into the world.  Not wanting to leave Forks because of Edward.

  While trying to be normal she finds that a sense of Danger and adrenaline can make her hear Edward's voice.  Bella finds two motorcycles and gets Jacob, her best friend, to help fix them up.  Jacob and Bella spend a lot of time together and become very close.  Being around Jacob helps Bella to feel whole again and takes away the pain of not having Edward around.

   Evil Victoria finds her way back to Forks to seek revenge on Bella for the death of James, Victoria's mate.   Jacob's tribe is a bunch of werewolves and he needs to let Bella in on his new found secret in a way that isn't coming right out in saying it.  Werewolves are the natural enemy of Vampires and Jacob's tribe is trying to rid Forks of Victoria.  Jacob isn't able to spend as much time with Bella while he is hunting Victoria, which leave Bella feeling the pain of Edward being gone once again.  So with wanting Edward and wanting to hear his voice, she cliff jumps into the ocean at La Push, and with being Bella, another life saving moment needs to happen.  Jacob rescues her from the water.

   Later that night Alice comes back, because she thought Bella was dead.  It turns out that Alice cant see past the pack of werewolves.  Edward then believes that Bella is dead and finds away to end his life as well.  Now Alice and Bella must fly to Italy to save Edward.

  Another fast read that keeps you wanting more with every page you turn.  What is going to happen next with this young couple.  Bella always being in life threatening situations and her undying love for Edward.  Two worlds that do not seem to belong together and meshing in a way that seems to have no way out.  Bella is determined to be with Edward wether it's good for them or not.  Once you start this Saga you are hooked until the end!

Twilight

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

   Twilight by Stephenie Meyer is probably one of my favorite books right now!  I really did not think that I was going to like this series and was greatly surprised by how much I loved this book.  I think that Stephenie Meyer really wrote about what most of us can relate to with out it being a true boring story.

   This book takes place in Forks, Washington, where it rains all the time.  Bella Swan, our main character in the story, decides to move to Forks to live with her father.  She hasn't been to Forks in years due to the fact that it rains all the time and it's always cloudy.  She loves the warmth and the sun.  She is happy to move to Forks only to give her mother some time to travel with her new husband.
 
  Being the new girl in town is a little uncomfortable for her, but in time she makes new friends and learns her way around town.  On the first day of school she come to learn about the Cullens.  A family of children adopted by Dr. and Mrs Cullen.  She finds out through her friends that the Cullens are paired up in couple statuses, except for one.  Edward is a handsome, pale boy, who keeps to himself and shows no intrest in any of the girls at the school.

   Her first contact with Edward is an odd one.  He seems to be repulsed by her.  She plans on finding out what his problem is with her but, he suddenly goes missing for a few days.  When he comes back, he tries to learn more about her and be friends with her, all while trying to warn her to stay away from him.  This back and forth being friends goes on for a little while, but Edward can not stay away and Bella finds herself in need of his saving a few times.

  After a few near death experiences it seems that they are meant to be.  Some attraction beyond belief seems to exist for this young couple

  This was a quick read that sucks you in and keeps you going until the very last page.  I didn't want to get into another saga after Harry Potter, but I gave into the Twilight phenomenon.  I was hooked and had to go out and buy New Moon right away.  I love, love loved this book!

The King's Grace

The King's Grace  by Anne Easter Smith

   The King's Grace is a great book by Anne Easter Smith about the illegitimate daughter of King Edward IV, Grace Plantagenet.  She is a woman who is barely recorded in English history.  This left lots of room for Anne Easter Smith to tell Grace's story and to link her with Perkin Warbeck, a young man who claims to be one of the boys in the tower.  The boys in the tower are the sons of King Edward IV.  They were put in the tower by their uncle Richard, when he became King of England.  The boys were never seen again and no one knows what happened to them, no one claimed to kill them and their bodies were never found.  To this day, what happened to them remains a mystery.

   Grace Plantagenet is the illegitimate daughter of King Edward IV, she was raised in a convent by nuns and eventually taken in by King Edward IVs widow, Elizabeth Woodville.  After King Edward IVs death, Elizabeth goes into sanctuary and takes in Grace.  Grace stays in the care of Elizabeth for many years, learning about the family and trying to stay in power.  Grace forms a bond with Elizabeth and her daughters and feels that she needs to solve the mystery of her half brothers.
 
    Grace had never been recognized as a princess like her sisters, because she is illegitimate.  She will never hold the importance they have and will probably never have a great marriage like they will.  When Elizabeth's daughter marries, Henry Tudor, things start to look up for Elizabeth Woodville and her young ward.  Things quickly turn and Elizabeth Woodville is force out of court and sent to an Abbey.  They are living like peasants with little belongings, poor clothing and no contact with the court.   Grace hopes for the day when she can get out of the Abbey.

    The fight for the York's has not ended at this point.  There are people claiming that one of Edward IVs boys is alive and has been spotted throughout Europe.  The woman behind this story and these sightings is Grace's Aunt Margaret of York, the sister of King Edward IV.   Grace travels to Burgundy to meet her Aunt and to find out what she can for Elizabeth Woodville.  Grace learns that this man, Richard, is her half brother.  She has this feeling that he is who he says he is.  Being that Grace has no knowledge of him at all, except for what people have told her she has no choice but to believe his story.

    With finding out about Richard, who many call Perkin Warbeck, she is back at the Tudor court and with her sisters.  She end up marring a young man whom she knew when she was a young girl.  He tries to keep an eye on  her and also tries to keep her from upsetting the King and his mother.  In and out of the Tudor court she goes, all while trying to help this young boy she believes to be her half brother.

    As the story grows it is more about Perkin than anyone else, except for Grace's involvement and her trips to Burgundy to see Margaret.  Being the great problem solver that Grace is, she does piece together to story of Richard and finds the truth of who he really is.

   The King's Grace is such a great story about the princes in the tower and Grace.   Grace has this determination to be a part of this family and to solve the mystery.  Anne Easter Smith puts this story together really well.  I recommend this book to anyone interested in the Tudors and the mystery of the Princes in the Tower!