It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

I'm reading: 

Something from my dusty bookshelf. I needed a book with stars in the title or on the cover for one of my reading challenges.

TITLE: For Darkness Shows the Stars

SERIES: For Darkness Shows the Stars, Book #1
AUTHOR: Diana Peterfreund

PUBLISHER: Balzer + Bray

PUBLICATION DATE: June 12, 2012

FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 407 pages

GENRE: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Dystopia

ISBN: 9780062006141

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

Something from the library. I have the regular edition sitting on my dusty bookshelf, but I wanted to read this new edition which I started during Banned Books Week.

TITLE: The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition

AUTHOR: Anne Frank

PUBLISHER: Anchor Books

PUBLICATION DATE: February 1, 1996 (first published 1947)

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 352 pages

GENRE: Nonfiction, Classics, Autobiography/Memoir

ISBN: 9780385480338

For almost fifty years, Anne Frank's diary has moved millions with its testament to the human spirit's indestructibility, but readers have never seen the full text of this beloved book--until now. This new translation, performed by Winona Ryder, restores nearly one third of Anne's entries excised by her father in previous editions, revealing her burgeoning sexuality, her stormy relationship with her mother, and more.

Something from the library, to fulfill a prompt for a reading challenge which is to read a book of poetry by an author of colour.

TITLE: The Complete Collection Poems of Maya Angelou

AUTHOR: Maya Angelou

PUBLISHER: Random House

PUBLICATION DATE: September 13, 1994 (first published 1986)

FORMAT: Hardcover

LENGTH: 273 pages

GENRE: Nonfiction, Poetry

ISBN: 9780679428954

For the first time, the complete collection of Maya Angelou's published poems-including "On the Pulse of Morning"-in a permanent collectible, handsome hardcover edition.

I completed a nine-week course with a group of people, which featured DVD Study sessions and a Participant Guide with study questions (homework!) for discussion each week. The book is a lot to digest, and I'm still reading it in chunks.

TITLE: Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life

AUTHORS: Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

PUBLISHER: Zondervan

PUBLICATION DATE: November 2, 1992

FORMAT: Hardcover

LENGTH: 314 pages

GENRE: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self-Help

ISBN: 9780310585909

Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances -- Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions -- Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from the harmful, manipulative emotions of others -- Spiritual boundaries help us to distinguish God's will from our own and give us renewed awe for our Creator -- Often, Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations. When confronted with their lack of boundaries, they ask: - Can I set limits and still be a loving person? - What are legitimate boundaries? - What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? - How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? - Aren't boundaries selfish? - Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries? Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend offer biblically-based answers to these and other tough questions, showing us how to set healthy boundaries with our parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and even ourselves.

Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which I am reading aloud to my younger daughter. We are loving this series! It just gets better and better!

TITLE: A Dangerous Path

SERIES: Warriors, Book #5

AUTHOR: Erin Hunter

PUBLISHER: HarperCollins

PUBLICATION DATE: March 17, 2015 (first published 2004)

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 368 pages

GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy

ISBN: 9780062367006

Join the legion of fans who have made Erin Hunter's Warriors series a #1 national bestseller--with new editions featuring a striking new look! More thrilling fantasy, fierce warrior cats, and epic adventures await in Warriors #5: A Dangerous Path.

ShadowClan has chosen Tigerclaw as their new leader, and Fireheart fears that this old enemy still harbors dark plans for vengeance on his former Clan. A mysterious threat has invaded the forest, placing every cat's life in peril. And Fireheart's beloved leader has turned her back on their warrior ancestors. Fireheart can't help but wonder if she's right--has StarClan abandoned them forever?

Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which I am reading aloud to my younger daughter. I had no idea this book was part of the 101 Dalmatians series!

TITLE: The Midnight Kittens
SERIES: The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Book #3
AUTHOR: Dodie Smith

PUBLISHER: Red Fox

PUBLICATION DATE: August 17, 1994 (first published 1978)

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 122 pages

GENRE: Childrens

ISBN: 0099240602

One night, Pam and Tom put out a saucer of milk for the hedgehogs that live in the orchard, and sit watching at the window. Suddenly, on the stroke of midnight, four kittens appear, drink the milk, and then vanish again. Wherever have they come from? The twins are mystified - and decide to find out the secret behind their magical midnight visitors...

Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which my daughter is reading aloud to me for home reading.

TITLE: A Double Trouble Dream Date
AUTHOR: Michael J. Pellowski

PUBLISHER: Willowisp Press

PUBLICATION DATE: 1997 (first published 1990)

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 142 pages

GENRE: Childrens

ISBN: 0874068290

Randi and Sandi Daniels are thrilled when the hottest teen singer comes to their town. They find out that they get to be in his newest video--but Randi, who has a voice like a frog's, has to sing to save the day. Will they pull the "double trouble switch" again?

I'm listening to:

Something from the library. I need a book starting with Letter Q for one of my reading challenges.

TITLE: The Queen of the Tearling

SERIES: The Queen of the Tearling, Book #1
AUTHOR: Erika Johansen 

NARRATOR: Katherine Kellgren 

PUBLISHER: HarperAudio

PUBLICATION DATE: July 8, 2014

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 14 hrs and 30 mins

GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780062332288

Her throne awaits . . . if she can live long enough to take it.

It was on her nineteenth birthday that the soldiers came for Kelsea Glynn. They’d come to escort her back to the place of her birth – and to ensure she survives long enough to be able to take possession of what is rightfully hers.

But like many nineteen-year-olds, Kelsea is unruly, has high principles and believes she knows better than her elders. Unlike many nineteen-year-olds, she is about to inherit a kingdom that is on its knees – corrupt, debauched and dangerous.

Kelsea will either become the most fearsome ruler the kingdom has ever known . . . or be dead within the week.

Combining thrilling adventure and action, dark magic, mystery and romance, The Queen of the Tearling is the debut of a born storyteller blessed with a startling imagination.

I just finished:

TITLE: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

AUTHOR: Aimee Bender

PUBLISHER: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

PUBLICATION DATE: June 1, 2010 

FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 292 pages

GENRE: Magical Realism, Fantasy

ISBN: 9780385501125

The wondrous Aimee Bender conjures the lush and moving story of a girl whose magical gift is really a devastating curse.

On the eve of her ninth birthday, unassuming Rose Edelstein, a girl at the periphery of schoolyard games and her distracted parents’ attention, bites into her mother’s homemade lemon-chocolate cake and discovers she has a magical gift: she can taste her mother’s emotions in the cake. She discovers this gift to her horror, for her mother—her cheerful, good-with-crafts, can-do mother—tastes of despair and desperation. Suddenly, and for the rest of her life, food becomes a peril and a threat to Rose.

The curse her gift has bestowed is the secret knowledge all families keep hidden—her mother’s life outside the home, her father’s detachment, her brother’s clash with the world. Yet as Rose grows up she learns to harness her gift and becomes aware that there are secrets even her taste buds cannot discern.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake is a luminous tale about the enormous difficulty of loving someone fully when you know too much about them. It is heartbreaking and funny, wise and sad, and confirms Aimee Bender’s place as “a writer who makes you grateful for the very existence of language” (San Francisco Chronicle).

TITLE: Triple Trouble
AUTHOR: Michael J. Pellowski

PUBLISHER: Willowisp Press

PUBLICATION DATE: December 28, 1998

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 112 pages

GENRE: Childrens

ISBN: 0874063051

In this all-new version of the popular 1987 book, twins Randi and Sandi are at it again, but this time, their identical cousin Mandy is part of the shenanigans.

TITLE: Alaskan Holiday

AUTHOR: Debbie Macomber 

NARRATORS: Laurel Rankin and Luke Daniels

PUBLISHER: Random House Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: October 2, 2018

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 4 hrs and 50 mins

GENRE: Holiday, Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780525491712

New York Times Bestseller - "[Debbie] Macomber brings her signature charm to this appealing tale of an aspiring chef. . . . This charmer will please Macomber fans and newcomers alike."--Publishers Weekly

Debbie Macomber brings us to the Alaskan wilderness for a magical Christmas tale about finding love where it's least expected.

Before beginning her dream job as sous chef in one of Seattle's hottest new restaurants, Josie Avery takes a summer position cooking at a lakeside lodge in the remote Alaskan town of Ponder. Josie falls for the rustic charms of the local community--including Jack Corcoran, the crotchety keeper of Ponder's famed sourdough starter, and, in particular, the quiet and intense Palmer Saxon, a famed master swordsmith.

Josie and Palmer become close during the long Alaskan summer days, but Josie knows that, come fall, she'll be returning to reality and the career she's worked so hard for. Palmer, on the other hand, would like nothing better than to make Josie his wife and to keep her in Ponder. But Josie can't imagine abandoning her mother back in the Emerald City and sacrificing her career to stay in this isolated town--not even for a man she's quickly coming to love.

Fate has other plans. Josie misses the last boat out of town before winter sets in, stranding her in Ponder and putting her dream job at risk. As the holidays approach, Josie and Palmer must grapple with the complications that arise when dreams confront reality, and the Christmas magic that can happen when they put their faith in love.

Debbie Macomber is at her best in this beautiful holiday story about the far journeys we travel to find a place to call home.

TITLE: The BFG
AUTHOR: Roald Dahl

PUBLISHER: Puffin

PUBLICATION DATE: 2008 (first published 1982)

FORMAT: Paperback

LENGTH: 199 pages

GENRE: Childrens, Fantasy

ISBN: 9780141326238

Kidsnatched from her orphanage by a BFG (Big Friendly Giant), who spends his life blowing happy dreams to children, Sophie concocts with him a plan to save the world from nine other man-gobbling cannybull giants.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these books and, if so, what did you think? Please let me know in the comments and, if you are also participating in this meme, leave me a link to your blog post so that I can stop by!