David Kirkham has enough worries. He has a stressful job that sends him all over the world with no thought to his family life, and he has a wife and daughter who are tired of never having him home. When David boards the small plane, his thoughts are on how to hold it all together. But when the plane goes down, and he and a young Mormon girl are the sole survivors, he suddenly has much bigger problems.
This is a wonderful book about priorites and newfound faith. It is very different from any other fiction book I have read recently and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It gave me a lot to think about. I love it when a book makes me think. This is a passage I especially liked:
"I was brought up to R.S.P.P.," she said, cutting me off. At first, I thought I had misunderstood her. "You mean R.S.V.P.?" "No. R.S.P.P. Before you judge anything, you need to Read, Study, Ponder and Pray. R.S.P.P." "Oh, like it says in the Book of Mormon." This time she was the one caught off guard. "How did you know that?" I noticed a beetle crawling over my shoe and slowly flicked it away, trying to delay my answer. " I read the introduction," I admitted softly. Smiling broadly, she said, "That's a start."
This book has drama, intrigue, suspense, and even Spanish! (I was quite thrilled when I actually understood the few sentences in the book that were in Spanish, and they really aren't translated into English.) I think this is a great book for about any age above 12 years old. I'm sure you'll learn something and come away with new insights into the Book of Mormon and yourself.
As many of you know, I'm really don't read very much non-fiction. I want to, and I enjoy it, but I have a short attention span and it can be very hard for me to focus on the author's words long enough to finish any non-fiction book in a timely manner. Now that I've said that, you need to know that I finished this particular book in one day.
This book is great! It's a book, targeted toward women, full of humorous stories, essays and inspiring messages about being better people, achieving goals, and seeking to serve those outside of ourselves. First, she starts the book with an introduction that ties all the following chapters together. The author has three goals for each day (and in the introduction she explains the background) to do something spiritual, something physical, and to do something of service. These are wonderful goals that I am finding to be attainable for myself - and not quite as overwhelming as the endless lists that we feel we must accomplish. Geneology, journals, scriptures, take meals to others, and all other worthy goals that we can sometimes feel we fall short of. This book is a great pep talk! It makes you laugh and not take yourself so seriously while still encouraging you to make your goals for personal development.
My favorite chapter was "Nephi's Psalm". It gave me a lot to think about and since then I've played around with writing "Dayna's Psalm". I think it can help me keep things in perspective. I have to mention, I also think that this would be a fabulous book to suggest for LDS book groups. It's fun, it's light, it has great discussion topics and there is a lot of material that would be easy to converse about.
Another fantastic thriller from Clair M. Poulson! The disappearance of seventeen-year-old Cody Lind has everyone worried. It seems that for every one person who loved Cody and his family, there were an equal amount that didn't. Sheriff Vince Hanks and his deputy Kara Smith have the task of trying unravel the mystery and find Cody, and their suspect list continues to grow. Then, just when they think they have an idea of what is going on, one of their suspects is found - dead - and they realize that things are not always what they appear.
Stories are never boring when the author is Clair M. Poulson! As you follow along with the plot, you are just sure you know what is going on and who is who. Then, suddenly, WHAM! You find out that you had no idea what was going on at all!! This is a great suspense, mystery, thriller and even a little romance type book. You'll love the twists and turns but avoid the temptation to look ahead to the end; it will ruin it if you know what's coming. A great book for teenagers and up.
Have you ever had the experience of reading a book during a trying time that was exactly what you needed to lift your spirits? That is what "I Am a Mother" did for me. When I read this last week, I was having one of those times when I felt so overwhelmed with the responsibility of mothering my 4 young children and being pregnant with my fifth. I was feeling like a failure in some areas, worried about how I was going to possibly meet all the needs that these children have. To make matters worse, I started potty-training one of my sons. That is enough to make any mother feel frustrated.
As I picked up this book to read, I had second thoughts about reading it, since I figured it would just serve to make me feel more guilty about the ways that I am failing as a mother. Quite the contrary! It buoyed me up and made me feel like all my feelings and frustrations are normal. Jane Clayson Johnson shared so many uplifting stories that I didn't want to put the book down. There were inspiring quotes from church leaders as well, and many times I was brought to tears because I felt like someone out there understood.
Thank you Sister Jane Clayson Johnson for your words. They touched me greatly. Sis. Johnson expresses in her book how her life didn't turn out exactly how she had planned, being in network television for many years instead of being a mother and wife like she had originally wanted. I think part of the reason her plan was different was so she could make a difference in all of our lives with her life experiences and touching words.
"Errand of Angels" is a beautifully illustrated hardback book that is written as an honor and tribute to mothers. Each page features quotes from well-known writers and church leaders to remind us how truly important motherhood is. Each page also features beautiful artwork done by various artists including Robert Duncan, C. Michael Dudash, Julie Rogers, Donna Green, Sandra Kuch, Jean Monti, Liz Lemon Swindle, and more.
It would be a lovely book to set out as a decoration and as reading material during this time of year when we celebrate mothers everywhere.
Set in 62 BC, in the Land of Zarahemla, comes a story about Kiah, the daughter of Captain Moroni. She ventures off farther from her home than she should and meets Jeran, a Lamanite. Soon they are involved in an evil plot that threatens to destroy all that is important to her.
This is a very different idea for a book. It truly is like no other fiction book I've read recently. What a fun ride! It has romance, adventure, betrayal, complicated relationships, good, evil and intrigue. The author has set this book in the midst of an ancient civilizations and takes us on a journey that is unique and unpredictable. It is a great book for all ages.
Jana has huge ambitions for her twin brother Alex. She dreams of getting him elected as Student Body President at their school, Fairport High. Alex has no interest in being President, but their Mormon friend, James, does. Jana thinks he will never win, he's too big of a "nobody". Then one day Jana realizes she can give James a makeover from a "nobody" to a "somebody" and he may just become Student Body President. But she has no idea what she may encounter and learn through it all.
This a great book for teenagers. In some ways I found it painful because it was so accurate in how I thought of myself and others, when I was a teenager. It reflected how one may feel about being popular and the decisions that one has to make in high school. I thought this book had a good morals and lessons about friendship and being true to yourself. It was light and fun and a person of any age could read it.
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