"Stonefather" by Orson Scott Card

      My husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Card's works and when I saw Stonefather on the shelf at the library I couldn't resist. Okay well when it comes to books I'm easy and can't control myself anyways so maybe that means nothing. Anyways, I read it in two days. Its a short book but I liked it better than Pathfinder. Its appropriate for any age which is nice.

     Stonefather is about a young man, Runnel, who has no purpose in his village and deprived of positive attention in almost any form. Inspired by desire to go outside the village he heads towards Mitherlough a great city where he is accosted by soldiers and harsh women because of his ignorance. Lark shows him pity as he carries water for her and he is then added to the staff for Lord Brickel who is a stone mage but limited to cobblestone.

     Shortly after being introduced and shown where he was to sleep in the attic he is suddenly ill from being high and feeling the wood of the house continually trembling. As a solution to prevent sickness he sleeps in the basement at the hearth.

     Lord Brickel finds that the foundaiton of the house is now a solid slab of flagstone whereas it was only pieces previously. Discovering that Runnel is a stonefather he tries to find out what Runnel knows. While they are talking Demwor is suspicious of their whereabout's then discovers the magic Runnel has been doing but blames Lord Brickel instead not knowing Runnel is a stonefather. Therefore, Runnel seeks a way to free Lord Brickel and making the water mages in Mitherlough accepting of stone mages and not prejudice.

     The plot is the same as all the other stories but he did an excellant job at making it feel new and magical all over again. I wished it gave more back story about Runnel in the beginning so that you get a feel for the character right away but thats a preference not law. I know it didn't say on Goodreads that I was currently reading it but I just wanted to read it. A writer can write a good story but taking the same old plot and making it feel new and exciting is skill and expertise. Orson Scott Card you did well again! :D

     Write a comment below that includes your favorite Card book or one you are wanting to read. Thank you!

              By: J Feistner

"Promise of Hope" By: Autumn Stringam

Above here is a video clip of Autumn discussing parts of her life and the book which are synonymous.

This story is about a woman growing up in a psychotic home due to her mothers bipolar disorder and lack of help for the condition at the time. It is interesting to see how the bipolar disorder can cause people to turn into different extreme factions of themselves. Fearing her angry mom ut stuck at home fending for herself and trying to help with the kids she is a witness to all the horrible actions of her mother and the close minded judgment of others in the community.

Following her mothers story in the beginning turns towards Autumn herself as well as she recognizes the small behaviors and thoughts she herself began to deal with. I can't imagine how frustrating it is to be stuck in your own body knowing at some points you are doing something wrong or waking up and finding a closet stuffed full of yarn and having no idea where it came from and what it was for.

Shortly before her mothers suicide Autumn is married to Dana and they together struggle through the disorder with medication concoctions, mental hospital visits, and the variety of behaviors that tagged along with her.

Initially I was hesitant to read the book because some of my family members are dealing with the bipolar disorder but I haven't been too close since no one in my immediate family suffers from it. I have known to call those suffering on their grey days to cheer them up or just listen to their thoughts which are sometimes scary but hey we are family. :)

Contained in this book is some dark and scary stuff. I almost put it down after the first few chapters because it was a little overwhelming but I kept on hoping that the tide would change for Autumn. Her hope came from a very unlikely source. Her father's friend David was a pig farmer and sometimes pigs develop a ear tail biting habit and he would give them a vitamin supplement to help them and they would stop. When Autumn's father confided in him after his wife's suicide his friend explained that his kids were suffering from a pig disease. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Not something you really want to hear. Her father submerged himself in research of the disorder and recruited David to formulate a solution through vitamins and minerals.

A year to two later they found the right combination and Autumn tried it and has been symptom free for 10 years. There is a greater amount of events in the book than this simple explanation but its great.

I like this book a lot and it was originally lent to me by my mother in law but she will have to buy herself another one because I'm not giving it back. Now this vitamin concoction is called EMPowerplus or in the US as Q96.

My mother in law gave me this book and a bottle of it. I was a little unsure by what she meant but I think she had good intentions. :D ha ha ha ha ha. Anyways these vitamins have also helped those that suffer from chronic headaches and migraines as well. Since I have a bottle and during Aunt Flo's visit my emotions sway like a weed in the wind I decided to experiment and try it myself. I will give it a while to see if it helps to keep my stabilized during Aunt Flo's visit. ;) Read it love it and BUY it! :D


                By: J Feistner