NIGHTSTAND BOOKS

Welcome to the first ever Nightstand Books party! At the bottom of this post you'll find the Linky List where you can share your own blog post about what you're currently reading or about to begin reading. I look forward to seeing what everyone else is up to in the realm of the written word.So, what's on MY nightstand, you ask?A lot of re-reading, actually. Last year, I read mostly new-to-me books. This year, I've sort of been feeling the urge to go back and revisit some of my oldest and dearest friends. Currently on the list are:

"Star Wars: The Last Command" by Timothy Zahn. Have I mentioned how much I love Timothy Zahn? I'm sure I have. "The Last Command" is the final book in the "Thrawn Trilogy," and is, in my humble opinion, the best of the best when it comes to any of the books penned in the Star Wars universe. (I love most of the Star Wars books, but these are my favorites). If you are at all interested in following the characters beyond the movies and into the EU (extended universe, for those of us who are complete nerds), this is the place to start (well, start with "Heir to the Empire," of course, as that is the first book in the trilogy. If you start with "The Last Command" you'll be seriously lost). :) I actually just finished this the other night, so trilogy review coming soon!"Ender's Shadow" by Orson Scott Card. I re-read "Ender's Game" last summer in preparation for the movie release, and have been wanting to re-read "Ender's Shadow" ever since... specifically because I like it better than "Ender's Game," and I'm finally getting around to it. Too many good books, not enough time!"Lad of Sunnybank" by Albert Payson Terhune. These are old, old favorites from my childhood, and I haven't read any of them in many years. When I was trying to figure out what to read next, this and its companions called out to me. Partially because I love the stories, and partially because... well... just look at it! See that OLD hardback? There is nothing quite so lovely as sitting down to read an OLD book. This was printed in 1929, y'all. It's been passed down to me from (I think) my great-grandfather, who apparently received it as a Christmas gift in 1948! Love it!"The Castle of Llyr" by Lloyd Alexander. Another series of childhood favorites, I've been working my way through this series since I picked them up at a used bookstore last Fall. This is the third book in the series, and is a great children's series. I would definitely describe them as Tolkien-light. :)"The Reader of Acheron" by Walter Rhein. Walter was one of the contributors along with me to the Battle of Ebulon project, and I mentioned in a review that I really enjoyed his chapter in that collection - so he messaged me and asked if I'd be interested in reviewing his latest book."Tales of the Kingdom" by David and Karen Mains. Another all-time favorite, partially because of the stories and partially because of the gorgeous illustrations (by Jack Stockman). This is a lovely children's allegory/fantasy/fairy tale about what it can be like to live as Christians in a fallen world. It follows a young boy who flees the Enchanted City and the darkness and fires of the Enchanter with his younger brother in search of a King and the Kingdom that his mother told him about before she died. Beautifully written, many of the chapters are very difficult for me to read without getting all teary... which is entertaining, because I'm currently reading this one out loud to my 5 year old daughter. It's our special "right before quiet time" moment after I put her younger sister down for a nap each day. :) So that's what's on my nightstand. What's on yours?? If you are posting your own Nightstand Books post to your blog today, please remember to link back here or to DJ's POST on your own blog, and enter your name and the URL of your blog POST (not just the blog in general) into Mister Linky below!Otherwise, you can tell me what's on your nightstand in a comment! :) (Or you can comment about something else... I love comments, and I'm not particularly picky about them, so long as they're nice).