The Mountain of the Lord

The Mountain of the Lord
By Chad S. Hawkins
Deseret Book, 2010. 130 pgs. Nonfiction

Chad Hawkins shares brief stories about miracles and other faith-building experiences relating to LDS temples around the world, as well as illustrations of many of the temples. This short book can easily be read in one sitting and is a great pick for LDS readers looking for inspiration and a source for renewing their dedication to temple work.

AE

The Devil's Rooming House

The Devil's Rooming House
By M. William Phelps
Lyons Press, 2010. 303 pgs. Biography

Amy Archer-Gilligan is the deadliest female serial killer in U.S history; running a home for the elderly in Connecticut, a lack of money led her to poison patients--and both her first and second husbands--with arsenic in order to hasten their deaths to give her access to more patients and more money. Amy, staunchly claimed to be a good Christian woman, being forced into ruin by townspeople in general and the local 's newspaper reporters in particular as they set out to prove that Amy's patients were not dying of natural causes.

Overall, this was an interesting book, as Phelps explored Amy's money problems, the lengthy investigation on the part of the local newspaper before the formal investigation by law enforcement began, and Amy's trial. However, the book could have been a few dozen pages shorter if the author didn't spend much of the first part of the book talking about the deadly heat wave of 1911; that tangential information really slowed down the beginning of the book.

AE

Sapphique

Sapphique
By Catherine Fisher
Dial Books, 2010. 462 pgs. Young Adult

Finn has escaped from Incarceron, but his assent to the throne in the Outside won't be easy. Although Claudia, the prison warden's daughter, believes he is the true heir to the throne, many others have their doubts--including the queen, who will do anything to have her son Caspar take the throne. At the same time, Finn and Claudia have to figure out how get Finn's friends Keiro and Attia out of the prison, and Incareron itself has decided it would like to escape as well.

This book is jam packed with action and excitement. Those who enjoyed Incarceron will undoubtedly love this one as well.

AE

Payback Time

Payback Time
By Carl Deuker
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 298 pgs. Young Adult

Disappointed when he is not elected editor of his high school newspaper, Mitch True discovers that he enjoys writing for the sports beat, especially with the company of the cute and smart photographer Kimi Yon. Early in the football season, Mitch and Kimi notice that the coach is not playing one of his best players, a new student who keeps himself below the radar. Mitch and Kimi realize that they might have a hot story on their hands and begin investigating the new player. This is a quick and easy read, perfect for reluctant readers who like a little mystery and sports mixed together.

MN

Locked Up: A History of the U.S. Prison System

Locked Up: A History of the U.S. Prison System
By Laura B. Edge
Twenty-First Century Books, 2009. 112 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

I wasn't sure what to expect from a book about the U.S. prison system, but this was actually a really interesting read. Edge begins with colonial prisons and moves forward to the present day, describing prison conditions, attitudes toward prisons (such as whether they should be mainly for punishment or reformation), and movements and regulations, such as the changes in the death penalty and the move to having separate prisons for women and juveniles. I think this was a great introduction to the prison system and my interest is peaked now and I'd like to learn more about the U.S. prison system, as well as some of the famous prisons mentioned in the book.

AE

Annexed

Annexed
By Sharon Dogar
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 341 pgs. Young Adult

Peter Van Pels and his family are stuck hiding in an annex with the Frank family. At first, Peter is irritated by Anne Frank and is lost in thoughts of his girlfriend, Liese, who has been taken away by the Nazis, but eventually he finds himself drawn to Anne even as he struggles to find out who he is.

This book has gotten rave reviews from School Library Journal, Booklist, VOYA, and PW, but I didn't find myself loving it. On the one hand, Peter's musings about who he is and his desire not to be defined as a Jew simply because others choose to label him as such are thought-provoking, I found Peter's main fear (that he'd die a virgin) to be a little over the top. It could be a realistic fear for a sixteen-year-old boy, but as an adult female, I found it to be a little too detailed and drawn out to make it enjoyable.

AE

As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth

As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth
By Lynne Rae Perkins
Green Willow Books. 2010. 353 pgs. Young Adult

A teenaged boy encounters one comedic calamity after another when his train strands him in the middle of nowhere, and everything comes down to luck.

A funny and touching story of mishaps, adventure, and the relationships we build with those around us. I really enjoyed this book and would especially recommend it to teen boys looking for an adventurous tale.

AMM

Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown

Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown
By Daniel H. Wilson
Bloomsbury. 2010. 151 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

Practiced by countless siblings, mastered by few: here is the definitive guide to tormenting one's brother or sister. This is a hilarious yet highly informative manual.

Anyone with siblings has surely learned many of these techniques through trial and error! This was a funny look at how siblings interact and was the perfect holiday read with lots of family around. I would recommend this book to anyone with annoying siblings or anyone wanting to annoy their siblings!

AMM

The Best Girl

The Best Girl
By Emma Harrison
HarperTeen, 2008. 275 pgs. Young Adult

Farrah Jane Morris has reinvented herself during her first semester of college--she's Jane Morris, a fearless journalist who isn't afraid to stand up for herself. However, over Christmas break, her brother is getting married at an elite resort, and Jane's back to being Farrah, the rich tomboy who has never seemed to live up to her mother's expectations for her. When Farrah/Jane finds out her crush, Connor, works at the hotel--and that he doesn't exactly like the rich guests--she pretends to be a nanny. As she tries to be Jane with Connor and Farrah with her family, she's also dealing with feeling like she's never going to be "girl" enough for anyone.

This is a fluffy, fun read, but it also had more substance than I anticipated. I was just looking for a light, quick read for my Christmas break, and while this book was a great pick for that, it gets extra points for the added layer of depth that comes with Jane's insecurities about her femininity.

AE

Traitor

Traitor
By Sanda Grey
Covenant Communications, 2008. 372 pgs. Historical fiction

American Marie Jacobson parachutes into France to join her fiancé Felix who is part of the French Resistance against the Nazis. However, shortly after she joins him, and his cause, Felix is killed and she is captured. Major Rolf Schulmann, her captor, seems kind, but he's a Nazi, so she resists him. However, Rolf is a Latter-day Saint, and despite the fact that he is a Gestapo officer, is often working against his country. As he seeks to protect Marie, both of their lives--and their hearts--are in danger.

My biggest complaint with this book is that is has a cliffhanger ending! I didn't realize that when I picked it up that this was part of a series. I love reading books set during World War II, and it was very interesting to read about the conflict an LDS Nazi officer would experience within his own heart and conscience. I didn't think the relationship between Rolf and Marie was developed as well as it could have been, but I'm eager to continue with the series.

AE

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
By Cathy Marie Hake
Bethany House, 2007. 399 pgs. Historical fiction

Laney McCain has had her heart set on Galen O'Sullivan for about as long as she can remember. Galen has only ever seen her as a pest and his best friend's younger sister, but suddenly it seems as if he's noticed she's a woman. Just when it seems like things will work out for them, though, the squatters Galen has generously been allowing to live on his family's land, stir up a whole passel of trouble.

This book has the same characters as Hake's Letter Perfect, but even readers who haven't read the first book should be able to follow the story line. I enjoyed both books, but this book has a stronger plot. I was shocked and horrified about the plot twist that got thrown in, and I almost didn't finish the book because it made me mad! However, I'm glad I stuck with it; this book was very interesting. A Christian romance, it really put to test the characters' (and the reader's) ideas of faith, charity, and what it really means to be a Christian. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

AE

Letter Perfect

Letter Perfect
By Cathy Marie Hake
Bethany House, 2006. 379 pgs. Historical fiction

Ruth Caldwell has been kicked out of the latest in a series of finishing schools and returns home only to find out that her mother is dying. Her mother's dying wish is for her to go to California and find her father, so Ruth complies, only to find that her father has passed away as well, having never known of her existence. The fact that she does exist invalidates his will, which leaves his ranch to the McCain family, who have been helping him run it. The McCains invite her to stay with them while they're waiting for a judge to rule on their case. Ruth quickly becomes friends with Laney McCain, and Laney's brother Josh is drawn to her. However, when it becomes apparent something isn't right on the ranch, Josh has to decide who he can trust.

This was a pretty good Christian romance. With the western setting, adventure and a bit of a mystery, the plot was strong. The characters are likable, and all in all, it's a good pick.

AE

The Christmas Letters

The Christmas Letters: A Timeless Story for Every Generation
By Bret Nicholaus
Center Street, 2006. 80 pages. Fiction.

If you are looking for a very short inspirational book about remembering what is important at Christmas time, then you may want to pick this book up. In fact it is so short, I am surprised it was published as a single, stand-alone story.

With the whole family together for Christmas, Grandpa explains that he might not be around for another year and wants to do something special. He gives each family member a letter cut out of red velvet. Together the letters spell C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. Grandpa then goes around the table to explain how each person has made Christmas special for him. Reading this book allows you to reflect on your own family and what they mean to you.

AJ

Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone

Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone
By Martha Ackmann
Lawrence Hill Books, 2010. 274 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

Toni Stone was the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro League in the early 1950s; here Ackmann chronicles her life and her early involvement with baseball, playing on any team she could possibly join, as well as her time in the Negro League, and how she managed to stay involved even after she left the Negro League.

I really wanted to like this book, but I can't actually say that I did like it. I think it's important to have books like this one, which is very informative about Toni Stone's story, as well as the struggle for a woman to play a professional sport and the discrimination black athlete faced. However, I didn't particularly care for the writing style; I thought it was rather dry, had too many footnotes and didn't ever really pull me into the book.

AE

And the Pursuit of Happiness

And the Pursuit of Happiness
by Maira Kalman
Penguin, 2010. 471 pgs. Non-Fiction.

When NPRs Michelle Block was trying to interview Maira Kalman at the Jefferson Memorial about this book, they were kicked off the steps by the National Park Police because interviews are not allowed there. "So much for the pursuit of happiness." But on the other hand, much happiness can be realized by pursuing this book which is the most antic, inclusive, joyful, memorable disquisition on America imaginable. Beginning with the January inauguration of Barack Obama, Kalman takes us month by month through a year's worth of Americana: Jefferson's farm journals, a visit with Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a visit to the Pentagon's 9/11 memorial, and an expression of love for the Flying Fortress. And the Pursuit of Happiness, in paintings, words, and photographs traces not only the genesis of our freedoms, but their playing out in the smallest details of our lives. Beautifully well done.

LW

The Lilies of the Field

The Lilies of the Field
By William E. Barrett
Grand Central Pub, 1995. 127 pgs. Fiction

Homer Smith, a rambling ex-GI working at odd jobs, crosses paths with Mother Maria and her group of German refugee nuns, determined to thrive in the Western desert when common sense would say otherwise. Mother Maria explains to Homer that God has sent him to build them their chapel; Homer, a Southern Baptist, believes otherwise. However, when the town expresses their belief that Homer is not the answer to the nun's prayers, Homer decides, whether or not God sent him, he will build the chapel and prove the town wrong.

This slim classic was the premise of the film with the same title starring Sidney Poitier; it’s a tale of determination as two people beat the odds (and have a little faith) when everyone around them said they could not do it.

Remarkable Creatures

Remarkable Creatures
By Tracy Chevalier
Dutton, 2010. 312 pages. Fiction

Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring, bases her new novel on the lives of two real women involved in the discovery of dinosaur fossils during the early 19th century on the beaches of Lyme-Regis, England. The story covers two main topics; how the discovery of extinct animals sent tremors through the scientific and religious worlds because of the question about the age of the earth, and the scandal that women might be involved in discovering these fossils.

Mary Anning is a young, working class girl who follows in her father’s footsteps after he dies to collect small sea creature fossils to help supplement their tiny income. Mary seems to have a unique gift. She has “the eye” for finding fossils.

Elizabeth Philpot is one of three middle-class spinster sisters who have moved from London to Lyme-Regis. Elizabeth shares Mary’s passion for finding fossils. Because of this, Mary and Elizabeth strike up a friendship, but their relationship proves to be rocky when Mary falls in love with a man far above her station in life.

I found this to be an interesting and immensely readable account of a fascinating period in our history. The characters were complex and alive. I would highly recommend reading this book.

AJ

A Girl Named Mister

A Girl Named Mister
By Nikki Grimes
Zondervan, 2010. 223 pages. Young Adult.

Fourteen-year-old Mister (short for M.R., which is in turn short for Mary Rudine) has promised not to have sex before marriage; however, her devotion both to church and to her promise wavers when she meets Trey. Soon, she has broken her promise and finds herself pregnant. Seeking comfort and guidance, she turns to a book of poems told from the perspective of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is dealing with an unexpected pregnancy of her own.

I thought this book was well-written, and Mister's struggle to deal with faith, temptation, guilt, and forgiveness is one that many teens and adults can relate to, even if premarital sex isn't their particular temptation. I also like how Mister turns to a Biblical character for guidance. Grimes is a good writer, and I always enjoy her work, and I appreciate the mixture of faith and religion into her fiction. This book isn't quite squeaky clean, as there's a little bit of detail about Mister's increasing feelings for Trey, but their sexual encounter is not described, and there's no language. Overall, Grimes handles a difficult topic very tastefully.

AE

Pegasus

Pegasus
By Robin McKinley
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2010. 404 pgs. Young Adult

In a land where pegasi and humans co-exist and some pegasi are bound to certain humans, such as royalty, Princess Sylvi approaches her twelfth birthday with trepidation. She will be bound to a pegasus, but won’t be able to communicate him without the help of a magician and Sylvi dislikes magicians and magic. But something happens at her binding, something that has never happened before. Sylvi and her pegasus, Ebon, are able to communicate, which sets off a bitter dispute with the magicians.

I am a fan of McKinley’s work but, while I enjoyed this, it was hard to get through it. McKinley is a master of description, but she often went on time tangents. As she wrote of a current event, McKinley would often relate something that happened years ago, but was connected to the present event. While it was good to have such information, it was disorienting. There were also so many characters that I could not keep track of them all, which was also distracting. Having said all that, I will read the sequel when it comes out.

MN

Secret Santa

Secret Santa
By Sabrina James
Point, 2007. 357 pgs. Young Adult

When North Ridge High School decides to hold a Secret Santa exchange, it creates all sorts of mayhem. Noelle is determined to be her crush Charlie's Secret Santa, but draws his brother's name instead. Celia is thrilled to draw Jake's name, since she has a crush on him, but his friend Froggy likes Celia and is hoping to use his opportunity as her Secret Santa to reveal his feelings. Lily is determined to give Connor great Secret Santa gifts purely because she enjoys the spirit of Christmas, but she keeps giving him things he doesn't like and makes Connor's girlfriend jealous in the process.

This book was pretty much dreadful. I picked it up wanting a light, fun read for Christmas time, and while is light, it wasn't much fun to read because of the style. The writing was awful, the description of clothing was overdone, and the guys in the book pretty much all sounded like teenage girls. (I doubt, even if a guy were insecure and jealous of another guy that he would call the guy a hottie and discuss his dimples and cleft chin). I kept reading, hoping that the ending would make up for the rest of the book, but it really didn't. Even though things worked out just as any reader would have predicted, the ending was rushed and overdone and had me rolling my eyes, wishing I hadn't wasted my time.

The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball

The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball
By Risa Green
Sourcebooks Fire, 2010. 315 pgs. Young Adult

Erin Channing's favorite aunt has passed away and left practical, rational Erin a gift: a pink crystal ball. Erin in skeptical of the ball, but then her inadvertent questions start happening, just as she'd asked, she and her friends begin to suspect that there is something magical about the crystal ball after all.

A light, fluffy read, this book doesn't have a whole lot of substance, but the writing is decent and the plot is interesting enough to make it a serviceable addition to teen chick-lit.

AE

A Tailor-Made Bride

A Tailor-Made Bride
By Karen Witemeyer
Bethany House, 2010. 348 pgs. Romance

Hannah Richards moves to Coventry, Texas to follow her dream of opening her own dressmaking shop. She quickly managed to not hit it off with Jericho Tucker, a hardworking man who believes vanity--and Hannah's livelihood--are a waste of time and a temptation to women, inflating their pride and leading them away from God. But despite her pretty clothes, Hannah seems to be a good woman, and Jericho finds himself drawn to her--even when she starts fancying up his sister, something he didn't want her to do.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book; it seems like most Christian romance novels I've picked up lately have been lacking in character development, any mention of Christianity, and good editing. However, this book had all three, and the result is a satisfying story.

AE

Murder by Design

Murder by Design
By Betsy Brannon Green
Covenant Communications, 2010.239 pgs. Mystery

Kennedy Killingsworth becomes involved in her second murder investigation in two months when Jarradd Dupree winds up dead, shortly after having donated some paintings to the local library for an auction. Shortly after his death, his paintings, which despite being rather terrible paintings, are in high demand, with buyers offering outrageous prices for them. As Kennedy tries to figure out who killed him, she's also worried about Sloan, an acquaintance who turns out be an FBI agent being framed by a colleague, and trying to figure out her relationship with Luke Scoggins.

This book was all right, nothing overly special, but it'll do if you're looking for a cozy mystery that you can breeze through.

AE

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
By Charles Yu
Pantheon Books, 2010. 239 pgs. Science Fiction.

Charles is a time machine repairman. He has spent the past ten years traveling from time to time helping recreational time travelers safely traverse Minor Universe 31. He is accompanied on these travels by TAMMY his operating system with depression issues, and his android dog, Ed. The meaning and nature of time, memory, regret, and hope are all explored as Charles tries to escape a time loop with far reaching consequences.

The premise behind this book is a cross between Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next literary world and Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker universe. However, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe is not nearly as funny as either. It is filled with unexpected introspection and philosophizing that is at times enlightening but doesn’t make for riveting reading. Its slow pace and circular narration makes this a tough book to recommend widely.

CZ

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
By Elisabeth Tova Bailey
Algonquin Book of Chapel Hill, 2010. 190 pgs. Nonfiction

While in her early thirties, Elisabeth Bailey found herself ripped from her busy life by a rare illness that left her bedridden for months at a time. As an afterthought, Elisabeth’s friend places a woodland snail inside a potted plant she brings on a visit. This small wild snail becomes an unexpected source of inspiration, fascination, and companionship through her long months of convalescence. Bailey has written this short compilation of what she learned about snails, along with what her mollusk friend teaches her about life and survival.

This is a very short, sweet, and informative book. As strange as it sounds, it is really just a love letter to snails and their fascinating abilities and traits. Bailey does such a good job describing these little creatures that I actually thought about adopting a little snail pal for myself.

CZ

Entice

Entice
By Carrie Jones
Bloomsbury, 2010. 266 pgs. Young Adult

Zara White is desperate to get her boyfriend Nick back from Valhalla, a mythic places for not quite dead warriors--so desperate that she let Astley, a pixie, turn her into a pixie...even though pixies and weres are enemies, and Nick is a were. As she tries to find Valhalla to rescue Nick (who quite possibly will hate her now that she's a pixie), she has to decide how much to trust Astley and figure out who is so bent on keeping them from Valhalla. Meanwhile, in Zara's secluded Maine town, more and more people are disappearing, becoming food for the hungry pixies who are preparing for an all-out war.

This is the third book in the Feed series, and quite likely the last one that I'll read. I find myself liking them less and less as the series goes on. I'm not drawn to the characters, and the plot just seems to be taking too long to unfold. Zara and her friends are all nice but just don't capture my attention or really make me care about the story.

AE

Smile

Smile
By Raina Telgemeier
Scholastic, 2010. 214 pgs. Young Adult Comics

An autobiography in graphic novel format describes how the author lost two of her front teeth in an accident when she was twelve, and her subsequent struggles with various corrective dental techniques throughout adolescence.

Even though I’ve never had braces, I could identify with many of the things Raina went though as I thought back on my own experiences in Junior High and High School. This book was funny and a quick read. I’d recommend it to anyone who has spent time at the dentist’s office and especially middle school girls.

AMM

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
By Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. 260 pgs. Young Adult

Lily loves Christmas with all the caroling, cookies, and crowds in New York City. Dash dislikes Christmas and is happy to spend it alone when he tells his divorced parents (who don’t speak to each other) that he is spending Christmas with the other. These two strangers begin a relationship when Dash finds Lily’s red Moleskine notebook in the Strand bookstore and follows the clues inside. Daring each other to experience some of their favorite things and writing down some of their innermost feelings, the two teenagers learn a lot about themselves and each other during this delightful romp through New York City during the Christmas season. This starts out a little slow, but thoughtful readers will appreciate Lily’s and Dash’s adventures and growth, which culminate in a hilarious incident.

MN

Donut Days

Donut Days
By Lara Zielin
G.P. Putnam's Son, 2009. 246 pgs. Young Adult

Emma's life is spinning out of control. Her parents are both pastors at their evangelical church, but recently a church member has "prophesied" that women shouldn't preach, stirring up the whole congregations. The man who made the prophesy is the father of a former friend of Emma's--and Emma's love interest. Estranged from her friends, and desperate to win a journalism contest that would give her a much-needed college scholarship, Emma heads to Crispy Dream, the donut store that will be opening soon, to interview people camped out for the grand opening. However, Emma's troubles follow her there.

I have mixed feelings about this book; there are endearing characters and an interesting dilemma. However, I also think the resolution came a little too quickly...and the bit of romance could have been a little more developed, for my personal tastes.

AE

November Blues

November Blues
By Sharon Draper
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007. 316 pgs. Young Adult

High schooler November's boyfriend Josh has recently died--without knowing that November was pregnant. Now November has to deal with impending motherhood, as well as the changes to her body. Josh's cousin Jericho, riddled with guilt over Josh's death, is determined to help her.

I tried to like this book; it's a Coretta Scott King Honor book and I think Draper provides a realistic portrayal of teen pregnancy and emotions. However, I can't say I like either Draper's writing style or found myself connecting with any of the characters.

AE