Rinda's Reads: Two Recommendations

I am reading again! Not as much as I used to, but enough to keep me sane. And so I thought I would pass along the best books I read in February and March. There were more books than this, but I wasn't overly impressed with the others I read (or I flat-out hated them).

For February: Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, and Emerald Green (aka the Precious Stone Trilogy) by Kerstin Gier, translation by Anthea Bell

Another one of those fantastical young adult series, with a twist. Here's the twist: these books are translated from German, and there is apparently a movie already made of them, but there is no English translation available. Anyway, I loved the books. And it is the first time since last fall (aka since I've been pregnant) that I've been able to finish three books in the space of two weeks. I can't even really explain the storyline, except to say that it is about a teenage girl who unexpectedly finds out she has inherited the family time-traveling gene. Perhaps that sounds a bit cheesy, but I will tell you this: the books are a thousand times better than Twilight.

For March: Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

Perhaps I picked this book up because it was historical fiction and I love historical fiction. Perhaps it was because the writer is from Texas--and not just any part of Texas, but a part my mission actually covered. Perhaps it is because I was impressed by the cover art (yes, I do judge books by their covers, so judge me).

The point is, it doesn't matter why I picked this book up. What matters is that I am a better person for reading this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone (especially people looking for book club suggestions). If anyone has read this book, please call me. I need to talk it over with someone. Not only is the writing beautiful and the characters well-developed, but this book shows that racism is not just something that ended in the 1960s, and it explores why it is important for us to pay attention today.

This book has one of those storylines where you think you know what is going to happen (a white girl in Kentucky just can't end up with a black boy in the 1940s, everyone knows that), but then Kibler manages to surprise you throughout the whole book anyway. Be warned, this book is real and not all warm fuzzies. I would give it a PG-13 rating.

Anyway, you should read it.

Now, any recommendations for me?