A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver

A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver
When twenty-five-year-old Lyn sets off on her cruise vacation, all she wants is to 
forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. What she plans is a diversion 
uncomplicated by romance. What she gets is Braedon, an intriguing young surgeon. 
He's everything her fiancé wasn't, and against the backdrop of the ship's make-believe world, her emotions come alive.

Unaware of the sensitive waters he navigates, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship—on the very anniversary Lyn came on the cruise to forget. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic.
But it's hard to get away from someone when you're stuck on the same ship. Things 
are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise's snorkeling 
excursions. Then paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped, and Lyn's fear of a fairy tale turns grim.

Alright, so at first I was a little iffy on this book. The opening scenes establish the characters on the cruise ship and all the guys were checking out the main character in stereotypical fashion, but there was more than one character surprise along the way. Even the most shallow characters had some real depth.  The plot line swings from romantic adventure cruise to pirate attack to tropical island survival story and I loved it! As a kid I always loved the Hatchet and Island of the Blue Dolphins. The total man versus nature plotlines and it was thrilling to read about the adventure this couple had to go through to survive the elements and carve out a sanctuary for themselves. Something else I loved about this book is that it doesn’t end with at the rescue. It is fascinating to watch  Lyn reintegrate into society after subsisting on an island for two years. It is not a painless task. I will probably reread this one.    

This one is part of a blog tour and so has a raffelcoptor giveaway! 

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A Way Back to You by Emily Gray Clawson

A Way Back to You by Emily Gray Clawson

What would you do if you were given a second chance? Annabelle, whom nearly everyone calls Anne, has been stuck in the past for two years. Numbed by grief over her husband's unexpected death and overwhelmed with the responsibility of raising their three young children alone, Anne agrees to let a friend take the kids for the weekend while she tries to get some much-needed rest at her parent's home. But when Anne wakes up the next morning, she is suddenly sixteen again. And it just happens to be the worst day she spent as a teenager. High school the second time around brings unforeseen changes and frustrations, but remembering that her future husband, Mitch, has just returned from a mission and is living on the other side of town gives Anne hope. Getting Mitch's attention (for the second time) is more complicated than she could have imagined, but Anne discovers she is stronger than she believed possible—and there just might be a future for her after all.

When Anne gets transported back to high school she sees her teenage angst in a whole new light. Being a little overweight is not really a big deal. Her dirty room is totally dragging her down. Some cleaning is in order. She also rediscovers her passion for music and for her teenage crush Sam. The going back to high school storyline is a familiar one full of tropes and annoying clichés. What I loved about A Way Back to You is that it mostly steers clear of these pitfalls. I love the way that Anne brings her 30 year old maturity to her teenage years.  It was so refreshing to read about a teenage protagonist that was less egotistical and self-absorbed than usual. Yet, Anne doesn’t have everything figured out. She tries to clear the air with her old fling and only makes a fool of herself. Repeatedly. She doesn’t know why she’s suddenly a teenager again and has to worry about whether her choices, especially her romantic ones will make her three children not exist in the future. Then there is the chance that she can see her deceased husband again. The chance that she can see him one last time, but arranging that is far more difficult than it should be. I really loved how this book made me think back on what I loved as a teenager and what parts of my young self I have held on to into adulthood.   

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The Emerald Ring by Dorine White

The Emerald Ring by Dorine White
"Twelve year old Sara Guadalupe Bogus spends the last few days of summer anticipating middle school and helping her Grandma Dora around the house. Her ordinary life turns upside down when she discovers an emerald ring once belonging to Cleopatra. Touching the ring sends a lightening like zap through her system, while putting the ring upon her finger causes it to stick like glue.

Now strange things are happening to Sara. She has troubling visions, can understand animals and learns to transform herself into an Egyptain cat. However, the worst thing is the strange man that shows up in town. He is hunting for the emerald ring, and will not stop until he acquires it. With the ring stuck on her finger, Sara has no choice. She can be hunted, or become the hunter."

This book was so-so for me. It was a quick entertaining read that had a fun premise. Yet, it wasn’t everything I expected. The main character Sara spends a lot of time figuring out her powers, but mostly in a very passive way. Like by getting sick, or having dreams, or reading books in the library. I expected a little bit more action and a little less investigative mystery plot line. Though, I feel like the author did a good job in making Sara respond realistically to having developed magical powers suddenly. The author sets up the premise for a series quite nicely, but I felt like her bad guys were weak. They are a mysterious sect determined to bring back the glory of Rome by stealing Cleopatra’s magical jewels.

 I was really confused by the historical context of their founding and kind of wished their motives were more clear. I am kind of a History and Latin major though so I’m probably grading the author too hard on this, but frankly the sect was one dimensional and disappointing. They started after Cleopatra died so did they work for Augustus?  Were they getting the gems for him? Were they at the battle of Actium? More pointedly, I want to know how the gems influenced the battle. That’d be super interesting.  Did the sect think Augustus was usurping the power of Rome and were supporters of Antony? I mean there is so much historical baggage that goes with that time period and the author didn’t do a good job of making the sect apart of that history and helping the reader understand why they were so bad and formidable.  What goals did they have aside from bringing back Rome that were so horrible for the world?

I really am being too harsh. I really am but I was super disappointed that most of the information about Cleopatra was extremely general, very fictionalized, and left out huge and important parts of the historical record.  I am a history snob expecting too much out of a middle grade novel, but I can’t help asking these questions of a novel that uses history as its backdrop and then completely ignores it. So, if you don’t have huge history issues like I apparently do then this book really isn’t that bad of a read.

Visit Dorine White's website

One Drop at a Time by M. Russell Ballard and Giveaway!

One Drop at a Time by M. Russell Ballard

I loved this conference talk when I first heard it delivered and it is wonderful to read it in this beautiful format.  Ballard speaks of the significance of the symbol of the beehive to the church. He compares us to honeybees. Each honeybee contributes an insignificant amount of honey by ounce to the hive in their short lifetime. Yet, with all the bees working together they make a large amount of delicious and healthy honey. This reminds us that even if we feel our contribution doesn’t make a difference if we all do our part we can transform our homes, communities, and the world. I love this message about service and it is beautifully illustrated with images of bees and flowers. This would make a wonderful gift for young women transferring into Relief Society in my opinion, but I think this book’s message can be enjoyed by women of any age.

So, Shadown Mountain asked me to do this review and gave me a second copy to give away. So if you would like to win a copy just leave a comment annd your email. On May 31st I'll pick names from a hat and announce the winner.

21 Principles by Richard G. Scott

21 Principles: Divine Truths to Help You Live by the Spirit by Richard G. Scott

"As you seek spiritual knowledge, search for principles," counsels Elder Richard G. Scott. "Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances."In this exciting book, Elder Scott offers 21 principles distilled from his life experiences. These "concentrated truths" will help you understand more fully how to be guided by the Spirit. Elder Scott's brief explanations open the way for your own discovery and exploration."I bear witness that Jesus Christ knows you personally," Elder Scott writes. "He will provide answers to every difficult problem in your life as you trust Him and do all you can to understand and apply His doctrine and strive to live by the Spirit." 21 Principles will be a valuable tool in that quest." (deseret book summary)

This is short book written by Richard G. Scott. Each chapter is introduced by a statement about how we can live closer to the spirit. The statement is then discussed in a short essay by Elder Scott. I liked the fact that he shared several personal stories and wished he had applied more stories to the principles he discussed in the book. In particular I enjoyed learning that Elder Scott was a painter and how that enriched his life. In fact, the painting on the cover is his work, which I thought was pretty cool. So, this is a quick read that would be easy to break down into little lessons, devotionals, or study topics.

One of my goals this year was to read a wider variety of books and so when Shadow Mountain offered me a review copy I decided to go for it. It was nice to read something different.

All That was Promised by Vickie Hall and Giveaway

In 1847 Wales young Methodist Minister Richard Kenyon converts to Mormonism. Richard's newfound faith is put to the test as he faces down the anger of his former congregatin, his wife's indicisiveness, the betrayal of his brother, and the murderous intentions of misinformed villagers.

I have to say that I think this is probably the darkest LDS historical novel that I’ve read. One of the main viewpoint characters has the most depressing and dysfunctional family I’ve ever read about and culminates in the viewpoint character strangling his wife to death “on screen.” If this wasn’t enough another character by the name of John Morgan is also a piece of despicable abusive swine. There are multiple acts of violence upon members of the church as persecution against Mormons escalates in the area. So many things went wrong right after another that I was beginning to wonder how much historical accuracy the story had because the story was starting to feel contrived on the part of the author to create more tension. There was no historical note by the author at the end to separate the truth from fiction, which annoyed me. I kind of wanted to know what facts she based the story from and how much creative license she had taken.

 The story does contain some wonderful glimmers of the power of the gospel. The repentance process of Meredith, a prostitute who helped John Morgan persecute Mormon families.  I admired moral courage of Richard Kenyon, who followed his conscience even if it threatened his livelihood. His tender relationship with his wife is no doubt meant to counterbalance the dysfunction of his elder brother’s  family. There are miracles wrought by the priesthood, but overall I felt the book was sort of depressing.  The novel provides a riveting read that rushes from conflict to conflict, and does have some great storytelling. Perhaps, the book wasn’t exactly to my taste but the book does deal realistically with heavy issues and allows the characters to really struggle with those issues instead of having them all made better instantly when they learn about the gospel. I think some readers will find that sort of honesty refreshing.  

Author Vickie Hall Vickie is a native of Utah, but growing up, lived in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Nebraska. When she's not writing, she's composing music, or shopping with her sister. She loves animals of all kinds and camping with her family. Her favorite pastime is watching old movies on TCM, and unashamedly has a crush on Cary Grant.

Links:

Blog * Website Facebook * Goodreads

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Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears

Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears

“Descended from the Hawaiian royal line, Jonathan Napela became one of the first—and most influential—converts to the Church in Hawaii. A man of intelligence, social status, and wealth, he used his considerable position to further the gospel in his native land. He developed a lifelong bond of brotherhood with Elder George Q. Cannon, helping to translate the Book of Mormon into Hawaiian and establish a gathering place for the Hawaiian saints in Laie, Oahu. But when his beloved wife, Kitty, was stricken with leprosy, Jonathan made the defining decision of his life. He would leave his life of privilege to become her caretaker and spend the rest of his life on Molokai, the island of lepers. To those who suffered similar heartbreak and banishment, Jonathan's self-sacrifice became their lifeline. Based on true story, this is an extraordinary novel of a man who chose love in the face of death.” (summary from author’s website)

Gale Sears’s newest historical novel Belonging to Heaven is about George Q. Cannon and his missionary service in Hawaii. While the focus of the book at the beginning lead me to believe that the book would continue to be about George Q. Cannon’s life he kind of drops out at the midpoint and the central character of the novel is revealed to be Jonathan Napala, a Hawaiian saint who helped cannon translate the Book of Mormon into Hawaiian. I enjoyed the story of Jonathan Napala despite the books wandering plot. I could understand if some readers had a hard time sticking with the story because of that, especially if they were not naturally interested in history, but I found the story fascinating and touching. I also loved how Sears wove the Hawaiian culture and language throughout the novel.  It was beautiful. I also loved how well Sears made us feel the connections of the characters to one another.  It is touching to read about how dear the Cannon and the Napala family held one another. I liked seeing how they were able to support one another through their hardships with the letters they shared.  I also loved reading about Jonathan Napala’s friendship with the courageous catholic priest, Father Damien de Veuster. I was brought to tears more than once by the faith, courage, and sacrifice these men showed in serving others in the leper colony. What a refreshing and exemplary example of true brotherhood.  Though, the plot was a bit loose this read was definitely worth the experience.  I can’t help but speculate what era of church history Sears will tackle next.

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Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale

Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale

Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city is a thrill to Miri. She and her princess academy friends have been brought to Asland to help the future princess Britta prepare for her wedding.There, Miri also has a chance to attend school-at the Queen's Castle. But as Miri befriends students who seem sophisticated and exciting she also learns that they have some frightening plans. Torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends' ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city, Miri looks to find her own way in this new place. 

Picking up where Princess Academy left off, and celebrating the joys of friendship, romance and the fate of fairy tale kingdoms, this new book delivers the completely delightful new story that fans have been waiting for. (summary from amazon)

I still love these characters that I met in the Princess Academy and one of the best things I love about them is that they have such a strong sense of identity and community because of how Mount Eskel has shaped them. This is another interesting tale about Miri a smart, brave, and intelligent girl who has new experiences in a whole new setting. At first I didn’t really enjoy the revolution storyline because it felt like Miri fell into it too easily. I felt like she should have thought of her friend Stephen and Britta more, as she went to all those meetings, but Hale give Miri real consequences for betraying her friends. I like how Miri had to feel those consequences and scramble to make things right, as that made the characters and plot feel way more realistic. I also really did love how the ending was resolved mostly peacefully, but there were definitive reasons for why it ended that way. I especially liked seeing the King grow and reevaluate his decision and judgments. Hale did an excellent job with that and with the Queen too. I loved how she recognized that she could have a say in things and she followed the example of a previous Queen to find her courage.  An excellent and worthwhile read.

Visit Shannon's Website

Destined by Aprilynne Pike

Destined by Aprilynn Pike

Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful--and deadly--of all, and Klea plans to use her to help conquer or destroy Avalon. But Klea's reach extends far beyond one wild Winter faerie. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares to face what may be Avalon's final days. (summary from author's website)

 The concluding book of the wings series is a satisfying conclusion that hits all the right plot points to fulfill all the promises the author made to the reader throughout the books. However, I sort of disliked the fact that is seemed more of a continuation of Illusions then a plot that stands on its own and as such it really does seem like a very short novel, especially for a book that ends a series. The majority of the book is a battle over Avalon. I did not go into the book expecting so much slaughter, but the author did a good job at staying true and consistent to the fairy world she has created, even in the way it reacted to chaos.  I still really loved all the characters, especially Tamani. I really enjoy reading his points of view. I have really enjoyed reading this  series and I’ll look forward to what Pike has for us next.

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LDSPBP: Lezlie Evans

http://www.lezlieevans.com/

Lezlie was not a natural born writer as she states on her website, as she struggled with writing in middle school. She majored in communications at BYU and took several creative writing classes, which helped her discover her passion for writing. She didn't settle on writing picture books until she had young children at home and took them to the library each week. She loved sharing books with her kids and extended that love to writing for young children.

The Bunnies Trip

This lyrical little rhyme tells the story of a bunnies family adventure getting ready for a trip. The house must be cleaned and the bags packed, but the bunnies have packed too much in their trunk! They have to go through their clothes and toys and leave some behind. 

This fun little book is fun to read aloud. The text rolls of the tongue in a fun and rollicking way. They bunnies are placed into numbered pairs and work together as a family to get things done.

 The Bunnies Picnic

The bunnies are back! This time they are preparing a dinner together, a large big stew. All goes well until the bunnies have an accident. Dinner is cancelled. Instead they must all work together to prepare a picnic.

Another fun rhyme book to read about the Bunnies misadventures making dinner together.

Can you count Ten Toes? Count to ten in 10 different languages.

This little book helps kids learn to count to ten in ten different languages: Japanese, Russian, Hindi, Tagalog, Korean, Zulu, French, Hebrew, Spanish, and Chinese. 

Each language is presented with its own counting situation. In Hindi you count the hats on the wall in Hebrew you count the sailboats in the bay, and so forth. This is a clever idea for a book and I enjoyed looking through it. The author has put pronunciation clues in parentheses next to each number.

Can You Greet the Whole Wide World? 12 common phrases in 12 different languages.

Similar to the her counting book Can You Greet the Whole Wide World introduces children to different languages.  The book introduces simple words and phrases children use as they go throughout a school day: good morning, hello, yes, no, I’m sorry, please, and thank you are several examples.

Each phrase has a pronunciation guide in parenthesis to help children say the word correctly. Words are given in German, Hebrew, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Hindi, Chinese, Zulu, Japanese, Italian, French, and Portuguese. This is a fun way to help children explore other languages

Who Loves the Little Lamb

This little book is about mother’s loving their unruly animal children.  The lamb is fussy, but the mom loves her anyway and comes to comfort her. The messy puppy wonders who will love him, and his mother comes to help him clean and loves him still.

I thought this was a cute little book. The type that parents will love to read to their kids with a beautiful and comforting message for kids. That their moms will love them no matter what. 

 

Rain Song
This picture book is a lovely poem that coveys the excitement and beauty that comes with a summer thunderstorm.  For those that love rhyming picture books that roll off your tongue when you read them this is a perfect selection. Evans is competent at the craft of creating natural rhymes with consistent metrics. 




Snow Dance

Similar to rain song snow dance celebrates the excitement and special joys of a snow storm from the point of view of the child. Snowball fights, sledding, and hot cocoa abound. Once again, a perfect read for those that prefer a bit of poetics with their picture books.

 

Other books not reviewed.

If I Were The Wind  (APG, 1997)
Sometimes I Feel Like a Stormcloud (Mondo Publishing, 1999)