Christmas in Haggerty by Besty Brannon Green

Christmas in Haggerty by Betsy Brannon Green

Kate Iverson is having a hard time feeling the Spirit of Christmas. Her relatives seem to be welcoming new little ones to their family, and while she has two beautiful children, she mourns over the fact that her childbearing years are already over. Yet, in Haggerty there is much service to be done, and as she gets caught up in family history projects, baking, and Christmas pageants. Not to mention the fact that she must come up with an idea for the neighborhood door-decorating contest. Yet, she keeps dreaming about a little girl that needs her help, and ends up being of greater service than she could have ever expected.

This was an enjoyable little Christmas novel. I haven’t read the entire series that this little Christmas book is a spin off of, though I have read the first book, which I did enjoy. I sort of wish that the physical setting was described a bit more, but I think that it is probably set up well enough in the series that most readers familiar with it wouldn’t mind a bit. The town of Haggerty already lives in their heads. The characters were charming and lively, and gave the little town a quirky and enjoyable flare. I also enjoyed the fact that the book isn’t overtly sappy or sentimental, and yet still has meaning. Christmas in Haggerty is a quick and enjoyable read for the holiday season.

Author's Website:http://www.betsybrannongreen.net/

Author's Blog:http://betsygreen.blogspot.com/

Our Eleanor by Candace Flemming

Our Eleanor by Candace Fleming

Earlier this year I read a “scrapbook” biography of Benjamin Franklin’s life written by the same author. This Biography is about Eleanor Roosevelt, and her tremendous life. I’m so glad I came across this book, and read it. It gave me a whole new picture of this revolutionary woman. I always knew that Eleanor was a unique figure in history, but this really made me understand her life and the influence she held in America at the time. I hadn’t known that she was the first woman delegate to the United Nations, or that she helped to write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or that she was a huge leader in the Democratic party for many years.

The number of things that she accomplished in life is absolutely amazing, and it was for the majority centered around helping people in all walks of life, and in dozens of different places. Yet this biography also shows the human side of her, how her marriage wasn’t picture perfect, and her mother-in-law was controlling and overbearing. My favorite detail was the fact that she was a terrible driver. She got in car accidents all the time, complete with newspaper articles detailing what happened. This entertaining and informative biography really is a delight to read.

I really do love how this format allows the reader to view primary documents along with the narrative text, though I wished that some of the scanned documents had been larger and clearer, because I was squinting to read them. The book is full of pictures, documents, cartoons, articles, letters, and posters that make the book more fascinating. This was a really excellent book, and an excellent resource for young people interested in history. I would highly recommend this to all!

Author's Website:http://www.candacefleming.com/

Minding Mama By Marilyn Arnold

Minding Mama by Marilyn Arnold

Dorie Grimes didn’t expect the day of her mother’s death to come so soon, and now she is up to the task of transporting her body to Jericho, Utah from Atlanta, Georgia. The problem is that Dorie doesn’t have enough money to ship her, and so she wraps her mother in a quilt and heads off across the country in an old pickup truck, trying to get there before the stink sets in. Yet, she encounters unexpected obstacles, picking up a run away girl, a bum and his dog Petunia, and an abandoned baby were not part of the original plan, neither was running into a bank robbers, fraudulent evangelicals, or riding in a great white whale.

The initial crazy conflict of this book hooked me in immediately, the lady has to drive her mother’s dead body to Jericho, Utah? The book grows more charming and crazy still as the character Dorie runs into more interesting people than one could ever hope to meet in a lifetime. I love the unique voice and style of this novel; it has a rural southern vibe, and yet feels graceful and thoughtful. I wasn’t exactly sure where the novel was going after they got to Jericho, Utah, but ultimately the novel is about the relationships formed between this unlikely cast of characters, and where they end up. I enjoyed this read despite the strangness that could be off putting to some readers at first. I recommend you give it a try.

Author Biography:http://cedarfort.com/author/Arnold.html

Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones by Brandon Sanderson

Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener’s Bones by Brandon Sanderson
The life of Alcatraz Smerdy changed the day his grandfather walked into his life and handed him his inheritance, and told him his incredible ability to break things was actually a talent. He’s supposed to meet up with his grandfather, who is late (as usual—that’s his talent), only to be chased down by some Librarians. He is rescued by his old friends, and discovers his grandfather has gone on a quest to find Alcatraz’s father. So Alcatraz leads the crew on an adventure in Library of Alexandria, which was not destroyed, but moved underground. Now Alcatraz has to find his grandfather, and avoid the curators, who are ready and willing to take his soul if he checks out library materials.
I think I liked the sequel more than the first book, though, I do have to admit the cover made me feel embarrassed to read it in public. I mean just look at it, plus it reminds me of science fiction and the book isn’t science fiction at all. Alas. The first book gets a little annoying with the whole tangent notes, but I don’t know if they were just cooler in this book or if I was used to them, but I liked them better. I thought they were also trickier, and a bigger audience could appreciate them. Loved the humor and the action packed story line. Just don’t try to explain this one to your co-workers.

“What are you reading?”
“A story about a boy who has a talent for breaking things and has to defeat a cult of evil librarians that steal your soul.”
Weird looks.
“It’s a funny book.”
“Yeah, funny.”
Then they would look at the cover, and I would think, don’t look at the cover don’t look at the cover. I promise I’m an intelligent adult.

Moral of the story: this book is way better than the cover and my sad summary implies and you should try it out.

Sanderson's Website:http://www.brandonsanderson.com/

Time and Eternity by E. M. Tippetts

Alice O’Donnell is a new member of the church, and expects to be proposed to by her boyfriend Darren. He baptized her into the church, and everything seems to be perfect until he starts acting weird, calling her a “molly”, and being distant. In spite of that she has gotten inspiration from her prayers that she will find the one she needs to be with, which she assumes is Darren. Then he ditches her. Add to that her job is offering her a new position in another state, and her parents are going though and painful divorce and trying to put her in the middle of it.

Weaving her way through a singles ward is confusing, frustrating, and even lonely. Then Spencer takes an interest in her. He seems to be the catch of the ward upstanding, cute, and responsible. Plus, he’s looking to get married before he moves away. Alice tries to like him but can’t quite commit. Apparently, the lord doesn’t always give to us what we planned, or even thought he planned.

Let me give a girly squeal and say, “I loved this book!” It really is one of the best light romances I’ve read for a while. I even adore the cover. The style is a more crisp and tight then most LDS novels, which makes it a refreshing read. The author spends a lot of effort showing how complicated and drama filled a singles ward can be, and how the chase to find the one you love is full of wild twists and turns. This book will leave you with a smile on your face, and with a new love (or hate) for this charming(some not so charming) cast of characters. I would recommend.

Author's Blog:http://www.emilymah.com/

Author's website:http://www.emtippetts.com/

Abinadi by H.B. Moore

Abinadi by H.B. Moore

Each time Abinadi sees the beautiful Raquel he tells himself that he couldn’t tempt a beautiful woman like her. She is the daughter of Amulon, one of King Noah’s high priests, and yet he feels something towards her. Then King Noah asks for Raquel to be one of his many wives, and she decides to flee out of the city of Nephi. Abinadi convinces her to allow him to help her, though she is determined to take care of herself. They find that though they came from different background their desire to please God gives them something in common. When Abinadi is called to call the King Noah’s people to repentance they will be both asked to sacrifice much.

Alma finds that being a high priest in King Noah’s court has some perks, if only he could forget about the lessons his father taught him before he died. As he falls further into a life of sin he realizes how the wrath of King Noah affects those around him, including a woman he cares about, Maia. Then he hears Abinadi’s call to repentance and feels the power of God. Alma must look inside himself for the courage to escape from King Noah, and his former life.

This latest release from H.B. Moore tells the story of Abinadi’s life and death. She chose to portray Abinadi as a younger man with a wife and small child when he was killed. I really liked Raquel’s character, as a stubborn, determined woman, and really liked her conversion story. I also enjoyed how she portrayed Alma as a complex character, and related his change of heart realistically. She seemed to hit the balance between his evil choices and ultimate goodness of his heart and spirit very well. I found the portrayal of evil to be slightly uncomfortable, as is should be, but not offensive. King Noah really is evil in this book, and Amulon leaves his daughter in a compromising situation with him in which she has to escape in order to avoid getting hurt. So, if you are extra sensitive about that sort of thing be aware. There were a few scenes I felt were a bit melodramatic, but overall this book was really captivating, uplifting, and entertaining. I had a hard time putting it down when it was time to cook dinner, and it was well worth the read.

Moore's Blog:http://mywriterslair.blogspot.com/

Moore's Website:http://www.hbmoore.com/

The Adventures of Young Joseph Williams by Dean Hughes

The Adventures of Young Joseph Williams by Dean Hughes

I recently read the two last books in Dean Hughes church history trilogy, As Wide As the River, and Facing the Enemy. These books chronicle the struggles of the Williams family during the restoration of the gospel. The plot line of the trilogy focuses mainly on the early Saints struggles in Missouri. It is similar to the Work and the Glory, but written on a level for the younger reader, and focuses more on character than on educating the reader on church history. I sometimes wished I had brushed up on my church history a bit more as I read these volumes, as they don’t take a whole bunch of time telling in the narrative or in copious historical notes about background details. Rather they show through the limited experience of the main character Joseph Williams, what a family might have encountered living in Missouri during the 1830’s.

In As Wide As the River Joseph and his family are still trying to recover from their expulsion from Jackson County by an angry mob. Joseph struggles with questions about religion, trials, and his personal dream to be a steamboat pilot on the Missouri River. His family has to build their life anew, while their father struggles to recover from the illness caused by effects of the mob in Jackson County.

Facing the Enemy continues the story of the Williams family, now settled in Far West. Joseph continues to struggle to do what is right while those around him are talking about fighting back against the mob. Joseph does his best to follow the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and to help the saints in the ways that he is asked, even if his aid missions often put him in danger of capture. Then he learns that his brother Matthew is a part of a band called the Danites, a group that goes around to burn mob members out of their houses. Joseph questions how these actions can be justified, and whether the Mormons are just as bad as the mob members persecuting them.

I enjoyed completing this little church history series. I really enjoy Dean Hughes, and how he lets his characters grow, make mistakes, and even doubt, but ultimately they find their place. I found the story line about the Danites to be interesting and unique. I had heard of them, but didn’t know much about them, and so it was intriguing to watch the character deal with the ramifications of their existence. This series isn’t a new favorite of mine, but I still enjoyed reading it, and think they are worth picking up.

Dean Hughes website: http://www.deanhughes.net/

All’s Fair by Julie Coulter Bellon

All’s Fair by Julie Coulter Bellon

Kristen Shepherd’s wedding day falls apart when she finds out that her fiancée tried to transfer funds from her bank account without her knowing, and she breaks things off until she can get some answers from him. Things get more awkward when she has to work with him to win a political campaign for her company. They used to work well together, but Kristen isn’t sure if she can believe her fiancées stories, especially when they include involvement in a possible terrorist group in the Middle East.

Ryan Jameson helps her when she arrives at her family cabin to get herself back together. Kristen tires to hide her old feelings for him since he has proven in the past that she can’t trust him. Besides, he’s now working on the staff of her client’s political opponent. Then terrorist forces capture her brother Brandon, who is serving as a doctor in Iraq. Brandon has to make a decision between following his morals, or potentially betraying his loyalty to his country.

Kristen uses all her contacts to organize a rescue operation for her brother, and explores the link between her former fiancée and his Middle East connections to see if they have any answers.

Sorry for lack of posts. I’ve been working 50 hour plus weeks for the last three weeks. I’m way behind on reviews of books I’ve read. This newest release from Julie Bellon is a fast-paced suspense that has clever plot twists and an enjoyable story. The characters were decent, but ultimately they kind of fell a bit flat for me. I liked them, and wanted to read their story, but I kind of wished for a little bit more depth and emotional complexity from the type of situations they were put in. I felt like Brandon decided far too quickly and easily how he was going to react to his ethical situation. The internal conflict there could have been more intense, and as a result more powerful. Still, an interesting read with a look into the war in Iraq, with a strong quick paced plot with two romance threads woven throughout. I think a broad audience of people will enjoy this one.

Julie's Website:http://www.juliebellon.com/

Blogs at:http://sixldswriters.blogspot.com/

Widow's Revenge by K.L. Fogg

Widow’s Revenge by K.L. Fogg

Wesley Mackey should be the luckiest boy ever. His father is the Snake Stalker on a famous television show, but that doesn’t make his life easier. Instead it makes him the target for bullies, and when he decides to fight back he gets suspended from school. So, Wesley is paired up with a geeky tutor, who used to be a Navy SEAL. Then his baby sister goes missing and it looks like his former “mom” is behind it. Imogene wants to make a swap--Wesley for his baby sister Emily. Being kidnapped is no picnic, but with the help of his parents and friends they may be able to bring the evil Imogene down for good. I’m very happy to report that this is an awesome sequel to the first book in the series. I didn’t like it as much as the first one, but still really enjoyed it. I liked how she developed new characters in the series, and developed stock characters from the first book into more fleshed out characters. The plot is adventure filled, and yet takes time to focus on character development, a combination I adore! I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series; the ending left me wondering exactly what will happen.

Her Good Name by Josi Kilpack

Her Good Name by Josi S. Kilpack

Chrissy tries her best to be a good member of the church, a kind sister, and a hard working employee, and an honest person. So it doesn’t make sense when she doesn’t pass a background check for new employment, and suddenly has a fair credit score when trying to buy a new dishwasher. Chrissy is starting to get a clue that her identity has been stolen. Yet, this identity theft isn’t only looking for a quick buck, and Chrissy watches as her carefully constructed life begins to fracture apart piece by piece.

Micah, a man that she met during an awkward blind date, has also had his identity stolen, and when they find similarities between their cases they decided to work together to solve this crisis. Taking a piece of Micah’s advice to heart Chrissy decides to set out, and restore her good name.

I’ve been a fan of Josi Kilpack’s for a two years or so now. I love how all the main characters of her novels are so diverse and have such unique, yet realistic, worldviews from each other. I know I’m always going to get a taste of something new and unique whenever I pick up one of her books. Chrissy’s character does not disappoint in this newest novel, she is a strong, vivacious, single, Mexican-American woman, who doesn’t give up when the hard times hit. I had a hard time putting this book down when I had tons of stuff to do. The suspense of finding her identity “double” is intense, as Chrissy never imagined her identity stolen by such an evil woman, who was part of a violent and dangerous liberation movement in Guatemala. Yet, this villain has realistic motivations, and a goal that the readers can easily identify with. I thought it was a bit far-fetched that Chrissy would go so far to hunt down and break into the places that her identity double had been frequenting, but it was really fun to read anyway. This really is a fantastic book, and I would recommend it to all. The ending leaves enough loose ends that a sequel is very possible (and I sort of want one), but still has a satisfying ending.

Josi's website:http://www.josiskilpack.com/Official_Site/Welcome.html

Josi's blog:http://www.josikilpack.blogspot.com/